Post by Tom/CalClassic on Jan 8, 2010 13:35:36 GMT -5
Hi all,
Arno at FS Developer has been quietly creating a program that could really change scenery design, hopefully for the better.
It's called ModelConverterX, and its purpose is to be able to convert various scenery object formats, to allow their use in modern "library object" scenery programs. While there is an X in the name, it will create FS2004 scenery MDL files too.
For example, if you have an old API macro object lying around (they were used with scenery programs for FS98 and FS2000), you can (sometimes) convert them to a new library object, and place it with EZ-Scenery or Instant Scenery. As an example, in the future to create static aircraft you can create an API file using M98 to BGL, convert it to a library object MDL file using ModelConverterX (MCX), and then place it into your scenery. Much easier than trying to place it directly using M98 to BGL.
But enough of that - that's not the topic of this post. Arno has recently added to MCX the capability to import COLLADA (.dae) and Google Earth (.kmz) files. So what, you say? Well, there is a relatively new program called Google Sketchup that many people are using to create building models for architects, presentations, and for placement into Google Earth. With this new import capability, this means that Sketchup buildings can now be placed right into FS!
Since Sketchup is dramatically easier to use than either GMAX or FSDS, this brings up the possibility of many more people being able to add custom buildings to their airport scenery. This can only be good.
First, check out the first few SketchUp video tutorials here, to get an idea how easy it is to create an object:
sketchup.google.com/training/videos/new_to_gsu.html
Basically, you draw a 2D shape, then drag it upwards to create the 3D box. Now create sub areas on your box, and drag them outward. If you have ever used GMAX this is equivalent to the Extrude Polygons feature, but here it is quick and easy - draw the shape and drag it out.
After getting the building the shape you want, you next texture it, using either custom textures you have made (like people using GMAX, etc.) or you can use some textures included in Sketchup. You must be careful, though - most of these are not "square" (i.e. 256 x 256 pixels), which is required in FS. So you probably want to make your own special FS versions of these textures first. I'm sure that it wouldn't be difficult for someone to do that and release them for other folks too.
Here GMAX has an advantage over Sketchup, since the texturing process in GMAX is more flexible. Of course, you can load your Sketchup building into GMAX using the MCX .3DS export feature and texture it there if you prefer.
But texturing in Sketchup isn't that bad, and since I've only spent a few hours using it there may be a much better way (wouldn't surprise me). Basically, you create "Materials" in Sketchup that apply a certain texture at a certain "zoom" level onto your building.
If the texture you are using requires different zoom levels or different areas for different parts of the building, you:
1. Draw lines onto your building to split it into separate sections
2. Apply your Material to each building section, then move it around and scale it until it looks good (see below).
3. If you need more than one texture, you create a new Material for that texture and apply it to the sections using that texture. A roof is a common example of this.
So what I have done here is create a simple building in Sketchup.
1. I First created a rectangle on the "ground" the size and shape of my building. I then dragged it up to the height of the main building.
2. I then drew a rectangle on the roof the shape of the tower, and dragged that part of the roof upward to create the tower.
3. Next I drew lines down the side of the building to divide it into 3 sections - under the tower and on each end.
4. Next I took Sketchup's tile roof texture (a rectangular JPG file) and made a copy of it a square BMP file. I added it as a new Material (click the Paint Bucket tool to bring up the Material Editor), calling it FS Tile Roof.
5. I applied this roof texture to the roof polygons using the Paint Bucket tool. (With the FS Tile Roof material selected, just click the roof). I adjusted the right/left and up/down lengths in the Material so the tiles looked the right size on the roof.
6. I took an old texture I had sitting around (for the the Burbank terminal, actually) and added it to the list of Materials in Sketchup (very easy - click the button in the upper right of the Material Editor with the + on it, name it what you like, and then add the texture below - browse to it).
7. I applied this to various parts of my building, giving the result you see above. The "trick" is to select a "face" (section), apply the texture using the Paint Bucket tool, right click the face and choose Texture/Position. Then you can drag it around until it is aligned properly. You can also use the little green "pin" (actually the 0 right next to it) to scale and rotate the texture on this face.
After learning how to do this, it didn't take long at all to get it looking this way.
Now you use File/Export/3D Model and select the COLLADA format (.dae). If you push the Options button at the bottom right and check the Export Texture Maps box, your textures will be copied to a new folder with the same name as your .dae file (but see below).
Now we File/Save our Sketchup file for later use, and quit Sketchup.
You'll need to move your new COLLADA (.dae) file into the same folder as your exported textures - they will have had their names changed to texture0.bmp, texture1.bmp, etc., unfortunately.
First, you'll need to download and install the Make Model SDK from MS:
support.microsoft.com/kb/555857
Then start ModelConverterX, available here (use the latest development release):
www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14215
Now in MCX use the Import button to import your new COLLADA file (.dae). I had a little problem with this at first, but if you have your textures and your .dae file in the same folder, your building should be displayed complete with textures.
Now you need to make a choice - leave the new cryptic texture file names, or change them back to something understandable. I do the latter. First, copy your original textures that you used in Sketchup into the same folder as those new texture0.bmp (etc.) files. Then click the Material Editor button in MCX, and select texture0 on the left. Scroll down on the right until the texture0.bmp (or whatever) is displayed. Click it and then click the ... button, and browse to the correctly named texture. If you have an _LM texture (night texture) add that on the line below. Continue this until you have them all changed, and press the Close button.
Now press the Export button and select FS9 MDL object as the type in the drop down box. You should get MakeMDL popping up. Change the type to SceneryFS9 in the Model Types drop down box, and check Ignore Warnings in the Options tab. Finally press the Start button and hopefully you will get a Done! message. Click the Exit button. If MCX cannot find MakeMDL, use the Options menu or button and go to the Exporter Settings and set the MakeMDL path (click the MakeMDL path line and then the button with ... on it and browse to where you installed it above).
Note that the file name for the MDL file created above cannot have spaces and not begin with a number or punctuation! MakeMDL quirk.
Next we'll get it into Flight Sim. I use EZ-Scenery for this, but I suggest that if you will be doing any scenery work at all you buy Instant Scenery - it is cheaper and does more. However, if you already use Rwy12 or ADE or other freeware scenery library object placement program feel free to use that instead.
First download and install Arno's Library Creator XML program v2.02:
www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=cat&id=5&sort=date&page=2
You will also need the BGLComp SDK installed from the MS site listed above for the Make Model SDK.
Starting Library Creator, use the Options/FS2004 BGLComp Path choice and browse to it.
Now select Options/Relative Paths. Then choose File/New Library. Create the new library XML file in the same folder where you saved the MDL file in MCX. I call mine something like KBUR_library.XML. This will also be the name of the final library BGL file.
Now click the Add MDL Objects button and add your new MDL file. You can include many buildings for the same logical area (i.e. around one airport) in this same library (add them later if you like as well).
Finally, use File/Save Library and then File/Compile Library choice. Hopefully you will now have a BGL file in the same folder as the rest of the files. That should now be placed into an active scenery folder. Copy your texture files (the ones with the correct names and in an FS compatible format) into the corresponding texture folder.
Start FS, and use your favorite scenery program to place your new library object into your airport scenery:
I've added a default control tower on top of my tower to make it look a little nicer.
If anyone is interested in trying this, I'll be happy to help.
Take care,
Arno at FS Developer has been quietly creating a program that could really change scenery design, hopefully for the better.
It's called ModelConverterX, and its purpose is to be able to convert various scenery object formats, to allow their use in modern "library object" scenery programs. While there is an X in the name, it will create FS2004 scenery MDL files too.
For example, if you have an old API macro object lying around (they were used with scenery programs for FS98 and FS2000), you can (sometimes) convert them to a new library object, and place it with EZ-Scenery or Instant Scenery. As an example, in the future to create static aircraft you can create an API file using M98 to BGL, convert it to a library object MDL file using ModelConverterX (MCX), and then place it into your scenery. Much easier than trying to place it directly using M98 to BGL.
But enough of that - that's not the topic of this post. Arno has recently added to MCX the capability to import COLLADA (.dae) and Google Earth (.kmz) files. So what, you say? Well, there is a relatively new program called Google Sketchup that many people are using to create building models for architects, presentations, and for placement into Google Earth. With this new import capability, this means that Sketchup buildings can now be placed right into FS!
Since Sketchup is dramatically easier to use than either GMAX or FSDS, this brings up the possibility of many more people being able to add custom buildings to their airport scenery. This can only be good.
First, check out the first few SketchUp video tutorials here, to get an idea how easy it is to create an object:
sketchup.google.com/training/videos/new_to_gsu.html
Basically, you draw a 2D shape, then drag it upwards to create the 3D box. Now create sub areas on your box, and drag them outward. If you have ever used GMAX this is equivalent to the Extrude Polygons feature, but here it is quick and easy - draw the shape and drag it out.
After getting the building the shape you want, you next texture it, using either custom textures you have made (like people using GMAX, etc.) or you can use some textures included in Sketchup. You must be careful, though - most of these are not "square" (i.e. 256 x 256 pixels), which is required in FS. So you probably want to make your own special FS versions of these textures first. I'm sure that it wouldn't be difficult for someone to do that and release them for other folks too.
Here GMAX has an advantage over Sketchup, since the texturing process in GMAX is more flexible. Of course, you can load your Sketchup building into GMAX using the MCX .3DS export feature and texture it there if you prefer.
But texturing in Sketchup isn't that bad, and since I've only spent a few hours using it there may be a much better way (wouldn't surprise me). Basically, you create "Materials" in Sketchup that apply a certain texture at a certain "zoom" level onto your building.
If the texture you are using requires different zoom levels or different areas for different parts of the building, you:
1. Draw lines onto your building to split it into separate sections
2. Apply your Material to each building section, then move it around and scale it until it looks good (see below).
3. If you need more than one texture, you create a new Material for that texture and apply it to the sections using that texture. A roof is a common example of this.
So what I have done here is create a simple building in Sketchup.
1. I First created a rectangle on the "ground" the size and shape of my building. I then dragged it up to the height of the main building.
2. I then drew a rectangle on the roof the shape of the tower, and dragged that part of the roof upward to create the tower.
3. Next I drew lines down the side of the building to divide it into 3 sections - under the tower and on each end.
4. Next I took Sketchup's tile roof texture (a rectangular JPG file) and made a copy of it a square BMP file. I added it as a new Material (click the Paint Bucket tool to bring up the Material Editor), calling it FS Tile Roof.
5. I applied this roof texture to the roof polygons using the Paint Bucket tool. (With the FS Tile Roof material selected, just click the roof). I adjusted the right/left and up/down lengths in the Material so the tiles looked the right size on the roof.
6. I took an old texture I had sitting around (for the the Burbank terminal, actually) and added it to the list of Materials in Sketchup (very easy - click the button in the upper right of the Material Editor with the + on it, name it what you like, and then add the texture below - browse to it).
7. I applied this to various parts of my building, giving the result you see above. The "trick" is to select a "face" (section), apply the texture using the Paint Bucket tool, right click the face and choose Texture/Position. Then you can drag it around until it is aligned properly. You can also use the little green "pin" (actually the 0 right next to it) to scale and rotate the texture on this face.
After learning how to do this, it didn't take long at all to get it looking this way.
Now you use File/Export/3D Model and select the COLLADA format (.dae). If you push the Options button at the bottom right and check the Export Texture Maps box, your textures will be copied to a new folder with the same name as your .dae file (but see below).
Now we File/Save our Sketchup file for later use, and quit Sketchup.
You'll need to move your new COLLADA (.dae) file into the same folder as your exported textures - they will have had their names changed to texture0.bmp, texture1.bmp, etc., unfortunately.
First, you'll need to download and install the Make Model SDK from MS:
support.microsoft.com/kb/555857
Then start ModelConverterX, available here (use the latest development release):
www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14215
Now in MCX use the Import button to import your new COLLADA file (.dae). I had a little problem with this at first, but if you have your textures and your .dae file in the same folder, your building should be displayed complete with textures.
Now you need to make a choice - leave the new cryptic texture file names, or change them back to something understandable. I do the latter. First, copy your original textures that you used in Sketchup into the same folder as those new texture0.bmp (etc.) files. Then click the Material Editor button in MCX, and select texture0 on the left. Scroll down on the right until the texture0.bmp (or whatever) is displayed. Click it and then click the ... button, and browse to the correctly named texture. If you have an _LM texture (night texture) add that on the line below. Continue this until you have them all changed, and press the Close button.
Now press the Export button and select FS9 MDL object as the type in the drop down box. You should get MakeMDL popping up. Change the type to SceneryFS9 in the Model Types drop down box, and check Ignore Warnings in the Options tab. Finally press the Start button and hopefully you will get a Done! message. Click the Exit button. If MCX cannot find MakeMDL, use the Options menu or button and go to the Exporter Settings and set the MakeMDL path (click the MakeMDL path line and then the button with ... on it and browse to where you installed it above).
Note that the file name for the MDL file created above cannot have spaces and not begin with a number or punctuation! MakeMDL quirk.
Next we'll get it into Flight Sim. I use EZ-Scenery for this, but I suggest that if you will be doing any scenery work at all you buy Instant Scenery - it is cheaper and does more. However, if you already use Rwy12 or ADE or other freeware scenery library object placement program feel free to use that instead.
First download and install Arno's Library Creator XML program v2.02:
www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=cat&id=5&sort=date&page=2
You will also need the BGLComp SDK installed from the MS site listed above for the Make Model SDK.
Starting Library Creator, use the Options/FS2004 BGLComp Path choice and browse to it.
Now select Options/Relative Paths. Then choose File/New Library. Create the new library XML file in the same folder where you saved the MDL file in MCX. I call mine something like KBUR_library.XML. This will also be the name of the final library BGL file.
Now click the Add MDL Objects button and add your new MDL file. You can include many buildings for the same logical area (i.e. around one airport) in this same library (add them later if you like as well).
Finally, use File/Save Library and then File/Compile Library choice. Hopefully you will now have a BGL file in the same folder as the rest of the files. That should now be placed into an active scenery folder. Copy your texture files (the ones with the correct names and in an FS compatible format) into the corresponding texture folder.
Start FS, and use your favorite scenery program to place your new library object into your airport scenery:
I've added a default control tower on top of my tower to make it look a little nicer.
If anyone is interested in trying this, I'll be happy to help.
Take care,
