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Old 15th August 2008, 12:13 PM   #1
Eagle Eye
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Default FSX export plugin

Hello all,
i'm user of AC3D and it's really a so great software.

I would like to know if it's planned to do the FSX or FS2004 plugin export. Or maybe it's already exists !!

Thanks
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Old 23rd August 2008, 09:08 AM   #2
shmbry
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Default Re: FSX export plugin

Like you I hope someone will soon add a plugin for FSX. I would try myself, but I don't know enough about programming.
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Old 23rd August 2008, 03:53 PM   #3
lisa
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Default Re: FSX export plugin

I just did some googling. It seems that if you have FSX Deluxe, it comes with something called the FSX SDK. The FSX SDK has some tools in it that let you import .x files. AC3D has a .x exporter. I haven't tried it personally, but in theory this should work.

Here's a tutorial someone wrote on using the FSX SDK to convert .x files. It's for XSI, but the steps should be the same for AC3D:
http://adventuresinmodelling.spaces....9F8E!166.entry
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Old 24th August 2008, 04:33 AM   #4
shmbry
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Default Re: FSX export plugin

In order to get the model into FSX the .x file has to be modified before being passed to Xtomdl the compiler included with the FSX SDK.

These modifications revolve around the addition of several new headers within the .x file mostly concerned with textures and animations.

I am told this can be done using a program / plugin, although due to my limited knowledge I'm not sure in which language it should be written.

To make use of the full capabilities of the FSX SDK AC3D would need to access the other tools in the SDK in the same way that GMax and Studio Max do.

Dave Numez has created a similar set of tools for FSDS which allow the .x file to be modified before being passed to Xtomdl without using the GMax / Studio Max plugins in the SDK.

Therefore in theory it should be possible to write similar scripts for AC3D, It just requires someone with the right knowledge to do it ! Sounds easy if you say it quickly enough !

It would open up the possibility of developers like myself being able to create models for both FSX and X-Plane.

There is a gap to be filled between FSDS which is easy to learn and use, but which has limited tools and has very poor UV mapping by comparison with GMax which is notoriously difficult to learn, but which has a full tool set and good UV mapping.

Have used AC3D only briefly I found it easy to use and the UV mapping tools are excellent for such an affordable program.
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Old 24th August 2008, 05:21 AM   #5
Eagle Eye
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Default Re: FSX export plugin

Lisa, good information !!!!

Like Shmbry, maybe it seems to be not really difficult to make a script to convert the AC3D .x file into FSX .x

If someone can look at it it would be very nice.
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Old 25th August 2008, 07:59 AM   #6
lisa
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Default Re: FSX export plugin

I don't think you need a script at all... ? .x is a text-based format. You can edit it in notepad or another text editor.

My understanding from the tutorial--again, I haven't done this myself--is:

- Make sure your texture maps are .dds format.
- In AC3D, click File > Export > DirectX
- Open the .x file generated in a text editor such as notepad.
- Paste the code below into your .x file (edit model names and guids as appropriate)
- From the SDK included on the FSX deluxe disk, run XtoMDL on the .x file to convert it.

For the "guids" you'll need to make a unique ID number for your model. You can download a program called guidgen.exe from Microsoft to do this; there are also websites that make random id's if you don't want to download anything: http://createguid.com/

Code:
//... Add new template info...
          template Header {
           <3D82AB43-62DA-11cf-AB39-0020AF71E433>
           WORD major;
           WORD minor;
           DWORD flags;
          } 

          template GuidToName {
           <7419dfe5-b73a-4d66-98d8-c082591dc9e7>
           STRING Guid;
           STRING Name;
          } 

          template TextureFilename {
           <A42790E1-7810-11cf-8F52-0040333594A3>
           STRING filename;
          }
          //....remaining existing template sections already in the .X file go here....

          //.... Add new data info...
          Header {
              1;
              0;
              1;
          } 

          GuidToName {
              "{49D04F1F-E6E3-4072-AF10-8F5602234212}";  \\<--- Note: this needs to be a unique GUID. I use GUIDGen to create these.
              "TestHouse"; \\<--- A Friendly Name I've given to the model
          } 

          //.... existing Frame details go here...
          Frame Scene_Root {
           Frame TestHouse {
           //.......
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Old 7th September 2008, 12:45 PM   #7
Eagle Eye
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Default Re: FSX export plugin

Hi all,

i just wanted to tell you that this works fine in FS9. thanks to all

now i need to see how to add night texture, I will see how to do that.


If someone have an idea how to change the export in order to add a GUID and add the header below it would be fabulous
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