I have not been successful convering IPACS Library Objects to tmb files using AC3D - files attached

  • Could someone who understands what is suppose to work take a look at these files and see what the problem might be. Does CAPS and non-caps and mixed caps/non caps make any difference? The IPACS library objects are full of CAPS and non-caps and mixed. Very frustrating.

    Regards,

    Ray

    cars.zip

  • You need to make a dummy object, add it to your object group that gets exported into your airport project folder in the position that you want the xref model to be seen in-game. The easiest way to avoid naming problems is to highlight the full name of the reference model, copy it, then paste it to the dummy object renaming it to the exact name of the reference model.

    IPACS Development Team Member

    I'm just a cook, I don't own the restaurant.
    On behalf of Torsten, Marc, and the rest of the IPACS team, we would all like to thank you for your continued support.

    Regards,

    Jeff

  • Thanks Jeff, I know the procedure and a few of the IPACS objects can be converted to tmb files but none of these seem to follow protocol.

    I think there is a problem with the files, the add on, or the procedure, but I can't find the problem. Maybe IPACS will take a look at it. I also asked more than a week ago.

    You recommended updating the add on for AC3D, but it is up-to-date. Something else is causing the problem. I understand this is not a problem with 3d max.

    Most of the problem files have some capital letters in the filename which is counter to thr AF2 filename convention, but not all.

    Regards,

    Ray

  • There are no problems with the files or the procedure. There may however be a problem with the xref objects related to AC3D which I noted that we are looking into. The capital lettering has nothing to do with the objects working or not working.

    i'm still looking into this but can't replicate the problem on my end as every xref object works fine here.

    IPACS Development Team Member

    I'm just a cook, I don't own the restaurant.
    On behalf of Torsten, Marc, and the rest of the IPACS team, we would all like to thank you for your continued support.

    Regards,

    Jeff

  • There are no problems with the files or the procedure. There may however be a problem with the xref objects related to AC3D which I noted that we are looking into. The capital lettering has nothing to do with the objects working or not working.

    i'm still looking into this but can't replicate the problem on my end as every xref object works fine here.

    I've understood that at some point it will be a tutorial specific for AC3D, isn't that right?.

    Cheers, Ed

    Rodeo's Runway tutorial has a folder for AC3D that has a pdf (7 pages) and toward the end he show how he used the Control Tower from the IPACS objects. Using AC3D with the IPACS add on we should be able to export individual objects as tgi files, then run them through the Converter and have tmb files that can be placed in any AF2 scenery using the lat/lon location. This works for me about 1 in 10 tries.

    The control is less than desired because we can't use the orientation to rotate or turn the objects to fit the scene, but the elevation works provided you can ever get the object properly exported, converted and added to the AF2 scenery. You can make some rotation adjustments before export, but you can't resize the objects.

    Certainly better than nothing, as they say, but it has a long ways to go to be a practical solution for adding scenery objects using the low cost AC3D program.

    I am still hoping for a lot more scenery objects, especially some that we would normally see at a small airport or when looking down from a Cessna when flying over a small town or neighborhood.

    Ultimately, I hope to see some big box type stores like Lowes and Walmart, shopping centers, retailers that tend to have prominent signs like McDonalds, gas stations, like Shell and Texaco, school complexes with yellow buses, various water towers, parking lots with cars, churches with steeples, neighborhood tennis courts, swimming pools, etc.

    The current plug in is found with the SDK tools - ipacs_ac3d_to_tgi.p

    Regards,

    Ray

    Here is an example of using a few of the IPACS objects placed strictly by lat/lon to make a small airport.

  • Ray,

    xref is best if used in 3DS Max or Cinema4D but will also work in AC3D equally as easy. You can rotate the xref objects by rotating the dummy cube in your modelling program. As for additional objects; I added the complete xref library to the downloads section some time ago. In there you will find airport objects as well as other goodies.

    We will eventually add a tutorial for AC3D users but it will have to come from someone who actually has and uses that program. I only have and use 3DS Max and Cinema4D. Please keep in mind that Aerofly is designed around Cinema4D and 3DS Max so you will get the best results using one of those applications. AC3D is very limited so getting good results may be a bit tricky though achievable.

    IPACS Development Team Member

    I'm just a cook, I don't own the restaurant.
    On behalf of Torsten, Marc, and the rest of the IPACS team, we would all like to thank you for your continued support.

    Regards,

    Jeff

  • We will eventually add a tutorial for AC3D users but it will have to come from someone who actually has and uses that program

    We'd need something like a AC3D Airport Tutorial, similar to the one already posted for 3DSMax in the wiki section. As somebody already has mentioned already, it's hard to pay US$ 600 - 1,300 to place a runway/object in an airport.

    Cheers, Ed

  • That's understood.

    You can use my 3DS Max tutorial to learn the basics even for AC3D as the process on doing it is similar. The only true difference is that in AC3D you can't make a groundpoly.

    _obj and _decal export processes are the same though.

    IPACS Development Team Member

    I'm just a cook, I don't own the restaurant.
    On behalf of Torsten, Marc, and the rest of the IPACS team, we would all like to thank you for your continued support.

    Regards,

    Jeff

  • We'd need something like a AC3D Airport Tutorial, similar to the one already posted for 3DSMax in the wiki section. As somebody already has mentioned already, it's hard to pay US$ 600 - 1,300 to place a runway/object in an airport.

    Cheers, Ed

    Apparently in Blender you can: Tutorial Video Ground poly using Blender

    Handy cultivation tools

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  • Ray,

    xref is best if used in 3DS Max or Cinema4D but will also work in AC3D equally as easy. You can rotate the xref objects by rotating the dummy cube in your modelling program. As for additional objects; I added the complete xref library to the downloads section some time ago. In there you will find airport objects as well as other goodies.

    We will eventually add a tutorial for AC3D users but it will have to come from someone who actually has and uses that program. I only have and use 3DS Max and Cinema4D. Please keep in mind that Aerofly is designed around Cinema4D and 3DS Max so you will get the best results using one of those applications. AC3D is very limited so getting good results may be a bit tricky though achievable.

    Ouch. If what we have in the Object Library is the 'complete xref library' that is very disappointing. I thought I read that this was just the start and many more objects would be added in the future along with more control, such a rotation and maybe sizing. I may have been reading between the lines of some of Rodeo's early work.

    Well, I can tell you for a fact that only a few selected objects can be exported and converted as tmb files using AC3D with the current plug in. Maybe IPACS could take a look at the zip file that I attached with the initial post and see if a solution could be found.

    I would gladly write a tutorial for AC3D to make the tmb files, but, because it is not dependable and is mostly broken with the current plug in, I don't see the point. :rolleyes:

    Thanks,

    Ray

  • Hi,

    let me make some things clear:

    - You can place xref objects in AC3D as well as in Max or C4D.

    - You can rotate them and export exactly this rotation angle. Please follow AC3D tutorial (just the method may be diferent, the result is the same).

    - You can't scale xref objects in AC3D, nor you can't this in Max or C4D.

    - Rays screenshots demonstrate, that it work as designed.

    - Not all xref objects show up currently in aerofly.

    Why? Because you don't have the full aerofly library, you just have the library description.

    ....I think there is a problem with the files, the add on, or the procedure, but I can't find the problem. Maybe IPACS will take a look at it. I also asked more than a week ago....

    - I have stated this in another thread before, IPACS is currently validating the whole library before adding it to the next update.

    Especially several vehicles are not yet included in the public version.

    So please be patient for a while, you will get informed, when the full library is available.

    Rodeo

  • Thanks Rodeo and Jeff,

    That explains the error about the missing tgb files when the Content Converter stalls. I have a 17 page pictorial pdf file (3rd grade level tutorial) for using AC3D to create tgi files and running thru the Content Converter to make tmb files. It also covers in detail using Google Maps for completing the placement in the user scenery. We evidentially just need the rest of the files to make them work.

    The short version is:

    To recap the steps. (you will need the IPACS plug in for exporting to tgi files and Notepad + + for editing the tsc and tmc files (or another advanced editor)

    1. Start AC3D, add a box, input the X, Y dimensions (transposed), click on Utils <, reduce height to zero, Press Move to, Press F9 for popup editor, Edit Name and rotation, Save, Export to IPACS as tgi file, edit tsc object line with tgi file name, edit Content Converter with correct output folder locations, run Converter, copy or move tmb file to a Places folder, edit local tsc file for object name and lat/lon placement in a user scenery.
    2. Observe user placed scenery.

    These steps work for the scenery that I posted above, including rotating the fuel station and supply tanks (front/back. side view). There are probably a lot more objects that will not make it past the converter than those few that I have found that will.

    Regards,

    Ray

  • Ray,

    yes, that's right. You will get probably all objects from the xref_building list, but miss several objects from the xref_aircraft and xref_usa_airport listing.

    Instead of placing and converting single objects I prefer to group them into objects and convert them in a unique entry in the TSC.

    This is a sample of buildings in Whidbey. They all show up in aerofly.


    And as Mustang60348 wrote in another thread: If you want to add single objects, place them in the center. Again congruence of Max and AC3D.

  • Thanks Rodeo,

    I understand the grouping method, but, I am still stuck on step one - importing the ground scenery to see where to place the objects. ha. The TSC file is in my future.

    My 14 day free trial was up today so I purchased AC3D on paypal. I would recommend the 14 day free trial to for those that would like to stick their toe in the water to test the temperature. There are some tutorial online and at the AC3D forum site.

    Regards,

    Ray

  • ok, I'll add a tutorial for this. But we need to do some coordinate calculations to get the correct size in meters for the ground polygon. Perhaps it is already shown in the video tut of Mustang, I can't access it yet.

  • I just did a video tutorial as well on how to place them without putting them in the center but rather correctly placed relative to the scene.

  • This is quite interesting to anyone that wishes to create its own scenery, but I think it could get unnecessarily complicated unless the required steps to the creation of an airport with the addition of objects like buildings, runways, lightning, etc., are clearly indicated and the process followed with some sort of discipline!. Please Jeff and Rodeo make possible to have a detailed tutorial for those (like me!) who don't have a previous background in 3D apps, using a low-cost app like AC3D, that allow us -with time and patience- to create good airports in Aerofly (and share with the community members, of course).

    Cheers, Ed

  • I agree, Ed. I keep hoping some of the scenery and airport builders will be able to share their work with others. Right now, I think the kink in the distribution hose is the lack of knowing how to get in touch with each other. If we had some sort or protected wall to leave a message or email address for another user then we could share some of these creations. PMs would solve this problem but, that is not the only way, of course.

    Regards,

    Ray