Posts by larrylynx

    Hi jan

    The basic intermediate folder less textures is 1.6mb and we have a very small limit here of 1mb. Tried to zip the folder but tgi file doesn't compress anymore than what it is already so how do I post the files to you.

    Steve

    Hi Kai

    I did the same as you and achieved the same results. The preview is nothing more than an image of the compiled aircraft, strangely enough its the 3d model that's in the modelling program so something is going right. If its been produced you can look at this image in your intermediate folder. In my case its preview_f104g.tiff and shows the model perfectly

    I believe things are a lot more involved than just a bare minimum approach which is what we are trying to achieve, ie a model we can just look at in the sim. In my view the exporter would be better to produce a sample TMD file with all the relevant entries as a starting point.

    By the time we're done we'll all be working for NASA as rocket scientists :D

    Steve

    Hi Jan

    Could you possible explain how you work out the inertia length

    <[tmvector3d][InertiaLength][ 0.404930 -0.355130 0.765910 ]>

    Also

    How do we input an axis that is rotated. The Starfighters gear rotates at approx 45 degrees.

    I can see why people give up when they reach the TMD file, good thing about being old is we get stubborn so I'll keep bashing away at it. Yes I know I could have gone for a simple aircraft but where's the fun in that ;(

    Thanks

    Steve (with a brain that hurts)

    Hi Jan

    I thank you for your offer and will no doubt take you up on it in the future.

    I am slowly understanding the TMD file and process a little better. I have come to the conclusion I need to make the model simpler in terms of number of objects, I have been thinking more with my aircraft engineering brain, perhaps over complicating things when I do not need too. I guess more objects just means more entries in the TMD. So a bit more thought needed there and some streamlining. Its not helped by the Starfighters complicated gear.

    I did manage to get the model to show in the aircraft menu, looked like it had just left the runway rather than sat on its wheels, I could select it and .....well it didn't appear in the sim but its progress at least, and the sim didn't crash this time so another bonus.

    Tool looks as good as Nickhod suggests and I agree with him, much needed if we are going to get more 3rd party aircraft.

    Thanks again

    Steve

    OK this is getting tedious now

    Have installed FS2 onto my developer machine, as other system also fails to work

    I right click on f104g folder and run the aircraft converter. I get an error saying,

    Cannot load aircraft - set Aerofly Fs 2 folder in config.tmc

    Only config.tmc file I can find is in

    C:\Users\ste\Documents\Aerofly FS 2 Aircraft Converter

    Inside this file it clearly points to the correct folders

    <[string8][UserFolder][C:/Users/ste/Documents/Aerofly FS 2/]>

    <[string8][DesktopFolder][C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator/]>

    Before I go paint the white lines on the motorway with a paint brush in the dark can anyone spot my very obvious (but not to me) error

    Thanks Steve

    My vote goes to Lord Nickhod

    Hi Jan

    Having a bit of a mare this morning as aircraft converter refuses to work, tried re-install and registry clean but still no work so loading fs2 onto my development system to see if it will work there.

    I am using the f18 as a working copy. In an effort to make things easier I attached all my geometry into 2 objects to make working with a base TMD file easier, ie only 2 entries, but I have not been able to check this out due to the above problem.

    Hi Nickhod

    Any tools to make things easier will be much appreciated, I believe the only thing stopping aircraft development is the TMD file. To programming types it will look ok but to us mere modellers it's going to take some getting used too. Perhaps an export tool that writes a basic TMD file might help. I have noticed the tm.log file produced by the exporter contains much of the information required, ie names, location, pivot axis etc

    The way you whip up files you should have it done by, err what time is it now 11.21, ok I'll give you to 11.24 ;)

    Steve

    Hi Jan

    Thanks for the reply and very useful link to the wiki.

    Apart from the DynamicsObjects section that's pretty much what I had done. so added this section from f18 but no luck yet

    Tm.log shows this concerning f104g

    1.82-tmimage: loading model f104g...

    1.83-tmmodelmanager: model: (name='f104g') (directory='C:/Users/ste/Documents/Aerofly FS 2/aircraft/f104g//')

    1.83-tmimage: loading configfile 'C:/Users/ste/Documents/Aerofly FS 2/aircraft/f104g///f104g.tmc'

    1.83-tmmodule: contact points 3: (0.440 0.950 -1.197 r=0.150) (0.440 -0.950 -1.197 r=0.150) (-4.598 0.000 -0.382 r=0.060)

    1.86-tmmodelmanager: number of stars = 1572

    1.94-tmimage: loading dynamics begin 'C:/Users/ste/Documents/Aerofly FS 2/aircraft/f104g///f104g.tmd'...

    1.94-tmmodelmanager: loading dynamics end: (id=1) (0 dynamics) (0 graphics) (0 sound) (ny=0) (nz=0)

    1.94-tmmodelmanager:

    1.94-tmmodelmanager: mass: 0.000000kg

    and this a little later in the file

    8.02-tmcollision: ERROR: (tm2file::LoadFile failed. error loading file 'C:/Users/ste/Documents/Aerofly FS 2/aircraft/f104g/copilot.tmc')

    copilot.tmc ?? can't find any aircraft with this file

    Will plod on tomorrow

    Steve

    Hi developers

    Could someone post the minimum required for a TMD file to get a model to show in FS2

    Model was not visible in the aircraft selector though I could select the empty space where the model was listed. When In FS2 model not visible

    Report file shows no errors nor did the export from the modelling program

    Thanks, Steve

    Hi Jan

    Thanks for the advice which I will digest and follow. Just the virtual cockpit to model and I can tackle the minor task of getting it all to work in FS2.

    Might need a drag chute at some stage too as the landing speed at full flap is 190Kts 8|

    Steve

    Hi Jet-pack

    Doors are raised by the oleo piston engaging in the horseshoe clamps, these rotate and pull the doors up with them. Working out that in the TMD file is a joy yet to experience, I just need to know, do I model and save with the clamp mechanism in the door up position or in the down position.

    There will be a lot of chaining for both nose and mains as it all a bit complicated, plus the main wheels also rotate 84 degrees to the main leg to lay flat in the bay..

    Steve

    Hi Nickhod

    Something else to work out.

    FS2 uses the objects pivot point to locate the object in the sim... So

    As you have noticed FS2 allows for runways that follow the terrain, this also extends to the taxi ways and any aprons plus the ground poly. This means that any buildings bigger than a match box will have corners that either disappear below ground level or corners that float above the ground, long buildings are very noticeable... work around is to move the vertices vertically ... Automating this will be ????????

    This also applies to decals ie, taxi lines which need to have lots of polys to allow for it to follow the ground contours, a single poly would most likely float above or disappear below ground level

    Steve

    Hi

    The Wiki advises to model the undercarriage in the down position and the doors in the up position to ensure an accurate fit...

    What about the door mechanism's. Aircraft I am modelling has a complicated nose door mechanism, horse shoe type clamps in front of nose gear. Rear U/C doors stays still to be added

    Steve

    Files are referenced in the aircraft modeling section of the SDK

    I would guess they are stripped down versions designed to help import a model into FS2. Whilst the SDK does say you can use a copy from another aircraft, the wiki doesn't specify which bits can safely be removed and which bits need to be left in. Main reason is to assist in texturing and of course, ensuring any model will actually import

    Thanks, Steve

    Ok I may be getting old, well I guess I am old, but I cannot find the template folder as mentioned in the wiki

    simply copy the 'template.tmc' and 'template.tmd' files from the SDK's 'template' folder


    I have downloaded all files for sdk's but still no template folder

    Steve

    HI

    From the lack of response I guess the folder does not exist.

    So my next question,.... does anyone have the files mentioned ?

    Thanks for any help.....Steve

    "Also, neither myself nor Jan (Jet-Pack) are moderators"

    Jeff, Perhaps you should update your avatar, quite clearly says...moderator

    As I tried to point out, the difficult part is the TMD file, making the model is relatively easy, just time consuming

    TMD example ( a small fraction)

    <[multibody_joint][JointFuselageLeftElevator][]

    <[string8][Body0][Fuselage]>

    <[string8][Body1][LeftElevator]>

    <[tmvector3d][X0][0.066585 -0.990262 0.122254]>

    <[tmvector3d][R0][-4.61 1.07 0.05]>

    <[float64][Kp][10000000.0]>

    <[float64][Kd][50000.0]>

    <[uint32][Type][0]>

    <[string8][InputPosition][ServoLeftElevator.Output]>

    or perhaps this

    <[rigidbody][RightElevator][]

    <[float64][Mass][100.0]>

    <[tmvector3d][InertiaLength][ 1.8 2.3 0.1 ]>

    <[tmvector3d][R0][ -5.4 -2.1 0.05 ]>

    <[tmmatrix3d][B0][ 0.866 -0.5 0.0 0.5 0.866 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0]>

    If we had documentation which explained some of this then great but we don't. How much needs modifying and which bits don't, it's a bit like trying to plait fog, you can see it but you can't touch it

    I don't wish to sound negative, wrong forum for that, but lets be honest, the TMD file is pretty scary

    Steve

    Hi

    My advice would be to examine an aircraft TMD file. If you think you can make sense of the mumbo jumbo in there then go ahead and start modelling but NOT the other way round.

    There is scant documentation regarding the TMD file and what little bits that have been in the forum are now scattered to the winds, lost in various forum posts. Like most things IPACS, aircraft development seems to be secret and about as confusing as they could make it.

    And.... before the moderators say otherwise, the facts speak for themselves, aircraft development by third parties is next to nil. Sure if you ask for specific help, nine times out of ten its forthcoming but that's not a way to proceed with any development. Comprehensive documentation should be there from the start and its only when you have exhausted that do you make a request help. Spoon feeding a titbit here and a titbit there is counter productive and pretty useless

    Is this a rant..perhaps, but sometimes its the only way to make people listen

    Steve

    Hi Phil

    X Plane 11 needs some setting up but when done is very good

    Ortho4XP of UK

    World traffic 3

    Pilot2ATC

    Zibo mod for 737-800

    Equals Happy Bunny

    Ok, VR is a little Jerky but considering I have live weather, full aircraft systems, photo scenery, atc, other aircraft in the sky, autogen and fairly accurate airports I can live with that

    I spent some time correcting the default UK airports to look better, gate numbers, gate docking systems etc

    Steve

    Hi

    I have looked into aircraft development, I refuse to do any more scenery, and the tools or more to the point tool available is somewhat lacking. Sure its relatively easy to export the model but after that we hit a very very big and steep mountain.

    The TMD file is just way to complicated for 99.99% of keen developers. There is no documentation to even help us to start to understand it. If I wanted to be a programmer I would have but I like to 3D model

    This process has to be simplified for the sake of FS2 and it can only be done by IPACs else you will be the only ones bringing out aircraft, perhaps that's the plan, to keep control of quality.

    Steve