SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

Just thought I'd share some experience as a noobie 3D modeller, making aircraft and exporting into FS2002 via G-Max and Makemdl (Imported from Anim8or). I spent a lot of hours finishing up my flying car Air 'Taxi', but got a bit cocky and impatient with long Makemdl waiting times and started selecting only the newest object created, and whatever it touched or was attached to, instead of exporting the whole scene each time. I also assumed that if I had an error-free export from G-Max, that the resulting .mdl file would show up just fine in FS. Don't assume that! I got the model just fine in G-Max with no co-located or co-linear vertices, Makemdl kicked out the .mdl file each time with no errors but only the windshield and cockpit well would appear in FS. If I had been more diligent and actually tested each model change right into the sim I would have saved about 40 hours of work that seems wasted now that all I can post is a few shots of an unsuccessful model. I can go back to one of the 90 w.i.p. files and start tweaking and re-testing but I've had enough of this one for now, and have started another aircraft project, a little weary but all the wiser. No more wasted efforts for this boy, I'm checking each model change thoroughly, right into the simulater! Of the few shots below, you'll see that a simple futuristic shuttle I made shows up O.K., but my Air Taxi is a bust! Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 5:34 am Post subject:

Good one Hark,

Short cuts, leaves the trail of the promised land. LMAO, so much time, none to the better end of the project.

Hopefully you'll get this one, good luck man.

RD