The website and forum will be intermittently unavailable while we're making some security updates.
File uploads to the download hangar are also disabled until further notice.

FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Share hints and tricks or your own modifications for MAIW Packages in Flight Simulator X and Prepar3D.
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

Hi,
I have managed to convert all the F-16C models to FSX native models. This includes both the drag chute and non drag chute versions. I am calling it Beta 2 because I haven't had time to test all the features on all 14 of the models but in the sampling I did it all seemed to work. I also haven't had a chance to test the models in P3D v4 (but should work).

Included in the update
- Animated canopy that closes on startup
- elevators droop when parked with no power
- front gear steering
- flaps and leading edge extend on hold short (I know they should extend for taxi out, but then they also extend for taxi back. This is a compromise)
- additional model in each folder that has the canopy closed at all times.

Missing from the update
- pilot head no longer animated

You will be glad to hear that you don't need to make any changes to the existing textures to work with this model. Although conversion to dds format will make the sim more efficient.

The zip file is just over 7.3 Mb so I am hosting on my OneDrive
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AmOrUMU7XnTMhAcPeiS-oiW8C_Fa
F16s.jpg
Thanks
Gavin
Mark_Fox
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Posts: 23
Joined: 13 Oct 2015, 17:31
Version: P3D

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Mark_Fox »

Thanks Gavin!

You guys are doing great work, and I for one truly appreciate it.
Reggie
Captain
Captain
Posts: 274
Joined: 22 Sep 2006, 11:54
Version: P3D
Location: Alabama - USA

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Reggie »

Thank you Gavin, appreciate your dedication to this project.

Cheers,
Reggie
Reggie
Captain
Captain
Posts: 274
Joined: 22 Sep 2006, 11:54
Version: P3D
Location: Alabama - USA

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Reggie »

Hi Gavin,

These are from the MAIW SWANG Package - Oklahoma ANG (KTUL).

After converting the textures to DDXT5 and copying over the new .mdl file, here's what I came up with in P3Dv4.

I copied all Effects files over from the MAIW SWANG package and since there was no other Alpha file, I converted the f16c_l file to DDXT5 and placed it in the main Texture folder. I'm obviously missing something since there is no landing gear or canopy.

Can someone assist?

Thanks,
Reggie
F-16 P3Dv4.jpg
Reggie
Captain
Captain
Posts: 274
Joined: 22 Sep 2006, 11:54
Version: P3D
Location: Alabama - USA

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Reggie »

Okay, I got it working. You have to remove "fsx" from the model file name for it to work in P3Dv4. I don't know why.

Regards and many thanks Gavin,

Reggie
F-16 Working P3Dv4.png
User avatar
Greg
MAIW Admin
MAIW Admin
Posts: 4043
Joined: 12 Aug 2006, 19:56
Version: MSFS
Location: Belgium

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Greg »

Reggie,

Sounds like you didn't change the model.cfg files to point to the FSX models.
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

Reggie wrote: 18 Aug 2017, 00:25 Okay, I got it working. You have to remove "fsx" from the model file name for it to work in P3Dv4. I don't know why.

Regards and many thanks Gavin,

Reggie

F-16 Working P3Dv4.png
Geez Reggie,
You scared me with your first post. I thought I was going to have to re-do them all for P3D!

Then I saw your second post and realized what had happened.

Your model.cfg calls for "AI Lockheed F-16C xxx" where xxx is the sub type (Air, JDAM) etc. When we do the conversions we change the model name to avoid overwriting the original FS9 model (you never know when you will need it). So when you copied the fsx model into the model folder you had both "AI Lockheed F-16C xxx" and "AI Lockheed F-16C xxx fsx" models but you hadn't edited the model.cfg file to call the fsx model so in your first post you are still using the old FS9 model. You changed the name of the FSX model to match what was in your model.cfg (presumably you deleted the fs9 model at the same time) and voila it works.

Gavin
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

And Greg gets in before me with a much more succinct and clearer answer
Reggie
Captain
Captain
Posts: 274
Joined: 22 Sep 2006, 11:54
Version: P3D
Location: Alabama - USA

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Reggie »

Now at maximum production in the texture conversion department. Whew!
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

Reggie wrote: 18 Aug 2017, 11:44 Now at maximum production in the texture conversion department. Whew!
imagetool is your friend here. You can run it from the root directory of your aircraft folder and (using the right parameters which I don't have at hand) it will walk the entire directory tree converting every file from bmp to dds. Then you can do a del /s *.bmp (I think) which will delete all the bmp files in all the folders.

Gavin
Reggie
Captain
Captain
Posts: 274
Joined: 22 Sep 2006, 11:54
Version: P3D
Location: Alabama - USA

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Reggie »

I've never heard of Imagetool. It would certainly be a big help. Where can I find it?
User avatar
Greg
MAIW Admin
MAIW Admin
Posts: 4043
Joined: 12 Aug 2006, 19:56
Version: MSFS
Location: Belgium

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Greg »

Reggie wrote: 18 Aug 2017, 13:26 I've never heard of Imagetool. It would certainly be a big help. Where can I find it?
In the SDK. And you can find the SDK where you downloaded the main programme on LM's site.

I'm not on my PC right now but I'll post the batch file here later which I use to batch convert all textures in an aircraft folder to DDS DXT5 in one go using imageTool.
User avatar
Greg
MAIW Admin
MAIW Admin
Posts: 4043
Joined: 12 Aug 2006, 19:56
Version: MSFS
Location: Belgium

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Greg »

I'm not sure I quite understand the different flight phases in P3Dv4 and that may be the reason for my strange observations, but I checked the drag chute models at Kleine Brogel and quite a lot of aircraft park with the elevators up and the landing light on while they have no flight scheduled in the next hours. Looks really weird since there's no pilot in the cockpit (nor a crew chief around ;) ). So far I haven't been able to find a pattern which aircraft park with power on and which with power off but I'll test some more later.

It's quite annoying at night since the entire base was lit up by the dynamic lighting coming from all the landing lights.

Other than that everything looked great, apart from some strange shadowing around the tail but I blame that on the P3D engine.
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

Greg wrote: 18 Aug 2017, 15:20 I'm not sure I quite understand the different flight phases in P3Dv4 and that may be the reason for my strange observations, but I checked the drag chute models at Kleine Brogel and quite a lot of aircraft park with the elevators up and the landing light on while they have no flight scheduled in the next hours. Looks really weird since there's no pilot in the cockpit (nor a crew chief around ;) ). So far I haven't been able to find a pattern which aircraft park with power on and which with power off but I'll test some more later.

It's quite annoying at night since the entire base was lit up by the dynamic lighting coming from all the landing lights.

Other than that everything looked great, apart from some strange shadowing around the tail but I blame that on the P3D engine.
Greg - can you see if it is one or more of the specific models. It shouldn't be the flight model. the elevators should be drooping as long as the beacon light is off and the landing lights should only be on when the aircraft reaches hold short. There are 2 taxi lights that should be on when the aircraft is taxiing. If the landing lights are on all the time it is probably because I missed setting the visibility condition on one or more of the models.

Gavin
User avatar
Greg
MAIW Admin
MAIW Admin
Posts: 4043
Joined: 12 Aug 2006, 19:56
Version: MSFS
Location: Belgium

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Greg »

Indeed Gavin, I was under the wrong assumption that the aircraft with lights on were simply in some sort of prep phase but closer inspection shows that the fuel and air models weren't affected and only the normal models were (no agm/clean/jdam/mk48 models were present).

I'll test some more later.
User avatar
Victory103
Colonel
Colonel
Posts: 3977
Joined: 13 Aug 2007, 03:35
Version: P3D
Location: KPHX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Victory103 »

Thanks for working these. The HTAI Viper has taken a huge chunk of HDD space in both FS9/FSX, next to the C-130 probably the most widely used mil AI model in my sim.
DUSTOFF
ARMY PROPS
NAVY SAR

-Chris
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

Greg wrote: 18 Aug 2017, 16:07 Indeed Gavin, I was under the wrong assumption that the aircraft with lights on were simply in some sort of prep phase but closer inspection shows that the fuel and air models weren't affected and only the normal models were (no agm/clean/jdam/mk48 models were present).

I'll test some more later.
Ok, thanks Greg.
Let me re-check the normal model and make sure I set all the display conditions correctly.

Gavin
User avatar
gavinc
MAIW Conversion Team
MAIW Conversion Team
Posts: 556
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 09:26
Version: FSX

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by gavinc »

gavinc wrote: 20 Aug 2017, 15:26
Greg wrote: 18 Aug 2017, 16:07 Indeed Gavin, I was under the wrong assumption that the aircraft with lights on were simply in some sort of prep phase but closer inspection shows that the fuel and air models weren't affected and only the normal models were (no agm/clean/jdam/mk48 models were present).

I'll test some more later.
Ok, thanks Greg.
Let me re-check the normal model and make sure I set all the display conditions correctly.

Gavin
So I looked at the normal drag chute model and yep - I frelled it up. missed animating the elevator and didn't create visibility conditions for the lights (which is why they were on all the time).

Will try to rebuild it tomorrow (along with the P3 Orion)

Gavin
User avatar
Greg
MAIW Admin
MAIW Admin
Posts: 4043
Joined: 12 Aug 2006, 19:56
Version: MSFS
Location: Belgium

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Greg »

Hold on Gavin. I have found a few more issues but need to confirm.
User avatar
Greg
MAIW Admin
MAIW Admin
Posts: 4043
Joined: 12 Aug 2006, 19:56
Version: MSFS
Location: Belgium

Re: FSX Native HTAI F-16C Beta 2

Post by Greg »

Alright Gavin here we go,

I tested all 28 models in parked state when I saw some more models with issues, but in the end only a handful will need fixing. Taxi and flight tests were done ad hoc as I don't have enough time to follow all 28 during all phases, but they all looked good.

The following models had issues:

F-16C
-agm65
--closed canopy: lights on, elevator ok

Image

F-16C DC
-clean
--closed canopy: looks like the model wasn't compiled correctly or the FS9 model is included

Image

-normal
--closed canopy: lights on, elevator up

Image

--open canopy: same (lights on, elevator up)

Image

Reference the light effects: I love what you've done with the flashing beacons! Looks exactly like the real thing. Only remark would be the tail strobe (the one on top) which also behaves like a beacon and not like a strobe with very short flash and longer interval between flashes.

Again many thanks for doing these. Like Chris said: probably one of the most used military AI models.
Post Reply