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Thinking bout making a model myself

Discussion, tutorials,hints and tips relating to designing military ai aircraft.
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travels
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Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by travels »

I've decided to try to make the Kamov Ka-50. What do i need to start this project.
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MIKE JG
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by MIKE JG »

1) Time
2) Patience
3) Willingness to learn
4) FSDS or Gmax or 3DSMax
-Mike G.

Recovering flight sim addict, constant lurker.

Check out my real life RV-8 build here: RV-8 Builder Log
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DaleRFU
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by DaleRFU »

And reference material. The more the better. Good luck :lol:
Please visit my YouTube channel @ https://www.youtube.com/user/daledelboy
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miljan
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by miljan »

As Mike said.You can find great tutorials here made by Mike that will help you(that helped to me) but patience is the most important.It will happen that you make half of aircraft and that you start again from zero because you are not satisfied.Also everytime you make couple of changes save it under different name it happens that after a while you find an error and it is easier to go back to certain level you reach and try again then to try to fix existing.


Miljan
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travels
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by travels »

So i tried to download GMAX of course it wont install correctly. I use Win 7 64bit
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DaleRFU
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by DaleRFU »

You might find FSDS easier to use, Gmax is tough going where as FSDS is a lot easier to use compared to Gmax
Please visit my YouTube channel @ https://www.youtube.com/user/daledelboy
LEBTowerGuy

Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by LEBTowerGuy »

travels wrote:So i tried to download GMAX of course it wont install correctly. I use Win 7 64bit
That's odd, I use win 7 64bit and GMAX without a problem. Just make sure you install it to you C drive rather than the program files (x86) folder. This should eliminate any admin issues that win 7 has.
LEBTowerGuy

Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by LEBTowerGuy »

I hope we didn't scare you off. If you have questions feel free to ask, that is how we have all learned and are learning.
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DaleRFU
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by DaleRFU »

Ye don't be affraid to ask, this place is awsome for learning and someone will more than likely answer any questions you have
Please visit my YouTube channel @ https://www.youtube.com/user/daledelboy
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miljan
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by miljan »

I know that still i didn't prove my AI modeling skills to public,I am here to help,just ask...At this moment five models are in progress in my work shop and don't ask me which one :lol:
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DaleRFU
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by DaleRFU »

miljan wrote:At this moment five models are in progress in my work shop and don't ask me which one :lol:
Well we know what one of them is from your banner :lol:
Please visit my YouTube channel @ https://www.youtube.com/user/daledelboy
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MIKE JG
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by MIKE JG »

I will say this: if you can afford to pay for FSDS, 99% of the modelers here use FSDS. Therefore 99% of the knowledge base here is for FSDS. I couldn't tell you the first thing about Gmax. All the tutorials here are for FSDS.

If you were looking for help in a Gmax project, there won't be much to be had here. There are a few Gmax guys that hang around here but not very many.
-Mike G.

Recovering flight sim addict, constant lurker.

Check out my real life RV-8 build here: RV-8 Builder Log
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tango234
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by tango234 »

There is stuff over at ACG which might help for Gmax, but of course its mostly scenery rather than aircraft based. John Young might be able to point you in the right direction however-he uses Gmax for his AI models I think.
travels
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by travels »

So GMAX is a no go on my laptop. System Specs are as follows: Toshiba Satellite C655. Intel Celeron 925 @ 2.30 GHZ 2.29 GHz. 2.00GB RAM (1.87GB useable). 64-bit Windows 7.
LEBTowerGuy

Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by LEBTowerGuy »

have you tried it? I use it both on windows 7 and on vista without a problem.
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VulcanDriver
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by VulcanDriver »

Yes FSDS 3 is the way to go. I've used both and FSDS is the easiest to use. I use it on a 64-bit Win 7 desktop no problems.
John

"That is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The A-bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives." - Admiral William Leahy
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John Young
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Re: Thinking bout making a model myself

Post by John Young »

For what it's worth, I migrated to AI aircraft design after many years designing scenery. For the past 5 years I have been using Gmax for scenery and it was fairly easy for me to carry the skills forward into aircraft design. There were many other things I needed to find out too that are not used in scenery design of course. Gmax is indeed complicated and it's useful to have a "mentor" to help you, but when you know the system, from what I know about FSDS, particularly with hierachies and FSX materials, it does have some plus points. On balance though there has to be substance to the contention that FSDS is easier to use than Gmax, it's just that I can't really make the call because I haven't used FSDS.

I'm sure MAIW don't want a detailed debate on this, it's probably been covered elsewhere over the years. What I do though is write down everything I learn with using Gmax and other tools to build AI aircraft. I found that I was forgetting things from one aircraft project to another, particularly when building both FS9 and FSX versions. I keep adding to/amending the document and it's now a fully illustrated 60 page .pdf in the form of a draft tutorial.

One day when I reach the MAIW standards, I may well publish it with my Gmax scenery tutorials on the ACG website. It won't tell the users the basics of using Gmax (there is a good Microsoft tutorial to do that), but it will tell them how to apply them to making AI aircraft in the respective FS9 and FSX native codes. Some of the more involved techniques of reflective texturing, xml coding for temporary parts and key frame animation are included as appendices. If anyone would like a copy "as is" - it's a working document, then PM me your e-mail address and I will gladly send it if you think it might help. Equally, if those with considerable experience of building AI aircraft would like a copy, please do the same. There may well be better ways of doing some things the way I do them and learning is a really great part of the hobby.

John
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