Military AI Works

I've been using FSDS for years, but there is always something to learn.

Is there a way to increase the zoom in ability to get closer to your object?

Also- Is there a way to make your mouse less sensitive so when using the mouse the lines, moving or rotations are not so erratic in its movement? Thought there might be a clue out there. Bob

Shift+I and Shift+O allow you to really zoom into the preview pane.

Sometimes hovering the mouse over the area you want to look at closely and right clicking to center that area, and then using the keys above can help.

Worst case you can make a tiny, tiny box, move it to an area you really want to zoom in on, center the view on that tiny box and that should zoom it way down for you.

wonderful. Thanx. hope it works in the other panes. Will give this a try.

I also was wondering if there is any list that tells us what error messages mean when or if we get them?

There is one I know of - can't remember the actual message, but it is when I attach an effect with partdatadef and forgot that I used the same one twice. I then do a Homer (DOH) and correct things, but there are many other error msgs I wish I knew what they meant. What we get I think is what I might call..... xtomdl...eeeeeez! Bob

Bob are you talking about error messages from MakeMdl or XtoMdl?? Or are you talking about errors in FSDS itself?

errors in xtomdl when I screw up and do something wrong and try to compile. Biiiiig list of errors shows up. Often however it will still compile. Other times it refuses to compile, like when I forgot to correct an attachment I used twice.

Now sometimes I think it means there might be a poly that is reversed. It would be nice to know .... in English ( in my case.... dingbat) what these error msgs mean. bob

Disclaimer: I have never designed an object for FSX/P3D so I've never used XtoMdl.

However having said that, if it's anything like MakeMdl, its predecessor, there is an option to keep a basic text file log of all the errors when it compiles, even if it goes through with the compile.

In FS9 that's how I can see what's wrong with a model even if it still compiles. There is an option in MakeMdl to 'ignore errors' which will make it still compile the model even it if has errors.

Maybe XtoMdl has a similar feature??

I think it does have that feature. I'll take a look and get back to you. It's just that when I look at the error file I haven't the foggiest idea what it's talking about! Now and then I might see something about reversed poly - then I know what to look for. Bob

You could always post your error log here, I'm sure between all the minds here we could translate it.

might do that but been a while. just thought there might be a list somewhere or hints as to what to look for. Bob

We have a list of how to fix some MakeMdl compile errors. Might be able to apply some of that to XtoMdl.

wow! Send it along here if you can. xtomdl and makemdl are somewhat different, but there must be many similarities.
When I got FSDS 3.5.1 I was told the main upgrade was to be able to continue with aircraft designing due to some differences. If I didn't have FSX then there wasn't much reason to get 3.5.1, but I did anyway.

At the time I didn't have a tough enough machine to handle FSX. I have for years, now. ( FS9 is about 1 gig big; FSX is about 16 gigs big. )

In fsds 3.5.1 the precondition ability no longer is available. (Rats!)
To have a poly that is to be used as a transparency say- a piece of see-thru window. You make the poly then call up current item properties, go to material, add - then in the name type trans, or glass, or widow (key word either works), I use trans, the chose that so it applies to the part. THEN- apply your alpha bmp. An extra step but it's the process for xtomdl.

Another thing - In FS9 if you attach .N to yor bmp but forget to make your LM... FS9 just shows the part or object as white or black... forget which. In FSX the part renders as invisible! Found that out the hard way! hahaha I'm sure yo have heard all tis before.
of course, FS9 doesn't see dxt5, only 1 and 3. Nor does it see DDS files even though FS9 also turns bmps up side down. Weird stuff, that.

Anyway- Those files may be some help. Thanx for the idea.

Say Hi to John Stinstrom for me and some of us. I've tried to get him t come on Skype.... very much a recluse I guess! Bob

jyarddog wrote: In fsds 3.5.1 the precondition ability no longer is available. (Rats!)

Preconditions haven't been used since FS2000, all that stuff is now done in an XML file for FS2004 and FSX.

Perhaps. I just remember under current item properties there was something called pre operations or preconditions in FSDS ver. 3 Maybe I stated it wrong. AAH-ha! it is called preprocess. I still have a copy of ver.3 then I upgraded to 3.5.1 and have had both since dirt was young. Bob