How to convert MAIW packages to FSX/P3D?

[Greg]

Attention: this blog was written before the release of Prepar3d v4. Most of the guide is still applicable except that all models compiled for FS9 no longer show up properly in v4.

I have created a developer blog, explaining my method for converting MAIW packages to FSX or P3D and using the latest Misawa AB package as an example. You will find the article here.

Please use this thread to add any additional questions uou may have after reading the blog. I'll be happy to answer them for you.

If you have any comments or a personal addition to my method, feel free to post here as well.

[Victory103]

Great update Greg, I'm looking more into the MCX and texture converting to .dds. My method for FSX is almost exactly as yours, although I have seen FDE issues with the wingspan change in FSX.

[MIKE JG]

I will be following this closely!

[Joecoastie]

Thanks Greg. I have just started to convert my FSX version of KPIE Clearwater to P3D.
This certainly clarifies one of the glitches I had observed.
I hope to be able to upload very soon. Eh Chris ?
Joe

[ajs1964]

Hello,

I am having some difficulty with the conversion to FSX using Gregs tutorial.
I am having issues with the transparency of airfield objects as shown in the pic.
My model Converter X has a different user interface with differing buttons.
I have chosen YMES to try first as I thought this might be the easiest.
In the pic below you can see my trees are on black backgrounds, my fences are not see through and some objects show the sky or strange ground views where they should be transparent.
I'd be very grateful for any assistance as up til now I have marvelled at the MAIW packages I have used in my FS9 setup.

I am running FSXSE.

Cheers

Andrew

[ajs1964]

OOps, jsut realise posted in wrong forum, happy for you to relocate and repost guys, sorry

Andrew

[tommy5402]

Can anyone expand on converting the AI textures to P3d format? Does it make a difference?

Thanks

[wazzupppp]

Hello,

I was following along using Misawa Air Base V2, and I couldn't open RJSM_ADE9_MJG_OBJ.BGL with ADE, even though it was being used in the guide. ADE says

This file does not contain an airport. ADE will not load it.

By the way, thanks for the guide, these packages look great and I can't wait to see them in action.

[Firebird]

That is correct what you are loading up is the objects only file. What you have to load up is the MAIW_RJSM_AF2_Custom_MG file. You can then import the OBJ on top of that if you need to.

Be warned the reason the objects are split off is that if you make any adjustments and you have not added a library to ADE then when you save it it will ignore the objects. With the OBJs split you can change whatever you like to the afcad and the scenery will stay the same.

[wazzupppp]

Thank you, I have gotten the airport to load into FSX. However, now I have a new problem. The aircraft don't spawn, even when I changed the wingspan and gave traffic the highest density.

[Firebird]

Have you converted all your traffic files to FSX?

[wazzupppp]

I just replaced the Traffic_MAIW_USAF_RJSM.bgl that I converted from the .txt with the Traffic_MAIW_USAF_RJSM.bgl I got from the MAIW package and it seems to work fine. Thanks for all the help.

[Severin]

Hi everybody!

Is there anywhere a package of the models which are suitable for P3Dv4 to download?

[Greg]

Hi Severin. Welcome to MAIW!

There is no compiled package at the moment. We're still in an early stage and people are learning how to convert our models. Keep coming back to our forums to see if anything new pops up, but if you do please post your questions only once.

[petebramley]

I have tried to follow Greg's tutorial but seem to fall at the first hurdle. I'm sure I'm doing something very wrong but MCX just keeps failing for me. Have tried to convert a simple library to P3D but it never works. Looking at the Event log it shows an error:

08:17 MDLXWriter Error Failed to locate ModelDef.xml, please update the path in the options

Where do I find the above?

Am currently set up as follows:

On my D: Drive P3DV4, P3D SDK, P3D Add-on, folders
On my F: Drive MCX (Ver 1.3)

Do I need to have FS9 installed on a spare drive (F:)
Do I need to have FS9 SDK installed somewhere ?

Greg I think your guide is great but I think it pre-supposes a certain amount of foreknowledge which I do not currently have but willing to learn. I have already used the guide to import ADE/AFCAD files to P3D but the model side seems to be beyond me currently.

Any help appreciated

Regards

[John Young]

That would puzzle me too Pete. How does MCX generate the ModelDef.xml file to convert from FS9 to FSX when it doesn't know the custom xml code needed for the FSX model? Sometimes a different code block is needed to that used in FS9 and of course the expression of all the code used needs to be in FSX format. Is there a manual editing stage somewhere in the process perhaps?

John

[Firebird]

This one is relatively simple to fix.
You have to install the P3D sdk. That is what contains the P3D modeldef file.

In Options > FS related settings there is a ModelDefPath setting point that to where the P3D modeldef file is.

[petebramley]

Thanks Steve, Have now found that and updated FS related settings. Now I need to know where "makemdl.exe" hides itself. Have done a file search within my P3D SDK folder and it aint there. Is there a setup guide anywhere ?

SDK is the latest P3Dv4.1 version

[Firebird]

Makemdl comes with the FS2004 SDK in the cunningly named makemdl_sdk_setup.exe

P3D doesn't use makemdl.

[petebramley]

But if I’m trying to convert a FS9 library file to a P3Dv4 compatible format do I need to have Makemdl installed and if so where ?