Hmmm.............off to check it out now. Wonder what the changes are?
Edit: Here are the upgrades.
# New FSX compatiblity. Use XToMDL and BGLComp tools to provide robust FSX feature set
# New FSDS V3 compatiblity. Use MakeMDL to maximize backward modeling capabilities
# New Scenery compatible with FSX Libraries
# New Enhanced boolean operations provide powerful way to cut and split parts
# New Animation capabilities per FSX SDKs
# New Support for using specialized textures: nighttime, lightmaps, more.
# New Export to .x file fomat. For advanced users who want to "tweak" the .x file for XToMdl and MakeMDL.
# New Aircraft Specification Sheet simplifies setup of new aircraft for Flight Simulator
# Updated FSDS V2 & V3 compatibility. New version recognizes and handles earlier file versions.
# Updated Unlimited Undo / Redo. Protects your model from inadvertent design errors. Roll back each design operation, step-by-step.
# Updated User selectable Autosave interval. Safeguards your model from computer failure.
# Updated HELP files with tutorials for making animated scenery.
99% of my sim flying is military, so when MAIW converts to FSX then I'll follow suit. Until then I'll be happy with my tweaked out FS9. No offense to the FSXers out there. It's always good to know when the packages are cross compatible.
IMPORTANT - To those haven't visited yet the military ai aircraft design section I would recommend to do that. I have posted there some observations after some testing I did last night with FSDS V3.5 by exporting models with makemdl and xtomdl for comparison into fsx which look very very promising...
To me these are not just observations - are facts, and to be honest I'm thinking seriously to start moving there asap.
As for the vista etc I would say (without being absolute) that my experience so far (after a period of 4 months and with all major FS9 and FSX related programs loaded and tested I've never phased with any problem at all. So, I believe that if do a good judjment and you choose the right hardware parts, as also follow common sense rules for setting up software the possibility to phase problems is very very low.
PS When I'm talking "common sense" I mean the most difficult thing for human nature
Mike JG, I read on another forum about a problem like you mentioned, and the solution was to uninstall and then re-install all of the MS Network addons which cleared the problem.
Now, for a little speculation: Within the extensive help files for the V3.5 is a link for a free program called Scenery Shortcut (approx 20 mb file), which is for owners of the Deluxe version of FSX with the mission editor. This program gives you access to all scenery objects within FSX, including previously unaccessible objects (ie. Eiffel Tower, etc), through the mission editor, which can then be placed, scaled, rotated etc as desired, and then saved. This becomes a scenery bgl that may be freely shared with anyone to place in their FSX, even non-deluxe versions. The potential for creating new scenery for FSX, even military sceneries, seems large. Worth looking into! (Scenery added by mission addon's would be proprietary unless the manufacturer included a release, so there is a potential problem to watch out for, went it comes to sharing). FSX may become 'da bomb'!
Mike, what kind of error do you get? Are sure you have setup correctly the FSX SDK SP1 and the BglComp path to FSDS V3.5? I've made some tests and works fine for me exporting either as scenery mdl or bgl.
What Ron is saying is also very possible and seems that so far is the No 1 cause of FSDS V3.5 problems reported.