I've question for the shipwrights

[strikehawk]

As the title says, I have a question for our resident shipwrights. Earlier today I was looking through Simviation's CFS2 files just for the heck of it since I still have that sim on my PC. Anyway, in the Misc section I came across a download of various aircrew in life rafts from the single person dinghy to the larger full blown rafts used on bombers and the like.

My question is this, can anyone convert the files to FSX as either static scenery or an AI Ship object. The description states that they are classed as ships but should be used as infrastructure items for "reasons I that I will not go into". I'm hoping that something like what I'm thinking of is doable. If it is and all it takes is that ModelX converter ( I think that's the name, it's been a long time since I've heard it referenced ) I may take a shot at it so I and my friends have actual rescue targets to look for.

I would really appreciate an answer, I've been away from any flight sim for nearly a year for various reasons. The primary one is that even before I retired nearly four years ago I've had multiple health issues culminating with nearly dying two years ago due to a mistake made with my meds, one of the pills given to me to help with my back pain reacted with my BP meds in such a way that my BP dropped dangerously low and as a consequence my heart started slowing down as well. I spent four or five days in the ICU and telemetry wards of the hospital I had just retired from. After that episode I had a long time to think and I realized that since 2003 my life was work, come home, fire up FS9 and later FSX and fly for the next five t six hours ignoring my family. Weekends was worse so somehow I decided to wean myself from flying so much. Now that I've spent this long a time away from the game my wife is telling me to start flying again since I'm always underfoot.

So, that's my excuse as to why I've gone MIA over the past couple of years. I would like to get any advice on how to do the conversion of the rafts if no one wants to undertake that task. I just feel the need to do something at least for my friends to use. Thanks in advance and I'm glad to be back on the sim.

[Hooky722]

Hi Strikehawk

Sounds like you've been through hell I'm glad to hear your better now though and welcome back to the fold. It sounds like a fantastic idea (I'm a little envious i didn't think of doing it myself tbh) Alot of changes have happened since you've been gone. Particularly with MCX it is now possible to convert many cfs2 models to fsx I have modified a few ships both for personal use and (where permissions allow) for download here on SOH I'm sorry I can't be anymore descriptive with regards to exactly HOW it's done as it's been a while since I did any conversions and my rig has been packed up for moving and due to real life events I myself have been away from the FS Community for a while now but hopefully someone here can talk you through it. Lazarus is quite proficient at the process I believe it maybe worth dropping him a PM. Anyway I wish you good luck and once again, welcome back

Hooky

[PhantomTweak]

a download of various aircrew in life rafts from the single person dinghy to the larger full blown rafts used on bombers and the like.

Make them AI's, you could use AICarriers to place them for helicopter rescue missions with the hoists. Or even just practicing rescues out of Free Flight.

Strikehawk, sorry to hear of your episode. I am glad you got better, though. Thank you very much for the time of your service, too. I sure appreciate the time you took to serve.

Have fun!
Pat☺

[strikehawk]

Thanks for the replies and I hope that Lazarus sees this and comments as well. One questions, what is MCX and where do I find it? If it's BB stacker proof then I should be able to use it, if not well, I'll probably find a trained ape to help me. As for making them AI, while a good idea I would have no idea how to do that and the few times I tried with aircraft it usually ended up with a few broken aircraft that didn't want to show up let alone work. There is also the problem of speed of the raft, any thing over 1-3 knots is in most cases too fast and most times something like that tends to drift in unpredictable directions. I remember reading in a VERY OLD US Navy Blue Jacket's Manual about setting a 'sea anchor' to counter said drift.

As an aside that issue of the BJM covered a lot of information on sea survival after abandoning ship, the majority of it being bought for in blood during WWII. The newer issues, including the one I was issued in '78 have left those lessons out of the book, as if the possibility of losing a ship is unthinkable. I dread the day our Navy has to relearn those lessons and lean them with the blood of new Sailors.

Anyway, it looks as if I can at least get some static models to work and show I'll be happy. Hopefully I can also find an active email to ask for permission from the original authors. If I can get those converted I may move on to some of the Cold War weapons that are on that sight as well so I can make some more targets that I'd like to place at NAS Fallon and NAWS China Lake. I've found that if one looks hard enough one can find lots of interesting things that have possibilities.

Thanks also for the kind words regarding my absence, the ironic thing about my going MIA is that last year I bought my oldest grandson the Steam version of FSX with the intention of teaching him to fly some of the planes and then do hops with him since he lives about 150 miles away and I rarely see him for longer than an hour when his family visits since my daughter is spread thin between me, her mother and her in laws. Now that his 'nads have dropped and he found a girlfriend any time he had for sim flying is gone. Not that I'm upset, I'd rather him have a real girlfriend than a virtual one like some of the characters on Big Bang Theory. Well his mother claims she's real since I've never seen her.

[awstub]

MCX is "Model Converter X" and you can get info about it....and download it.... from here: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/modelconverterx.87/

It's a super useful utility. Besides using it for converting models, it's good for viewing textures to see how well they look after you edit them.




One questions, what is MCX and where do I find it?

[tgycgijoes]

I will be following this thread anxiously awaiting conversion and uploading of liferafts with pilots etc in the Warbird Library (I hope). You can see my new thread with the SOC Seagulls. It would be a lot of fun placing these and then looking for them. Then the Duck or Catalina can come in and pick them up unless we put them on the wings and taxi to the closest DD or CA as done at Midway.

[lazarus]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bymd7iALx2FoVllUNGc2X1k1VVk

That's the CG-TS US cast-away's set, in MDLX, set up as AI. If you'd like to pack that up for the library, that'd be good. Colin was kind enough to give a blanket dispensation to use his files and sources thus some time ago, so due diligence is attended to. It just needs ringing out in sim for bugs-if any- screencaps harvested, whatever documentation.
Good call, good timing, as the Huskey and HUP are about as done as those are going to get at this point. Off to try some uploading, the least favourite part of the program.:dizzy:

[tgycgijoes]

I am looking forward to using. I have just downloaded again (couldn't find it in my archives) the HU-16 Albatross. It should be a good one to look for them too.

[PhantomTweak]

I've got a few USCG helicopters that would just LOVE to go save some of these guys!
I'll be looking forward to it :D
Pat☺