Interesting thoughts on creating AI aircraft

[crashaz]

I know the fellow ground pounders follow what Arno Gerretson is up to and his work with ModelConverter X.

Recently he has been working on being able to import Google SketchUp objects.

So I had a look... I have been on an IJN binge lately, playing with the idea of creating some ships and aircraft. Plus I have been following the Solomon Islands scenery thread.

So I went over to Google and looked around and found a Japanese Zero model.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=952d0dc125fbf76af9f07464a16d1248&prevstart=0

I downloaded the Collada version....


Will post up following progress..... but here it is in ModelConverterX... and it looks great! Had to move the object around to center it on XY coordinates. Also there would be a lot of draw calls with this object as it has 12 texture sheets!!

Now one would have to get permission of the original author to use their Sketchup work.... but imagine the possibilities. Buildings and ships too! :jump:

[MCDesigns]

I know the fellow ground pounders follow what Arno Gerretson is up to and his work with ModelConverter X.

Recently he has been working on being able to import Google SketchUp objects.

So I had a look... I have been on an IJN binge lately, playing with the idea of creating some ships and aircraft. Plus I have been following the Solomon Islands scenery thread.

So I went over to Google and looked around and found a Japanese Zero model.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=952d0dc125fbf76af9f07464a16d1248&prevstart=0

I downloaded the Collada version....


Will post up following progress..... but here it is in ModelConverterX... and it looks great! Had to move the object around to center it on XY coordinates. Also there would be a lot of draw calls with this object as it has 12 texture sheets!!

Now one would have to get permission of the original author to use their Sketchup work.... but imagine the possibilities. Buildings and ships too! :jump:

Here you are giving the unscrupulous ideas on stealing others work, shame on you, LOL, :173go1:
We already see tons of users taking others FS9 models, hacking them and saying they are "their" FSX models, so it's only a matter of time till these get re-distributed

I have been doing the same myself, found some great models for personal use and as reference for other models. many on there are to heavy on the polys to be used as scenery, but work well for drivable (or AI) aircraft.
There are also quite a few architecture sites with free models very similar to the sketchup ones, but in .OBJ and 3DS format.

BTW, you been able to get any of the sketchup files saved to Collada from sketchup to work in ModelconverterX? I seem to always get an error, but the d/led Collada files work fine.

[Lionheart]

12 textures is nothing... goodness.. Normal exterior textures have 3 to 5 textures each, so that would be left wing, right wing, tail, fuselage.. Then several for the VC, several for the panel, times say 3 plus shared textures.

30 to 40 is a huge texture giant. 12 is doing really good. :d

Aces tried it with one texture (the ultralight) and FSX couldnt do it. Had to stretch the load out to two materials with the same texture.

Francois did his house in Sketchup and put that in FS. Came out really nice. He posted it in Facebook.


Bill

[crashaz]

LOL!! Never thought of that.

Notice I said... you have to have the permission of the originals owners to release their work.:bump:

Those FS9 models... as soon as you get them in using Acceleration... you know. I know there are people still using the Turbosquid models.

My feeling is if I found something interesting... then I would write the author... let them know what I wanted to do... and look... your object is in Flight Sim!! :jump:

I feel most would agree... here is when it is nice to be a freeware guy LOL!

Michael... ran into the same problem with the saved Collada files from Sketchup.... also the Google Sketchup Pro is not very good at their 3ds export... left some things turned inside out.

I think 12 texture sheets is a bit much for scenery or AI... they would sure have to justify it.

Yep most are poly intensive but a good learning tool to examine how structure was created.

I am going to play around with Google Sketchup and master it.

.... a free alternative to GMAX if ever some Win7 update relegates it obsolete overnight.

Arno's work would then allow people to use it as a scenery design tool.
Design in Sketchup... export to MDL with Arno's tool.

[MCDesigns]

I gotta admit, that Casablanca carrier they have looks real nice, imported it into Gmax and it's perfect size for an AI or static, just needs to be retextured, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm:engel016:

I played with sketchup exporting some more and found that when exporting to Collada, there is an options box and I have had great luck with "Export 2 sided faces" and "Triangulate all faces" checked only.

[jdhaenens]

Arno is also working on a draw call minimizer for just such use. I don't know the object warehouse rules/restrictions on use however.

Jim

[crashaz]

It is the honor system I think Jim. Arno clearly states....even when running the export process... are you the author of this work?

Really anyone who thinks they can run this and then put into FSX easily is fooling themselves... there are the texture maps to convert, dumbing down the number of polys, creating FSX materials, naming conventions, etc to really cause almost as much work as building a simpler poly model by scratch.

However if you are willing to put in the work and you get the permission of the original author... there are some rare objects ( such as objects built where 3-view plans are hard to come by) that a scenery designer could create some nice pieces of work.

[MCDesigns]

Very true crashaz, modeling is the easy part, it's texturing that is the tedious boring part and all these models would need to be done before even coming close to being FSX ready.

There are some gems there though, found a whole section on Stargate models, some unbelievable stuff, even the city of Atlantis. Found this though, I'd love to get this bad boy flying around in FSX, but I wouldn't begin to know where to start texturing, LOL

[crashaz]

Here is a good example of what I consider rare.... resources hard to find.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=52dc9b7bdcc1db92895eb4a4c185d9dd&prevstart=48

Pegasus Bridge.... site of the British glider drop on D-Day.

LOL! I am seeking bridges tonight

A Bridge Too Far - Arnhem
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=f5b51171e7f88ea8895eb4a4c185d9dd&prevstart=24

I would not know where to find modeling info on this.

[crashaz]

OK last entry for tonight...

Feel like some Dambusting?
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=f71146765d548ce3fdfc4482b58c3bbe&prevstart=0

[dswo]

If someone wants to pursue this, I would suggest: get permission first. Maybe ask several modelers and see who responds. Then work on a model you know can be distributed. Also: don't be discouraged if no one replies immediately. This is nobody's day job, so relax.

[crashaz]

Nice thing about scenery design... it does move slower. So we have time to be able to wait to speak with authors.

I have models of Eder and Mohne that I have designed in the past. Just wanted to show some examples that people may never think of scenery-wise.

I think that the 3D Warehouse/ Google Sketch are great for viewing examples such as vehicles and architecture of a time period... then get to building your example.

Cool stuff.

[kilo delta]

I see some Tupolev Tu-95's in that mix...would be sweet to have some native FSX Ai versions for practice intercepts .:)

[jdhaenens]

Found the answer in the TOS:


11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

...need to get with the original author...

Jim