Getting Started With Gmax - Page 2
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  1. #26

    The accursed blot is gone from my toolbars!

    Thank you tobob, I tried to find a way before and failed. Very much obliged!
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  2. #27

    Often forgotten: animation controllers

    When setting up GMax for FS developing, set the position and rotation animation controllers to Linear by default: they're Bezier and TCB respectively by default. If you don't do this you can get very odd animation results, especially in FSX.

    To do this select or create a simple object and go to the Motion panel:-






    Once this is set you can forget it like most of us do.
    Last edited by hairyspin; October 14th, 2017 at 13:00.
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  3. #28
    Tom, your sharing this is something I don't recall going through to get set-up. Thanks for sharing this.

    Hopefully this does not affect anything "modeled", and just animation. I can deal with having to re-animate if I have too.

  4. #29
    Any object already animated can have its animation controllers changed as shown: it doesn't mess up any keyframes you've already set. You'll probably have to check your existing animated stuff and change as appropriate.
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  5. #30

    Scale / Size

    Perhaps someone's already came across this one I'm not sure. My Gmax units are set to Meters under preferences and Units, and the grid unit is set up to say that 1 square is 1 meter however after following the tutorial and getting my plane in FSX it appears almost twice the size of a Cessna 172. Is there other options or settings I should be double checking? All aircraft measurements are pretty well spot on according to all available POH and flight data material which came direct from the manufacturer... Any help is much appreciated. Thank you. Kind Regards, Matt.

  6. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by OzFlightSimulations View Post
    Gmax units are set to Meters under preferences and Units
    Careful there, it's the System Unit Scale found under Customize/Preferences, General tab which must be set to 1 Unit = 1.0 Metre. The dialog is shown in post #20 above and that must be correctly set or the exporter won't compile to FS.


    and the grid unit is set up to say that 1 square is 1 meter
    The Grid Unit doesn't affect the units the model is sized in, but the Viewport unit does: go to Customize/Units Setup... and set the units the Viewport will display: you can work in feet, inches and fractions of an inch if your data is so listed but the model will still compile because the System Unit is correct. It was Felix of FFDS who put me on to this and it's been a great help. You can work in feet while your data is in feet and switch to millimetres or metres where your other data is in these units: the model will still compile to FS.

    The grid unit only affects how the lines are spaced on the Home grid or any user-defined grid.
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  7. #32

    Scale / Size

    Thanks for that, I will definitely follow it up. So far I have attacked Gmax again and done the following. I imported another aircraft which is similar in size to the plane I'm making into model converter x and then into Gmax as .3ds. Then I measured the plane against its manufacturers specs using the tape tool. Found the measurements to be within reasonable margins. I then moved the model on the longitudal axis away from the centre of the scene and clicked merge, dropped my plane in there and measured - almost double the measurements in the book and compared to the similar aircraft, was much the same result as my FSX test with the Cessna 172 parking under the wings. So having said that I think now after repairing the units of measure I should be able to relatively scale the plane I'm building back down so it doesn't look like "supersize my plane"

    Thank you to everyone at Sim-Outhouse for your time and patience and help so far with my project, I know I've asked probably a lot of dumb questions.

    Kind Regards
    Matt.

  8. #33
    Updated my original first post to activate links to tutorials in new locations.

    Hope this helps. :-)
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  9. #34
    Milton, 3DSMax is free for three years, when you subscribe for a studen account. As far i know it get the -2014 version, totally legal!
    Miro

    AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0 GHz, AMD (GigaByte) Radeon R9 280X Series @ 3GB Video, ATI Radeon SoundCard, GigaByte FX-990GAUD, Samsung 840EVO SSD @ 120GB, WD Caviar Blue @ 1TB

  10. #35
    Not all of us are students Miro, or likely to be again...

    However, many of the tips above apply equally to 3ds Max.
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  11. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by hairyspin View Post
    When setting up GMax for FS developing, set the position and rotation animation controllers to Linear by default: they're Bezier and TCB respectively by default. If you don't do this you can get very odd animation results, especially in FSX.

    To do this select or create a simple object and go to the Motion panel:-







    Once this is set you can forget it like most of us do.
    My default has always been Bezier. Are you saying this would be true for FS9 Gmax as well?
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  12. #37
    SOH Staff Tako_Kichi's Avatar
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    For FSX I always make sure the scale is set to 'Linear' too.
    Larry


  13. #38
    SOH-CM-2023
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    Yes to the FS9 Linear question - I only do FS9 & have linear set for all three.
    Keith

  14. #39
    It's been a long time since I did anything in FS9 but the linear controllers are an FSX SDK stipulation. Scale animations however are not supported in FS, although skinned mesh animations are possible in FSX.
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  15. #40

    To avoid heartache

    Many of us learn this the hard way, but you're much better working in this order:-

    Build the model first
    ...Map the model second
    ......Animate the model LAST

    It's very tempting to animate the undercarriage and have it folding up and unfolding a treat, but if you have to adjust anything or reset scale or transforms in the process of mapping, you'll have to redo the animation all over.

    Patience!
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  16. #41
    SOH Staff Tako_Kichi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hairyspin View Post
    Many of us learn this the hard way, but you're much better working in this order:-

    Build the model first
    ...Map the model second
    ......Animate the model LAST
    That's the way I work but now I tend to do it on a per-part basis. I used to leave the mapping until all the parts were made, partly because I was afraid to do it as I didn't fully understand the process, the result was that I ended up with hundreds of parts that required mapping and it turned into a big chore. For the large parts (fuselage, wings, tail section, control surfaces etc.) I build them all and then map. For the small details I build the part, map it and then animate it if needed and then move onto the the next part.

    Here's another tip for when you have multiple, small, identical parts like nuts and bolts, screw heads, hinges and brackets etc. Make a single part and map it before you copy/duplicate the part as many times as you need it as you will only have to map it once and the mapping will be carried forward in the copy process.
    Larry


  17. #42
    Quote Originally Posted by Milton Shupe View Post
    There are books for 3DSMax but none for gmax to my knowledge. Concepts are the same.
    There is one other, THE gmax HANDBOOK by Clayton Crooks II/Charles River Media Game Development Series.

    As far as learning Gmax (which I am) I'd say the GMAX Bible is the way to go. But THE gmax HANDBOOK is very game-oriented. It discusses various games at the end chapters, and the Quake III plug=in and LithUnwrap.
    .
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    In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.

  18. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by Hauksbee View Post
    As far as learning Gmax (which I am)...
    And, happily, it's coming along well. I think I understand Transparency and Bump mapping and will put it to the test in the next few days. What I can't find (even in the Gmax Bible) is how to render a frame. (i.e. Frame #1) to check my texture mapping.
    Website: www.robertgkelley.com
    In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.

  19. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Hauksbee View Post
    And, happily, it's coming along well. I think I understand Transparency and Bump mapping and will put it to the test in the next few days. What I can't find (even in the Gmax Bible) is how to render a frame. (i.e. Frame #1) to check my texture mapping.
    Happy to see new blood coming about the modeling game as we old coots decide to move on.

    My suggestion is to setup your project to export frequently to the sim to check your work.

    Exporting your work or any part of it keeps issues at bay as you make progress.

    Mapping and textures are not required, but once you map, the textures need to go to the sim to avoid parts showing as black. Good way to check mapping and textures as you move forward.

    I am not familiar with your "render a frame" comment. When you export, the parts are shown in the frames appropriate for your in-sim position, i.e. on ground (frames 100-200), or in the air (frame 0-100).

    Maybe an FSX modeler can speak more specifically to your question.
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  20. #45
    Quote Originally Posted by Milton Shupe View Post
    Mapping and textures are not required, but once you map, the textures need to go to the sim to avoid parts showing as black. Good way to check mapping and textures as you move forward.

    I am not familiar with your "render a frame" comment. When you export, the parts are shown in the frames appropriate for your in-sim position, i.e. on ground (frames 100-200), or in the air (frame 0-100).
    If I understand you correctly, I need to take my model w/ textures into the sim to see how it will look, to see if the lighting works? The plane I've shown here was done for its own sake in Carrara, and not for use in a sim. But think of it as the lower right-hand window in Gmax: the Perspective Window. I would have used the Arc Rotate tool to position the plane and then rendered a picture using a photo as the background. In many 3D apps, this is called a 'Snapshot', but in Gmax 'Snapshot means a completely different thing. Surely Gmax has a similar function?
    .
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    In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.

  21. #46
    Gmax doesn't do renders: it is actually 3ds Max 4.2 with the rendering, file i/o and NURBS removed. Discreet made it that way so it wouldn't destroy sales of Max but could be used with the appropriate gamepack to build game add-ons. We always check our models in FS, there's no alternative when developing with Gmax.

    BTW, if you're trying the P-38 tutorial in the Gmax help files, you should know the model will be backwards in FS: it's because DirectX and Gmax use different coordinate systems, one is left-handed and the other right-handed. Your model should be pointing UP in the Top view to be correct.

    Also, if you hit W you maximise the viewport you're working in. ;-)
    Tom
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    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  22. #47
    Redding Army Airfield Allen's Avatar
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    hairyspin

    I use Model Converter X to check the model. It takes some time for my PC to convert the model from FS2004 back to CFS2 so Model Converter X is quite quick and works well for the most part.
    "Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right!" Some SOH Founder.

  23. #48
    That's a good idea Allen, I hadn't thought of that. CFS3 models can't be read by MCX so I haven't been down that route, plus the CFS3 exporter is pretty quick. However an FSX model with specular and bump textures would be best checked in FSX itself.
    Tom
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7



  24. #49
    Quote Originally Posted by Allen View Post
    I use Model Converter X to check the model. It takes some time for my PC to convert the model from FS2004 back to CFS2 so Model Converter X is quite quick and works well for the most part.
    A few quick questions:

    (1) Where might I find the "Model Converter X" mentioned above?

    (2) In "The Gmax Handbook" mentioned above, there's a section which details modeling, mapping and placing objects into Flight Simulator 2002. Would this information be the same for taking objects into CFS3?

    (3) Lastly, why, when I insert a .jpg into my thread here at SimOH is there two images?
    Website: www.robertgkelley.com
    In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.

  25. #50
    Quote Originally Posted by Hauksbee View Post
    A few quick questions:

    (1) Where might I find the "Model Converter X" mentioned above?

    (2) In "The Gmax Handbook" mentioned above, there's a section which details modeling, mapping and placing objects into Flight Simulator 2002. Would this information be the same for taking objects into CFS3?

    (3) Lastly, why, when I insert a .jpg into my thread here at SimOH is there two images?
    #1 http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/res...ating_weighted
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

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