Advanced Scenery Design and Dev Pipeline?

[Hawk UK]

Hi.... I'm new to developing scenery/aircraft for XP10 and have been busy studying the dev procedures needed to develop for this amazing sim.

Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand the dev process for XP scenery development(And this is just a very basic outline); I use WED to outline the basic elements for airport/scenery, but then if I want a very professional finish to a project, then I must set most of those elements to invisible and resort to using Maya(I know I could use blender/AC3D, but I like Maya and would prefer to continue working with Maya rather than learning a new app), in combination with Photoshop(for texture development) for the creation of professional looking Runways/Taxiways and all other scenery objects. Am I correct in this assumption?

I do realise the problems with exporting/importing the XP .obj8/.acf file formats and the fact that if I require any animation that I would have to resort to doing the animation in Blender before exporting the finished Item to XP(Why Austin didn't implement the .FBX importer/exporter into WED/Planemaker is a rant I will not go into here; Though I guess it has to do with Autodesks license costs? But this would've made professional quality products to be easily developed and implemented into XP10 without any problems).

My main question here is: "Am I on the right track here with my dev procedure and can anyone foresee any pitfalls or problems(not already realised and noted above) I may come up against by using Maya 2011 as a dev tool?"

I have been trawling through a huge amount of very useful information and advice here and it seems like you guys/girls have the best XP forum on the web in my opinion.... It's great! I only hope I can help and contribute as much as I can. Thanks:)

Regards to all,

Hawk.

[Redfisher]

You're on the right track

For those if us who don't use Blender, it's a pain. I use Modo. I don't know much about Maya but I think you'll be fine.

[Kieran]

No matter what 3D program you use you will be fine, but you will always have to go through either Blender or AC3D to export to X-Plane's .obj format, different from the .obj uses by other programs.

[Kaphias]

No matter what 3D program you use you will be fine, but you will always have to go through either Blender or AC3D to export to X-Plane's .obj format, different from the .obj uses by other programs.

Or SketchUp.

[Peter T.]

No matter what 3D program you use you will be fine, but you will always have to go through either Blender or AC3D to export to X-Plane's .obj format, different from the .obj uses by other programs.

Or SketchUp.

or 3DS Max

[Kieran]

Sorry, I didn't know there was one for 3DS Max. I know there have been some attempts but didn't know that any were fruitful.

[Peter T.]

really? JRollon uses 3DS Max in ALL of his planes

[OlaHaldor]

Go with the tools you know. As the others say, you need to go through Blender or AC3D at some point.

I'm a LightWave 3D user myself, and would love to have a plug-in to export for X-Plane, with animation and all. That would be insanely cool. But I gotta stick to Blender for export. Can't stand that app..

Edited October 6, 2012 by OlaHaldor

[ryancz]

The 3DS Max export script is expensive.

Edited October 6, 2012 by ryancz

[Ben Russell]

Get a job. 30 euros is peanuts. (http://www.steptosky.com/forum/index.php?topic=22.0)

[Redfisher]

Wow. 30 euros.

I'd pay a hell of a lot more than that. I'm jealous.

[ryancz]

For a single script?

Oh, and "Get a job" -I would, but most places don't hire people 15 years old.

[Jordan P.]

I am 2 years younger than you an have 2 jobs and i am not hired by anyone and i make more than 30 a week? So it shouldn't be that hard. I only work 3 days a week as well and only for a few hours each day.

[Peter T.]

30 rupees....

2 jobs->

-sleep

-eat

yes its not that hard, but you're lucky not many people get to do that you should work more on those you know....maybe 60 rupees!

[ryancz]

Remlap- what do you do?

All I can get is little neighborhood jobs, and all of that money goes toward my pilot's licence

[Hawk UK]

Thanks Redfisher, Kieran, OlaHaldor.... At least I know I'm on the right track with this scenery dev.

And Ben, thanks for the link to the 3DS Max plugin..... I'd heard that there was one about for 3DS Max, but never found a link for one. It will be easy now to work in Maya(My preference:) ) and export my files to 3DS Max in .fbx then use the plugin to export to X-Plane 10...... GREAT!! You've made my day guys. Thanks!!

Hawk.

[Jordan P.]

Well i have some jobs like making things and selling them but that is a long story. Soon a lot of my money will be going to my PPL air cadets lisence.

[OlaHaldor]

Wow! €30 for an export plugin like that would be awesome. I asked a dev to make a plugin for LW3D, and that would export the model. That's it. No lights, no animation, no option to make certain parts hard. No Z buffer settings. Object only! And he wanted $600 for that alone. I'd do it if it had more options.

For the future, maybe we should ask for X-Plane to support FBX ? I'm not saying it will be easy or even possible. I'm just dreaming wildly here. FBX can be exported from so many apps!

[Hawk UK]

Wow! €30 for an export plugin like that would be awesome. I asked a dev to make a plugin for LW3D, and that would export the model. That's it. No lights, no animation, no option to make certain parts hard. No Z buffer settings. Object only! And he wanted $600 for that alone. I'd do it if it had more options.

For the future, maybe we should ask for X-Plane to support FBX ? I'm not saying it will be easy or even possible. I'm just dreaming wildly here. FBX can be exported from so many apps!

An .FBX importer/exporter included for WED/Planemaker??.... I absolutely agree with you OlaHaldor! It would certainly make the development process SO much simpler and efficient. No more waiting for god knows how long, for third party developers to come up with the required plugins for other 3D apps before we can get on with serious hassle free development for this great sim.

I'd also like to add(I'm on my soap-box now, guys... COVER YOUR EARS! IT'S RANT TIME!! Hahaha).

I can understand that LR want the masses to have access to developing for XP, and that's fine, but if they seriously want XP to be the best there is on the market then they have to get serious about providing an efficient and true means for professional developers to easily apply their work in XP with the industry standard professional tools they have already invested years of time and experience in learning and using; And from what I've seen in LR's support of professional 3D Apps/Import/Export plugins/Updated Tools,Tutorials and Manuals, then LR come up seriously short in their priorities towards those issues.

I'm sure Austin could afford Autodesks license fee for the inclusion and implementation of their FBX import/export plugin.... As well as professional coordination and implementation of information and updated manuals, tools, etc, etc... It's all about priorities and professionalism guys...... I'd certainly be willing to pay a few extra dollars/pounds(whatever) to have these issues sorted and implemented.

Would be great to hear what you guys feel about this.

Okay. Big breath.. I've said my piece...Rant over guys:)

Hawk.

[Ben Russell]

http://usa.autodesk.com/fbx/

[Hawk UK]

http://usa.autodesk.com/fbx/

Thanks for the link, Ben. I know this page well:)

Hawk.

[OlaHaldor]

Ben, what we wanted is for X-Plane to read fbx files. Would be a huge request, absolutely. And I bet it won't ever happen..

[Ben Russell]

I only looked into it quickly but at first glance;

- There is no license fee.

- Documentation, SDKs and resources are easily available.

- Blender uses an FBX script created with information from the SDK.

...maybe Laminar just don't realise how open this door is. -shrugs-

I will not be pursuing it with them. I have no need for FBX, but plenty of other items on my personal wish list.

[OlaHaldor]

Hawk, maybe we should write Laminar an email.

[Hawk UK]

I only looked into it quickly but at first glance;

- There is no license fee.

- Documentation, SDKs and resources are easily available.

- Blender uses an FBX script created with information from the SDK.

...maybe Laminar just don't realise how open this door is. -shrugs-

I will not be pursuing it with them. I have no need for FBX, but plenty of other items on my personal wish list.

Ben, I think you'll find that to implement autodesk .fbx import/export into commercial software is licenced. Also I beleave that there is also restrictions on implementing FBX into freeware/open source software, ie: Export only(As I beleave is the case with Blenders .fbx capabilities).

Hawk, maybe we should write Laminar an email.

OlaHaldor. That may well be a good idea; Though from LR's response to forum requests for import export facilities on the "X-plane.org" forums(I'll have to find the discussion again), their attitude is that the community should create the plugins for the software they use(A very unhelpful and unprofessional attitude in my opinion). But for sure, if we all wrote an email to LR requesting this facility to be included then maybe the pressure would eventually reach a tipping point and make LR realise just how much their customers want this. As I've said, I would certainly be willing to pay a little extra to cover any implementation costs involved.