Creating aircraft from CAD data

[glenneaux]

Hello everyone

 

I'm a bit of a newcomer to X-Plane but glad to be here

 

I'm going to attempt to create the below aircraft, the Gippsaero GA8.

 

 

 

Now what I'm finding frustrating is wrangling Plane Maker into letting me do it, and what's more frustrating is the fact that I had CAD models of the aircraft. Is there no way to import cross sections with actual dimensions? Or do I have to eyeball everything to the side/top/bottom profiles?

 

Does anyone have any tips for how to construct this aircraft?.

 

Some things that I've noticed that I need to be careful of are:

• Ventral fin
• Rudder extends to the bottom of the fuselage (Fuselage doesn't end in a point)
• Do I model the fuselage upto the firewall or all the way to the base of the prop?

Other than that it's relatively straight forward. I believe.

Edited August 8, 2013 by glenneaux

[OlaHaldor]

I think you are better off using a more advanced modeling tool since you have CAD drawings.

I don't know Blender, but many have used it to make planes for X-Plane.

I use LightWave because that's what I've been using for a decade.

Others use Modo.

All of these should be able to import CAD drawings (plugins may be needed) and images for the modeling stage, and have a good arsenal of tools to let you do exactly what you want.

[glenneaux]

This is for the visual model yeah? What about creating the aerodynamic model?

 

Right now I'm struggling to get my top/side views aligned.. i've created them so they are both 2048 pixels in width with the same start/end aligned horizontally, but when i load them into plane maker they're different sizes because of the vertical size being different? 

 

Do I have to make them both exactly the same width/height so it maintains my alignment?

[glenneaux]

There seems to be an art to getting appropriate background images.. I cut mine off at the very tip of the plane and now when I try to drag the front points to the edge of the window it shifts them all.

 

Man what a head f.......

[Ben Russell]

It's not just you.

 

PlaneMaker is a pile of shit. And that's putting it nicely.

[Ben Russell]

Try modelling yourself a rough mesh in a REAL 3D application. (aka blender in this case) 

 

Then export this rough mesh to X-Plane OBJ format.

 

Import the OBJ into PainMaker and use the OBJ as a guide to model your ACF mesh.

 

This will stop you from losing your mind fighting with PainMakers insane GUI concepts. (eg; it wont rescale everything when you try and move one thing)

[glenneaux]

Ahhh

 

Ben thank you haha, filled in the missing link.

 

I actually have the NMG for the aircraft so hopefully that can short cut the process a lot.

 

"losing your mind fighting with PainMakers insane GUI concepts" .. hit the nail on the head, and made me laugh !

[tkyler]

Here's how I do it....just an FYI.  I use a CAD program myself as a "virtual measuring tape", measuring the offsets in CAD and then just input the data into Plane-maker.  This is akin to Ben's suggestion above but I find the 3D objects in PM can visually get in the way sometimes and they don't show up in the section editors anyhow.  This only gets me about 75% of the way towards the right shape though....as I mainly hit the "major dimensions".  Then I go "by eye" from there adjusting the and this is the tougher part and will not be the same for everybody as to whether it is easy or difficult.  I happen to have a history of dealing with boat line drawings and can "see" shapes rather well visually so this works really well for me.   BUT I don't import 2D images into Plane-maker as it's just a major pain to deal with IMO.   I know those who do not have access to CAD software are not as fortunate.

 

As an aside, you can type numbers into those numerical field boxes in Plane-maker..you don't have to use those up and down arrow keys.  That speeds things up a bit.

 

TomK

Edited August 8, 2013 by tkyler

[glenneaux]

Cheers,

 

I'll have to have a play with it a bit (lot) more and find a way I'm comfortable with.

 

I spent a lot of time this afternoon in CATIA making a nice surface model then ended up with a 40meg STL file and was kicking myself for not realising it was going to end up unusable, even though it should be obvious!!

 

Cheers for the tips guys, I suppose like most I'll have to find the way I'm most comfortable and take it from there !

Edited August 8, 2013 by glenneaux

[DoctorQ]

Hello,

We have some new, small aircraft and UAS/ Optionally Piloted designs (Ultralight and LSA category) which we'd like to transform from CAD to import into X-Plane for some sim runs and adjustment....in addition to other FEA and CFD analysis.

We're aware of the difficulties on import to X-Plane 10 and need to convert to mesh with redraw as close as possible in PlaneMaker, or other methods you'd suggest.  No time to mess with it, basically.  Looking for a contractor well-experienced in these areas.

• Non-Disclosure / Non-Compete Agreement required.
• Proof of substantial assets to signatory required -- in backing your NDA.
• Open to U.S.-based/ citizens only.

Aircraft are in early proposal stage for program funding, and your contracting availability & price we can include in the budget.

• Larger funding & contracting is still months out.
• Seeking one first model with airfoil specified.
• Subsequent contracting on same aircraft with alterations and actual airfoil.
• Subsequent contracting on other aircraft & flight vehicle (hypersonic & rocketry) variants and future designs.

Thank you,

Stan