Converting FSX Aircraft Textures and files to FS2004

New guy here, so please forgive me if the question(s) seem stupid.

 

I have 2 questions.

 

1) I've been trying to find an FS9 Ai of Cayman 737-800 max and Saab340 and can only find it in FSX. How can I convert them?

2) Is it possible to convert a non ai model to ai?

 

Thank you in advance!

Hi,

 

I know of no way to easily convert an FSX aircraft to FS2004, sorry. ModelConverterX (MCX) can't do that. The only way I know is to:

1. Load the plane into MCX

2. Export as a 3DS file.

3. Import into GMAX

4. Redo all the animations (i.e. starting over)

5. Export as an FS2004 MDL file.

 

You can use any flyable model as an AI, although it may not fly correctly. That can be fixed by making a copy of the plane's folder for AI use only and swapping out the flight dynamics (AIR file and aircraft.cfg file) with a similar AI plane's files (should also have the same CG values). Here is a procedure I wrote for a flyable plane, but it's much the same:

 

1. Make a copy of the plane's folder to use for AI use.

 

2. In the AI plane's folder rename the aircraft.cfg file to aircraft_old.cfg

 

3. Copy the AIR file and the aircraft.cfg file of the AI plane that flies properly into the plane's folder.

 

4. Open both the copied aircraft.cfg file and the aircraft_old.cfg file using Notepad or Wordpad.

 

5. Copy the top sections of the aircraft_old.cfg file (headed by fltsim.0, fltsim.1, etc.) and overwrite the same part of the aircraft.cfg file.

 

6. Copy the following sections from the aircraft_old.cfg file and paste them over the same sections in the aircraft.cfg file, replacing them:

 

a. Contact Points

b. Lights

c. Views

d. Effects (if desired)

e. General (if desired)

 

7. Copy the sim= line from the aircraft.cfg file *of the plane that flies properly* and paste into all the sim= lines of the new aircraft.cfg file.

 

8. Save the new aircraft.cfg file. Restart FS.

 

Now that aircraft should fly like the other plane.

 

If the COG and reference datum positions of both planes are not the same (in the Weight and Balance section, usually 0,0,0), then this method will not work without a lot more work, but this is unusual (except for the default aircraft).

...The only way I know is to:

1. Load the plane into MCX

2. Export as a 3DS file.

3. Import into GMAX...

 

Hi Tom, last time I tried to do that Gmax wouldn't accept the .3ds file, said "improper file format". I happened to have an old copy of MCX from 2013 on a backup disk I installed and got the job done but I think Arno's done something in the current versions of MCX to inhibit .3ds. Probably a copyright/piracy thing I'm guessing. Dunno. I was just trying to modify the mapping of an object so I could bake an occlusion for it with xNormal. Needless to say I'm hanging on to that old version of MCX!

 

Just an FYI, and if you ever need that 2013 dev release let me know. :)

Jim, I think this might be your problem. The current version of MCX has an export option called "3DS Max (old) (*.3ds)" . Files exported in that file can imported into gmax. Look for it in the drop down menu. The other option is "3DS Max (*3ds)" which exports in the new 3DS Max format, which isn't recognized by Gmax.

 

Greg

Oops I didn't see that (old) option Greg, you're right, and gmax accepted it. Thanks, I guess I can get rid of the 2013 release after all. :)