An open question

[CBris]

...aimed at no one in particular.

Why are so called FSX developers calling their product 'True FSX models' when they don't add specular sheets to their paints. Especially, but not limited to payware devs? It's bad enough they don't use bump maps efficiently.

It's not as if setting the specular trigger in the 3D export is difficult and you don't even need to create a new UVW map - just copy the normal skin one. Nor do the devs actually need to make any complex sheet - a plain light blue or grey square with light alpha will do the job "for now" or until a mad painter comes along and does things with it...

And when you look at what the masters can do with a full set of textures - and by that I mean the real masters like McPhat Studios. Not me - I am second (or even third) rate when I look at their work.

[SkippyBing]

If it's exported with the FSX model compiler it's a 'True FSX' model with self shading and all the performance improvement you get over running a port over from FS8. As to not having a spec map I'm guessing either they don't know how/understand what it does so don't bother, doesn't mean it's not a 'True FSX' model just that it doesn't use all the capabilities.

[CBris]

Well, it says something then... because I have more freeware addons for FS with an active spec and correctly formatted folders.

As far as I understand it from someone I asked to activate it, allocating a spec takes very very little time.

Is there any way we can activate "missing" FSX functionality as painters? I think I have three good addon makers' aircraft with specs... Iris T6/PC9, RealAir's "suite" of planes...

136 aircraft folders and only FS default planes and a couple of others...

Oh well... the only way round it is to do it myself. Anyone got a spare copy of 3DS Max in their pockets?

[Techy111]

Is there any way we can activate "missing" FSX functionality as painters? I think I have three good addon makers' aircraft with specs... Iris T6/PC9, RealAir's "suite" of planes...

I have asked this many times fella....there really is no way as its all to do with the MDL files which we as painters we cannot touch.... :-(

The other option is to model an A\C yourself and let us paint it for you.....

But thats hard ruddy work innit...?

Tony

[CBris]

I think we should gang up on the modellers...

...sort of have a friendly "word" with the promise of sending Dinsdale round later.

[Techy111]

Or tell them Santa ain't real.....

Tony

[Tomliner]

Or tell them Santa ain't real.....

.Tell me it's not true :o :o EricT

[CBris]

This discovery came as a surprise to me. Good old Martin Wright!

http://www.mnwright.btinternet.co.uk/beta.htm

Look for 'mdlmat' - it may be ancient and of no use to some, but the idea is sound and may be worth pursuing for others. It's a tool to edit the shine and specularity of a model.

[decapod]

Unfortunately it won't work on FSX MDL files which are a very different format.

Perhaps in the future someone may write something that allows editing of FSX MDL materials directly, combined with a model viewer

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12655