TUTORIAL TO CONVERT FS2004 AIRCRAFT TO FSX (AND LATER SIMS) USING MODELCONVERTERX
by Tom Gibson
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction and Downloads
Part 1: Setup
Part 2: Saving and Animating the Props
Part 3: FS2004 Import
Part 4: Setting Up Landing and Taxi Lights
Part 5: Conversion to FSX
Part 6: Editing Materials and Textures
Part 7: VC & Appendix
No support guaranteed, but I often read the FSDeveloper ModelConverterX forum:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/modelconverterx.87/
12/2/2018 Version 1.1 - adds instructions for the VC (Part 7) and for better reflections (Part 6).
12/15/2018
Version 1.2 - edited to provide instructions for the latest version of
ModelConverterX and improve the prop isolation.
2/10/2019 Version 1.3 - edited to provide instructions for the latest version of ModelConverterX
5/28/2019 Version 1.4 - edited to provide a better work flow, less likely to cause the animations to collapse
6/12/2019 Version 1.5 - edited to provide working landing and taxi lights in P3D - you
must download the Extra Definitions file again, and edit your
modeldef.xml file. You must replace the light_taxi_visible
section, and add the special_light section. The rest us unchanged.
12/16/2023 Version 1.6 - warning provided that Arno is working on a new version of ModelConverterX.
NOTICE!
Arno is working on a new version of ModelConverterX that will
make this process MUCH easier. However, during this process the
development version of MCX may NOT work as described here. So it
would be best to use the STABLE version of ModelConverterX until this
updating is compilete, if you don't want to wait for the new version.
This
tutorial will provide a method for converting flyable FS2004 format aircraft
MDL files into FSX format, using ModelConverterX (MCX).
This is a rather exhaustive tutorial designed for a relative
beginner to this process, but you will need to have some basic
information about how FS planes work. This tutorial
is specifically for propeller planes - for jets with animated engine
fans it should be pretty much identical replacing prop0/1/2/3 parts
with N1_0/1/2/3 parts. For things like thrust reversers see the
RESOURCES below for some information on that (although they are
converting AI aircraft, so I don't know if it applies directly).
But because MCX has been updated since most of that information was
released, you may also want to read this tutorial (for simpler
techniques for attached landing and taxi lights, fixing animations when
adding some Visibility Conditions, and including part names in your
modeldef.xml file to eliminate some of the tedious editing of the
FS2004 model, for example).
I guess the first question you may
ask is "Why would I want to make this conversion?" For people
using FSX and P3D through v3 the answer is that it allows objects (like
clouds) to be seen through the prop disks, and allows one to use DDS
textures if desired. A few say you may get a slight frame rate
boost too. Some would probably decide this is not worth the
effort, but you may think it is. If you use P3Dv4 or above the answer is
that this will allow you to use the plane at all, since FS2004 format
MDL files are not compatible with P3Dv4.
THANKS AND KUDOS
This
tutorial would not be possible without Arno, the creater of
ModelConverterX and many other wonderful tools. I couldn't do
half the things I do in FS if it weren't for his utility programs.
He has recently modified ModelConverterX to make this
process much less painful. Thanks so much!
Very
little of this tutorial is original to me, I just thought it would be
nice to have it here, all in one place. I have gleaned bits and
pieces of this process from many people over at FSDeveloper, AIG, and
Sim-Outhouse (see the links below in Resources). I hereby thank
each and every one of them, you are the real pioneers. One thing
I have done is figure out a step order that increases the likelyhood of
a successful conversion, without the animations being ruined.LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS
If
you are the author of the aircraft you intend on converting (i.e. you
created it), then no problems. If you are not, then you must comply with one of the following conditions:
1. The resulting MDL file is only for your own use, and you will not release it to anyone else.
2. You have received permission from the original author(s) of the plane to allow release of a converted version.
LIMITATIONS
If
when you Import your plane into ModelConverterX any parts are not
correctly animated or are displaced from their normal positions, this
tutorial alone will not allow you to convert a usable plane.
NOMENCLATURE
To
shorten the tutorial, it may refer to multiple variations of
animation or visibility names as engine0/1/2/3 (as an example).
This means engine0, engine1, engine2, and engine3.RESOURCES
Required
1. I am using ModelConverterX
version 1.6.0.0 from 2021 - this was the latest version of the
"stable release" as of this tutorial version. Versions earlier than 1.4.0 will
not work. You can usually assume that later versions will also
work, but animation names, etc. may be slightly different. You
can get the stable release here:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/resources/modelconverterx.91/
Click on the orange button in the upper right to download.
There
is a development release that should make this conversion much easier
once it is complete (which it is not). You can download this
release here:
https://www.scenerydesign.org/development-releases/
Click on the image of the floppy disk to download.
The forum thread describing this updating process is here:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fs2004-aircraft-mdl-export.457832/
Installation is easy - create a new folder (outside of any Program Files
folder) and place the downloaded files into that folder. I named my folder ModelConverterX. You can
create a desktop shortcut by right clicking the ModelConverterX.exe file of the program
and choosing Copy. Then right click on the Desktop and choose
Paste Shortcut. Click on the name of the Shortcut until it is
highlighted. Click again and edit the name until it says
something like ModelConverterX.
2. The other thing that is required is to have the FSX (or relevant P3D) SDK
properly installed, and you are able to create an MDL file from within
ModelConverterX. If the FSX SDK it must be the SP2 version or
later. If you are converting to FSX and you do not own the
Deluxe version of FSX that has the SDK in it, then you will need to use
the P3D v1.4 SDK, which produces FSX compatible MDL files. It is
beyond the scope of this tutorial to get this process working.
Refer to the FSDeveloper Wiki entries on this subject, and you can ask
questions at the GMAX and 3DMax Forum at:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/gmax-and-3ds-max.27/
Optional
3.
To examine the alpha channels of the textures of your plane you may
need an FS bitmap viewer/editor. I use DXTBmp, which can be
downloaded here:
http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/
Click on the
DXTBmp button at the bottom of this page and then downloaded from the
bottom of that page. Install as instructed.
4. In the unlikely event that your converted plane's bounding box is huge, the other program you may need is RADItor,
which tests and then resets the bounding box of the FSX aircraft so it
will be properly
displayed in Spot View. The
ModelConverterX MDL Tweaker tool will do the same thing. .
Feel free to use the tool within ModelConverterX if
you prefer. You can get RADItor here if you want it:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/resources/raditor.120/
Installation is easy - create a new folder (outside of any Program Files
folder) and place the downloaded files into that folder. I named my folder RADItor. You can
create a desktop shortcut by right clicking the RADItor.exe file of the program
and choosing Copy. Then right click on the Desktop and choose
Paste Shortcut. Click on the name of the Shortcut until it is
highlighted. Click again and edit the name until it says
something like RADItor.
NOTE:
The latest versions of ModelConverterX have reduced (or
eliminated?) the need to reset the bounding box. But I would at
least check the bounding box as described in this tutorial after the
initial FSX conversion. The MCX Object Information tool will work fine
for this.
If you want to follow along with this tutorial
5. For
this tutorial I will be using a Douglas
DC-6B by Greg Pepper and Tom Gibson, in FS2004 format. If you want to follow along you can download it here:
Douglas DC-6B Base Pack with United Air Lines textures:
https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=search&fsec=0&fname=dc6b_cb16_calclassic2.zip
Install
it into FSX or later sim. This package has no FSX
installation instructions but you can do that. For FSX or P3D you
will need to press the ... button and browse to your main FSX/P3D
folder, then
follow the instructions. At the end you
will need to copy the following folders in your FS/Aircraft folder and
paste them into your FS/SimObjects/Airplanes
folder.
DC-6B CB-16
dc6pnlKMCC
PropSound
I will be using the model found in the DC-6B CB-16/model folder.
Information Links
6.
The
other resources are the various forum threads that may give you more
details than I include here, but hopefully you won't need them.
Thus you probably don't have to read these. These people were
converting planes long before this tutorial, and have provided
invaluable information to this tutorial.
The ModelConverterX Forum, which contains many threads related to this conversion process:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/modelconverterx.87/
A few of the most important threads from this forum:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/why-do-animations-get-broken-during-fs9-fsx-conversion.442430/#post-795360
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fs2004-aircraft-propeller-states.439521/
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fs2004-aircraft-mdl-export.457832/
The thread for converting AI jets, including a PDF tutorial link in the first post is:
https://www.alpha-india.net/forums/index.php?topic=25691.0
And the threads that continue this discussion which often include another set of downloadable instructions and files:
https://www.alpha-india.net/forums/index.php?topic=27589.0
https://www.alpha-india.net/forums/index.php?topic=27669.0
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/99693-Model-Converter-X-Question-and-Help
OK, I think we're ready to begin!
Next: PART ONE - SETUP