Well, I didn't want to make a post  for this here and bug everybody, but after too long searching the web, I suppose I have to.
Does anybody happen to know of a good tutorial for designing aircraft for FSX. There are plenty on creating on in Gmax (that's the program I'm using), but I can't find anything on actually creating the aircraft package so you can use it in FSX.

Thanks,
boeing247

Milton Shupe did one of the best tutorials for creating and aircraft in gmax that I have seen. Check it out HERE.

Sorry it took so long, but I couldn't find it until today (I got all of this stuff form myself back in about 2008).

You must have the FSX SDK which comes with FSX Deluxe and FSX Gold.

Mark

boeing247 wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 11:44pm:

Yes it will. The method of creating the model (MDL) is using XtoMDL which is for FSX only.

701151 wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 2:14pm:

As good and as funny as that is, I don't think an elephant's or gecko's make good flying machines!

Here is one I have been working on for.....for ever, since December 2005 using FSDS 3.0 and FSDS 3.5.1. It's a C172 (based on the default FS9 C172):



Mark

boeing247 wrote on May 6^th, 2011 at 2:26am:

It is better to use the metric system. So millimeters is best.

ALT > Customize > Units setup... > Metric > Millimeters

Make sure you are starting gmax using the FSX_Gmax shortcut. It can be found in <Gmax>\gamepacks\FSX_GmaxGamePack folder. It loads all the necessary scripts used to create FSX models.
Another thing you need to do is: ALT > FSTools > LODNameTool > Click Create new GUID for this f.... > Friendly Name: (just use the name of the aircraft, boeing247, in this case). If you don't do that, you can't export to the FSX mdl (it won't work in FSX).

Mark

To be honest. I don't know. I was taught by the guys at FFDS Design forums to use millimeters, I don't recall anyone questioning that advice. I know I didn't.

There is a trick you can use in gmax, enter the value in cm or m by adding that to the end of the number and gmax will automatically change it to millimeters. E.g. Enter 5m and gmax will change it to 5000mm, enter 5cm and gmax will change it to 50mm etc... I use this with imperial to metric conversion by entering, for example, 5 feet 6 inches, like this: 5'6" and gmax will convert that to millimeters for me (1676.4mm).

Mark

The gmax installation files are IN the SDK folder when you first install it. You need to copy them to somewhere else because in the process of updating to SP1a and SP2, it gets removed and they are no longer in the SDK folder (as I said in an earlier reply).

The FSX_gamepack for gmax is still in the SDK after you have installed SP2 (SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK). It is only gmax that has been removed. You can get all the gmax files from TurboSquid HERE.

The following files are all you really need.
gmax12.exe
gmax12_help.exe
gmax12_tutorials.exe
library.exe

From this TurboSquid forum post:  "get the well known and accepted workaround to get the registration HERE or HERE" - I recommend the first one.

There is nothing illegal about the registration workaround. For some unknown reason (to me), the normal way of registering doesn't work. I was lucky enough to get mine registered before this happened, but my official registration is not accepted by gmax anymore so now I have to use this workaround. TurboSquid are the ones who distribute and support gmax now and they are the ones who allow you to download and use workaround (well they certainly haven't put a stop to it in the last 5-6 years since I first found it).

Mark

The latest (last) version of gmax is v1.2. It does not matter which one you install from.

For information in regards to the SDK Service Packs read this: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=SDK_Installation_%28FSX%29. Hopefully this will help you with installing the SDK SP's and it saves me having to write it all down here for you.

Mark