SceneryDesign.org Over the last year I have been putting most of my focus on new scenProc features, so ModelConverterX did receive less updates than usual. But now that the end of the year is approaching I do have some new features for ModelConverterX for you as well. Let’s say this is my Christmas gift to all ModelConverterX users. I have added support for a few more formats, you’ll find the details on the changes below. A big thanks to the Assimp project for this as well, as I found that library very useful.
COLLADA
The COLLADA format is not also supported for export. You can export model geometry and the basic material settings to the COLLADA format. Most of the sub textures, like bump maps, are also supported in the export. So this should make it easier to import models in other tools.
Import of the COLLADA format was already supported before, but I’m using the Assimp library for that now. So hopefully everything still works as you are used to. The advantage of this approach is that you should be able to import animations from COLLADA as well, but I didn’t find good test models of animated COLLADA files to test it thoroughly.
FBX
The AutoDesk FBX format is now supported for importing and exporting as well. The importing is done through the Assimp library again and it can import geometry, animations and most material settings. Exporting is done using the FBX ASCII format and it writes the geometry and basic material settings for the moment. I hope most tools support the ASCII version of FBX as well, although I noticed that Blender doesn’t.
3DS
For exporting to the 3DS format I am using the Assimp library now, this replaces the old 3DS exporter I made before. Hopefully this solves the bugs in hte old 3DS exporter. Sometimes objects were exported corrupt and could not be loaded into GMax. I hope by switching to Assimp that is fixed now.
Wavefront OBJ
Importing and exporting of Wavefront OBJ files is now also done through Assimp. These are not new features, but I moved it to the new library to cleanup my code a bit. It should work just as it did before.
I hope you like all these new features. If you encounter any issues or bugs, please let me know.
Hi Arno – hoping things are well –
I have been using your MCX tool for years, and its one of the best out there for meeting my needs –
I have built a lot of static scenery objects ( buildings, vehicles etc ) where MCX is the only point and click means to get them into FSX –
I write about the Collada Importer – Although the import has been historically seem-less, with animation, which I am working with now, the 2017_8 version which I downloaded on the 10th, allowed import of Animations from 3dsMax/OpenCollada, and Autodesk Collada. Hurray !
But with Collada import you only get three ( len=3.3.. ) frames …
Your FBX importer has been serving as my work around – but does require a lot more experimenting – My 3ds Exports from 3DS Max are peculiar and believe not related to MCX when importing
I am looking forward to your next dev release where hoping I can get a len=100 from the Collada imports –
Thanks again for your great work –
Orion –
Hallo Arno,
is it possible to make a XPlane write function in a future version of your modelconverterX. I have a look to the net, but i haven`t found a programm that convert .obj files correctly to xplane.obj files.
Hi,
This feature is on the wishlist, but the biggest problem to implement it is that XPlane objects can only reference one texture. So the object would need to be split into multiple parts. Not sure how easy it would then be for somebody to still place the object somewhere or that that needs to be done many times.
Arno
Hi Arno,
that is correct, but we would than have the Chance to optimize the object first and reduce to one texture and than export to XPlane obj.
I have so many objects in my libraries and sceneries which I like to convert via MCX.
Joerg
It’s on the wishlist. Not sure when I’ll have the time to implement it though.
Thanks for adding it to the wishlist. I understand the time problem, so many things could be done…
Arno,
I can’t begin to thank you enough for your contributions to the flightsim community. It would be hard to imagine what the sim would be like without the tools you created. I am currently experiencing difficulty with the updated version of MCX. This is the message I get when I try to unzip it:
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.ErrorHandler.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.EventLog.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.FSUtils.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.Interfaces.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.ObjectModel3D.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.ObjectReader.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.ObjectRenderer.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.ObjectWriter.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.ParticleEffects.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.TextureObject.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ASToFra.Utils.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\CSGL12DLL.dll
! Access is denied.
A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip: Cannot create A:\Downloads\FS Downloads\modelconverterx_latest_development_release\ModelConverterX.exe
! Access is denied.
I have tried disabling any firewall during the download, but it doesn’t seem to help. I wish I could say that I understand what all the message means, but I cannot. In the meantime I will continue to use my current version 1.4.0.0.07.
Which doesn’t give me any problems. I hope you can help.
Tom
Hi, not sure what is going on there. Seems either the zip file has a problem or the place you try to extract to is locked.