SceneryDesign.org I am happy to announce that from today the development release of ModelConverterX supports the glTF format as used by the new MSFS. With this addition I have also changed the version number of the development release to 1.5.
You can now read glTF files and the MSFS BGL files that contain the object models into ModelConverterX. When reading the BGL files that have been generated by the package tool of MSFS ModelConverterX will show the texture mapping incorrectly, that’s because MSFS stores the texture coordinates in a non-standard way. I hope to figure that out later.
You can also export models in the glTF format, so that you can include them in your scenery package. At the moment the exporting is limited to static objects, so you can export the geometry, material settings, levels of details and lights. Other features like animations, mouse rectangles or visibility conditions are planned to be added later.
In the material editor you can select MSFS now as a filter as well. That will only show the material settings relevant for MSFS. I have mapped the material attributes on the already available ones where possible, to each conversion from older formats to MSFS. But this also means that the names are sometimes slightly different from what the MSFS SDK uses. I plan to update the help texts to clarify this more. For some of the more exotic material types in MSFS not all attributes are implemented. Those will be added later.
At the moment I am not sure if ModelConverterX should call the package tool for MSFS directly, as the package tool typically makes all BGL files of the package, while ModelConverterX is now designed to only make a single BGL file. So for the moment I think it is better to export a glTF file and then create the package from inside MSFS. But if there are suggestions on an easier workflow, let me know.
As can be seen from all the details above, the glTF support is not yet finished. And I’ll continue to add more features. So please let me know if you encounter any issues while using it.
Hey, is there a download link for this version?
It’s in the latest development release.
I had a couple of questions regarding opening models on the new flight sim, my email is razfarris@gmail.com. If you could email me and help me that would be great.
Why not just post your questions on the fsdeveloper forum?
Thanks a lot for this amazing tool! Mindblowing.
(and to the others, before asking for support, look around and search the web, and more importantly, just thank the author)
Hey Arno,
I ve used MCX for what seems to be twenty years, and have gratefully thanked you more than several times for the handiness of ModelConverterX.
Now, ten years after having used MCX, and MSFS having come out two years ago, I want to convert my working FSX scenery(and successfully converted to X-Plane scenery),to the New MSFS2020.
1. I’ve got a fsx .BGL file . It loaded complete with more than several objects.
It’s a farmhouse on a slope with slope, Barn and I think RV in the back as well. It too shows up perfectly on MCX(latestDev).
when I goto the files the I get error messages that the converter is not seeing the texture files. Do they need to be PNG,JPG, in MSFS,DevMode,Packages,open package .
…from what I read regarding GLTF files, it seems that you don’t think your “Export Scenery” will work, or not create the needed files to go forward with installing it into MSFS community folder.
Have you successfully converted anything from mcx,export Scenery in MSFS format?
So while it seems that while the scenery components got into the .gltf file, but… it’s not working.
2. I just finished using the conversion for ONE object another fsx .BGL on the same property, 1/2 mile North. In MCX it shows up perfectly with textures as did the .bgl file above. Export Scenery produced two folders,
PackageSources
Modellib
HouseKnoxG
Directory: H:\msfs_on_H\geraldsplace\packagesources\modellib\houseknoxg
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
—- ————- —— —-
-a—- 8/15/2022 2:41 AM 69064 HouseKnoxG.bin
-a—- 8/15/2022 2:41 AM 4353 HouseKnoxG.gltf
-a—- 8/15/2022 2:41 AM 127 HouseKnoxG.xml
HouseKnoxG.xml yielded
PS H:\msfs_on_H\geraldsplace\packagesources\modellib\houseknoxg> type houseknoxg.xml
PackageDefinitions
MSFSbgHouseGeraldOUT.xml
SCENERY
MSFSbgHouseGeraldOUT
false
false
ArtProj
false
PackageSources\modelLib\
scenery\MSFSbgHouseGeraldOUT\
I am happy to upload both of these files to you for you to examine and try to convert.
Please advise me where to go from here…. both .xmls in #2 give an error of ” Project cannot be loaded”
what do I do with them?
Thanks
Chas
Hi Chas,
If you use export as MSFS Scenery Package from the Export Scenery menu, you should get all the files that you need to compile the scenery with the MSFS Packager tool. After that you can put it in your community folder.