In fs2002 gmax build aircraft models where introduced, bringing many new exciting features along the way. But there was one thing that actually got worse with the new modelling format, the animation!I'm not an aircraft modeller and I don't know much about the different restrictions but we can all very well juge the final outcome. Before Gmax the animations where smooth as silk. No stutters nothing. With Gmax the animation of the flaps, undercarriage, doors etc. is stuttering. Why is that? Are it restrictions of gMax and if yes why are the animation "frames" restricted? It didn't change for the better with fs2004 and I really wonder why? Do we still have to live with this stuttery animations in Fs2006? And why isn't anyone complaining about it?any answer highly appreciated,cheers,:-kewlClaudio

where are the modellers out there?:-eek

>where are the modellers out there?:-eekWe are here: http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=122;)

Claudio,Smooth flap animations are still possible in FS2004 using GMAX and FSDS 2. But they are a step backward--the smooth animations you remember were much simpler than what's being done with GMAX today. Today, many flap animations are done with complex "keyframe" animation vs. the old animations we once saw where the flaps simply went up or down like ailerons. If you watch the flaps of a modern airliner, they sometimes extend out before moving down, and often are split into multiple parts each moving independent of the others.I think no one complains because they appreciate the new animation complexity that the new design tools offer. There's some steps the designer can take to smooth out the animation, but realism is often sacrificed. One of those steps (in FSDS 2) is use of fewer keyframes, but you lose precise control of the animation, and a consequence of that are parts like pylons which bleed through flap surfaces. Many aircraft released recently, whether FSDS 2 or GMAX in origin, have this problem. And it's not really the designer's fault, since keyframe animation extrapolates intermediate frames so it is painstaking work to get it perfect.-John

Thanks John that clears things up!So etween the keyframes animation should be smooth? I noticed that the animation of the gear stutters too, is that also because of the keyframes?