Hi everyone,Will FS X deluxe edition come with a 3D modeling tool to add scenery to the sim - such as Gmax - or should we keep our FS 9 versions around so we can use it?Ralph

Hi,Good question. I know that ACES is trying to make a gamepack for GMAX, but apparently has not yet succeeded (as they have for 3DSPro (sp?)). I haven't heard of any other MS approved choices for a 3D editor, so if there will be one packed with the DVD it would probably be GMAX. If not you will just use your old one (AFAIK GMAX is not being updated further at this point).Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

I for one would love direct import/export from 3DSMax, but I understand most can't afford Max, so I hope they succeed with a new Gmax gamepak as well.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/ambanner.jpg

It's because of things such as this that I started a project to write a suite of modeling tools and exporter for Blender. Blender's more than capable of whatever we may need and more, it's a simple matter of working out what the X file has to be like in order for it to compile correctly.Recruiting is in progress for modelers (to give input on what should be possible through the GUI and how to best lay out the controls for easy to understand and effiecient workflow) and coders.... particularly python coders. The GUI and the exporter are both in python.For more information you can contact me through this thread. I'll subscribe to it... and this way I won't put my email addy out there and get spammed into the ground.Scott / Vorlin

I've heard that work on GMAX has been stopped till Vista comes out. Or something like that. It was stated on their website as being discontinued as a "stand alone" product.I also know another company (that makes an R/C flightsim) has been having licensing issues trying to release a GMAX gamepack so people could make new models. Of course, in this case it's Microsoft they'd be dealing with so I imagine they'll have better luck.And frankly I would hope that GMAX (or whatever) would come with both versions."Let me help you out. You're cleared to taxi any way you can to any runway you see."

Didn't one of the devs mention here or in a blog that they were hoping to have exporters shipping with FS for the major design tools, max/maya/lightwave etc

Hello Scott,We can all agree with you that it would be nice to have an alternative to GMax, even if it means starting all over again with a new program and learning its confusing interface (and the Blender interface is certainly different from that of any other Windows program.)However, Blender is not particularly finished yet and has serious problems, particularly in display. On my computer, it loses focus on the various views, progressively and incrementally, until the entire screen is completely blurred. And this without having done anything besides move the mouse from one view to another. So, for me and probably many others, Blender is not usable.Too bad.Best regards.Luis

"...hoping to have exporters shipping with FS for the major design tools, max/maya/lightwave etc"I'd love to see better support for a variety of editors. Currently, I use Maya, export to DirectX, and use the Makemodel compiler as a stand-alone program. Works, but there are issues with materials and animation that must be fixed in ASCII before I can compile in Makemodel. The issue here is the Maya to DirectX exporter I use

I'm the same, but i'm using 3ds max, thankfully the .x exporter I use doesnt have issues like you mentioned - you have to do that every export?

What about Sinclair's FSDS by Abacus? Is he going to update it for the FSX, or will the Ver 3.0 work sufficiently well?Pete S.

Yes, every export... But I can cut and paste working animation into the ASCII .x file. All in all I can't recommend using Maya even if it means learning Max from scratch.My exporter issues are a matter of finding compatible versions. For instance, Microsoft

>However, Blender is not particularly finished yet and has>serious problems, particularly in display. On my computer, it>loses focus on the various views, progressively and>incrementally, until the entire screen is completely blurred.>And this without having done anything besides move the mouse>from one view to another. So, for me and probably many others,>Blender is not usable.Actually Blender is far, far past the 1.0 stage... it's been in release versions for around ten years now.The issues you describe have been seen many times before and usually track back to the Open GL settings. What you're seeing is due to your driver settings. Many times, when people try to start with Blender it's their first real Open GL intensive app and it takes a little fiddling with those parts of your driver settings to get it smoothed out.And the idea is to have alternatives, not to replace anything. When Discreet had said they were closing the book on GMax, it was about replacement but since they've reconsidered that position and look to be revamping GMax it's now about choices.Scott / Vorlin

HII tried to load the 3DS7 files into 3DS9 with the expected "no-luck". It was after all only a trial. What i would like to know is "Are Mircosoft or anyone else goin to update the SDK (remove the bugs) and give us something that we can work with. Dont particularily want to get another version of 3DS Max just to work with FSX.