There are a few usable ship models... from the Coast Vessels to a sailing ship... is there a design program for that... or better still is or are there a site or sites by folks that do and/or have designed and built usable vessels for fs2002 or 2004?????My intrest is in Ferry boats.. for both Alaska's and BCFerry Service.my e-mail, if you can help out with info - ideas - or working [email protected] so much.. in advanceDale

All right what I found out thus Gmax would be a great environment for developing working ship models...and that it comes with fs2002... small detail, ONLY with the pro edition. Okay.. I also discovered that it (GMAX) is made by a company called Discreet.. and they have a downloadable FULL... no limitations.. 30 day trial version of their latest edition. okay.. progress... Alright... progress,,, but before I download it and design and produce every ship every built and/or concieved my humankind... I would need - to make them work ... a .MDL - aircraf.config... (which I would suppose I could use one of the coast guard ships as a guide) and a .air file -- is their something else I need to know.. or find ?????? Don't want to download the new GMAX version and begin the 30 day rial until I have the rest of m "ducks in a row"Dale

Dale,You did not mention if you planned on piloting the ships you would make verse using them as AI. Food for thought. If you wish to haveships moving about at given locations, as apposed to piloting them,do be aware that you are going to have to create "sea level" airportsat given locations that the ships can move between. Which means thatyou must ( IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY USING TRAFFIC CONTROLLER PROGRAM etc. ), get familiar with how to create AI traffic, and also you will have to use tools such as AIRPORT FOR WINDOWS, and AFCAD, perhapsEASYGEN, to create airports with parking areas, taxiways, runways etc., so that the ships will be able to act as AI traffic.Just some food for thought. In either case, if you have FS2K2 PROwhy can't you just use the included Gmax package? That is what some of the folks used to make those ships you have seen at some download sites as far as I understand. At least that is how I made static ships using the original FS2K2/PRO Gmax package a few years ago. It has been a long time and I really do not know all the steps I had to do, or how to use all the Gmax editing commands at this point.So I would not be one to ask how to make ships/planes with Gmax.But I just wanted to make sure you understand if you desire AI typeship movement, just making a Gmax visual model with some possible animation is not good enough. You will have to use other programs to add "sea ports" with full airport facilities, runway,taxiway, parking areas and then program a traffic control program to make themmove from source to destination airports etc..hang in there,George

I have seen running diologe in AI... have deiceded that I am fine with project AI and regular programing.. and just sit back and say.. "Gee" no I was refering to building ship I could "pilot"...Dale

fair enough. Just wanted to let you know AI versions would requiremore work for a final result.Hope you can get answer you required regarding the newer Gmax tool.I cannot help there. No need to respond to this statement.regards,George