Greeting all,Finally after so long time I've decided to give GMax a try. Especially because of the ability to design an item and save it as an object.I want to make a passenger boarding bridge that I can use many times in a scenery and Mr Ioannou told me that if I make it an Object it will help with the frames.Anyway, I sometimes talk (write) too much, so if I'm getting on your nerves, just tell me to shut up! :-)I have the following very newbie questions regarding GMax.All my 3D designs until now were done in EOD. With EOD I was used to have a reference point and work around it. That is position the object's elements according to their size and placement in relatation to that reference point.Does GMax have something similar? Where do I define it and where/how do I see each object's placement in the space in relation to that reference point?I'll try the tutorials, but first I need the very basics! Something to give me a small 'cookie' to continue... Even if it's just a textured cube somewhere in the ocean! :-)Thanks!George DorkofikisAthens, Greece

Hi George,>Finally after so long time I've decided to give GMax a try. >Especially because of the ability to design an item and save >it as an object. >I want to make a passenger boarding bridge that I can use >many times in a scenery and Mr Ioannou told me that if I >make it an Object it will help with the frames.Welcome to the club I would say :D.I don't want to push you back to EOD, but you can also make a library object out of an EOD API. But this is indeed a very efficient way to place objects (certianly when you place more then one).>I have the following very newbie questions regarding GMax. >All my 3D designs until now were done in EOD. With EOD I >was used to have a reference point and work around it. That >is position the object's elements according to their size >and placement in relatation to that reference point. >Does GMax have something similar? Where do I define it and >where/how do I see each object's placement in the space in >relation to that reference point?When you start a new project in GMax you will see that there is a coordinate system on the screen. The center point of this is the reference point of your object. You can then place any object in this coordinate system, just like EOD in principle.There is no real need to define this point. Only when you export woth MakeMDL you can set it to a certain coordinate in the world. But if you make a library object out of it later, then that doesn't even matter. Then it is the place where you position the macro that determines where it comes. Of course the center of the coordinate system in GMax will still be the thing that will be placed at that spot.In the graphical views of GMax you can just see how the different objects are positioned compared to the center. You can even pan, zoom and rotate around it to get the view you want :).Arno

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Hi georgeI can only add a little to Arno's adviceToday, looking at Fp commands, I noticed a Gmax tutorial on the MS FS2002 site, at their SDK page. It's under Scenery SDK and its constructing a house, you may well have this. I was going to have a look myself, as I feel I keep puting this off myself, or I will have to invest in FSDS2Hope this helpsDave

To give a little bit of a positive voice :).Once you have GMax set up properly (so MakeMDL works) I don't think it is that hard to learn. I had never used 3DSMax before (or something like it) and after a week or so I was able to make simple things I had in mind (just like in FSDS, make textured boxes etc).Just by reading the help files and some tutorials I found on the internet (MS tutorial was not there then).Of course everytime you use it again you learn new ways of doing things more efficient. But that's part of the fun I think :D.Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[link:home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]Arno's FlightSim World for scenery design hints, tips and other tricks...

Thank you for your replies guys.Sorry I couldn't reply earlier but I was away from the pc sick.Is there any way to tell GMax to highlight that reference point zero (0) so that I can have a visual reference as I move objects and build around it ?ThanksGeorge DorkofikisAthens, Greece

You clearly see it as the place where the different axes cross each other. I think there is no need to highlight it more.Also I type in the coordinates manually often when I move an object and then the visual part isn't important at all (as long as my maths are done OK :)).Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[link:home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]Arno's FlightSim World for scenery design hints, tips and other tricks...