Attatch tool

[Guest PiP]

Hi I'm having some trouble attatching a landable platform to a block. Is there a trick that is not in the instructions or a setting with the MakeMDL.exe I need checked?

[arno 1]

What is your problem? Do you get an error or does it just not work?In theory you just need to make a plane at the top of your block and run the attachtool script on that plane to make it a platform.

[Guest shep9999]

Hi Arno,i'm having exactly the same trouble using the attach tool script in gmax1.2.. I've read the sdk and it uses the effects house to demonstrate a landable platform. I used a plane and then ran the tool,putting no crash first then create platform with my plane selected.when it exports and i compile it , in fs9 i just go straight thru to 0 feet. i'm using a simple box with the plane put on top. something must be happening because the plane is showing in gmax but not in fs9which is funny cos i selected grass texture !!! just to see if it is there. I added a smoke effect in the same place which shows up fine .where are we going wrong???thanks gaz

[arno 1]

It is normal that you do not see the plane. When you turn it into a platform the visual part will dissapear and only the solid surface is there to land on.So the fact that you do not see it is kind of good actually. Have you tried to place you aircraft on it in slew mode? I have sometimes seen that you fall through when your vertical speed is much too high.

[Guest shep9999]

thanks arno,yes I use slew and put aircraft about 2 ft above then press f1 , it goes right thru it. What bothers me is that i don't see any texture on the invisible platform, which I should, I've selected all sorts from the drop down box of the tool ie. concrete, grass, planks etc but still nothing on the #plane#. I got advice from bob bernstein on another post which said the same as you ... create a poly , select it , run the tool.. is there a way that when exporting from gmax I can either control or see what is happening when makemdl runs???thanksgaz

[arno 1]

You are not supposed to see any texture.I think the material you can select is to reflect if the platform should be bumpy or smooth, but any of these options gives a smooth platform in Fs2004. I think this is a feature for the future.By taking a look at the source code you should be able to see if the code of the platform got in there. But there are no others ways to see from the MDL object if everything is in there.

[Guest shep9999]

where does the source code end up ? I just get the .xml file and the .mdl file

[arno 1]

You need some special tricks to be able to save it. Either you must make a cfg file for MakeMDL or install MDLCommander. Then you get an option screen to save the source files as well.Other option would be to post the MDL file here, I might be able to see it from there.Just another idea. What altitude do you enter? You should keep this as 0, as it is an altitude above your plane, not above the ground.

[Guest shep9999]

thanks arno,it is set a 0 alt .. i think i've got mdlcommander so i will try to install that meanwhile here is mdl file from gmax..thanks

[arno 1]

OK, there is code for a platform in your MDL file. Does your plane has a complex shape, as it seems it is more complex then a simple square or so.

[Guest shep9999]

hi pal,nope, just plane from the standard primitives. all i did with that mdl file i posted is add no crash to it .. here is the gmax file u can look at later

[arno 1]

OK, will have a look when I get home (no FS or GMax on this PC :)).

[Guest shep9999]

thanks for your help mate, how is holland today??

[Guest stevo2]

Hi,I've just looked at your attachment.When I made a helipad a while ago, I used a box for the helipad, applied helipad textures and added a no crash, this is the visual part the bit you see in FS. I then used a plane, I think?, and placed this just a tiny amount above the helipad box and applied the landable surface to this. You dont need to add a 'no crash' to this part because you've just made it landable. This is then invisable in FS, but the box with the texture will be visable. But your landing on the invisable part... you know what i mean ;-)I think this is correct i'll check when I get home.Give it a goStevowww.fs9world.741.comste.fs@ntlworld.com

[Guest shep9999]

thanks stevo, will try it.meanwhile Arno, i've put mdlcommander in gmax and here is what comes out when i export.,.thanksgaz