Conditional Animation Tool

[n4gix 4,947]

Thank you very, very much! I'll take this and get this puppy working properly, then it's on to the next step in the learning curve: getting this set up in a Library so Rwny12 will be able to handle it! :)

[arno 1]

The first step is probably to make a normal library BGL. Library Creator XML might give you a nice GUI to do this.Then I think you must make an XML file for Rwy12, but I have never done that. In this thread you see my tree library, plus a Rwy12 file somebody made for it. Maybe that can help you on the way.http://www.scenerydesign.org/forum/showthread.php?t=392

[n4gix 4,947]

>OK, that worked... with CAT>>So, you need to do the following:>>1. Right Click and unhide items... then delete them>2. Select everything, then the unlink tool. This will reset>everything.>3. Link the windows to the bottom gate>4. Link the bottom gate to the top gate>5. Animate the top gate>6. Animate the bottom gate>>Attached is the fixed file you sent, without textures but with>my animation.Nick, clearly there's still an issue at this end (I suspect AOE - Acute Operator Error). I've tried to use CAT on your .mdl and still get the same g3d.dll error from FS9.So, I'm still stuck at a CAT problem...Please outline in detail the steps needed to add this very simple animation. I must be missing a step somewhere along the line... :(

[Guest nickw]

Did you try to export just the file I uploaded? That worked for Arno.

[arno 1]

Hi Bill,Try this:1. Export the scene, and keep the ASM source files2. Start CAT and enter the triggers etc you want3. On the last screen select the ASM file just created4. Compile the new MDL5. Place the new MDL with your XML fileIf you still get an error, could you open the _0.asm file (the one made by GMax, not the tweaked by CAT) and scroll down till you have the SCEN section. Can you post how many entries it has.

[n4gix 4,947]

>Did you try to export just the file I uploaded? That worked>for Arno.1) Loaded your .gmax file into GMax2) Exported as FS Scenery3) Edited .XML to place at KGYY at my coordinates4) Compiled a .bgl and tested OK in FS95) Ran CAT and added ONLY the Animation condition: NAV2 @ 1200h, 1200h6) Allowed CAT to generate the cat.asm and cat_0.asm files, and cat.mdl file.7) Copied both the .xml and the cat.mdl to my BGLComp folder8) Edited the .xml to point to the new _cat.mdl file9) Allowed BGLcomp to compile a new .bgl10) Copied new .bgl to my FS9 folder11) Tried to load in FS9, FS9 crashed with g3d.dll error.

[n4gix 4,947]

>If you still get an error, could you open the _0.asm file (the>one made by GMax, not the tweaked by CAT) and scroll down till>you have the SCEN section. Can you post how many entries it>has.Even using Nick's file, I see 111 entries in the SCEN table... ??

[arno 1]

That is strange, as I get only 7 with his file when I export. See my attached source files.

[n4gix 4,947]

>Even using Nick's file, I see 111 entries in the SCEN table...Boy, do I feel stupid... When I read Nick's notes, I completely forgot about all my "grouped" and "linked" overhead floodlights...Those have been the problem all along...Once I left 'em out of the export, everything suddenly began to work as advertised.My sincere thanks to BOTH of you fine gentlemen for helping this otherwise talented GMaxer to overcome his own silly mistake(s), such as forgetting to remove my "TOOLS" group from the final .gmax source file and this with the floodlights...If you've ever looked at any of my ESDG aircraft (Beechjet 400A, Hawker 400XP, Citation II SP/2, and CJ1) you'll understand my embarrasment more clearly... :)

[arno 1]

Good to hear you have found it.And no worries, when Nick starts talking about all those links, groups, etc I am also getting confused :D. I have not even reached that state of GMax modelling, my models in general do without all that stuff (I prefer some nice BGLC code for example ;)).

[n4gix 4,947]

>That is strange, as I get only 7 with his file when I export.>See my attached source files.As I just wrote, I managed to get it working, finally...Just for information, I began with only 36 entries, after CAT I have 144 entries total.What are the absolute limits to the file?BTW, thanks again for the wonderful CAT tool!Question though, what sort of numbers would you use for min and max viewing distance? Do all those entries have to be in hex? Having a list of typical entries would really help a lot... :)

[Guest nickw]

Glad you are working...If in doubt.... kill all the links ;)Cheers,

[n4gix 4,947]

>Good to hear you have found it.>>And no worries, when Nick starts talking about all those>links, groups, etc I am also getting confused :D. I have not>even reached that state of GMax modelling, my models in>general do without all that stuff (I prefer some nice BGLC>code for example ;)).I used to be a devout "groupie" (meaning: group related objects) for ease of maintaining some order in my GMax modeling project, but because of some horrible things that can sometimes occur to one's GMax file from "ungrouping" (the dreaded OBED Scale Error - which is FATAL to any aircraft project), I've pretty much abandoned "grouping" for "linking" as a way of keeping things tidy. :)I guess I'll just have to remember to "unlink" scenery stuff prior to export! :)

[n4gix 4,947]

Well, much to my utter sorrow I've discovered that I cannot include all those lovely overhead floodlights in the hanger without totally overloading the capabilities of CAT to add the animation...Even with all of them "ungrouped" and "unlinked," there are still just too many entries in the SCENE table for CAT to work it's magic. :(I'll have to try reducing the number of lights to as many as CAT can handle, then rework the lightmap for the floor to match the number of overhead lights.

[Guest nickw]

Hold up :)I have an idea...Export two MDL files... one with the lights, one without. Then do the magic of cat on the one without the lights, and place BOTH in the same place... problem solved.You can do this by using the "Export Selected"