A couple of simple GMAX questions

[Guest Che Monro]

I'm working on a large landclass scenery using Ground2K and I'm trying to learn how to use GMAX to make some XML objects to decorate it with using XML object placer. It's pretty generic sort of stuff - houses, terminal buildings, vehicles, light-houses, radio masts. You can find the 1.1 version of my scenery at http://www.virtualvfr.com along with extensive notes and piccies in the forums. OK, the level I'm at is that I've just created my first object - a house created by making a box and putting two inclined planes on top for a roof. Neat, eh? Question Number 1:From fiddling around with Easy Object Designer I get the impression that transforming shapes is a powerful tool for making objects. Like you can make a cone by taking a cylinder and moving the top polygon points all in to the centre, or by moving or resizing the top surface of a box you can turn it into a paralellogram, a wedge, or a roof shape. Is this kind of shape editing/transformation possible in GMAX and how can I do it? Question Number 2:I'd like to get hold of a few basic XML objects that I can edit in GMAX and practice placing with the object placer. I'm interested in a house object, TV and radio towers, semi trailers and vehicles, hangers etc. Are there any XML objects for FS4 available on the web?Thanks,Che

[Guest seev_39]

Che1. You can turn a cylinder into a cone with the "collapse" function2. There are many objects with XML files available, but you need the original gmax file to make changes (edit as you say) to the object, and most designers do not provide those files to the general public.And I have a question, why don't you use gmax 1.2 ?You can see several gmax tutorials in my site. They are all simple and illustratedhttp://www.sk-flightsim.com/

[jonpatch 1]

Che,gmax is many times more powerful than EOD. When starting with gmax, it's best to go carefully through the tutorial in the FS gamepack. Many of your questions will get answered.There are some gmax objects available at scenerydesign.org, and I've published a few at AVSIM: ve04_obj.zipJon

[arno 1]

Hi Che,>Is this kind of shape editing/transformation possible in GMAX>and how can I do it? YES! And a lot, lot more. GMax comes with loads of modifiers you can use to transform your objects. One of the most powerful (and very useful thus) is the boolean function that lets you substract object from each other. But there are also cool modifiers to do things like bending your object, etc.In the beginning you will have to learn the interface a bit, but after that you will find that GMax is very powerful and makes the designing a lot of fun.>I'd like to get hold of a few basic XML objects that I can>edit in GMAX and practice placing with the object placer. I'm>interested in a house object, TV and radio towers, semi>trailers and vehicles, hangers etc. Are there any XML objects>for FS4 available on the web?You might not be able to get the GMax source for all of them, but if you find an object library containing such objects (for example for the Rwy12 tool) you can place these with the XML code of course. Most designers don't include their GMax sources codes when they release.