I know there are a few posts here on this, but nothing really solved my problem. I don't seem to be able to get LODs working at all.What I'm doing: I've made 4 models in 3dsmax and exported each as an X file. I named them aeroclub_100, aeroclub_075, aeroclub_050, aeroclub_025. Then just load them with makemdl and export. According to the SDK this should work. However, I only get the lowest LOD, ie aeroclub_025. None of the others appear (I tried stacks of different numbers). Does this not work?!?Cheers,Christian

To get LODs to work, I think you really need to link everything to a dummy object -- which is named the same as the GMAX, or in your case the X file. This is covered in the GMAX tutorial.

Thanks Robin. Have to download the manual/SDK again, couldn't find it on my hd...

ok, tried this:create dummy for each LOD file, link all objects and rename them with _LOD_XXX suffix. Still doesn't work. I guess I didn't name the object same as the file and dummy, because I have more than one object. What's the trick with that? Maybe name the objects _LOD_100_A, _LOD_100_B etc?Christian

Hi Christian.I hope you are well. :)I never likd the 'dummy' usage. Here's a post at Arno's website that explains what I do... it should work for you:http://www.scenerydesign.org/forum/showpos...30&postcount=14Basically, I just merge the separate LODs into a new, final GMax object. Watch the LOD names. They need to be as " MyObject_LOD_080".A good discussion of LODs:http://www.scenerydesign.org/forum/showthr...&highlight=LOD_Dick

Hi Dick,Thanks for the links. Your merge trick won't work for me as I'm using 3dsmax, not gmax.However, the _LOD dummies may just do the trick. I'll give it a try...Christian

Actually, Dick - you're solution is the one that works, even for X files.I tried multiple dummy approaches, no go. It seems makemdl just doesn't accept multiple X files - no matter what. Using merge in 3dsmax (I'm using _LOD dummies for each file) and then exporting into one X file does the trick.Cheers,Christian

Hi Christian.It's good to know merging works for 3dsMax LODs.I sure the problem is within MakeMDL.There are still some things about MakeMDL that we don't know. For example, I believe that everything in Gmax rshould have a Material assignment... even attachments and platforms. When I do that, many problems are avoided with MakeMDL... and it seems the drawing order can be affected by the Material name, in an alpha-numeric ordering.Dick

Interesting. Just getting back into airport design, so good to know there may be more surprises up the sleeve.Christian

Hi Dick,>For example, I believe that everything in Gmax rshould have a>Material assignment... even attachments and platforms. When I>do that, many problems are avoided with MakeMDL... and it>seems the drawing order can be affected by the Material name,>in an alpha-numeric ordering.For textures I am sure that they are ordered in alpha-numeric order (of the bitmap name), so that indeed gives a way to control drawing order. For the materials I am not sure, they usually appear in the order I created them. But that can also be because I do not always rename them :).

Hi Arno.Perhaps I am confusing the ordering as Material names rather than Texture names. But it does seem that MakeMDL expects a Material assigned to the various parts of a model.Dick

Hi Dick,>Perhaps I am confusing the ordering as Material names rather>than Texture names. But it does seem that MakeMDL expects a>Material assigned to the various parts of a model.Yes, it is a bit strange that for normal parts it just creates a material from the GMax color if you don't assign one. But I think you have a good point here.Now that I think about it, if you make an object that has no material assigned (only GMax color), it sometimes does not show, only when you enter slew mode it shows. So that is another sign that you are right :).