Hello,So, I'm using FSDS3 and I thought I'd try to take their sample F18 and make it static to put on some aircraft carriers. I'm new at this, so may be I don't have all the steps down.1) open the model2) removed all lights, preprocessing, animation keyframes3) removed extra geometry like pilot.4) saved it as scenery mdl.5) modified the sample xml with my coordinates6) compile the xml using BGLCOMP.7) put the BGL in a scenery folder and the textures in the textures folder.8) started FS2004, select flight, and it crashes trying to load the scenery.Would appreciate someone letting me know what I missed. Or can I not do this?Thanks in advance.

Hi,All your steps look OK, so that should not be the problem.I tried it myself with the F18 sample file, but I could not get the XML file to compile properly (the MDL created seems invalid, according to the error message). Are you sure that you did not get such errors as well? An invalid BGL file can easily crash FS.

I have always had problems with turning an actual aircraft with animations into a scenery object. I think that certain names and animations that MakeMDL uses simply makes the object unable to be processed as a scenery object.However, if you know of a basic version of this jet that is available out there, or you like the one(s) you have, try this.* Make a AFCAD2 runway on the ship. Give it the standard airport name, (make one up), and then place parking spots along the side of the runway.* Download TTools (Traffic Tools). Read the 'ReadMe' PDF on how to write your own traffic files and create a 'once a week'flight and have the flight take off on a day in which you usually never fly, such as monday in the morning.* Create the required number of jets in the allotted parking spots you created with AFCAD.Done.....You will have nicely detailed jets sitting on the deck when you are doing your touch and goes.If you think the frame rates might be hurt a bit, remember that FS uses their own planes for all their flight plans and AI aircraft, such as the 182, the 208, the 737, the Baron, etc.Note; You 'could' use a different addon aircraft that is much simpler, such as one from early FS2002 days that would have low polygons, then retexture it with your own planes textures (cut, paste, scale, save), then use these low poly models (you only need one really), and use them for the AI traffic.Note 2; The reason you create an 'airport file' with AFCAD on the carrier is so that your flight plans AI package knows the airport and that it has a runway and parking spots or it will not work.Hope that helps.Bill

I tried many things, but what finally worked was renaming all aircraft parts, and getting rid of the reflective texture tags, then exporting it as an ".x" file, then doing amanual compile with MAKEMDL....a real pain, but do-able.Jim