JMEppright

Thanks for that tip, I'll check that out. Who knows, maybe that will bring the FSX visual back.

Luis,Appreciate your help. Nothing has changed that I am aware of. I've used computers for 20+ years and know that sometimes things just get mucked up. A reistall frequently attains a fresh start. Take care.

I start FSX, start OPT. FSX in background goes to a dark screen (black). This afternoon I roughly aimed the nose of the aircraft at a spot on the ground and placed a tree. It worked but placing multiple objects with any degree of accuracy will be difficult without the visual for accurate placement.

Luis,I have OPT installed and the first couple of times it worked OK. Now, when I open it from within FSX, the menus appear but the rest of the screen is black. My impression was that you were in slew mode in the sim so you could place the object with the cursor.

Gentlemen,In FS2004, I enjoyed using the treeplanter utility. I haven't gotten it to work in FSX. Any suggestions or alternatives?

Thanks, I'll try that.

"Yup, that's all there is to it... your fs9 exporting is working fine, right?"Well, as I said in a previous post, about a week ago I redid harddrive due to motherboard/cpu upgrade. That being said, the files in question exported fine prior to upgrade.I do appreciate the help.

Maybe I missed something. Doesn't one just copy the FSX Gamepack from the SDK to the Gamepack directory in GMAX?

You may be right except for one hitch in the get-a-long. I also tried to export the Jenny that comes with GMAX with same results. I've got the .net2 installed along with the latest DirectX software. This is an honest to gosh mystery!

The plot thickens! OK, the file I was trying to export is a complicated one that worked in FS2004 gamepack. By the way, I verified that my DX is latest. I loaded the Jenny file that comes with GMAX. It exported OK but slow. The export created more than one MDL file but no XML file. If I need to start over then so be it. I had hoped that I could massage FS2004 files to update them. Is that impractical? Why must the whole process be overhauled if tools such as GMAX are still used?I have searched the SDK multiple times and have not found a doc that deals with the process of taking a gmax file and making it work. What have I missed? Please forgive my frustration.

I have installed the .NET framework 2.0 and should have the latest DirectX although it would be what came with FSX or my GTX 8800.Messages I get when attempting to export a file that worked OK with FS2004 Gamepack is:System. XML.XmlException: An error occurred while parsing EntityName. Line 426, position 42.Convert Data FailedFailed to run exporterFailed to export modelExport module failure_____________________Thanks,

I'll check the messages. Its a file that compiled fine with the FS2004 Gamepack.

OK, I see the FSTools on the GMAX menu bar in GMAX. I have created the GUID with the LOD tool, I believe it is. When I try and export I am still getting error messages. What utilities lie between GMAX and BGLCOMP?Thanks

Thanks, I'll dig that out. Sometimes finding the right info to get started is the biggest battle.

Gentlemen,I am trying to make the transition from GMAX FS2004 to GMAX FSX. I have the original SDK and the recently issued update. What I am missing is the flow and configuration documentation for the changes.When I load an older GMAX file and try to export it, I get messages about no GUIDs plus the expected notes about a surface not being textured. I understand the texture issue but the process aborts over the GUIDs. Am I supposed to get a X file? What prompts GMAX to create that?Is there a doc somewhere that will enlighten me as to the new process? Thanks.

Thanks, Dick. This is why I stay plugged in here. The light at the end of the tunnel isn't a freight train!Take care,Mike

Gentlemen,I spent some amount of time learning GMAX and completing a couple of projects with it so to avoid loosing backward compatibility with FSX.I now have FSX and have properly installed the two airports in question. Most is well. Objects that I colored rather than textured with GMAX are black. I assumed that this was a new reality and reopened one of these objects and applied a texture to it. It is still black in FSX.Does anyone have a handle on this yet?The Adventure Continues,Mike Eppright (KICT)

Thanks, the triplehead seems like a good direction to go.

I appreciate your take on things. One has to factor the enjoyment to be realized between now and when the DX10 pieces come together. It is my perception that a good duo core cpu and motherboard with 2 Gigs on ram and a upper end graphics card will do pretty well with FSX.

Thanks. The hardest part of the current situation is waiting. I really don't want to move until the DX10 cards are out.Is there any downside to the TripleHead2Go?

Gentlemen,I am looking forward to a hardware upgrade for FSX. Question: would it be best to buy one super DX10 video card plus the Matrox option for three montiors or would it be better to back down a bit on video cards but go SLI to drive three monitors?

Gentlemen,I thought I would share differences in performance between my desktop and laptop computers. Using roughly the same airport and scenario (SFO takeoff in 747 on 28L) I have sampled framerates. My desktop is a P4 3.06Mhz 1G Mem with a ATI 9800 Pro video card. It only achieved appx. 5fps. My laptop is a Dell XPS M170 (Pentium M) 2 Mhz with 1 Gig of Mem and the Nvidia 7800 GTX video card. The Laptop got appx. 18-22 fps. The setup parameters might even have been a bit more demanding on the Dell. This should give those considering available upgrades some solice that FSX will do nicely on available upgrades. I, for one, will wait until DX10 video cards are available before doing the desktop upgrade. Until then, I'll probably do scenery design on the desktop and after confirmation transfer to laptop for aviating.Peace,Mike Eppright

Bingo! The group of signs I was trying to exclude were at one end of the airport. When I expanded the exclude box to include the only other two signs on the field, they all went away. Thanks for the help.

I'll try and change the exclude file. I've been creating an exclude file that concentrates on a group of signs towards one end of the airport. Like you say maybe a trigger sign elsewhere will make it all work.Thanks,

Yes, I am referring to the boxes at the edge of taxiways with taxiway or runway references. Physical above ground signage. Darn things won't go away!