Any model maker. . .

[Spiff 2]

Could someone briefly, if possible, explain how if you're looking at an aircraft in an external view (F6) say down over the pilot's shoulder toward the cockpit floor and you see the ground going by, but if you just swing around using say your hat switch to the underside of the nose it appears solid with no break. What's going on there?

[FastCargo 412]

Well, faces of the model are usually one sided.

 

In other words, if you have a model of a simple can...on the outside, it's solid, but if you were viewing from the inside, the can would be invisible.

 

It also means in the case you are referring to, the model was not designed with a outside visible cockpit.

 

FC

[Spiff 2]

I think I follow, but in this case I'm still in the same external view, just changing my position. In any case I'll leave it to the modellers. Is the cockpit a seperate model inserted into the airframe sometimes?

[Wrench 9,833]

yes and no

 

the cockpit YOU sit in is a seperate physical model (lod)

The cockpit seen from the OUTSIDE has to be built INTO the AIRCRAFT's physical model (LOD)

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[serverandenforcer 33]

I think what he meant was if the 3D cockpit that you sit in is positioned inside the 3D model of the aircraft. That is still a yes and no answer. The 3D cockpit only exists while you are in that view mode, and it's co-ordinates position it relatively where the cockpit should be for that aircraft. However, that cockpit is not part of the aircraft's 3D model. Once you go to an external view, you are seeing a different cockpit that is part of the aircraft model. You will notice that cockpit is significantly less detailed than the 3D cockpit. If you used the same 3D cockpit for the 3D aircraft model, the poly count for that model would be so high, that the sim would be a slide show.

[Spiff 2]

Great explanation Server..., and I get what you're saying so if you're in that F6 external view admiring the aircraft why can you from a top down perspective see through that cockpit floor when there is obviously a skin, panel, whatever there when looking from beneath when its one model. I think I need a 3d program.

[FastCargo 412]

You didn't fully comprehend what I said I think.

 

Lets take the can again. Remember when I said if you are inside the can, you can't see the can?

 

Now, lets cut a hole in the can...actually, lets make it a cup, just cut off the top.

 

Around the outside...it looks like a can with the top cut off...at least until you look down into the cup.

 

Even though you are outside of the can, looking 'into' the can...guess what...you can't see the inner faces at all.

 

If you are still unclear on the concept, get Gmax (free), build a cylinder, and in properties, say 'backface cull'. Then cut off the top, and look at it a bit.

 

You'll figure it out.

 

FC

[serverandenforcer 33]

Great explanation Server..., and I get what you're saying so if you're in that F6 external view admiring the aircraft why can you from a top down perspective see through that cockpit floor when there is obviously a skin, panel, whatever there when looking from beneath when its one model. I think I need a 3d program.

 

 

If the case is that the cockpit on the 3D model of the aircraft does not have a floor, then a solution to that problem can simply be by making a 3D object (more likely a square) and add it on to the aircraft using the "Pilot Method". I will explain what this is. In the data.ini file, under the section for the crew, there are several lines that call for 3D object outside of the specified aircraft folder to be implented into the 3D aircraft model. The first line should say: [Pilot]; 2nd line should say: SystemType=Pilot_Cockpit (this line tell the SF engine that a 3D object, outside of the specified aircraft folder, will be needed); 3rd line says: "PilotModelName=InsertNameHere (obviously the "InsertNameHere" would be replaced by whatever pilot .LOD file you would want in the aricraft. This line directs the SF engine on what the 3D object that is outside of the specified aircraft folder is); 4th line should also say: Position=x,y,z (x,y,z, would realy be reaplced by numbers that tell the SF engine where the 3D object would be positioned on the 3D aricraft model). Knowing what these three lines do can now allow us to get our square to be inserted into the floorless cockpit of the 3D aircraft. However, before we do that, we need to understand one more aspect of the "Pilote Method." Every major part of the aircraft has systems attached to it. The crew section in the data.ini file is a system that is part of a major 3D part of the aircraft. We need to find out what that part is and then add a new system to that part to install our new floor. Usually the crew system is located in the Nose section of the data.ini file. So what you do is add in a new system (let's call it... SystemName[***]=Floor). Now lets go down back to where the crew entries are located. Add in a new entry underneath the last crew entry. Let's have it setup like this... 1st line: [Floor] (remember that this is what we had called the new system?); 2nd line: SystemType=Pilot_Cockpit; 3rd line: PilotModelName=Floor; 4th line: Position=x,y,z (it would be relatively close to what the postions are for the previous crew entries).

 

Now if the case is with the actual 3D cockpit, then you will need to have a whole new cockpit to be made. You can either contact the original model maker, or make one yourself.

[serverandenforcer 33]

To add on to what FC said (it took me a while to write my previous post before he posted)... in the 3D rendering world, when you build a simple part... like a can (which is actually just a cylinder), it does not build the interior of the can, only the exterior. Now, there are techniques on how to get the interior of the can to render, but that is getting really involved into the discussion of making 3D objects when you don't even have a 3D rendering program. Get Gmax, mess around with making 3D objects like what FC suggested. You might figure out what is being discussed. It took me a while to figure this part out when I first started with making 3D objects... thought something was wrong with the program.

 

Also, if you zoom in too closely, you will actually be zooming past the renderd parts, and you will get that "open space" that you maybe refering to. What you are actually doing is peering inside the 3D model, in which there will not be any 3D parts being rendered.... just like our example with the can. You are actually zooming into the interior of the can.

Edited February 24, 2009 by serverandenforcer

[Spiff 2]

Got it. Would you say(anyone) most of the model makers are in the industry or students who get the programs at a discount.

[serverandenforcer 33]

Got it. Would you say(anyone) most of the model makers are in the industry or students who get the programs at a discount.

 

For some, yes, but for me, no. I got 3DS Max as a Christmas gift because someone(s) really liked what I was doing with Gmax and thought it would be a great investment for me to use the real deal. In turn, I enlisted and join the USAF. But if I was able to get a nice job making 3D models, I would do it. It's fun whiping out mods and stuff to an awesome community, but I'm sure it would be exciting to get paid for it on an hourly basis by a big name video game company, and a lot more motivating.