Geezer

Another MK2 progress shot, plus a shot showing off Gterl's superb Italian Front map.

I'm currently working on the LODs and skins for the MK2 - the last version of the trio. A stream of newly released Gladiator and CR42 files will start pretty soon, along with a 1930s bomb pack. The aircraft will include new RAF pilot equivalents of the Regia Aeronautica pilots contained in the CR42 release. Both Lloyd and Baffmeister have done Sterling work in assisting me - and helping me avoid dumb mistakes - so they deserve as much credit as I do. Baffmeister takes a painstaking systems approach to his FMs, so the Glad and CR42 handling qualities are balanced and match the historical record. For example, he recently simulated the aerodynamic tendency for biplanes to pull up as the speed of a dive increases. EDIT: Baff is also developing separate FMs for FE2 and SF2, reflecting the differences between the two game systems,

Dunno - I've never played with Gmax. I DO know that Gmax is a truncated version of Max R5.5, so Gmax and Max should play well together. Maybe...

As you can see, Lloyd has done an outstanding job on the Sea Gladiator skins, plus two sets of decals for Malta and 84 Squadron. Not shown in his shots is an upgrade I just sent him - a dinghy pack mounted under the fuselage, between the landing gear legs.

Yep. Despite their obsolescence, Autodesk protects even its oldest editions. However, the old stuff can often be bought for a low price - if you can find it. The only reason I suggest obtaining a copy of Max is the difficulties of importing models into Max from other applications. It can be done - but its not always easy.

Have finished the menu screens for MK1 and Sea Gladiator, plus I'm working on LODs. Shouldn't be too much longer - maybe a week or so.

Very interesting thread here. I worked on an aerospace project that upgraded a digital training simulator to a more advanced, and more marketable, configuration. It was a joint effort in that several different organizations contributed 3D models, so we constantly imported models made in different programs - just like importing Blender into Max as discussed above. The 32-bit version of Max will be a sort of bottleneck. Not only will 3D models have to be imported into Max, but most models will not import perfectly. Typically, the simulator project had to devote 1-5 hours AS A MINIMUM to each model from an outside source because an unpredictable number of verts would detach from each other, and had to be manually re-welded together. More elaborate stuff like animations or bump mapping often had to be reworked also. So...using other 3D programs (such as Blender) will probably have hidden flaws that will significantly increase the workload. There is an alternative however. The obsolete nature of 32-bit software could be a blessing in disguise? Older versions of Max, in use when TK made SF2 and FE2, are available for free or close to it. This is the version of Max that I use - Max R9 - I bought and paid for mine way back in 2007. It and Max 2009 have TW export modules - only the Max 2009 export module can handle specular maps or bump maps. http://en.freedownlo...2-bit-FREE.html It's unlikely the TW series of sims will be upgraded to current 64-bit technology, but that is not the end of the world if the community cannot exploit the potential of the 64-bit technology. I freely admit that I can't. So why not turn a vice into a virtue? Old tech will still get the job done, and will be within the capabilities of guys who aren't pros. EDIT: Disregard - I just tried the link and it no longer works.

Thanks!