Velocity XL Progress

[dhk79]

My velocity is still progressing and the model flies very well. I still have to tweak a couple of the pivot points for the control surface visuals. For example, the elevators still visually function in the wrong direction, even though I tried rotating the X axis 180 degrees. RealFlight so far can't seem to handle that up elevator on this plane is a down deflection. I'm going to try it again.

I do have one problem that I haven't been able to resolve. I can't figure out how to get the plane to steer on the ground. I've linked the wheel (and its collision mesh) to the steering gear in 3dsMax and I can see the gear itself turn, but the wheel doesn't move with it. Makes take-offs a bit tricky. So is there something else that needs to be done to the wheel's pivot point, to get it to steer?

Doug

[opjose]

That's EASY to fix... it's not a problem if you use the "complex" inputs.

If you want to post it, I'll fix this.

I'm looking forward to your plane!

[dhk79]

Sure, I'd be glad for you to have a look at it. But please also tell me how to fix it, as I still have a few tweaks that are needed and will have to reimport it.

Doug

[dhk79]

I just tried reimporting the Velocity and realised that exporting the entire plane only included the base engineering texture and not the painted one. Nice for setting up controls, but not to nice to look at. So here's a better one.

Doug

[vitek]

I still have to tweak a couple of the pivot points for the control surface visuals. For example, the elevators still visually function in the wrong direction, even though I tried rotating the X axis 180 degrees.

If the pivots are wrong in the kex, you will be able to tell by looking in the aircraft editor. If they are wrong, the physics wireframe will move opposite the direction of the visual mesh. Just set the pivot so that the wireframe and the mesh move together.

Once you've got that, you will need to tweak the direction that the control surface moves for a given input with the aircraft editor.

I've linked the wheel (and its collision mesh) to the steering gear in 3dsMax and I can see the gear itself turn, but the wheel doesn't move with it.

I believe that all you need to do is parent the wheel to the gear. You might take a look at the sample models if you haven't done so already.

Travis

[opjose]

If the pivots are wrong in the kex, you will be able to tell by looking in the aircraft editor. If they are wrong, the physics wireframe will move opposite the direction of the visual mesh. Just set the pivot so that the wireframe and the mesh move together.

Is there any way of doing this within 3DStudio, so as not to require an export of the model to see the results?

Are there any hints, suggestions, guidelines that you could give to the modelers to help them make sure that their pivot orientations are correct.

This seems to be happening more and more of late as people are adding more sophisticated 3D effects, e.g. moving canopies, etc.

[vitek]

Yes, they can compare the models that they are making to the ones that we provide as examples. They can also read the documentation.

Travis

[opjose]

Heh... RTFM? :D