How to Import Aircraft, etc.: READ THIS FIRST!

[opjose]

This thread is for HOWTO's only.

Post no questions here! (Unless they are rhetorical and include a HOWTO Explanation...)

I hope that it will address the questions that are repeatedly asked.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by Vitek:

To ensure that you get the g3x file downloaded correctly...

Click the link for the g3x file.
Internet Explorer will ask if you want to Save, Open or Cancel. Click Save.

Internet Explorer will display the Save As dialog.

Near the bottom of the Save As dialog is the Save As Type combo box.

The default value of this field will be as a compressed folder... or ZIP file.

Change the Save As Type combo box to All Files, or put quotation marks around the file name in the File Name edit box.

Modify the name if necessary to be sure that it ends in .G3X

Click save.

By following the above steps you are effectively telling windows that you know what the type of the file actually is and you dont want it to change it automatically.

Do not extract the files from the G3X/ZIP and then try to import them. You are subverting the import/export system that is designed to make your life easier if you do.

Travis

[opjose]

Elaborating a bit....

----

You -MUST- be running G3 version .430 or above.


Go to the very first post in each of the threads to find the downloadable files.

The posted files are usually attached to the first posts.

They should be visible to you as a link in blue.

RIGHT CLICK on any file and click on "save as".

Navigate to the target folder, to save time go right to

C:\Program Files\RealflightG3\G3X and hit save.


DO NOT "Unzip" the files posted here.

Make sure that you save them with the .G3X suffix. If they do not appear to have a .G3X suffix, rename the file so that it does have a .G3X suffix.


(You may have to enable Window's ability to show suffixes...)


Note: Some files show up as "attachment.php" due to problems with Internet Explorer (thanks Microsoft...). If you see this happening, rename the file to the same name as the file displayed on the posting. You can also do this from the "save as" dialog.


Now start up G3.


Click File/Import in G3.

You should be right at the G3X folder with all of the downloaded plane files visible.

Click on a file to select it, then click OK to import the plane...



Note:

Always start with one of the "EA" files if possible.

EA = Entire Aircraft.

EA files may or often contain the "base" plane upon which other "variants" are based. You may need a particular "base" plane before installing/importing another file or plane.

EA files contain everything in one file.

You must have a "base" plane for each variant or colorscheme you install.

Once you have installed a base plane, try one of the variants or colorschemes.

CS = Colorscheme
AV = Aircraft variant.

Colorschemes appear as option paint schemes for the plane when available.

An aircraft variant typically contains a modification to the physics of an aircraft to make it behave like another or to adjust it's behaviour. Variants are NOT seperate aircraft unto themselves!


Once done importing, look for the new files/planes in the "Custom Aircraft" heading in the aircraft menu.

Variants will appear as sub-entries for their respective "base" planes.

Colorschemes will show up as available after you have selected the appropriate base plane.

[opjose]

How to:

Enabling File suffixes for newbies.

A note to those people who always seem to have no luck in spite of the above...

Windows is great at trying to hide, what are called file "suffixes" from you.

Suffixes are the three letter endings, which occur after a period, that designate the type of file to the operating system.

If you have a default Windows XP installation, you may still have the "training wheels" on.

That is Windows attempts to hide the file suffixes from you, in an attempt to get you not to screw around with them.

However this creates problems when importing G3 files as you may not realize that a file ALREADY contains a suffix.

Please turn on viewing file suffixes as follows.

Double click on "My Computer" either on the desktop (you HAVE installed Microsoft Powertoys, right?) or from the menu.

With "My Computer" up, click on

Tools/Folder Options/View

In the "Advanced Settings" box TURN OFF any check mark in front of "Hide Extensions for known file types" and click APPLY or OK.

Now Windows will quit trying to hide the suffixes from you.

Note that file suffixes are usually "reserved", that is you can just make them up.

e.g.

.doc = Word Files
.wri = MS Write Files
.xls = Excel Spreadsheets
.
.
.
.G3X = Importable G3 Files

etc.

[opjose]

Many people are missing the the numerous downloadable planes on the swap pages because they assume the default view shows them everything available.

By default the web page only shows you the last month's worth of posts...

... but there are MORE!


At the bottom, under display options select

From The: Beginning

To see everything else.

[opjose]

There are a few files posted here that are being uploaded as .ZIP files purposely.

These posts contain the .G3X files within the ZIP (compressed) files.

If you find that you cannot import the .G3X file even after renaming it, you may want to see if this is the case with the errant file.

[opjose]

You -MUST- always load up a different plane before importing colorschemes, physics, or any updates for a given aircraft!

If you do not do so, the plane will not be imported properly and you may see error messages.

e.g. If you want to load up that new "Nemo Creations" Super Sportster 2 update, first load up the Nexstar (or any other plane, THEN import Nemo's new update.

This is a MUST!

[opjose]

How To: Resize a plane
____________________


There are a few things you need to do to resize a plane.

G3 does most of the work for you.

You must decrease or increase the visual model and the physics model scaling percentage in the editor appropriately. Try to keep both of these values the same.

One affects what you see and the latter, how it flies. G3 will normally scale the weight on the fuselage, wings, etc... but see below...

As you adjust these parameters check the actual physical size to see if you are getting close to the intended target size.


Decrease or increase the engine size/type used.

G3 bases the weight of the plane on both the scaled fuselage/airframe AND it adds the engine weight to it W/O scaling the engine. So you MUST choose a new engine.

G3 also does NOT choose a new prop for you. You'll have to also adjust the prop size and pitch accordingly.

When working with electrics, also note the gear ratio changes, etc. may need to be modified.


Change the Mass Scaling if required

If you are taking say a Balsa plane and trying to convert it to a smaller foam airplane, you'll also need to adjust the "mass scaling" percentage. When going to a LIGHT foamy, a ratio of .60 (60%) is appropriate.... if you are dealing with say a lightened version of a plane (e.g. the Skybolt Kit versus the ARF) use something less e.g .80. This adjusts how G3 deals with the mass/inertia calculations.

On small planes I also make the gear not so stiff, to account for increased deadening of bouncing tendencies produced by the lighter springier gear.

If you are going from Glow to Electric or vice versa. you'll need to pay attention to the battery/fuel tank locations.

When going from one to the other, G3 doesn't know what to do, and will frequently place the battery or tank in unusual places.

When I turned the Groove into a glow powered plane, G3 put the fuel tank at the very tip of the tail....


Adjust the C.G.

For this your best bet is to take some educated guesses on the weights of the various components. DO NOT rely upon the editor's ability to move the C.G. for you.

Rather use the latter to fine to the C.G. locations.

Instead adjust the weights of each component, trying to approximate real world weights for each model.

If you have more than one plane, or have built a few, even ARF's, this is very easy to do as you already have a good idea on how much everything weights.


Check out the Nextstar. Select "electric powered" in the editor and then choose the electric motor.

The 3D model includes a visual 3D electric engine, so you can easily turn the Nexstar into a small EP trainer plane.


Notes:

Doubled Weights: The weight for the Horizontal Stabilizer is doubled! e.g. one weight for each wing... The same is true of the main wings so keep this in mind.

Fuselage Airfoils:

Fuselage "airfoils" may have to be adjusted.

G3 treats the fuselage like another wing, with horizontal and vertical lifting surfaces. This is why there are two airfoil parameters for the fuselage.

Try to select an airfoil shape that approximates the shape of the fuselage. Remember to allow for the longer length.

If the fuselage shape does something unusual, such as in the case of an Ultimate Biplane that has a large frontal cross section that deflects the airflow down, pushing the nose up; you may have to move the center of lift backward or forward... Forward in the case of the Ultimate.


Wing loading:

Look up the specs for the wing loading for your new model plane.

G3 reports the model's wing loading as the "wet" weight (with fuel, etc.).

Adjust things so that your G3 plane approximates the real plane's wing loading.