27 replies to this topic

[MitchellDesigns]

Just a simple P-38, that seems to be somthing simple that people try starting out with. So, I'm giveing it a shot. Sofar, I have most of the body built, the wings and the stabilizer and rudders. I'm still looking pictures of how the gear system looks, and operates, if anyone could help me out with this I would be most apreachitive. This is also my first gmax plane model. Hope you all like it.

Edited by MitchellDesigns, 27 August 2005 - 11:18 PM.

[MitchellDesigns]

Update: Cocpit, Guns, Some-what of a gear system, and a few other misc. items.

[zencat]

looking awesome chris

[Greeney]

Lookin good!

[MitchellDesigns]

Thank you gentelmen, but I still have a lot of work to do, and I still need to figure these animation keys out....

Edited by MitchellDesigns, 28 August 2005 - 09:38 AM.

[Katahu]

http://takeoff.to/landing

This site gives you a basic idea on how key-frame animations work. There are a ton of stes out there tat can help.

http://www.freefligh.../tutorials.html

This site provide tutorials on many parts of Gmax modeling. It even have a forum that focuses mainly on addon development.

[MitchellDesigns]

Thanks Katahu. That helped,  I'll see if I can get it to work. But in the meantime I'going to finish modeling the plane. I have some more pictures for everyone.

Edited by MitchellDesigns, 28 August 2005 - 03:13 PM.

[TechnicolorYawn]

Here's a few pictures of the gear if it helps:

Edited by TechnicolorYawn, 29 August 2005 - 01:36 PM.

[onthescopes]

######, I really need to learn Gmax

[MitchellDesigns]

@ TechnicolorYawn: Thanks for the pictures thats going to make the gear more realistic and it does help, but unfortunatly it does hurt a bit too. Now I see what I've gotten incorrect, like the scoop is on the bottom instead of on the sides, and now I can finish making the canpoy and animating it. I also see that my cannons are in the wrong position and that I have to few of them, not to mention smaller things like the sensors on the nose, bomb/aux fuel hookups and things of that nature.

@ onthescopes: That wasnt realy nessesary and what exactly does it have to do with my topic? I would like the post removed from the topic if at all possible.

Back @ Katahu: I tryed the tut on the keyframing the landing gear, works in Gmax but not in FS. I'll retry and see if I made a mistake but I followed it word for word.

Have a nice day.  

Edited by MitchellDesigns, 29 August 2005 - 02:48 PM.

[MitchellDesigns]

Hmmm.... This Simple littel p-38 project just turned into a not so simple and majorly complex Lockheed XP-38/YP-38/P-38/XP-38A/P-38B/C/ P-38D/P-38E/P-38F/P-38G/P-38H/P-38J/P-38K/P-38L-LO/P-38L-VN/P-38M Lighting/Nighthawk Project. I've made my mind up out of all these lovely choices to make the J model. Considering thats what I ahve the most information on, and one most readly avalibe.

BTW:Wonder where I should Look for informtion. uuummmmmmm..... Why not the USAF Museum website, Duh http://www.wpafb.af....esearch/p38.htm Hmmm.. ever wawnted to know anything about a p-38? Lol quite abit of information there

Edit: More information can be found here. http://www.warbirdsr...org/URG/p38.htm

Edited by MitchellDesigns, 29 August 2005 - 03:53 PM.

[ronindanbo]

your animations don't work in GMax because you havent named the parts correctly I will wager.  I have advised you before but I repeat this important peice of advice read the MS SDK's they do help in this instance.

Good Luck

[MitchellDesigns]

First time my part names were L_Gear, R_Gear, C_Gear, the second time I followed the tutorial and names the individual parts L_gear_top and L_gear_bottom, and the wheels were L_tire_still through blurred. I think I'm not setting my keyframes correctly. I click the animation button and the red comes on. and then I move the slider to the frame I want and move the object.  A Key automaticly pops up. Is this correct?

[TechnicolorYawn]

MitchellDesigns, on Aug 29 2005, 02:36 PM, said:

but unfortunatly it does hurt a bit too.

That wasn't what I intended to do - its some really nice work you have so far

It will be really interesting to see how this develops.

[ronindanbo]

don't forget the position rotation buttons, These need to be clicked at the begining of the animation sequence.  The tutorial is a GMax one is it not? if so I don't the the part names are relevant for FS2004 but could be wrong.

[Katahu]

NOTE:

You don't have to animate the objects labeled: c_tire_still, c_tire_blurred, l_tire_still, l_tire_blurred, r_tire_still, r_tire_blurred. These name tags automatically tells FS that these are rotating tires. These tags are STOCK animations that are hard coded and preset into FS so that FS can understand. However, you do need to adjust or rotate the pivot points to achieve the correct direction of rotation.

The animation keys for the c_gear, l_gear, r_gear do need the kayframes.

If you need to use the same name tag more than once, append the suffix _XX [xx being a number] to the end of the tag. Example:

c_gear
c_gear_01
c_gear_02
l_gear
l_gear_01
l_gear_02
r_gear
r_gear_01
r_gear_02

The same is true for all other animations [with or without kayframes]. You must remember to always place the underscore [ _ ] before the number. Examples:

FS can read c_gear_01 because it can see the number and words separately.
FS cannot read c_gear01 because the underscore is missing and FS reads it all as one word.

Always remember that any key-frame-animated objects must have their scales reset prior to exporting.

[MitchellDesigns]

In this case hurting is a good thing, its showing me what I've got wrong and what I need to fix. The scoop on the front is begining to irritate me. theres not a real good way to make it besides a plane and my gmax is messing with my head. Realy I got most of the modeling done. Well with the exeption of the VC which I'm going to make an attempt at making, other than that my next hurtle will be textures. It will defantly be somthing I'm going to need assistance with. Seeing as how I'm not a texture expert. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
You know its amazing how much you learn about an aircraft when you design one for FS. When I started out I could barly tell you anyhting about it. Now I could tell you just about anyhting you might weant to know, and if I cant I know where to find the infomation.

Update on the P-38J:

[Katahu]

Looks real nice.

Advice: Go easy on yourself. Take some breaks from time to time so that Gmax won't make you look for anti-psycotic medications and hockey-puck-sized tablets of aspirin.

Me, I usually do some small, insignificant projects light warping a ball or twisting a square or making a sword and animating it. These small projects can help spring up some ideas that can help in the long run. You should try it. Who knows, maybe it'll help you find a way around the problems. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

[MitchellDesigns]

Its gotta be done... might as well plan for it.

[MitchellDesigns]

Went to the library today, Got a exelent book on the p-38 VERY VERY detailed blueprints. Down to the rivits in the sheet metal. I think I'm going to redo the wings, I forgot the Alerons and flaps when I made the wing and I think it would just be easier to to just make a new wing and build flaps into it then try to re arange the one I have and pit wings on it.