AFTER THAT you then have to spend time in photoshop or GIMP making the colorscheme so the plane looks like something other than a solid color.
Making a custom model requires 3rd-party software. You can do everything in 3D Studio Max but its like drinking from a fire hose for beginners. I primarily model in Wings3D. Free program and quite easy to use. Exports to 3DS format which is much more friendly to import into Max. 3D Studio Max is required for a lot of other work to the 3D model. There are specific naming conventions to be followed for each part. For control surfaces and wheels, you have to set pivot points. Then you have to create a UV map for making the colorscheme. If you have gear doors those too will require pivots as well as NUP values to define their rotation and specify the axis of rotation. All of this then must be processed through their KEX plugin. The model can have no more than 25K polygons (defined as triangles) so you have to keep your modeling strategic.
AFTER THAT you then have to spend time in photoshop or GIMP making the colorscheme so the plane looks like something other than a solid color.
AFTER THAT you then have to setup the physics within RF to get it to fly realistically.
It is a very thorough process and takes a lot of time. I could easily scratch build 6 FT planes in the time it would take me to make one for RF.
Has someone uploaded 3DS/Obj or another universal 3D file of the FT models they have built for various sims ? I was thinking of doing trying to make some models for Phoenix 5, and if someone else already did the models for some, then I wouldn't have to recreate the wheel in Max again.
Would be nice if we had a repository of 3D models for the various FT planes we could upload and share to when we make one.
I converted the x to .obj and that worked.
Been awhile since this topic was discussed in earnest. Chiming in to see if new interest has piqued. The recent podcast from FTFF indicates that there may be some new interest here. I was building through the podcast so I only caught bits and pieces and missed this particular question.
I think if we can recruit Eric we could get a very nice panoramic of Fury field or even Chad's house. That would make for some fun flying fields.