FSX Import Showcase

thank you, i had not updated the manifest file. Now my bird can take off :slight_smile:

Much appreciated.

Here’s my trainer :slight_smile:

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IMPORTANT INFO

If you plan to share your aircraft publicly or fly with friends, PLEASE make sure to read the other thread on how this can cause immediate CTDs for anyone with the aircraft installed. You need to structure the files in a specific way to allow them to be used in multiplayer. If you don’t use a workaround (mine or another way you might find) you are burying a landmine in their system!

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/converted-aircraft-seem-to-crash-multiplayer/222848/8?u=agateevening937

Looking good! I should’ve said update the layout.json not manifest.json - sorry! I get them confused!

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So do I. But you gave me the nudge I needed and now I am experimenting with which engine cfg I like the most. :slight_smile: It doesn’t to be perfect just yet, but it is good to tinker.

I have seen a recent release on an addon freeware site. The user seemed to have followed this thread but of course it has issues such as gauges, handling and bugged gears etc.

The user remained anonymous probably because they never asked the original creator for permission to release it.

I really do hope you guys refrain from following the same path, redistributing without permission is unethical and I really do not want to see bugged aircraft flooding the community. Just gives a bad look.

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Yeah I saw that today and laughed.

I’ll give that a try later and see if adding spaces or using all upper case works, thanks. I was able to find the mixture control by copying it from the King Air .FLT files and manually pasting it.

I’m okay because the files I’m modding are my own payware products :slight_smile:

But I agree, people shouldn’t mod anything without the creators consent. I have aicraft models I made years ago that are in circulation on freeware sites with no credit - over the years the credit has been lost and now others are taking the credit for my work!

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There is a python script that will create the layout.json file. I found this on Avsim.

This is how I do it, (instructions found on the web)

“first go here and download the build.py file: https://github.com/wpine215/msfs-a320neo
then make sure you have python 3.6 or newer to run that .py file
then go into your MSFS Community folder and make a new folder for the plane you want to bring over from FSX, something like manfredjahn-c47 for example
then drop all the FSX add-on files inside this new folder as if it was FSX’s main directory, make sure the folders look something like SimObjects/Airplanes/your plane, then drop the build.py and some random manifest.json from another default plane in the main folder
run the build.py to create the layout.json file
edit the manifest.json file to match the plane”

Best results are from pure-FSX models that work well in P3Dv4, have 3D gauges and don’t rely on any DLLs.

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@JanMarHH re: your model and others regarding the overall process, if you’re having trouble with the model not showing, and it is an FSX model, you may have dependencies in the panels, texture, sound or model folders, in their respective cfg files. These dependencies need to be removed. Or your layout.json file might not be right.

When converting, I recommend making the conversion as simple as possible to start. Make a copy of the original simobject folder so you leave the original in tact, strip out any 2D gauges (they’re not supported anyhow), strip out sounds to start and strip out all but one texture and clean up the aircraft.cfg to only have the first texture. Check each of the remaining cfg files for any dependencies on other folders. Once that’s all done, use the converter tool to move the files and create the JSON files, or if you’re so inclined manually build the folder structure and the manifest.json file and then use build.py to make the layout.json file, or do it all manually.

Once you’ve got your model showing in the library, only then get to work on textures, sounds, etc. Textures all need to be converted to DDS (though I’ve been told BMP32’s work, but I haven’t tested myself). The best way to convert texture BMPs to DDSs is to use the imagetool.exe tool that is included in the P3D SDK, but there are other ways. There are threads on fsdeveloper talking about how to make these conversions, but if they’re done incorrectly, textures won’t show. Then, you can work on sounds and the panel. Do them one at a time so you can see what breaks it.

To be extra clear, while it is possible to get ‘lucky’ and just run the conversion tool and have it work, 99% of the time it will not ‘just work’. These conversion tools are not actually conversion tools right now, they simply help you format the folders and files so that MSFS knows how to insert them into the virtual file system.

@JanMarHH if you join the discord listed at the top of this thread, others can probably help you troubleshoot your specific model.

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thanks this is useful. saves some manual editing.

hmm after some tinkering it seems my birds always start in the ground with that script. It appears it has a few hundred lines less code than the other method. I wonder what it is missing specifically.

I would like to second this. Not just because it may save you some legal headaches, but because it’s the right thing to do. I have chosen the Manfred Jahn/Jan Visser C-47 to experiment with myself, but I will not be uploading or distributing it. (Don’t Ask!) It was just a convenient candidate to practice on. I have learned quite a bit from both here and the Discord Discord The most important thing that I’ve learned is how complex this new sim is and how little we actually know about this conversion process., especially about creating or using MSFS gauges. I would like to echo SlinkyMate’s warning about any uploads: If you download something, it will be buggy and incomplete.

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this happens in many mod communities.

ensure no praise goes to the “ripper” and that sites holding content like this are made known.

some wont care as theyre just after clicks.

its not always done maliciously rather thoughtlessly so dont witch hunt without cause.

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@CutthroatPath73 Thank you very much for your time and detailed response.

Meanwhile, I went through the entire process of converting / planeconverter / packaging etc of my original FS9 aircraft again - several times -, fired up MSFS, and suddenly, my model appeared in the ‘Aircraft Selection’ menu, displayed by an image that was / is in the folder of my aircraft for presentation at AVSIM etc. I created a flight, clicked FLY and my model indeed appeared on the runway, but without textures and with viewing from the cockpit set backwards.

I closed MSFS, took a look into the Community folder and discovered a new created folder of my aircraft, but suffixed “CVT”. It contained no files but a converted file suffixed *.NNZ in the model folder and an empty texture folder, to which I copied my *.bmp textures just for trying it out, and fired MSFS up again, without success, the model appeared on the runway but without textures again. Later I deleted that folder and MSFS just created it back again. Would be nice to clarify the purpose of that folder and the *.NNZ file.

I also did try a setup as you suggested without panel and sound folder and its dependencies in the config files, I tried it at least 3 times without those folders, but every time my aircraft did not even appear in the ‘Aircraft Selection’ menu. Of course, I always created a new package with the planeconverter to get correct *.json files. Thus I assume, it will only work for me with panel and sound folder.

Converting my *.bmp textures to genuine *.dds files using Texture Manager and converting the model file once again from FS9 to FSX let the PlaneConverter create *.json files guiding each single *.dds texture file in the texture folder, and the aircraft finally appeared with textures on the runway. A “CVT” suffixed folder was also created again, this time with *.NNZ files in the texture folder. It, seems that CVT is a mandatory folder that MSFS will create to make a model work.

Wheels turn, engine fans do not, and the cockpit windows don’t appear in MSFS, but in ModelConverterX.

I also tried to setup a genuine FSX freeware aircraft, I just downloaded from AVSIM for test purposes, it did not even appear in the ‘Aircraft Selection’ menu. I kept *.bmp textures, and then even converted them to *.dds, no success. I’m an FDE designer and should know, how to setup an aircraft with the usual file structure, the naming and titles in the config files and so on, but, maybe there is something that MSFS does not like, or it is not even an FSX aircraft …

I’m also following the discord channel …

I created a manual about the procedure I exercised so far. Available as PDF
MSFS 2020 Aircraft Model Conversion From FS9 & FSX

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As expected the old Gmax glass, textures and decals do not play nice but the model itself is looking nice. Think I’ll go with the new build though.

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A couple quick thoughts.

One possibility for textures not appearing is if the file path gets too long for the game to access. I had several otherwise perfect files not load due to this so just be cautious of it.

You do need a panel and sound folder for the game to load the aircraft. If you do not have them it will not appear in the menu. Further these cannot be aliased to a nonexistent folder (a working alias within the same package is ok) or it will not appear in the aircraft list.

You do not need to create an entire new package each time. PlaneConverter has a fantastic feature which will rescan an existing package and update the layout.json accordingly! This is on the first tab of the window.

Don’t worry about the CVT folder. It is autocreated as you discovered. I have deleted them several times and it always comes back. I have not found any use in modifying it.

DDS or 32 Bit BMPs will both work in the game. If you change file extensions, the layout.json will break and must be updated.

If you want a good control model that is known to convert fairly easily, use the Warwick Carter T-6G Texan for FSX. https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/9616/fsx-t-6g-texan/

@AgateEvening937 Thank you for your input. Long file names, that could not have been a problem, since I kept mine short, and the other model I tried to convert without success, there also were no long file names. For the panel, the gauges and the sound, I used default FS9 stuff, to which the *.cfg files of my in MSFS appearing aircraft still direct.

There are always 2 layout.json’s, one in the main folder of the aircraft, and another one together with aircraft config file and the folders model panel sound texture? I will still have to figure out, how all this works. Can I edit *.json’s with a simple text editor?

There is one layout.json, which is in the top level of your package. The structure is: Community/YOUR_PACKAGE/layout.json

Yes, you can edit it with a text editor like Notepad++. The layout.json is essentially a table of contents of the rest of the files and folders in the package. Anything not contained in the layout.json will be ignored by the game. If required files are not included in the layout.json, the game won’t find them and will either skip the package or display a broken package (no textures, for instance).

There is also a manifest.json at the same spot which gives dependencies and required versions and other metadata. One unusual reason for a package not showing up is if the manifest.json lists a required version of the game or a dependency that isn’t out yet.

@AgateEvening937 This sounds good, thx. I’m in Hamburg Germany and will now have to go to bed :wink:

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