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Trying to understand DCS. SF260


Japo32

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Hello!

I come from another simulator, and there, a programmer and I joined to make this little aircraft, the Siai Marchetti SF260D, that after release, we developed a military version that today is flying in their sims, the belgian airforce.

Have been playing DCS for long time (since lockon) and I decided to jump in it, and see if I could have an third party agreement. but seems complicated as there is not so much documented information. 

I start to work with this SF260 trying to understand how things works in DCS. For that reason I open this post to concentrate the development of it asking questions "how to" and later showing people those learnings to everyone that want to enter this sim, as I did in my previous working sims.

Right now I have a problem. The model exports correctly the textures in model viewer, but not in the sim. Does anyone knows why? I set the path of textures in the lua file, but in the model viewer is different. Should I put the edm textures folder in the same folder of the 3d model as I did for the model viewer? Lot to learn, which is not a problem if there is a clear path to walk.

 

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Edited by Japo32
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I really wish ED would just give the community a clear and concise community mod API. I too want to develop models for DCS. But there is so much hacking and guessing going on. I will not start a major project without a documented API.  

Is there an API for community modders?

 

 

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I am learning everything from here: 

and here:

For Blender support, here:

 

But I had to find this links myself. There have to be lots of artists that desists of making any work. In my case, I have been playing with DCS a long time, so I know more or less the way things are done.. but never touched professionally until today.

For sure, I wish there where more free and easy official documents of how to do the things. Those documents are from 2015 written by users. If I learn enough I will make videos of how to do the things. I always teach my "tricks" because the problem is not really to know how to do something "that in this case is..." The real problem is join all the energy and effort to be more than 1 year making a product and end it. 


Edited by Japo32
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The edm file goes in the - Shapes folder

the textures go in the - Textures folder

in the entry file it should have the 

mount_vfs_texture_path  (current_mod_path.."/Textures")

line.

For testing I don't have textures ZIPped up.

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.

"Me, the 13th Duke of Wybourne, here on the ED forums at 3 'o' clock in the morning, with my reputation. Are they mad.."

https://ko-fi.com/joey45

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/5/2022 at 6:51 PM, Japo32 said:

I think I tried that, but I will try again. Thanks!

Your best option is most likely to use the file structure of one of the currently working stand-alone mods as a reference. And join the Modding Hub Discord for questions if you get stuck somewhere.

 

Regarding the texture problem: 

The texture path of the model viewer is manually set in the tool and for the game itself it's defined in the lua files. If the textures are not loading in the game the reason is most likely that the path given in the lua files is not defined correctly. As you can see in other mods, most are using .dds files within a zip file and then the zip files is mounted.

Alternatively you can mount the folder, but then the dds files must directly in this folder and not within a zip file.


Edited by Copprhead
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Thanks a lot! I was able to see the texture in DCS. It was a typo problem and very easy to do it! Now it is time to start understanding how to apply the physics into the model.

But first I wanted to show my "how to" to the people. As said, I was not only going to ask, but also offer to do things. This is a video I have been making for everyone and also me in future (as Blender is not intuitive with it's shorcut hotkeys), of how export your model (not have to be a plane) from Blender, to DCS World. Hope it helps people as there is not so much information of how to do things. It is in English and Spanish to spread more the knowledge. Thanks.

 

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