FS2004 MakeMDL

Back to FS2004 SDK Overview

Microsoft

Flight Simulator 2004:

A Century of Flight

Software Development Kit

Discreet and gmax are trademarks of Discreet Logic Inc./Autodesk, Inc., in the U.S.A.

and/or other countries.

MakeMDL

November 2003

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Contents

MakeMDL...........................................................................................................................1

November 2003...................................................................................................................1

Contents..............................................................................................................................2

Introduction........................................................................................................................3

Running MakeMDL.exe.....................................................................................................4

Running MakeMDL from the Command Line.................................................................9

Part and Material Names Recognized by MakeMDL.......................................................9

Appendix...........................................................................................................................22

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Introduction

MakeMDL

MakeMDL (MakeMDL.exe) is a program that converts the 3-D models you create with

modeling tools, such as gmax, into scenery or aircraft objects that can be used by

Microsoft

Flight Simulator 2004.

The method you use to run MakeMDL depends on your modeling tool:

• If you use gmax, use the MakeMDL plug-in from within gmax to export .bgl

(scenery) or .mdl (aircraft) files.

• If you use modeling tools that export .x files, use MakeMDL as a stand-alone

application and run it from either the command line or the MakeMDL.exe file.

This document explains how to run MakeMDL from the command line, as a Microsoft

Windows application, and from gmax. In addition, it provides several tables that list the

part names you can use to make your 3-D model compatible with Flight Simulator 2004.

Changes

There have been some changes made from previous versions of MakeMDL.

1. All models exported from MakeMDL now have .MDL as an extension. Make

sure you don’t confuse aircraft and scenery .MDL files.

2. Due to changes in the process for building scenery (see the BGLComp SDK),

there is no longer a need to specify a Lat/Lon/Alt for scenery objects. A

sample .XML file will be output when MakeMDL is run from GMax that can be

modified and then compiled to place exported object in the scene. Another major

change is that support for per-part LOD is being phased out of Flight Simulator.

3. You shouldn’t use per-part LODs in future models. MakeMDL reports a warning

if a model appears to have per-part LOD. We recommend you modify all models

that have per-part LOD. See the Gmax_Aircraft and Gmax_Scenery SDKs for

more information on LODs.

4. For MakeMDL to operate properly, MSXML 4 must be installed on your system.

MSXML 4 can be found on the web site: http://www.microsoft.com.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Running MakeMDL.exe

The MakeMDL user interface contains five tabs: Main, LOD, Options, Scenery, and

Output. The purpose and use of the controls on each tab is described in the following

sections.

Main Tab

Using the Main tab, you can select the input file, and the output file, and the type of

model to generate.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

The following table describes the purpose and use of the controls on the Main tab.

Controls on the Main tab Description

Input File box Name of the input file (.x file). The file name has the following form:

Base_Name[_TYPE][_LOD][_A-Z].x

Where:

• [_TYPE] is the model type. Use “_interior” for virtual cockpit

(VC) models and “_shadow” for shadow models.

• [_LOD] is the model LOD. LOD (level of detail) is a three-

digit number from 000-400.

• [_A-Z] is ignored.

Output File box Name of the output .mdl or .bgl file.

Model Type box Type of model to generate. There are two options:

Aircraft: Generates an .mdl file to be used as an aircraft.

Scenery: Generates a .bgl scenery file.

Start button Generates the model.

Exit button Exits the MakeMDL program without generating anything.

LOD Tab

Using the LOD tab, you can add or delete .x files that represent different level-of-detail

(LOD) versions of the model. You can also add or remove shadow and virtual cockpit

models. For information about input file naming conventions, see the “Main tab” section

of this document.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

The following table describes the purpose and use of the controls on the LOD tab.

Controls on the LOC tab Description

Add button Opens a dialog box to allow you to select an .x file.

If the file name ends with:

• [A-Z]: this part of the file name is ignored.

• _interior: the file is assumed to be the VC model.

• _shadow: the file is assumed to be the shadow model.

• _###: the ### is used as the LOD value. The LOD value

ranges from 000 – 400 and is the pixel size on screen that

determines when this model should be used.

Delete button Deletes the selected .x file.

Options Tab

Using the Options tab, you can change the default options used by MakeMDL.

The following table describes the default options available on the Options tab.

Check boxes on the Options tab Action if check box is selected

View Error Log Create an error log if an error occurs. (Use Microsoft

Notepad to view the error log.)

Keep Error Log Do not delete the error log on success.

Keep Files Do not delete the intermediate .asm files.

Ignore Bad Triggers Do not generate a fatal error for an animation with an

unknown name.

Ignore Bad Normals Do not generate a fatal error for a bad normal.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Check boxes on the Options tab Action if check box is selected

Ignore Warnings Do not treat a warning as a fatal error.

Use Full Material Use all of the attributes of the material color from the 3-D

file (otherwise only use diffuse).

Default Fallback Color Generate a default fallback color and ignore the material

color.

Weld Points Treat all points that are within 4mm of each other as the

same point.

Optimize Perform optimizations.

Flatten Flatten the input file to a single mesh.

No Animations Ignore all animations.

HasReflectMap Assume any texture that ends with “_T” has a reflection

map. See How to Use Materials in gmax for information

about specifying a reflection map.

HasNightMap Assume any texture that ends with “_T” has a night map

(night map files end with “_LM”). See How to Use

Materials in gmax for information about specifying a night

map.

HasLightMap Assume any texture that ends with “_T” has a light map

(light map files end with “_L”). See How to Use Materials

in gmax for information about specifying a light map.

HasDamageMap Assume any texture that ends with “_T” has a damage

map (damage map files end with “_D”). The damage map

is used when the aircraft is damaged.

NegateZ Flip the z-axis on the input model.

NoLeftToRight Do not perform a left-hand to right-hand conversion on

the input model.

Swap Bank And Heading Exchange the meaning of bank and heading for stock

animations. This is the default setting.

Parts Visible Test Generate tests for parts_visible (Aircraft only).

Crash Generate a crash OctTree for this object.

XML Generate an XML sample placement file for this object.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Scenery Tab

The Scenery tab is no longer used in MakeMDL.

Output Tab

The Output tab displays all status and error messages. These messages are also written to

<Base_Name>.log.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Running MakeMDL from the Command

Line

To run MakeMDL from the command line, use the following syntax:

• MakeMDL [options] input_file.x

Where options include those listed in the following table.

Command line options Description

/OUT:output_file

Define the name of the output file.

/BATCH

Generate the model and exit.

/ts

Generate scenery.

/ta

Generate aircraft.

/CRASH-

Disable the generation of a crash tree.

/VIS-

Disable the parts_visible tests.

/NightMap

Assume a night texture exists (file ends with “_LM”).

/ReflectMap

Assume a reflect map in alpha (file ends with “_T”).

/LightMap

Assume a light map exists (file ends with “_L”).

/DamageMap

Assume a damage map exists (file ends with “_D”). Default for

aircraft.

/NightMap-

Assume no night texture exists.

/ReflectMap-

Assume no reflect map exists.

/DamageMap-

Assume no damage map exists.

/LightMap-

Assume no light map exists.

Part and Material Names Recognized by

MakeMDL

MakeMDL recognizes special part and material names, which can be used within 3-D

modeling programs. The following sections describe these special names and how parts

designated with those names will be handled in Flight Simulator under various

conditions, such as when the associated aircraft part is visible, not visible, or damaged.

Note The part name is the portion of the name that remains after any trailing numbers

(_###) are removed. For example, the parts named pilot and pilot_7 are considered the

same aircraft part (PILOT).

Part Names (Aircraft Only)

Any part with a part name from the following table will be visible only if the associated

aircraft part is also visible.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Part name Aircraft part

pilot PILOT

l_wing LEFTWING

r_wing RIGHTWING

l_wingfold LEFTWING

r_wingfold RIGHTWING

l_wing_tip LEFTWINGTIP

r_wing_tip RIGHTWINGTIP

l_wingtip LEFTWINGTIP

r_wingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

lwingtip LEFTWINGTIP

rwingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

tail TAIL

l_tail TAIL

r_tail TAIL

tail_l TAIL

tail_r TAIL

nose NOSE

nose1 NOSE

engine0 ENGINE0

engine1 ENGINE1

engine2 ENGINE2

engine3 ENGINE3

l_engine ENGINE1

r_engine ENGINE0

Endcap Names (Aircraft Only)

Any part with a part name from the following table is considered an “endcap” and is

visible only when the associated aircraft part is not visible (for example, the aircraft part

has fallen off of the aircraft).

Part name Aircraft part

endcap0_l_wing_tip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap1_l_wing_tip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap2_l_wing_tip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap0_r_wing_tip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap1_r_wing_tip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap2_r_wing_tip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap0_lwingtip LEFTWINGTIP

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Part name Aircraft part

endcap1_lwingtip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap2_lwingtip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap0_rwingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap1_rwingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap2_rwingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap0_l_wingtip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap1_l_wingtip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap2_l_wingtip LEFTWINGTIP

endcap0_r_wingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap1_r_wingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap2_r_wingtip RIGHTWINGTIP

endcap_tail TAIL

endcap0_tail TAIL

endcap1_tail TAIL

endcap2_tail TAIL

endcap0_nose NOSE

endcap1_nose NOSE

endcap2_nose NOSE

endcap0_engine0 ENGINE0

endcap1_engine0 ENGINE0

endcap2_engine0 ENGINE0

endcap0_engine1 ENGINE1

endcap1_engine1 ENGINE1

endcap2_engine1 ENGINE1

endcap0_engine2 ENGINE2

endcap1_engine2 ENGINE2

endcap2_engine2 ENGINE2

endcap0_engine3 ENGINE3

endcap1_engine3 ENGINE3

endcap2_engine3 ENGINE3

endcap_l_wing LEFTWING

endcap0_l_wing LEFTWING

endcap1_l_wing LEFTWING

endcap2_l_wing LEFTWING

endcap_r_wing RIGHTWING

endcap0_r_wing RIGHTWING

endcap1_r_wing RIGHTWING

endcap2_r_wing RIGHTWING

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Part name Aircraft part

endcap_lwing LEFTWING

endcap0_lwing LEFTWING

endcap1_lwing LEFTWING

endcap2_lwing LEFTWING

endcap_rwing RIGHTWING

endcap0_rwing RIGHTWING

endcap1_rwing RIGHTWING

endcap2_rwing RIGHTWING

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Damaged Texture Part Names (Aircraft Only)

Any part with a part name from the following table switches to being textured with the

damage texture if the associated aircraft part is not visible (for example, not attached to

the aircraft).

Note DamageMaps (damage textures) are valid only on aircraft models. The base texture

file must end with “_T” and the damage texture file must end with “_D” (for example,

MyTexture_D.bmp and MyTexture_T.bmp).

Part name Aircraft part

fuselage NOSE

fuselage_aft TAIL

l_ailer LEFTWINGTIP

l_aileron LEFTWINGTIP

l_wing LEFTWINGTIP

l_wingfold LEFTWINGTIP

r_ailer RIGHTWINGTIP

r_aileron RIGHTWINGTIP

r_wing RIGHTWINGTIP

r_wingfold RIGHTWINGTIP

cowl0 ENGINE0

cowl1 ENGINE1

cowl2 ENGINE2

cowl3 ENGINE3

R_cowling_B1 ENGINE0

R_cowling_A1 ENGINE1

R_cowling_A2 ENGINE2

R_cowling_B2 ENGINE3

horizontal LEFTHORIZONTAL

l_horizontal LEFTHORIZONTAL

r_horizontal RIGHTHORIZONTAL

elevator LEFTHORIZONTAL

l_elevator LEFTHORIZONTAL

r_elevator RIGHTHORIZONTAL

vertical VERTICAL

l_vertical VERTICAL

r_vertical RIGHTVERTICAL

rudder VERTICAL

l_rudder VERTICAL

r_rudder RIGHTVERTICAL

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Stock Animation Names (Aircraft and Scenery)

Any part with a part name from the following table automatically uses the corresponding

stock animation; you do not have to author a keyframe animation in the input file.

Part name Stock animation

Beacon2 Heading rotation is 17-second cycle at 3 hertz (Hz).

Beacon3 Heading rotation is 12-second cycle at 3 Hz.

Beacon4 Heading rotation 9.4-second cycle at 3 Hz.

Beacon5 Heading rotation 7.7-second cycle at 3 Hz.

Stock Animation Names (Aircraft Only)

Any part with a part name from the following table automatically uses the corresponding

stock animation; you do not have to author a keyframe animation in the input file.

Part name Stock animation description

l_aileron Pitch rotation is based on the aileron position.

r_aileron Pitch rotation is based on the right aileron position.

l_elevator Pitch rotation is based on the left elevator position.

r_elevator Pitch rotation is based on the left elevator position.

l_flap Pitch rotation is based on the left flap position.

r_flap Pitch rotation is based on the right flap position.

rudder Heading rotation is based on the rudder position.

trimtab Pitch rotation is based on the elevator trim tab position.

rudder_water_rotate Heading rotation is based on the rudder position.

c_tire_blurred Visible and rotating when the center tire’s rotational speed (in

revolutions per minute (rpm)) is fast.

l_tire_blurred Visible and rotating when the left tire’s rotational speed (in rpm) is fast.

r_tire_blurred Visible and rotating when the right tire’s rotational speed (in rpm) is

fast.

c_tire_still Visible and rotating when the center tire’s rotational speed (in rpm) is

very slow.

l_tire_still Visible and rotating when the left tire’s rotational speed (in rpm) is very

slow.

r_tire_still Visible and rotating when the right tire’s rotational speed (in rpm) is

very slow.

prop0_still Visible when prop 0 is very slow.

prop0_slow Visible when prop 0 is slow.

prop0_blurred Visible when prop 0 is fast.

prop1_still Visible when prop 1 is very slow.

prop1_slow Visible when prop 1 is slow.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Part name Stock animation description

prop1_blurred Visible when prop 1 is fast.

prop2_still Visible when prop 2 is very slow.

prop2_slow Visible when prop 2 is slow.

prop2_blurred Visible when prop 2 is fast.

prop3_still Visible when prop 3 is very slow.

prop3_slow Visible when prop 3 is slow.

prop3_blurred Visible when prop 3 is fast.

c_wheelwell Visible only when the center gear is retracted.

l_wheelwell Visible only when the left gear is retracted.

r_wheelwell Visible only when the right gear is retracted.

c_gearlight Visible only when the center gear is greater than 45 percent.

spoilerwell_l Visible only when the spoilers are up.

spoilerwell_r Visible only when the spoilers are up.

endcap_l_wing_fold Visible only when the wings are folded.

endcap_r_wing_fold Visible only when the wings are folded.

Keyframe Animation Names (Exterior Parts)

If a part has both a keyframe animation and a part name with a prefix that is listed in the

following table, then the animation will be tied to a Flight Simulator simulation variable.

These variables usually range from 0 to 100% (unless otherwise noted) and are described

in the following table.

Function

Ex.

Aircraft

Part Name (# =

Number) Parameters

Aileron

Cessna

182 L_Aileron, R_Aileron Axis (X Driven)

Aileron with Wires (Key

Framed) Piper Cub L_Aileron_Key, L_Aileron_Key Key 0 = Full Down,

Key 50 = No Deflection, Key 100 = Full Up

Aileron with Wires (Key

Framed) Piper Cub R_Aileron_Key R_Aileron_Key Key 0 = Full Up,

Key 50 = No Deflection, Key 100 = Full Down

Anemometer Spirit Anemometer Axis (Z Driven)

Cowl Flaps

Douglas

DC3 Cowl_Flaps# Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Door\Canopy Primary Exit Schweizer F_Canopy Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Door\Canopy Secondary

Exit

Caravan

208B R_Canopy Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Elevator

Cessna

182 L_Elevator, R_Elevator Axis (X Driven)

Elevators with Wires (Key

Framed) Piper Cub Elevator_Key

Key 0 = Full Down, Key 50 = No Deflection, Key

100 = Full Up

Engine Rocker Arms

Curtiss

Jenny Engine_Rocker_Arm

Key 0 -100 Full Cycle of All Cylinders Firing in

Order

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Flaps

Beech

Baron L_Flap, R_Flap Axis (X Driven)

Flaps (Key Framed)

Mooney

Bravo L_Flap_Key, R_Flap_Key

Key 0 = 0% Deflection, Key 100 = 100%

Deflection

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Lead_Edge_Flap0 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 L_Pct_Lead_Edge_Flap0 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Lead_Edge_Flap1 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Lead_Edge_Flap1 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Trail_Edge_Flap0 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Trail_Edge_Flap0 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Trail_Edge_Flap1 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Flaps (Leading and Trailing

Edge)

Boeing

777 R_Pct_Trail_Edge_Flap1 Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Fly Wheel (Wright Flyer

Specific)

Wright

Flyer Fly_Wheel Axis (Y Driven)

Landing Gear (Aux)

Caravan

208 Aux_Gear Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = Deployed,

Key 150 = Compressed on Ground, Key 200 =

Full Compression

Landing Gear (Center

Rotation) Lear 45 C_Wheel

Key 100 = 0 Degrees, Key 200 = 360 Degrees

Clockwise

Landing Gear (Center) Lear 45 C_Gear Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = Deployed,

Key 150 = Compressed on Ground, Key 200 =

Full Compression

Landing Gear (Left) Lear 45 L_Gear Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = Deployed,

Key 150 = Compressed on Ground, Key 200 =

Full Compression

Landing Gear (Right) Lear 45 R_Gear Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = Deployed,

Key 150 = Compressed on Ground, Key 200 =

Full Compression

Landing Light Vega Landing_Light Key 0 = Up, Key 100 = Down

Props

Douglas

DC3 Prop#_Still, Prop#_Slow,

Axis (Y in Max and Gmax Models) (-Z in

Softimage)

Prop#_Blurred Geometry Switches When Tire RPM is High

Rudder

Cessna

182 Rudder

Axis (Z in Max and Gmax Models) (Y in

Softimage)

Rudder with Wires (Key

Framed) Piper Cub Rudder_Key

Key 0 = Full Left, Key 50 = No Deflection, Key 100

= Full Right

Speedbrake/Spoiler Schweizer R_Spoiler, L_Spoiler Key 0 = Retracted, Key 100 = 100% Deployed

Thrust Reverser Lear 45 Thrust_Reverser# Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Tires (Center)

Cessna

182

C_Tire_Still,

C_Tire_Blurred

Axis (X Driven) Geometry Switches When Tire

RPM is High

Tires (Left)

Cessna

182

L_Tire_Still,

L_Tire_Blurred

Axis (X Driven) Geometry Switches When Tire

RPM is High

Tires (Right)

Cessna

182

R_Tire_Still,

R_Tire_Blurred

Axis (X Driven) Geometry Switches When Tire

RPM is High

Trimtab for Elevator

Douglas

DC3 Trimtab Axis (X Driven)

Water Rudder

Caravan

208 Rudder_Water_Deploy Key 0 = 100% Deployed, Key 100 = Retracted

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Keyframe Animation Names (Interior Parts)

If a part has both a keyframe animation and a part name with a prefix that is listed in the

following table, then the animation will be tied to a Flight Simulator simulation variable.

These variables usually range from 0 to 100% (unless otherwise noted) and are described

in the following table. These parts are driven from XML descriptions found in

MakeMDL.parts.XML. It it possible to add new animated parts by adding to the

MakeMDL.parts.XML file. USe the XML Gauges section of the Panels SDK.doc as a

reference when using XML to create your own animated parts.

Function Ex. Aircraft Part Name (# = Number) Parameters

Aileron Trim

Cessna

Caravan Lever_Trimtab_Aileron Axis (-X Driven)

Aileron Trim

(knob) Kingair 350 Lever_Trimtab_Aileron_Key Key 0 = Max Left, Key 50 = No Trim, Key 100 = Max Right

Alt Air Mooney Switch_Alt_Air Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Alt Field Extra Switch_Alt_Field Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Alternator Cessna 182 Switch_Master_Alternator Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Alternator Beech Baron Switch_Master_Alternator# Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Anti-Ice Beech Baron Switch_Anti_Ice Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Anti-Ice (Caravan

Specific) C208B Switch_Anti_Ice_Structure Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Anti-Ice Prop Mooney Switch_Anti_Ice_Prop Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_Both Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_Com1 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_Com2 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_Nav1 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_Nav2 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_Marker Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_DME Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Audio Panel Kingair Switch_Audio_ADF Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Auto Brake Boeing 777 Switch_Auto_Brake

Key 0 = RTO, Key 20 = Off, Key 40 = 1, Key 60 = 2, Key 80

= 3, Key 100 = Max

Auto Pilot Boeing 777 Switch_Auto_Pilot Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Auto Throttle Boeing 777 Switch_Auto_Throttle Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Autofeather Kingair 350 Switch_Autofeather Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Avionics Master Cessna 182 Switch_Avionics_Master Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Battery Cessna 182 Switch_Master_Battery Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Battery+Alternator

Bell

Helicopter Switch_Master_Battery_Alternator Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Beacon Light Cessna 172 Switch_Beacon_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Carb Heat DC3 Lever_Carb_Heat# Key 0 = Off, Key 100 = On

Clutch (Helicopter

Specific) R22 Switch_Clutch Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Collective Arm Bell\Robinson Lever_Collective

Key 0 = Control Down (No Rotor Pitch), Key 100 = Control

Up (Max Rotor Pitch)

Collective Throttle Bell\Robinson Lever_Collective_Handle Key 0 = Throttle Closed, Key 100 = Throttle Open

Condition Lever Caravan Lever_Condition Key 0 = 100%, Key 100 = 0%

Condition Lever Kingair 350 Lever_Condition# Key 0 = 100%, Key 100 = 0%

Cowl Flap Beech Baron Lever_Cowl_Flaps# Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Cowl Flap Cessna 182 Lever_Cowl_Flaps_Top_Open

Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open (Mouse Areas

Reversed)

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Cowl Flap Switch Mooney Rocker_Cowl_Flap Key 0 = Open, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 = Closed

Elevator Switch Mooney Rocker_Elevator_Trim Key 0 = Trim Down, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 = Trim Up

Elevator Trim

Cessna

Caravan Lever_Trimtab_Elevator Axis (-X Driven)

Elevator Trim Ford Trimotor Lever_Trimtab_Elevator_Trimotor

Key 0 = Nose Up, Key 50 = Neutral, Key 100 = Nose

Down

Elevator Trim

(lever) Kingair 352 Lever_Trimtab_Elevator_Key Key 0 = Max Up, Key 50 = No Trim, Key 100 = Max Down

Elevator Trim

Indicator Schweizer Trimtab_Elevator_Key_Horizontal

Key 0 = Nose Up, Key 50 = Neutral, Key 100 = Nose

Down

Elevator Trim

Indicator Spirit Trimtab_Elevator_Key_Spirit

Key 0 = Nose Down, Key 50 = Neutral, Key 100 = Nose

Emergency Power Caravan Lever_Emergency_Power Key 0 = 0%, Key 100 = 100%

Flaps Cessna 172 Lever_Flap Key 0 = No Deflection, Key 100 = Max Deflection

Flaps Switch Mooney Rocker_Flaps Key 0 = Flaps Down, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 = Flaps Up

Flight Director Boeing 777 Switch_Flight_Director Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Boost Pump Extra 300s Switch_Fuel_Boost Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Boost Pump Douglas DC3 Switch_Boost_Pump0 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Boost Pump Douglas DC3 Switch_Boost_Pump1 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Crossfeed Kingair 350 Switch_Fuel_Crossfeed Key 0 = Left, Key 25 = Off, Key 50 = Right

Fuel Crossfeed

Dehavilland

Comet Lever_Fuel_Crossfeed Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Fuel Cutoff Piper Cub Lever_Fuel_Cutoff Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Cutoff Vickers Vimy Lever_Fuel_Cutoff# (0-3) Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Cutoff Boeing 777 Mixture_Fuel_Cutoff# (0-3) Key 0 = Cutoff, Key 100 = Run

Fuel Pump Cessna 172 Switch_Fuel_Pump Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Pump (Multi

Engine) Beech Baron Switch_Fuel_Pump# (0-3) Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Fuel Quantity

Bobber Piper Cub Indicator_Fuel_Quantity Key 0 = Empty, Key 100 = Full

Fuel Quantity

Indicator Selector Ford Trimotor Switch_Trimotor_Fuel_Quantity_Selector Key 0 = Left, Key 25 = Center, Key 50 = Right

Fuel Selector Cessna 172 Switch_Fuel_Selector_LBR Key 0 = Left, Key 25 = Both, Key 50 = Right

Fuel Selector C182 Switch_Fuel_Selector_LBR0 Key 0 = Left, Key 25 = Both, Key 50 = Right, Key 75 = Off

Fuel Selector Mooney Lever_Fuel_Selector_LOR Key 0 = Left, Key 25 = Off, Key 50 = Right

Fuel Selector Spirit Lever_Fuel_Selector_Spirit

Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = Center, Key 50 = Center2, Key 75 =

Center3

Fuel Selector Comet Lever_Fuel_Selector_Comet#

Key 0 = Main, Key 25 = Off, Key 50 = Isolate, Key 75 =

Aux

Fuel Selector DC3 Lever_Fuel_Selector_DC3# Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = Right, Key 50 =Left, Key 75 = Aux

Fuel Selector

Lockheed

Vega Lever_Fuel_Selector_Vega

Key 0 = Off, Key 20 = Left, Key 40 =Center, Key 60 =

Right, Key 80 = Main, Key 100 = Aux

Fuel Selector Ford Trimotor Lever_Fuel_Selector_Trimotor0

Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = Left, Key 50 =Right, Key 75 =

Reserve

Fuel Selector Ford Trimotor Lever_Fuel_Selector_Trimotor2

Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = Left, Key 50 =Right, Key 75 =

Reserve

Fuel Selector Ford Trimotor Lever_Fuel_Selector_Trimotor_Center Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = On

Generator Kingair 350 Switch_Generator# Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Generator+Starter Boeing 737 Switch_Generator_Starter# Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = Gen, Key 50 = Start

GOV Robinson Switch_Governor Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

GOV\RPM Bell 206 Switch_GOV_RPM Key 0 = Increase, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 = Decrease

Ignition Douglas DC3 Switch_Master_Ignition Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Inertial Seperator Caravan Lever_Inertial_Seperator Key 0 = Off, Key 100= On

Landing Gear Boeing 737 Lever_Landing_Gear Key 0 = Gear Up, Key 100 = Gear Down

Landing Gear

(747 Specific) Boeing 747 Lever_Landing_Gear_Boeing747 Key 0 = Gear Up, Key 50 = Off, Key 100 = Gear Down

Landing Light Cessna 172 Switch_Landing_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Magneto (Jenny

Specific) Curtiss Jenny switch_magneto# Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Magnetos (DC3

Specific) Douglas DC3 Switch_Ignition_Magnetos_DC3 Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = L, Key 50 = R, Key 75 = Both

Magnetos (DC3

Specific) Douglas DC3 Switch_Ignition_Magnetos0_DC3 Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = L, Key 50 = R, Key 75 = Both

Magnetos (DC3

Specific) Douglas DC3 Switch_Ignition_Magnetos1_DC3 Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = L, Key 50 = R, Key 75 = Both

Magnetos (Vimy

Specific) Vickers Vimy switch_left_magneto0 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Magnetos (Vimy

Specific) Vickers Vimy switch_left_magneto1 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Magnetos (Vimy

Specific) Vickers Vimy switch_right_magneto0 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Magnetos (Vimy

Specific) Vickers Vimy switch_right_magneto1 Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Magnetos+Ignition Cessna 172 Switch_Ignition_Magnetos

Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both, Key

100 = Start

Magnetos+Ignition

(Multi Eng.) Beech Baron Switch_Ignition_Magnetos# (0-3)

Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both, Key

100 = Start

Magnetos+Ignition

(Spirit Spec.) Spirit Switch_Ignition_Magnetos_Spirit

Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both, Key

100 = Start (Reverse Mouse Movements)

Magnetos+Ignition

(Tri. Spec.) Ford Trimotor Switch_Ignition_Magnetos_Trimotor Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both

Magnetos+Ignition

(Tri. Spec.) Ford Trimotor Switch_Ignition_Magnetos0_Trimotor Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both

Magnetos+Ignition

(Tri. Spec.) Ford Trimotor Switch_Ignition_Magnetos1_Trimotor Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both

Magnetos+Ignition

(Tri. Spec.) Ford Trimotor Switch_Ignition_Magnetos2_Trimotor Key 0 = Off, Key 25 = R, Key 50 = L, Key 75 = Both

Mixture Cessna 182 Lever_Mixture# Key 0 = 100%, Key 100 = 0%

Mixture (Comet

Specific)

Dehavilland

Comet Lever_Mixture0_Reversed Key 0 = 100%, Key 100 = 0% (Reversed Mouse Areas)

Mixture (Comet

Specific)

Dehavilland

Comet Lever_Mixture1_Reversed Key 0 = 100%, Key 100 = 0% (Reversed Mouse Areas)

Nav Light Cessna 172 Switch_Nav_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

NAV\GPS Boeing 777 Switch_NAV_GPS Key 0 = Nav, Key 50 = GPS

Panel Light Beech Baron Switch_Panel_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Parking Brake Cessna 182 Lever_Parking_Brake Key 0 = Off, Key 100 = On

Pedal Left

(Switch) Extra Switch_Pedal_L Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Pedal Right

(Switch) Extra Switch_Pedal_R Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Pedals Cessna 182 Lever_Pedals_L_R

Key 0 = Left Pedal In \ Right Pedal Out, Key 50 = Neutral,

Key 100 = Right Pedal In \ Left Pedal Out

Periscope Spirit Periscope_Tube Key 0 = Closed, Key 100 = Open

Pitot Heat Cessna 172 Switch_Pitot_Heat Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Primer (lever) Piper Cub Lever_Primer Key 0 = In, Key 100 = Out

Primer (lever) Ford Trimotor Lever_Primer_Trimotor Key 0 = In, Key 100 = Out

Primer (selector) Ford Trimotor

Switch_Trimotor_Engine_Primer_Selecto

r Key 0 = Left, Key 50= Center, Key 100 = Right

Primer (switch) DC3 Switch_Primer# Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Prop Feather Douglas_DC3 Lever_Prop_Feather# Key 0 = Off, Key 100 = On

Prop Pitch Cessna 182 Lever_Prop_Pitch# Key 0 = 100%, Key 100 = 0%

Prop Sync Beech Baron Switch_Prop_Sync Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Recognition Light Mooney Switch_Recog_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Right Trim (R22

Specific) R22 Lever_R22_Rotor_Trim Key 0 = off, Key 100 = on

Rotor Brake

Robinson

R22 Lever_Rotor_Brake Key 0 = Off, Key 100 = On

Rudder Switch Mooney Rocker_Rudder_Trim Key 0 = Trim Left, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 = Trim Right

Rudder Trim

Cessna

Caravan Lever_Trimtab_Rudder Axis (-X Driven)

Rudder Trim

(knob) Kingair 350 Lever_Trimtab_Rudder_Key Key 0 = Max Left, Key 50 = No Trim, Key 100 = Max Right

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Smoke Extra Switch_Smoke Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Speed_Brake Boeing 777 Lever_Speed_Brake Key 0 = Down, Key 100 = Up

Standby Vac Mooney Switch_Standby_Vacuum Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Starter Boeing 777 Switch_Starter# (0-3) Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Starter (3 Way

Switch) DC3 Rocker_Starter Key 0 = Left On, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 Right On

Strobe Light Cessna 172 Switch_Strobe_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Tailwheel Lock

Dehavilland

Comet Lever_Tailwheel_Lock Key 0 = Unlocked, Key 100 = Locked

Taxi Light Cessna 172 Switch_Taxi_Light Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Throttle Lever Boeing 777 Lever_Throttle#

Key 0 = Max, Key 50 = Idle, Key 100 = Max Reverser

Engines without reversers are only 0-50

Throttle Lever Wright Flyer Lever_Throttle_Wright Key 0 = Off, Key 50 = On

Vimy Throttle Vickers Vimy Lever_Vicker_Throttle Key 0 = 100%, Key 50 = 0%

Vimy Throttle

Differential Vickers Vimy Lever_Vicker_Throttle_Differential

Key 0 = Max Engine0, Key 25 = Neutral, Key 50 = Max

Engine1

Vimy Throttle

Differential Vickers Vimy Lever_Vicker_Throttle_Diff_Left Key 0 = 100% Power, Key 50 = 0% Power

Vimy Throttle

Differential Vickers Vimy Lever_Vicker_Throttle_Diff_Right Key 0 = 100% Power, Key 50 = 0% Power

Water Rudder Caravan Lever_Water_Rudder Key 0 = Off, Key 100 = On

Wobble Pump

Lockheed

Vega Lever_Wobble_Pump Key 0 -100 is one cycle

Yoke\Stick Cessna 182 Lever_Stick_Fore_Aft

Key 0 = Max Forward or In, Key 50 = Neutral, Key 100 =

Max Backward or Out

Yoke\Stick Cessna 182 Lever_Stick_L_R Key 0 = Left, Key 50 = Neutral, Key 100 = Max Right

Time-Based Keyframe Animation (Aircraft and Scenery)

If a part name has the prefix from the following table and the part has a keyframe

animation, then that animation will be tied to a Flight Simulator variable. The total

number of keyframes must not exceed 1024, which means that the maximum animation

cycle is approximately 56 seconds.

Part name prefix Description of variable

Tick18 Clock running at 18 Hz.

Material Names

The material names listed in the following table have special meaning.

Material name prefix Meaning

LINE_ Lines are drawn instead of triangles.

ZBIAS_ A default z-bias is added to the polygons.

ZBIAS_## A z-bias of ## is added to the polygons.

DS_ Polygons are drawn double sided.

BRIGHT_ The material is bright (emits light).

LIGHT_BEACON A beacon point light is drawn, and the diffuse color is the

light color.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Material name prefix Meaning

LIGHT_STROBE A strobe point light is drawn, and the diffuse color is the light

color

LIGHT_RECO A recognition point light is drawn, and the diffuse color is the

light color

LIGHT_WING A wing point light is drawn, and the diffuse color is the light

color.

LIGHT_LOGO A logo point light is drawn, and the diffuse color is the light

color.

LIGHT_NAV A navigation point light is drawn, and the diffuse color is the

light color.

LIGHT_TAXI A taxi spotlight is drawn, and the diffuse color is the light

color.

LIGHT_LAND A landing spotlight is drawn, and the diffuse color is the light

color.

Animate_VCRainMoving_16_20_ The physical geometry under the

airspeed_effects_windshield node need a material name of

animate_VCRainMoving_16_20_ and must mapped to

texture VCRainMoving0000.bmp. The material needs to be

at 0 percent opacity. See the Gmax_aircraft SDK for more

details.

Animate_VCRainStopped_16_20_ The physical geometry under the

airspeed_effects_windshield node need a material name of

animate_VCRainStopped_16_20_ and must mapped to

texture VCRainStopped0000.bmp. The material needs to be

at 0 percent opacity. See the Gmax_aircraft SDK for more

details.

Animate_ChainSegment_16_100_ The physical geometry under the engine0_turning node

needs a material name of Animate_ChainSegment_16_100_

and must mapped to texture ChainSegment0000.bmp. See

the Gmax_aircraft SDK for more details.

Texture Names

MakeMDL makes the following assumptions about texture names:

• No matter what the texture extension is in the .x file, the output file references a

texture with a .bmp extension. If you model with .tga files, the output file

references a .bmp file.

• If the texture name starts with “DECAL_” a z-bias is added automatically to all

polygons drawn with this texture.

• If the texture name is “DECAL_NNUMBER” then the texture is used for the

NNumber of the aircraft.

• If the texture name ends with “_T” then the texture is the undamaged version of

the texture (the damaged version ends with “_D”).

• If the texture name starts with “$” or “_panel_” then the texture is assumed to be a

virtual cockpit (VC) gauge texture.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Appendix

PerPart LOD

MakeMDL can perform two types of LOD (level-of-detail) selection, discreet LOD or

PerPart LOD. For discreet LOD, you must specify a different model for each LOD. Store

each LOD in a different .x file and name each file <Base Name>_LOD_###.x (where ###

is 0–200 ). MakeMDL handles discreet LOD automatically.

For PerPart LOD, you must name the frames/parts in the .x file. If a part name ends in

“_LOD_###” (where ### is 0–100), MakeMDL makes this part visible only when the

viewer is close enough to the model. If a part is empty (for example, it does not contain

any polygons), MakeMDL does not draw anything.

PerPart LOD naming example:

Root_Gear

Gear_LOD_100

Gear_LOD_50

Gear_LOD_10

Multitexture .x File Templates

MakeMDL uses the following .x file templates to specify multitexture file names. (For

more information about specifying materials in GMax, see GMax Materials.doc)

template DiffuseTextureFileName {

<E00200E2-D4AB-481a-9B85-E20F9AE07401>

STRING filename;

}

template AmbientTextureFileName {

<E00200E2-D4AB-481a-9B85-E20F9AE07402>

STRING filename;

}

template EmissiveTextureFileName {

<E00200E2-D4AB-481a-9B85-E20F9AE07403>

STRING filename;

}

template ReflectionTextureFileName {

<E00200E2-D4AB-481a-9B85-E20F9AE07404>

STRING filename;

}

Example Materials

The following example shows the only combinations of material files that MakeMDL can

use.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

Note When you use a reflection map, make sure the file name of the reflection texture

matches the file name of both the diffuse texture and the texture.

Material Base_Texture_With_NightMap {

0.000000; 1.000000; 0.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000;

1.000000; 1.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000; 0.000000; 0.000000;;

TextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

DiffuseTextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

AmbientTextureFileName {

"NightMap.bmp";

}

Material Base_Texture_With_LightMap {

0.000000; 0.000000; 1.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000;

1.000000; 1.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000; 0.000000; 0.000000;;

TextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

DiffuseTextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

EmissiveTextureFileName {

"LightMap.bmp";

}

Material Base_Texture_With_ReflectionMap {

1.000000; 0.000000; 0.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000;

1.000000; 1.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000; 0.000000; 0.000000;;

TextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

DiffuseTextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

ReflectionTextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

Material Base_Texture_With_ReflectionMap_And_LightMap {

1.000000; 0.000000; 0.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000;

1.000000; 1.000000; 1.000000;;

0.000000; 0.000000; 0.000000;;

TextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

DiffuseTextureFileName {

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

EmissiveTextureFileName {

"LightMap.bmp";

}

ReflectionTextureFileName {

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

"BaseTexture.bmp";

}

XML XFile extensions

MakeMDL understands the following XFile template that is used to enable new features

that create attachpoints (with the potential to attach other objects), suppress crash on

portions of models, and add platforms to models. These extensions are only for scenery

objects and will not operate on aircraft. Attributes are applied on a per-part basis and are

automatically generated when using the AttachToolGmax.ms script available in the

GMax AttachTool SDK. The following reference can be used to create extensions to

other tools that output .X files for Flight Simulator:

template PartData {

<79B183BA-7E70-44d1-914A-23B304CA91E5>

DWORD nByteCount;

array BYTE XMLData[ nByteCount ];

}

PartData {

141;

60, 63, 120, 109, 108, 32, 118, 101, 114, 115,

105, 111, 110, 61, 34, 49, 46, 48, 34, 32,

101, 110, 99, 111, 100, 105, 110, 103, 61, 34,

73, 83, 79, 45, 56, 56, 53, 57, 45, 49,

34, 63, 62, 32, 60, 70, 83, 77, 65, 75,

69, 77, 68, 76, 68, 65, 84, 65, 32, 118,

101, 114, 115, 105, 111, 110, 61, 34, 57, 46,

48, 34, 62, 60, 65, 84, 84, 65, 67, 72,

80, 79, 73, 78, 84, 32, 110, 97, 109, 101,

61, 34, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116,

95, 98, 101, 97, 99, 111, 110, 34, 62, 32,

60, 47, 65, 84, 84, 65, 67, 72, 80, 79,

73, 78, 84, 62, 60, 47, 70, 83, 77, 65,

75, 69, 77, 68, 76, 68, 65, 84, 65, 62, 0;

} // End PartData

This extension is a binary encoding of the following XML (an attach point named

‘attachpt_beacon’):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <FSMakeMdlData

version="9.0"><Attachpoint name="attachpt_beacon">

</Attachpoint></FSMakeMdlData>

The following is a sample representation of the available XML structure. A brief

description of how these elements operate follows. See the BGLComp SDK for more

information about using XML in Flight Simulator:

<?xml version=”1.0” encoding=”ISO-8859-1”?>

<platformName=”PlatformName” surfaceType=”CONCRETE” />

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 SDK MakeMDL

<!-- It is possible to attach library objects and effects to this point

-->

<LibraryObject name=”4a5ceec84f2a9e27f12ee7a40f0c856c”

scale=”1.0” />

</AttachedObject>

</Attachpoint>

</FSMakeMdlData>

The following is a description of the XML elements:

NoCrash

This element specifies that the associated part should not be added to the crash octtree.

An example is

Platform

This element specifies that the associated part is to be treated as a platform for landing.

The surface type is required to be one of the following: "CONCRETE", "GRASS",

"WATER", "GRASS_BUMPY", "ASPHALT", "SHORT_GRASS", "LONG_GRASS",

"HARD_TURF", "SNOW", "ICE", "URBAN", "FOREST", "DIRT", "CORAL",

"GRAVEL", "OIL_TREATED", "STEEL_MATS", "BITUMINUS", "BRICK",

"MACADAM", "PLANKS", "SAND", "SHALE", "TARMAC",

"WRIGHT_FLYER_TRACK".

When specifying that a part is a platform it is implied that the part also has the

<NoCrash> attribute. Note: platforms cannot have an animated part at any point in its

parent hierarchy.

Attachpoint

This element specifies that the associated part is to be treated as an attach point. All of

the geometry for this part will be removed and only the root point of this part will be

retained. The root point will be treated as the attach point where other object can be

attached. The name is can be referenced when placing scenery objects to attach objects

to one another. See the BGLComp SDK for more information. Note: A part that is

decorated with TICK18 cannot be used as an attach point. The TICK18 part can be made

invisible (with 100% opacity) or extremely small and used as a parent node for an attach

point to create attach points that move.

AttachedObject

This element specifies that there is another library object or an effect attached to this

object. The intent is to allow attaching effects such as hazard lights, or library objects

such as generic rotating radar dishes. It is not necessary (nor recommended) to attach all

animated objects. Only attach objects that are true ‘library’ objects that were created to

be placed in multiple locations. A good example of when an attached library object

should be used would be creating a marina object and attaching boats from a boat library.