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Create the new airplane
Modeling for FMS with Metasequoia
*>>> Link to the  French manual
*>>> Link to the German manual

Attention!

Too big model data will make slow frame rate and disturb smooth flight.
Too much polygons and huge bmp-file are not good.
(I recommend you to use only one bmp-file in 256 x 256)
Such a kind of model data will make FMS or your PC shut down or crashes sometimes.




Metasequoia
Freeware MetasequoiaLE
This is wonderful freeware which Japanese Mr. O.Mizno created!

Metasequoia English page
http://www21.ocn.ne.jp/~mizno/main_e.html

Please use MetasequoiaLE R2.1 or 2.2.


Japanese page
(It is more familiar with it than the English page.)
It translates automatically by using the translation software. 
Click here, and you can get English page. 
(Originally Japanese page)

Metasequoia homepage

MetasequoiaLE help



Q&A of Metasequoia & Other modeling techniques
Author Yosito Sekiai (Japan) 
.

*** Let's try to make a simple airplane ***

Make the folder named "Fms" in the folder "MetasequoiaLE" which was made by installing.



Save model data and a mapping bitmap here.

And copy the suitable par file and wav file from the FMS model.
Rename them to the new airplane name, which you are going to make.
All those files must have the same name.

Start a Metasequoia.
Configuration > Screen Language
Change it to English.

Configuration > System
Select the same folder where you are going to save a model data.

Remove check in the file menu > Basic mode.

Display panel menu > Object panel, Material panel, Edit panel.

set to D3D or GL.

Push Pt Ln Fc button. (Show Points,Lines,Faces.)

Push Rc button.  (Enable to select with rectangle)


*** Make the body***

Double_clicks on the name(obj1).
Change the name to "body"

Push F5 key .
Change to  projection view.
Push Primitive,  Select columnar and Push Create button.

Drag X rotational button, it will rotate as below.

Move the expansion reduction button, make it smaller.

Drag Z button, make it longer.

 Push F1 key .
Change to side view.

Push knife button.
Cut a body at two points.

***Let's get a good shape!***

Push Rect button.
Select a section.
Make it small.

Make a tail much thinner.



*** Make the wing***

Push New button on an object panel .

double click on the name.

Change the name to "wing".

 Check Separated .
You can get symmentrical model easily.

Confirm "wing" is blinking.

Fc OFF

Push F1 key
Change to side view.

 Push Create button.
Select Front and Line,
Draw the cross section of the wing by putting points as below.

Push eye of the body, it will disappear

Fc ON

Pull button ON.
Surround and select it.

 

Push F2 key .
Change to upper view.
Drag to the right.

Make the end of the wing smaller.

Push F5 key
Change to  projection view.

It seems that the inside of the wing become the surface.

Push select all

Choose Invert from the menu.

Push View button
Zoom,Move,Rotate Choose each.
drag a window further.
Turn a point of view as this snapshot.

Push Create button.
Select Front Tri.
Click 3 points on the end of the wing to make a triangle surface.

Change to Face.
Clicks 4 points to make a square.

Like this, make an all face.



***  Make the tail section ***

Let's make a tail and vertical stabilizer copying and arrange the wing.

select a wing on the object panel.
Push Clone.
and, write down 2 in the number.
Push OK.

Rename them to "tail" and "stabilizer".

Hide all objects except the tail.

Push select all

Move the tail backward

Make it smaller.

Connect right and left.


Arrange the shape, if it is necessary.



***  Make the stabilizer ***

Hide all objects except the stabilizer.

double click on the name.

Check Mirroring "None".

Push select all

Turn it in the Z direction on the Edit Panel.
Move X center.
Arrange the shape, if it is necessary.

Make all parts appeared and arrange the shape
and the balance of each part.

Hint!  Metasequoia grids' size is 50cm*50cm
(When size isn't changed at the time of the x file output.)



*** Draw painting ***

Draw a picture with paint software.
Make the size 256X256 pixels.
You can use a photograph data for it.


Save it as a bmp file in the [MetaseqLE--fms] folder.

(Name it the same name of the new plane.)

NEW!


Notice
Check these if texture isn't indicated.

Is bmp file 256*256  [72 pixels/inch] size? 

MetasequoiaLE>Configuration > System 
Specify [Fms folder in the MetaseqLE folder] here. 

Is bmp file in [Fms folder in the MetaseqLE folder]

Save a BMP file absolutely in this folder!!

It is no good in other folders. 


*** Mapping on the model ***

On the Material panel
Push New button.

double click on the name.

Refer to a bmp file.
emission OFF.

Show all parts.

Push select all

Choose set material to faces from the menu.



Let's do the work of adjusting a mapping position to every part.

Hide all objects except the wing.

Push F2 key .
Change to upper view.

Fr ON.

Push Map button.

Change Select face.

Enclose and select it.
Realtime ON.

Push Property button.
Angle_Pich -90.

Push Apply button.

Adjust a position(Move) and size(Scale).

Rotate and adjust it.
The secret for rotating horizontally is turning the cursor little by little.

* When you get the best position, please push a [OK button]. *

Push Shift+F2 key .
Change to bottom view.

Do the same work.
Select face,
Property,
Move and Scale,
Push OK.

The work of the tail is the same.

Push F1 key
Change to side view.
Hide the one except for the wing and stabilizer.
Fr OFF.

Select all by using Select face.

Push Property button.
Angle_Head 90.

Push Apply button.

Adjust Move and Scale,

Push OK.



*** Make the propeller***

Make translucent quality of the material.
On the Material panel
Push New button.

double click on the name(mat2).

Adjust alpha 0.6
Color V 50

Push New button.

Name it  "propeller"

Push Primitive,  Select columnar and Push Create button.

Push Rect button.

Select the bottom.
Then, push Delete key.

Select all.
Choose double side face from the menu.

Show all parts.
Adjust a position and size.

Transform a primitive ball, and make a cockpit.
Transform a primitive column, and make tires.
Tire is Mirroring Change Separated.
Modeling symmetrical now is made simply.

Push F1 key
Change to side view.

Push select all


There is a place where X, Y, Z cross.
That becomes the center which a model turns to in FMS.
It is almost the place of Center of gravity.
Adjust a center.

A point to notice!
Z-axis(blue line) in Metasequoia is not a surface of the land in case of planes.



***  Your airplane has been completed!  ***

Save the model.
SaveAs... x file again.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Notice
Flying with x file and FMS Beta 6, 
you have to turn the bmp file over and upside down to get a correct mapping on the plane. 
 

* This work is unnecessary in FMSBeta7 !!




NEW!
Include preview in the models for FMSBeta7. 
 jpeg file. Size 200*200 pixels 
Name[  *****_prv.jpg] 
***** = par file name.

test_plane_prv.jpg 

Attention.
It is no good with _prv.jpeg
Be sure to make it _prv.jpg
 



*** Now your model is flying in FMS! ***

.

*** Metasequoia sample data download ***
mqo.zip   1061kb 

Copy OK! 
All data can be used freely.



***   x file >>> geo file convert   ***

It is possible to convert  an x file to a geo file, if you need.

Download ( GeoEX )
This is the software which Japanese Mr.Masuoka made.
geoex.zip  310KB



Mr. Masuoka said. 
"English was made to change automatically. 
However, it cannot be confirmed in the personal computer which I have. 
When it doesn't go well.Change the name of (GeoEx.enu)." 

In the case of the German computer.  GeoEX.enu>>>GeoEx.deu
French >>>  GeoEx.fra
Spanish >>>  GeoEx.esn
Swedish >>>  GeoEx.sve

File menu>Open...
load a x file.

File menu>To geo file...
Then, Save As....



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Notice
If, when you ran a bmp file in reverse. 
Return it to the original file.

Don't put the same name of x file and geo file in the same folder. 
FMS loads two model data at the same time. 
Therefore shape becomes strange. 
 
 


I hope this information will prove useful to you.
Let's enjoy it!

***Author Yosito Sekiai (Japan) ***

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   Homepage. RC airplane Experimental atelier
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