Serious Problem with Flight Simulator Design Studio

After looking at (lord knows how many), tutorials and forums , I still can't understand how I am supposed to setup FSDS. I've bought it (version 3.5 to be exact) and I've installed it. But there are loads of references to a "Make MDL" file and a "BLG Comp" file. I haven't got a clue where I'm supposed to get them. There are some people that have said the Flight Simulation homepage. Some have said the Deluxe DVD (I've got it/them but can't find the files on them), and some have said that you can't download them for FSX.
Please help, I'm going out of my mind!

Cheers.

P.S. I was also wondering if anyone knew what tool to use to make a 2D cockpit. Thanks again.

This should help.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=SDK_Installation_%28FSX%29

That's great! Thanks Radarman.

The guide was really good RadarMan, but I still don't know what programs, (for example BLG comp) I need to get FSDS to compile aircraft. The links on the bottom of the page to BLG comp and Make MDL were both empty. Do you know if I need them and where I could get them if I do?

Thanks again,

It's ironic when you end up solving your own question isn't it?

I found the BLG comp and Make MDL files in the depths of the system files.
Here are the exact addresses for anyone with the same problem:-

BLG Comp is... (your drive):\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\BLG Compiler SDK

(I decided to switch to XtoMDL because I use FSX)
XToMDL... (your drive):\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK

Model Definition File (just thought I'd include it)
(your Drive) :\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\modeldef.xml

There ya go. All of those files come on the SDK installation part of CD1 of FSX Deluxe. (As for acceleration and gold, I don't know)

Ahhh. Now I just need to find out how to make a 2D cockpit!

All the best,

Roar54

How about this.

http://www.simshack.net/product_info.php?products_id=106

Brilliant! I've got everything I need now! Give me until the new year and you may just find a completely new set of aircraft available to download!

Thanks once again RadarMan!

I'm looking forward to it now...but have fun doing it.

Hey RadarMan?
I've just been going through the "water tower" tutorial to get used to FSDS and when I tried to compile the project into a .bgl format, an error occurs. It says:- "Failed to create BLG file!". Then it opens a blank notepad window along with another error message saying "Cannot find the _xtomdl_err.log file. Do you want to create a new file?" I know this message is almost definitely not connected to the failure to construct .bgl file, but I thought I'd better list it anyway.

As to possible solutions, I've tried editing the BGL comp application permissions (as suggested on another websites forum) and that hasn't done anything. Once again, I am in need of some expert assistance.

Thanks,

(hopefully for the last time!)

Roar54

P.S. I'm using FSDS 3.5. I don't know if that happens to be changing anything? But I couldn't find the make mdl file for FSDS 3.0 so I used 3.5. and the XtoMdl converter instead. Thanks for any help.

It may have to do with the operating system your using, that program was written in the days of XP (I believe).
Be sure your doing the work as the system administrator.

I'll try the "run as administrator" option on vista.

Thanks.

Well that parcially worked. (or so I thought!)

When I saved the project as a .bgl file, command prompt opened and ran... whatever it's supposed to run. I didn't get the "can't build file" error, but notepad still opened (without the cannot find _xtomdl_err window) and notepad had these lines in it.
"
OutputFile: _temp.MDL
Output file after modification: _temp.MDL
Creating output MDL file: _temp.MDL
CRASHTREE no granularity specified
CRASHTREE completed in 00:00:00:0156000 " (no link intended)

From the text within the _xtomdl_err window, I would have naturally presumed that it had built the file. Except for the fact that I saved it as 001_test.*Blg*. And of course the window title has an abbreviation for error. After I closed the notepad window, another error message crops up.

"Generation Complete!

568 vertices in main model"

So has it worked?

I thought I'd look for the file that I'd saved. It was there.

Phew. I hope this is the last problem I encounter. Thanks, one last time, RadarMan.

Roar54

P.S. In future, I'm going to take the error messages that crop up as notifications. That'd be an optimistic view.

Glad to see that your progressing.

One last note, do you know where I can upload payware aircraft? I guess I should have asked this before
Thanks.

You have to make arrangements with a retailer to sell it for you unless you want to open your own site.

You might want to consider having your creation Beta tested before you expect making money from it

Yeah. I'm working on an Alpha at the moment so, it'll be a while. I'll release the free Beta on here and MODDB. Does that sound good?

Well, that'll depend on the soundset you've put into whatever you made

Seriously though, you must agree that without Beta testing your name and reputation can rapidly disappear down a big black hole.

Lol

Yeah. Thanks for the heads up though.

I'll make sure I release a beta and take all of the feedback and rectify or add any improvements.

Oh, and yeah, I'm going to make a full, extensive readme so people know how to install it (and it's gauges). Oh, yeah, would a video readme help? Like a step by step guide? That'd be as well as a text guide.

Thanks for all the support.