Building RealFlight8 Models

Development Team
36

Yes, thats a good idea with the sticker.
Whats the meaning of Tridge?

No not butterfly landing.
Butterfly flight mode like this.

from here:

Regards, Otto

37

Hi Tridge,
Here the Files for the non vectored Tailsitter of above.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1s-iICWrAnf8E8c3NjexnqP4g8oTCzcrj

I didn’t get the specification from David so far.
But I hope you can use it with your own data.
I could import it to RF8 without issues.
But editing is still difficult, because crashing after “exit edit”. Even with standard Models.
No answer from KnifeEdge Support so far.
And with this issue, will wait with the link to MP.
Try to install RF8 on another PC. May be Win7, 64Bit,Ultimate does not work with RF8.
Regards, Otto

38

Thanks!
I fixed a couple typos in the FBX file (using a binary editor):

  • CS_SPINNER1 → ~CS_SPINER1
  • ^CS_LMW → ~CS_LWM
    I also think we should use only ascii chars - the german characters in some of the parts don’t display for me. I don’t know if they cause problems in RealFlight.
    I’ve put together an initial physics model, RFX file here:
    https://github.com/ArduPilot/SITL_Models/tree/master/RealFlight/Tridge/TailSitters/Cat
    unfortunately when I start the motors RealFlight dies immediately. I’ll post something on the RF8 forums and see if anyone can work out why.
39

I’ve now got the Cat tailsitter flying - it turns out RF8 doesn’t handle the german characters in the names. I did some more binary editing and I can now fly the model. I’ll do a video soon.

40

Here is a video of the Cat flying:


plus I’ve uploaded the model and parameters to:

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41

Hi Tridge,

Thanks for the Video.
Yes, you are right. Not a good idea to make the design on top like on bottom.
Will change it.
Did I make an error that the props are not to see?
Regards, Otto

Edit:
Will have a look about german characters in the File too.

Did I understand right. You had to change ~CS_SPINNER1 to ~CS_SPINER1 ? (With one “N” only)
Because in the manual it was wrote with 2 "N"s.
https://www.knifeedge.com/KEmax/plane_tutorial.php

Yes, my fault.
Otto

42

It was missing the ~ at the start, and I needed to keep the string length the same when binary editing, so I removed an N to make it fit

I’m not sure - I can’t pick an engine type at all in this file, so something it different from the TVBS model, but I haven’t worked out what yet

43

Here the modified files
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Y_Gvkyt_HCWcCei43x9fq1fSMIxI53n5

Also the .TGA is new. (Color scheme top, belly) both with the same name.
When I import it to RF8 with the start Model e.g. Cessna then in crashes. (one engine only)
But when imported with the start Model caipirinha2, it works.
But can’t see the props, even with exacly the same names (~CS_ENGINE1) OR (~CS_ENGINE2) and the same
linking to the base (~CS_MOUNT1),(~CS_MOUNT2) which are linked to the wing.(~CS_LMW) …

The Props are named: ~CS_ENGINEx (as with caipirinha2)
The Motors as : ~CS_SPINNERx (so it shows the motors spinning, as in caipirinha2)

When a make cat with one Prop (ENGINE) only and as start Model Cessna then I can see the props of the cessna
but in a wrong direction to the vertical cat, of course.
Strange…
Regards, Otto

44

It also looks like it doesn’t like spaces in component names. Removing the spaces from the components got rid of some of the errors, but still doesn’t display the propellers

45

Sorry for the need of repairing.
I had to export, import, start, delete, restart RF8 and redesign with one part, one more, again one more in order to to finde the error.
This because of no inteligent error message of RF8 and simply crashes.
Took me the whole day, wife not happy.:wink:
I replaced German characters, spaces in names, deleted all anused Objects and read
serveral times the manual to check the link conventions.
But will check the names again. Which names did you finde with Spaces?

By the way. RF8 runs on another PC, with Win 7 64 Bit. Back from the Editor the top menu is gone also
but moving the cursor at this place the menu Text comes again at that place where the cursor is.

Which tool do you use to analyse the binary .FBX?
Regards, Otto

46

I edited with emacs and sed. I viewed the contents in blender.

47

Hi Otto,
I now have 3DS max 2018. I got it as an educator (I’m a visiting fellow at my local university). So I’ve been working all day on creating a new plane - its a model of a twin boom TVBS that we’re building in CanberraUAV.
It sure has been hard work today to create the model, but I now have it flying.
I’ve put what I’ve done here:


there are two main issues I haven’t solved

  • the motors don’t show (crashes when I set the visual frame for ~CS_ENGINE1 and ~CS_ENGINE2)
  • the textures don’t show in the right places. I suspect I need a UV map, but so far I haven’t worked out how
    Any suggestions on the 2nd problem?
    I’d still like to learn to use blender, but I’ll go with 3DS max until I’ve learnt my way around the modelling a bit more.
    Cheers, Tridge
48

This is free for max. 3 Years.

It crashes about a lot of things.
The same work function, but as I turned the right,top knob at the TX(RF8) it crased again.
It depends on the selected Start Model. e.g.
With the B52 Bomber (2 engines) it crashed with another 2 mot Model not.
When I draw one engine, it works with Cessna. When I draw 2 Mots it crashed.
I could report nearly hundreds of situations, again tried the whole day.

Now started with the sample Nexstar by modification part by part in direction Tailsitter.
With the Start Model Twinstar (2 Mots) it works, the props are to see, but looks strange a Tailsitter
with the Fuselage of a Nexstar.

Yes, you have to use the modificator Apply UV Map. (They are different)
You will finde a good tutorial on Autodesk. There is also an airplane, and explained how to apply one Texture
about different regions of the Model.

I will poste on Google my .max file of the Caipirinha as sample for you.

Regards, Otto

49

That was probably set to start the motor (throttle servo). That is the channel we’re using for TVBS models for one of the motors.

yes, it does, hopefully after thankgiving we can get some help from Jeremy at KnifeEdge to find the causes.

I’ve spent 3 hours trying to find a tutorial that works so far - no luck yet. It seems there are thousands of tutorials, but finding one that makes sense to a beginner is hard.

ok, thanks, but how would I transfer the UV map from that to my model? Does that even make sense?

50

Here the link to the tutorial
http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2015/DEU/?guid=GUID-E9E0A683-AEB1-4A0C-807D-F18F321C026C
May be it exist in English too.
And here tha last Version of Caipirinha
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hUlm9-zQ2ksTD1fkhjF7LN9YFr81nys2

Sorry today, less time.
Regards, Otto

51

I have seen, you have 4 .TGA Files on Github.
It should be one only, 2048x2048 Pixels.
in the Artists tutorial pdf here:http://www.knifeedge.com/KEmax/tutorials.php
Will have a look in your .max when more time.
Kind regards, Otto

52

Can’t load wing4.max because you use a newer Version (2018) and I 2015.
Could you save and poste the File as 2015 max. (File type while saving)?
Regards, Otto

53

thanks for looking into this!
I’ve put a 2015 copy here:
http://uav.tridgell.net/lorbass/

54

ahh, I got it! both motors showing in the CUAV_TVBS.
The trick was to not use more than one texture file.

55

I’ve put all the files here:
http://uav.tridgell.net/CanberraUAV/TVBS_2017/
video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO4XeMSih1A
sorry for lack of audio

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