I have worked on the FGFS 3D models and model conversion.
Unfortunately, several problems cropped up, slowing me down, but I
fixed moth now. Everything is still a bit unclean (no identation in
XML files, offsets in two xml files etc), but it works on my computer
;-) and I want people to test it and comment.

Here are the results:

- I added the ASW20 and a ppeloc for the Wright Flyer to my homepage, 
the "uiuc section". These contain *.xml files.

- In 0.79, the magic angle has seemingly changed from 5 to 0.4
degrees. The magic z-distance is even in the newest "0.79a" unchanged,
although the name of z-offset has changed at least twice. My homepage
now has instructions and python scripts to run 3D models for an old
FGFS, for 0.79 and for "0.79a".

- I can not load the Wright with the official 0.79, although 
I can load it with (even an old version of) PPE. It is not 
clear to me what is going on, but IMHO building FGFS with the newest
version of PLIB should cure the problem, if you have it. Could people
that compile FGFS with the newest (preferably no older than yesterday)
CVS PLIB test this? You need to get the actual 3D model from
www.flightsim.com.

- When I created my website, FGFS could not read *.MDL models 
(MSFS models). This has changed now and actually there are currently 
two major reasons why one should currently not convert models but use
*.MDLs
directly
* Since noone has to redistribute a changed (converted) model, 
the legal hassle is much less. (Sorry that it took me some time 
to realize this trivial truth again).
* Currently, converting to *.ac makes them non-smooth, as David 
also found out. However, there are is also at least one possible
problem with this. If you use Linux or another filename-case-sensitive
operating system, and if the author of the MDL spelled the 
texture file names in different cases, then you have to edit (change)
the *.MDL. Since we can not save *.MDLs, this means converting them.

- af2rgb does not work if the *.?af files are in reality *.bmps.
I know why this happens and am thinking about how to fix it.
For now, you could load all the files af2rgb can not load 
into GIMP (tell GIMP it is a BMP and if it is one, it will load it).

-There was a bug in PLIB that did not let you load MDLs with over
32 k vertices. As of yesterday's CVS version, the limit 
is now 64 k vertices.

- PPE wrote the ppeloc into a wrong directory. Fixed in CVS.

- I recreated and uploaded the measuring rod to my homepage

- I have a vertex optimizer for MDL models that is on 
my computer :-).

Bye bye,
Wolfram.

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