An Aircraft Template

We have seen how to copy an existing aircraft and load another model aircraft into it. This leaves many extra folders and files that are not needed. These files are confusing.

Another way is to start creating aircraft is for Flight Gear is to use a template aircraft, one with minimal files and independent of any other aircraft. This is especially useful for testing out the 3D model made and how it appears and also if animations work. The template will be an aircraft with working engine and flying model that flies and is controllable.

You can download the template aircraft directly from (source to be given).

This is how I created the template:

Lets create a template from start

1. Download this file :

http://ftp.igh.cnrs.fr/pub/flightgear/ftp/Aircraft-1.9.1/

The T-38 model named T38_20081023.zip

2. Unzip the files into the FlightGear/Aircraft folder.

3. Rename the T38 folder as template.

4. Inside the template folder, find the file named T-38-set.xml and rename it to template-set.xml

If you attempt to load the aircraft, it will show as follows in the FGRUN flight launcher.

In the t38 set file to

<model>

<path>Aircraft/T38/Models/T38-model.xml</path>

</model>

<model>

<path>Aircraft/template/Models/T38-model.xml</path>

</model>

The model loads and runs, but there are many other files that in the template folder that are confusing and irrelevant. These will be explained and deleted later if necessary.

First, subsitute a model into the template folder by copying a model, say liftingbody.3ds into the template/models folder and changing the following line in the aircraft/template/models/T38:

T38-model.xml

<PropertyList>

<path>T38.ac</path>

<PropertyList>

<path>liftingbody.3ds</path>

The model should load, and run

Next: cleaning up the template aircraft to its basics, for use.