9 August 2020
Increased engine power to 210 HP ( same as the Reims Rocket and Cessna 172 XP), climb rates are improved but cruise speed is not much different, still a worthwhile improvement. I just edited the HP tag in the JBSIM model file to 210 hp
Final set of improvements to be done:
Standard instrument layout as much as possible (standard T)
Replace 3D pilot with a newer one
Smooth out tail surfaces
Add animations, flaps, prop, throttle, mixture, etc
Add internal map holder with maps with changeable pages
Add all other instruments needed - radio, autopilot etc.
Of course I could release a Beta model.
29 June 2020
It is much easier now using the Wings 3D modelling environment and using the .3ds format that Wings 3D can export and import directly, without any errors. Editing or modifying aircraft much easier and more pleasant.
Latest additions to the Cessna 172 are : a pilot, instruments and interior colors. Interior materials need to be sorted out as some of them are not showing as expected.
I also did some cross country flights from KSJC to JSCK (Stockton), found the airport, and landed easily, it was a very pleasant flight, using the autopilot from the menu. Referring only to the ASI, ALT, and VSI without the airtifical horizon, using the outside as a reference point was much easier and more accurate. After the Mirage 2000, landing was almost too easy, though the cross wind landing at KSCK was not quite what was desired.
Approach to KSCK. The large building on the left needs a realistic replacement.
Instruments added, and cruising behind a red cowling, and in a monochrome interior.
The Cessna in Wings3D, with a pilot modified from the standard FG 'testpilot.ac' in the models folder. Seats are new, and all are coloured textures, not materials.
The Cessna 172, N1234, in Flight Gear at Stockton.
27 June 2020
New knowledge on how to modify aircraft and how to use the folder structure has revived interest in modifying aircraft. Starting with the Mirage 2000, with some success in changing the tires and wheels in that aircraft, I returned to the Cessna 172 and other aircraft that I had started to modify.
The 3d tools used are Blender 2.4 and Wings 3D 1.4, Win32 versions running in WINE on Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia on a 2015 HP 45 laptop. The versions of Wings and Blender have the required import and export features and Wings runs without crashing, so that version is chosen.
The method used for adding colours to the model at present is Materials only, since this is the easiest to use, and also textures are difficult to apply smoothly to a model, at least in my experience.
Changes planned for the C172 are as follows:
Replace seats with nicer ones
Include a pilot
add instrument panel with custom instruments
Smooth all surfaces where possible
Change the wheels and tires for a better version
Ground rumble and interactions
Rotating wheels and tires
Bouncing on landing, changing gear damping settings
Changing engine power from 160hp to 180 or 200 this is done in real life
Adding an experimental glass panel - most probably from an airliner
Adding registration lettering
Smoother version of vertical stablizer
Each version will be saved separately after modification to preserve recovery if a model goes wrong after a change.
Listed below is an earlier version of how to change the aircraft, this write up will be replaced soon with an actual run-through. The experience has been very interesting and rewarding so far, and I look forward to publishing the model.
The final result: standard Cessna 172, c172p, after importing by Blender into .obj file format (Wavefront) and then importing into Wings 3D, coloring materials and exporting from Wings 3D into .3ds format. Without textures, the model is attractive enough, and improvements to the 3D model can be performed and reviewed rapildy from Wings 3D to Flight Gear. Rounding off edges is a first step, including the panel. Adding a pilot is another.
Version 3 with rounded front fuselage and red colors
Rounding off the front cowl and also creating a air inlet with rounded edges one improvement in V3.
The first step consists of copying the files of the Cessna 172 into a separate folder and changing the configuration files. The stock Cessna 172p consists of the two folders: one named c172 and the other named c172p. (Note: the c172p folder cannot be removed completely without causing problems when this aircraft is loaded as scenery the software will generate an error.)
Copy and paste the entire c172p folder. The folder will show up as c172p (copy 1) in the file manager and will show up with the same name in the Flight Gear Launcher.
Rename the folder: in my case have renamed it to c172pFG1234 and that shows in the FGRUN Flight Gear Launcher listing instead of c172p (copy1). So changing the aircraft folder name causes this name to change.
The next step is to modify the 3D model. Changing the paint scheme (called texture in 3D modelling terms ) on the aircraft, which will result in a change in the appearance of the airplane. To make the change show up in the launcher, we will have to edit the model file named c172p-set.xml which is inside the folder aircraft//c172pFG1234/
Change the path to the folder to refer to the new folder, this line is found inside the <model> tags:
<model>
<path archive="y">Aircraft/c172pFG1234/Models/c172p.xml</path>
</model>
Now the Cessna 172p with the new blue livery shows up in the launcher.
There is one more step needed to make the airplane load into Flight Gear. Displaying the launch parameters from the fgrun launcher shows the following :
C:\Program Files\FlightGear\bin\Win32\fgfs.exe
--fg-root=C:\Program Files\FlightGear\data
--fg-scenery=C:\Program Files\FlightGear\data\Scenery;C:\Program Files\FlightGear\scenery
--aircraft=c172p
Fgrun is launching the original c172p, obviously there has to be a way to launch the modified aircraft by changing a parameter somewhere.
Change the name of the -set file in the new airplane folder (...Aircraft/c172pFG1234/) to the following:
c172pfg1234-set.xml
This works. Fgrun displays a different --aircraft parameter when launching:
--aircraft=c172pfg1234
What has happened here? Flight gear uses the first part of the -set file to identify the aircraft. Selecting this name launches the aircraft model named c172pfg1234.
To summarize, when making a copy of an existing aircraft and making changes to that aircraft, these steps must be followed:
Copy the aircraft folder
Rename the aircraft folder (if you use the same name for the new folder, the aircraft will not be listed in fgrun)
Make changes to the 3D file or texture of the aircraft
Edit the -set file to refer to the model within the new aircraft folder
Change the name of the -set file.
Some of the configuration files inside the c172pfg1234 folder will continue to refer to and use many files in the original folder, but this is not a problem right now. If we want to change anything we make changes in the local folder and change the references as needed.
June 26, 2020
Along with some knew found knowledge and confidence in knowing how FG works, continuing the improvement of the Cessna 172: The above steps were followed, in addition, the highlighted files were cut and pasted into a separate arhives folder as they were unnecessariy complicating my model and needed ot be undrstodd befire used.
Similarly for the model files:
Lets see if the model will load:
It does not show up in the launcher. Very well there is a model that was tested as loading earlier adn so that is copied to the folder, a 3d model and the model file is made to refer to that model,
I deleted a whole lot of stuff, reference to nasal files, panel, kp autopilot and everything until I was left with the following int eh set file:
Model not loading, loading old model:
C:\Program Files (x86)\FlightGear\bin\Win32\fgfs.exe
--fg-root=C:\Program Files (x86)\FlightGear\data
--fg-scenery=C:\Program Files (x86)\FlightGear\data\Scenery;C:\Program Files (x86)\FlightGear\scenery
--aircraft=c172p
--control=joystick
Again, this was fixed by changing the name of the -Set file although inside the folder new folder, it has o t be of a dfirrent name or the system will use the -set of the other aircraft previously on tp of this owne