What is CVA Converter

CVA Converter is successor of CVA plugins, which works well with new versions of FSDS. With this utility you can import and export objects to/from FSDS in common object formats like DXF or LWO.

Due to changes in FSDS SDK, I changed the look (and name) of program. Now you can use the program also without FSDS, because it is normal exe file, not any DLL with tpi extension. It's now a standalone application which can read/write objects in folowing formats:

• FSDS object (*.fsc) / import-export
  
  
• FSDS part (*.fsp) / import-export
  
  
• AutoCAD DXF (*.dxf) / import-export - It can read aprox. 80% of polygon types which can be in DXF. We have tried objects exported from AutoCAD and 3D Studio and both read it well. There is only a little problem, that when you export object from 3DStudio into DXF, it splits all polygons into triangles, so it don't make the converter, but 3DStudio. When you export object from FSDS into DXF, it writes there all polygons in the same form as it is in FSDS, so it don't split it into triangles or something else. Polygons with 3 and 4 vertexes are writen as 3DFace, others as 3D Polyline. We have tried to import DXFs from FSDS into AutoCAD, 3DStudio and LightWave 3D (using 3D Translator plugin) and in all cases it works well.
  
  
• LightWave (*.lwo) / import only - It can import objects without layers from LW version 5.6 and earlier. If you have some new versions of LightWave, you must save object in old format. In LW 7.0 Modeler is in menu under Export option Export LightWave5, so if you save object with this, CVA Converter can read it.
  
  
• XML (*.xml) / import only - It's my own XML format, diferent than XML from FSDS. It's there only because I'm looking for some way to export objects from gMax. I tried to create in gMax XML file and import it into my Converter, but due to many restrictions in gMax maxscript it works only on very small objects, so practically it's not very useful and I decided not to include the export maxscript into this distribution package.
  
  
• Wavefront (*.obj) / export only - Itīs there only because this format is very easy to save, and I use it for testing, but for somebody can be useful...
  
  

Instalation

To use it like standalone converter, no special installation is needed, just place it somewhere on your harddisk. If you want to use it from FSDS, you can place it in plugins directory under FSDS. If you have it on this place, you have CVA_Converter in plugins menu and you can use it for exporting objects directly from FSDS. There is no support to use the application in "plugin style" for importing. There is also not supported updating of object like it was in CVA plugins.

Using plugin

The main window of CVA Converter is on the following picture:

There are three areas - Input, Output and Parts. In top of Input area is textfield, where you can see filepath of source object and under it some informations about loaded object like number of points, polygons and parts. There are two buttons, Select and Reload. If you choose Select, it shows filedialog to select source object on your disk. After selection it is loaded into Converter, in Part area appears list of parts and also information about number of points/polygons/parts must change. If there is nothing in parts list and indicated number of points is 0, there is something wrong and object is not loaded correctly. With Reload button you can reload the object mentioned in Input textfield without selecting it again in filedialog. It is useful when you change it in other program and save it with same filename.

If you have object loaded in Converter like described above, you can view it with button View object. It's only very simple visualization of object in wireframe. In combobox you can select desired view and with slider you can zoom. There is not supported to move the object.

In the list on the right side you see parts from source object and you can select/deselect each of it. Now one important thing - only selected parts are saved into output object and also only selected parts are viewed if you click on View object button. With All and None buttons under list you can select or deselect all parts.

In Output area you select output object filename with Select button. Output object format you select in filedialog. After selection in filedialog, nothing is saved, it's only selection of filename, anything more. The object is saved even after you click on Convert button. After conversion appears message with some basic informations about saved object. If you want to rotate the output object or flip direction of some axis or flip normals, you can do it with the four checkboxes in output area and coordinates assignment control where you can change the order of X,Y and Z. If you change the order of axis, you can see the change of orientation in "View object" visualization.

Here are some important comments about conversion:

• Surface in LW = Layer in AutoCAD = part in FSDS
• In LWO import there is not supported layers
• In DXF is not supported some not very often used types of polygons
• 1 unit in DXF = 1 unit in FSDS, so you can use units as you want
• 1 meter in LW = 1 unit in FSDS, so you must have FSDS set to use meters, not feets to see object in right dimensions.
• This program don't convert textures, surfaces and other additional object attributies - only geometry
• If you save object in FSP format, it creates as many output files as selected count of parts. For example, if you choose in output file dialog filename airplane.fsp and selected parts are wing and prop, it creates two files airplane_wing.fsp and airplane_prop.fsp.

If you use my program to build your airplanes, please write somewhere in your readme sentence like "I used CVA Converter by Jiri Masnik to create this airplane" - it makes me happy and encourage me in next development.

About author

About CVA Design: CVA Design is a group of people from the Czech Republic, who make high quality freeware addons for Flight Simulator, like airplanes, panels, sceneries, etc..

Legal disclaimer

• Commercial use (for building airplanes which you will sell) of this software is not allowed without permission of the author.
  
• This package may be freely copied and distributed on internet as long as no charges are made for the distribution (If you place it on your web site, please let me know about it).
  
• Selling this package or part of it is not allowed without the written permission of the author.
  
• Putting this package or part of it on CD-ROM/DVD or any other similar medium is not allowed without the written permission of the author.
  
• The archive must be distributed without modification to the contents of the archive. Redistributing this archive with any files added, removed or modified is prohibited.