Marginal X-Plane Scenery Tutorials Hangar

Using Blender to create X-Plane scenery objects

Overview

This tutorial guides you through the process of creating an X-Plane scenery object - the Virgin hangar at London Heathrow - using the Blender 3D object editor. No prior knowledge of X-Plane internals or Blender is assumed.

This tutorial covers:

• How to set up the correct folder structures for X-Plane scenery.
• How to install and use the X-Plane Blender import/export scripts.
• How to create and manipulate meshes and faces in Blender.
• Use of the Blender UV/Image Editor window to assign textures to individual faces.
• Use of Object, Edit and UV Face Select modes in Blender.
• Use of Wireframe, Solid and Textured shading in Blender.
• Optimising scenery for speed of rendering in X-Plane.
• How to place scenery using the OverlayEditor application.

Contents

1. Setting Up
2. Making a scenery object
3. Applying textures
4. Transparency
5. Optimising for rendering in X-Plane
6. Placing scenery

Mac v Windows v Linux

This tutorial is written assuming that you're using Windows (since that's what I have in front of me). I'd particularly welcome comments from Mac and Linux users on where the tutorial doesn't reflect your experience. 

Behaviour that is specific to Windows, Mac OS X or Linux is prefixed by the icons , or like this:

	Blender is designed for a mouse with three buttons, and that's what this tutorial assumes.
	So where you see:	Do this:
		Click the mouse button.
		Hold down and click the mouse button.
		Hold down and click the mouse button.

The actual building:

The X-Plane scenery object:

Stuff

Copyright © 2004-2006 Jonathan Harris <x-plane at marginal.org.uk>

Marginal X-Plane Scenery Tutorials Hangar