Rhino FS2 Tutorial

<2.5 - Layers>

Ok, now we need to really start thinking ahead to the conversion to TS's COB and FS2's POF. In order to get turrets (and any other special stuff you might want) to work, they need to be seperate subobjects in POF and seperate groups in COB. Since Rhino and TS cannot directly convert each other's files, we need to go through a 3rd file format, AutoCAD's DXF. This is the only format that I have discovered that preserves Rhino's layers and converts them into groups when imported into TS.

When assigning surfaces to layers in Rhino, you need to keep a number of things in mind:

  1. Rhino layers = TS groups = FS2 subobjects.
  2. Subobjects in FS2 cannot have more than ~750 polys. There have been exceptions to this rule, but no one has discovered the reason why those exceptions worked. So to be safe, keep the number of surfaces on any given layer to a maximum of 750.
  3. Any part of a model in FS2 that you want to move, such as solar panels rotating or thruster flames on a fighter growing and shrinking, must be a seperate subobject. This includes rotating parts, separately destroyable parts, thruster flames and turrets (if they are multipart turrets - ie. a base that turns and barrels that elevate - then the base needs to be one subobject and the barrels a separate subobject).

So, in short, keep the polycount on a layer below 750, and make sure that all the turrets and other moving stuff are on seperate layers.

Edit Layers L-click: Change Layer R-click: Match Layer L-click: Set Current Layer R-click: Set Current Layer to Object One Layer On One Layer Off All Layers On Layers Palette

Now how do you work with layers in Rhino? Well, I'm not going to go into detail here, and Rhino has excellent reference documentation, but like every other tool in the program, select the objects that you want to perform an action on, and then select the tool. I suggest you experiment a bit to get to know what does what, but trust me - it's easy.

One thing that you can do either here or in TS is give the layers/groups names. I prefer to do what I can in Rhino, as renaming groups in TS can get annoying very easily. The top-left button, Edit Layers, will bring up a nice window where you can rename the layers, turn them on or off and even assign them different colors.

Select All Polylines

But before you start messing with layers, click on the Select All Polylines button, right next to our friend, Select All Surfaces. Then press Delete. We don't need them no more. :) Now go mess around with layers, and continue this when you're ready.


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