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Tutorials - CFS3 SDK
Combat Flight Simulator 3 SDK
Combat Flight Simulator 3 SDK/Tools
Download the latest Software Development Kits (SDKs) to enhance your gaming enjoyment. You'll find descriptions of these SDK below. Check this site often to download the latest CFS3 tools.
Although portions of the SDKs may prove useful to Combat Flight Simulator enthusiasts with little or no programming experience, keep in mind that many parts of the SDKs assume familiarity with XML, the C programming language, and game development.
Note:
The information in the SDKs are NOT supported by Microsoft Product Support.
The SDKs and Tools covered on this page include:
Before you begin:
The Microsoft® Windows® Installer is an application installation and configuration service. You'll need the Windows Installer on your system to install some of these SDKs. The Windows Installer is built into Windows XP. Use the following web links if you have a different version of Windows:
Windows Installer 2.0 Redistributable for Windows NT 4.0 and 2000
Windows Installer 2.0 Redistributable for Windows 95, 98, and Me
Aircraft, Vehicle, and Building SDK v1.5
Note: In order to install properly, you should first make sure that discreet gmax is installed. To get it, please visit http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/.
What's new in v1.5 of the Aircraft and Vehicle SDK?
 | Mosaic File Editing Tool. This lets you edit .MOS files, which contain information on how damage, colors and nose art are displayed on aircraft. Important: see the list of additional requirements, below, for the mosaic editing tool.
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| Gmax plugin now supports more than 7 virtual cockpits. The gmax plugin previously supported up to 7 virtual cockpits. In conjunction with the CFS3.1 patch and the included gmax plugin, you can now create aircraft that have more than 7 virtual cockpits.
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| Modeling Document Improvements. There is more documentation in the modeling document on standards for textures and vehicles.
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| Effects List. A list of the effects is included.
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Important:
The Mosaic File Editing Tool requires that DirectX 9 and the .NET Framework.
You can install DirectX 9 via http://www.microsoft.com/directx. You can install the .net framework via the Windows Update website.
Note: DirectX 9 includes a component ("Managed DirectX 9") that is dependent on the .net framework being installed. Therefore, it is important that you install the .net framework first, and then install DirectX 9. If you have installed DirectX 9 before installing the .net framework, you will need to re-run the DirectX 9 setup to ensure that "Managed DirectX 9" is installed properly.
Also, some DirectX 9 installation utilities do not include the Managed DirectX 9 component. The best means of obtaining the Managed DirectX 9 component is to use the web setup at the link provided above.
If you have previously installed the Aircraft and Vehicle SDK, please remove the SDK using Add/Remove programs.
DOWNLOAD NOW 15MB
(avsdk15.msi)
Combat Flight Simulator 3 Terrain SDK - Public Beta v2.0
Based upon the feedback we received from the initial public beta release of the CFS3 Terrain SDK, the SDK has been updated November 3, 2003. Early users reported the omission of the information necessary to model water and shorelines from the original public beta release. This updated release includes the information necessary to address this issue. As this is new content, we will consider this version to be released as a public beta in order to allow for a wider evaluation. We will entertain feedback for this new content over the next two to three weeks. We will post the final version of the Terrain SDK upon the review of feedback, and completion of any required enhancements.
About the CFS3 Terrain SDK:
The CFS3 Terrain SDK is a set of build level tools for creating and manipulating all aspects of CFS3 Terrain.
Creating a full set of CFS3 terrain requires experience in working with geological data. Specifically, creating new terrain assumes to Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, vector data as well as land class maps.
Tools are also provided for working with existing scenery. For example, you can manipulate the CFS3 Global Layer as well as modify the terrain mosaics used in game.
Like all SDKs, the CFS3 Terrain SDK is not supported by Microsoft Product Support Services. The terrain SDK was tested on the Windows XP operating system; its ability to function on other operating systems remains untested.
The requirements of the Terrain SDK are:
| Windows XP
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| Combat Flight Simulator 3.1
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| .Net Framework
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| Managed DirectX
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The .net framework is available via Windows Update.
Managed DirectX is required for the Terrain Mosaic editor. It is a part of the larger DirectX package. You can ensure that Managed DirectX is installed on your machine by following these instructions.
The public beta is a functional set of tools you can use to manipulate terrain data. However, it may have bugs or problems that prevent you from fully using all aspects of the SDK. We welcome your feedback, suggestions, and bug reports at cfssdkfe@microsoft.com.
DOWNLOAD NOW 5MB
(terrainsdk.msi)
Mission Editing SDK
The Mission Editing SDK contains a Microsoft Word document with specifications on the mission and spawn file formats. With this document and a tool for editing XML files (like Microsoft Notepad), you'll be on your way to creating new missions for Combat Flight Simulator 3.
DOWNLOAD NOW 200KB
(missionsdk.msi)
Combat Flight Simulator 3 Mission Builder SDK v1.0
The CFS3 Mission Builder v1.0, which is based on the Mission Builder that was included with Combat Flight Simulator 2, includes the following features:
| Create and edit routes for air and ground formations, as well as place extra facilities in your missions
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| Visually edit aspects of your formations; drag and drop formation waypoint routes
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| Edit spawn tables to define how new facilities and formations are created
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| Edit spawned formations and define how they are positioned
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| Help System
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Important: The CFS3 Mission Builder v1.0, like all CFS3 SDK items, is not supported by Microsoft Product Support Services.
Also, the Combat Flight Simulator 3 Mission Builder lets you modify files that come with Combat Flight Simulator 3, and you may corrupt or otherwise imbalance the missions that come with the game. You may need to reinstall Combat Flight Simulator 3 to restore these files to their original state.
Note: The CFS3 Mission Builder v1.0 requires the CFS3.1 Update. Be sure to read through the Mission Builder v1.0 Release Notes.
DOWNLOAD NOW 6MB
(cfs3mb10.msi)
We would like to encourage your feedback and bug reports. Please send them to cfssdkfe@microsoft.com.
When reporting problems or feature requests, please state the following:
| Machine Configuration (Processor, Video Card, Sound Card, etc.)
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| Operating System
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| Description of problem
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| How did you notice this was a problem?
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| Steps to reproduce the problem
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| Mission file(s) that demonstrate the problem, if any
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Please try to make these descriptions as simple and as reproducible as possible.
ViewUI Developer Description: Understanding the ViewUI.xml file
ViewUI.xml, included with Combat Flight Simulator 3, contains view defaults and preferences. Some questions have come up regarding the format of this file. An annotated version of the XML is attached below.
To save the file to your computer, right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As".
ViewUI.xml
Like many Combat Flight Simulator 3 settings files, a default version of the file is located in the users Combat Flight Simulator Directory (usually, c:\program files\microsoft games\combat flight simulator 3.).
However, if the user changes any preferences in-game, a modified version of the ViewUI.xml is stored in the users Application Data directory (on a Windows XP machine, this is c:\documents and settings\[user name]\application data\microsoft\combat flight simulator 3.0. The Application Data and/or Microsoft directory may be hidden on your machine.)
Therefore, if you wish to experiment with changing ViewUI.xml, you should first:
| Back up your copy of viewui.xml in your Combat Flight Simulator directory.
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| Delete the copy of viewui.xml in your Application Data\Combat Flight Simulator 3 directory.
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As you modify the copy of viewui.xml in your Combat Flight Simulator directory, make sure to remove the automatically saved version of viewui.xml in your Application Data directory.
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Maps2BglX 2.6 ßeta
