Marketplace package name: Indiafoxtecho Cavour and Queen Elizabeth packages (not uploaded yet) - closest packages USS America and USS Ford
Context: MSFS2020 imported content in MS2024 Community folder
Bug description:
We have two, unrealeased MSFS2020 aircraft carriers (static scenery):
Queen Elizabeth
Cavour
We were waiting to test them in MSFS2024 before releasing them, but we are experiencing a couple of weird issues:
On BOTH aircraft, the AW-101 model (helicopter) visibility is very strange. Basically the model shows completely only at a VERY short distance. See attached picture:
It is a static object, compiled with MSFS2020 tools. All the other objects in the scene (ships, F-35s, AV-8Bs and even small details like wheelchocks and towbars) show correctly - no issues whatsovevr.
Our USS Ford and USS America carriers are WAY more complex (more materials and polygons) and have no issues.
I have tried merging all the helo parts on a single multimaterial object in 3D Studio, but no difference.
If we modify the helicopter model, and rebuild the whole package in MSFS2020 WITHOUT deleting the old package first and past it again in the 2024 Community folder, MOST OF THE OTHER OBJECTS DO NOT SHOW in MSFS2024.
On the contrary, if we modify the helicopter model, we delete the package in the MSFS2020 working folder, rebuild it from scratch and then copy-paste the package in the 2024 Community folder, everything shows again (but the helo still has the visibility issues).
After multiple tests and trying different methods, I wa
Repro steps:
Every time we load our Cavour and Queen Elizabeth model.
Image 3) AV8B, F-35 models (same techniques and more or less same number of polys) work fine - and are clearly visible from a reasonable distance. Note the helos have disappeared, but wheelchocks (which are much smaller separate objects) are visible.
To help Asobo determine the cause faster, can you open in 2024 the debug tool and see if they are showing RED in verts limits, or other parameters? it will provide a clue to why MSFS 2024 is culling them.
if this is compiled in MSFS 2020, the rules of LODs, etc. should be as per MSFS 2020, the debug tool screenshot will allow the Asobo devs to catch what’s happening and identify if this is a bug and on which area.
This is what I get from the debug options.
The helicopter models appears completely if the vertex count is green (but no shadows - shadows will appear at a closer distance).
The puzzling thing is this is a MSFS2020 package content - and works perfectly on MSFS2020. I expected visibility conditions to be the same.
Thanks, but the helicopter has NO LODs - and this only happens to the helicopter model.
We have far more complex scenese (e.g. USS Ford with full battle group, and dozens of aircraft on the deck) and the scene renders perfectly fine…
…moreover, othe aircraft on the deck (AV-8B and F-35, which have a similar number of polygons and drawcalls render perfectly fine).
Thanks for your input.
However, the Nimitz model (with way more objects, materials and polys) shows perfectly fine on MSFS2020 (PC and XBox) and MSFS2024.
The problem problem seems limited to the EH-101 / AW-101 helicopter model - everything else works fine.
What’s the scale set to on the missing tail section in your modelling tool?
I’ve had some weirdness when the model was exported before the scale was applied/baked into the model/object. Even though the object looked fine when it rendered, it messed with the draw distance as the sim thought it was too small to render yet, irrespective of polys and draw calls. Might be worth looking at.
Thanks - I though that too, but the model is a single, multimaterial node (all parts merged into one in 3DS Max).
In any case I had reset all XForm modifiers… and the problem is still there.
I suspect the mesh is corrupt - I have tried all our other naval sceneries, and they all work fine.
The problem is definitely limited to the AW101… so I think the problem is the model itself, or its configuration.
Hmmm… intruiging. Does the wireframe show correctly? I know there are some reports re reflections not working/reversing. I wonder if the face of that element has reversed and you have an invisible backface.
I think I solved the problem - there was indeed something corrupt with the mesh and/or GLTF (and possibly its interaction with the sim, in ways I do not understand).
The issue was solved as follows:
In 3DS Max, I have created a new box object, merged the helicopter model into it and then deleted the box geometry - this usually results in a “new” object (and vertex list). Also, applied a vertex weld (with 0,001m tolerance) - mostly just to make sure there were no duplicate vertices.
GLTF was exported with MSFS2020 tools.
In MSFS2020, I rebuilt the package → This creates a very strange issues: the bounding box of the helicopter models have weird size/orientations (which was unexpected, but a sign that something was off wth the mesh). I have removed them and placed new helicopters on the deck, and recompiled the package.
In MSFS2024, now everything is working fine.
So, the issue was definitely caused by an unidentified anomaly in the helicopter model or GLTF files.
It is still worth noting that the model was perfectly fine in MSFS2020 - the issue was only visible in MSFS2024…
.