Questions about converting to .x files

You may have just noticed my thread on the Basingstoke signal cabin, conversion of which from .b3d to .x format led to several questions which need answering...

1) The original object was intended for openBVE so all the textures were in .png format, which didn't load into the BVE4 structure viewer. Is there any viewer which affords a conversion facility which will accept these?

2) Having converted textures to .bmp, the viewer accepted these and converted successfully to .x, the "text" option. In this text file I located and replaced instances of .bmp with .png - however this did not allow the .x file to display the .png textures. Is there something else I should do?

3) Instances of "Emissive whatever..." were ignored, but the error message given by the structure viewer was "incorrect syntax." This suggests the command would be accepted but that I need a different way of writing it?

4) "ScaleAll whatever..." is spat out entirely - Darn! This means I need to re-write the whole lot...?

5) Is there a guide anywhere to the .x format? Or is this something perhaps best not written to directly?

6) Am I doing the correct thing in choosing the .x text variety rather than the binary form or whatever the third option is?

There must be an easier way, but I think those questions will keep us busy for now!

And one more point...

The header file (i.e. the bit commented out with all the credits) seems to disappear after conversion to .x - is there any way to preserve this, or even a way to add it to the resultant .x file please?

I tried csv2x on me 64-bit after putting the dx.dll files in and regging
them, didn't work so put the d3drm.dll file into syswow64 folder and then it
worked. Not sure if tells you to do that in the 64-bit part, but does in the 32
-bit part.

Thanks Mick, and a warm welcome!

To expand on this, Mick has drawn my attention to this thread: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=141444 on how to make BVE work with Vista.

Now I am not a computer expert, neither do I run Vista or Win7, so I'm not in a postion to verify these comments, but here is the proces which Mick has followed in order to make Mackoy's conversion and other tools to work with Win7:

Vista x86 (32 bit)

You need to download 3 files, or if you still have XP copy them across to your Vista installation. Those 3 files are:

dx7vb.dll
dx8vb.dll
d3drm.dll

You can find them on your XP installation under the Windows\System32 directory. The download links are:

http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-.../download.html

http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-.../download.html

http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-.../download.html


Now that you have those 3 files, you need to put them in the Vista system32 directory, this is usually C:\Windows\System32 - best way to do this is to move them using Windows Explorer.

Go to the Start Button, choose All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt. You should get a black window titled "Administrator: Command Prompt" - if not, right click Command Prompt in the start menu and choose "Run as administrator".

In the command window, type in the following (note that <enter> means press the enter key):

cd c:\windows\system32 <enter> (assuming windows is on your C: drive, if not put the correct letter in.)

regsvr32 dx7vb.dll <enter> Click OK on the window that comes up saying dllregserver succeeded

regsvr32 dx8vb.dll <enter> Click OK on the window that comes up saying dllregserver succeeded

exit <enter>

That should be it - give BVE a try.


Vista x64 (64 bit)

Follow the steps above up to and including opening the command prompt. However, instead of copying the files to c:\windows\system32, copy them to c:\windows\syswow64

In the command window, type in the following (note that <enter> means press the enter key):

cd c:\windows\syswow64 <enter> (assuming windows is on your C: drive, if not put the correct letter in.)

regsvr32 dx7vb.dll <enter> Click OK on the window that comes up saying dllregserver succeeded

regsvr32 dx8vb.dll <enter> Click OK on the window that comes up saying dllregserver succeeded

exit <enter>

BVE should now work on Vista x64.


Now Mick has followed the instructions above, but did not achieve success, but followed with the following experiment:


Tried csv2x on me 64-bit after putting the dx.dll files in and regging them, didn't work so put the d3drm.dll file into syswow64 folder and then it worked. Not sure if tells you to do that in the 64-bit part, but does in the 32-bit part.


Success then! I wonder if that means we can run great programs like "Switch" in Win7 too? As I said, I am in no position to comment, but perhaps you guys with more up-to-date operating systems can give this a try and offer some feedback please. If it works then it will be worth creating a separate section containing this and other guides for control over BVE5.

Alan.

Pleased to report that my csv2x now works after applying the method that guillyman provided. However I tried using structure viewer as well. It ran without a problem however when it loaded an object, I was unable to move around with the mouse.

Interesting! Did it move with the keys? Personally I'm lost without the use of a mouse, but at least that's three people who've had a degree of success with Mick's suggestions.