Need Help Importing CAD Model from Onshape to RealFlight Evo

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Kaizarmerchantt

New member
Hello everyone,

I've recently created a detailed aircraft model using Onshape, a CAD software, and now I'm facing some challenges trying to import it into RealFlight Evo. RealFlight Evo doesn't directly support the file formats exported by Onshape, such as STEP or STL, which has led me to explore alternative methods to make this happen.

My goal is to convert the STEP or STL files from Onshape into FBX format, and then from FBX into either RFX or 3DS formats, which are compatible with RealFlight Evo. Additionally, I need to ensure that the parts of my model are named according to the naming hierarchy required by the RealFlight simulator, as I'm working with a hybrid VTOL model.

I'm unsure whether to approach this problem by converting and importing one part at a time or the full assembly at once. If anyone has experience with either method, I would greatly appreciate your insights on which approach might be more efficient and effective.

Specifically, I'm looking for advice on:

  1. Software tools or methods to convert STEP or STL files into FBX format.
  2. Tools or methods to further convert FBX files into RFX or 3DS format.
  3. Tips on naming parts according to the RealFlight simulator hierarchy.
  4. Guidance on whether to tackle the conversion and import process one part at a time or the entire assembly together.
Any insights, recommendations, or step-by-step instructions would be immensely helpful in overcoming this challenge. Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Best regards,
Kaizar Merchant
 
@Kaizarmerchantt, this has come up before. Unfortunately, there is no good way to do what you're hoping to do.

If you do get to a point where you have a model that satisfies all of RealFlight's requirements and can export it as an .FBX, no further conversion is necessary. You import the .FBX in RealFlight and set up physics there.

You can export your finished model as an .RFX, which is importable by other RealFlight installations and suitable for sharing with other users on the RealFlight Swap Pages.

The .3DS file format is no longer relevant to RealFlight.
 
Ryan Douglas said:
@Kaizarmerchantt, this has come up before. Unfortunately, there is no good way to do what you're hoping to do.

If you do get to a point where you have a model that satisfies all of RealFlight's requirements and can export it as an .FBX, no further conversion is necessary. You import the .FBX in RealFlight and set up physics there.

You can export your finished model as an .RFX, which is importable by other RealFlight installations and suitable for sharing with other users on the RealFlight Swap Pages.

The .3DS file format is no longer relevant to RealFlight.
Click to expand...
I got the model in Real Flight. Now setting up physics is becoming an issue, is there any pre existing documents/tutorials that i could refer?
 
That's an interesting problem.

In what way is it hybrid VTOL?

I wonder if taking a look at the physics of existing such aircraft can help. There's a v22 model I'm pretty sure, an airwolf somewhere in the past with jets with the throttle of that on a variable knob, a harrier. Wonder if any of those past models fits your project the best?

Does one presumably mash together components of an aircraft and then lift thrusters/rotors with a gyro (ie the way one would create a model for a heli or multirotor) for the vtol component?
 
I have an electric Vtol. if you are familiar with Missionplanner x SITL model Altitransition. mine is similar to that. I took the same model as my reference while importing and it took all the positions of pivots and servos according to Altitransition instead of my custom model. It deoesnt even overlap with my custom aircraft. any suggestions regarding that? Can I move the position of the servo outputs?
 
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