Can someone check over my .sc parameters for my system for orbital errors? The orbital periods of the inner planets are longer than the farther out planets. 

I highly recomed removing the "SemiMayorAxis" parameter and leaving only the period parameter. make it "PeriodDays" so you can be more precise. Space Engine will create the semimayoraxis based on the orbital period you type in

I highly recomed removing the "SemiMayorAxis" parameter and leaving only the period parameter. make it "PeriodDays" so you can be more precise. Space Engine will create the semimayoraxis based on the orbital period you type in

Yep, that did it! Thanks!

So I have a text file saved as the user-eng-db.cfg for the description of my planets in my add on, but the descriptions are not showing up in game

I am trying to work on a couple ships. I sound some really good 3d models and resources but I am pretty new to this.. Is it possible to import real models into the SE ship editor, or do I need a separate program? And if so where do I go from there? Its a lot to figure out. Could someone please answer my initial questions and give me a good set of steps to follow and get started, and whatever outside programs may be necessary if I cant import into the SE editor.. Thanks.

I am trying to work on a couple ships. I sound some really good 3d models and resources but I am pretty new to this.. Is it possible to import real models into the SE ship editor, or do I need a separate program? And if so where do I go from there? Its a lot to figure out. Could someone please answer my initial questions and give me a good set of steps to follow and get started, and whatever outside programs may be necessary if I cant import into the SE editor.. Thanks.

http://spaceengine.org/manual/making-ad ... ng-a-ship/

yes I have read that.. I can get se editor ships to show up.. I cant seem to import a ship from outside the editor, like say a nasa ship into the editor.. Believe me I have read that link and it was helpful with the editor ships themselves.. when I try to import a ship to the editor I get a JSON error or something like that. Anyway.. And I see a lot of mods that are certainly not made in the editor. Look I'm just trying to get my legs under me here and get a good understanding of what I am doing and helpful outside programs as well. Also if learning some code may help I am interested too. I just seem to have trouble getting any answers.

I think there may be some confusion here with the "online" ship editor that allows you to build ships from scratch with included modules, and the built-in shif-F2 editor in S.E. itself.

yes I have read that.. I can get se editor ships to show up.. I cant seem to import a ship from outside the editor, like say a nasa ship into the editor.. Believe me I have read that link and it was helpful with the editor ships themselves.. when I try to import a ship to the editor I get a JSON error or something like that. Anyway.. And I see a lot of mods that are certainly not made in the editor. Look I'm just trying to get my legs under me here and get a good understanding of what I am doing and helpful outside programs as well. Also if learning some code may help I am interested too. I just seem to have trouble getting any answers.

No no confusion. Although I guess that you cant import ships into the online editor?? It has to be done into SE directly??

No no confusion.

Not necessarily from you, but perhaps from some trying to help? Or the confusion could be entirely on my end. Not at all out of the ordinary.

Although I guess that you cant import ships into the online editor?? It has to be done into SE directly??

I didn't think so, but this post by Mosfet implies it may be possible in this post:
http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic. ... 630#p17619

And depending on the model in question, you may need something like Blender to convert to the proper format that SE can import.

Ok so I don't really know how to ask this question.. I have been trying to figure out how to import Atlantis with Tank and boosters for like the last 12 hours. I have created my file paths correctly I believe. I found a 3ds model that I used blender to convert to obj file, and did the export to get the mtl as directed in the ship Importer info on SE. I created my .sss file first and copied the code as a template and modified it the best that I could but obviously I am doing something wrong. Would someone please help me figure this out, it is getting very frustrating. I finally got it to where the name shows up and it doesn't crash but no ship model shows up. I know its a pain working with noobs but I really want to learn how to do this. I wish that there was someone experienced that does imports a lot that would make a step by step youtube tutorial for dummies lol.. Once I get this down I would love to be a contributor to the mod community. I am even willing to spend a great deal on software, I just need to know what is best to use or combinations, and help getting my first mod to work.. 

I have followed to the best of my ability and I cant get a ship to show up

Welcome to the club.

When you import ships and nothing shows up, you should find some clues about the issue with two main tools: the console window (~ key) and the se.log file (in your SpaceEngine/system/ folder). There should be some warnings or error lines describing what's the problem.
You should be warned also that there are some 3d models around the net that seem awesome, yet they fail the SE import phase because of defects in the shape so they need to be modified with a 3d editor like Blender or 3d studio or whatever.
Then there's the materials struggle. You need to edit manually the material file resulting from a conversion (.sml) to make sure it's pointing correctly to the textures, or your model will not show up.

Is blender the best program to use? I noticed in the se thread what appeared to be a much easier export box

Where is that? As long as it has the equivalent exporting features as shown in the manual, it could work.

And at that point I am still not getting a sm file out of it

Then your .obj or .mtl files are missing or not in addons/models/spacecraft/   and addons/textures/spacecraft/ folders respectively.

Look, it's not that you're a noob as you put it, it's complicated indeed.
Personally I don't think a video guide it's feasible at this point. It's a process that's mostly never right the first time you import a model, depending by the original material you find, and very time consuming if well done. Even if someone would be so heroic to do that video, it's guaranteed most people would respond with "I followed the video but it doesn't work".

Try not to vent your frustration in lengthy posts with tons of issues at a time, you need to describe specifically where you're stuck, using the manual as reference.

It would still be very helpful... So the mtl file I need to manually make itno a sml? And for some reason no matter what I do with the obj once in should result In SE making a file?? And is it possible to have just the mesh show up wo texture so atleast you can know if your on the right track?

Also how do you know if the model has defects? I went from hopeful to feeling incapable.. Trying not to give up. It is sort of hard to explain where I am stuck, bc I am not quite sure myself at this point. but thanks for the reply. 

Ok I am starting over today.. Now in theory if I just simply start by creating my sss file, copy the code in the manual and place my sss file in addons/models/spacecraft/discovery just using that as an example then shouldn't my ship name, faction, and class all show up even though I only created the sss so far?

mtl file I need to manually make itno a sml?

No, SpaceEngine does the conversion, you have to manually correct wrong texture path, usually. And adding bump maps, specular maps... if you have it or you make it.

And for some reason no matter what I do with the obj once in should result In SE making a file?

The reason it does make a file is because you prepared a .sss file with a <nameofyourobjfile>.cfg in it, as described in the manual - creating a ship, under "Importing the model from the *.obj format".

is it possible to have just the mesh show up wo texture so atleast you can know if your on the right track?

Never tried. If you don't provide a mtl material file, the cfg file will be without material list, it means you'll have to manually add what it needs, as per manual.

Also how do you know if the model has defects?

If SE doesn't create the mesh, and there are errors in console or in se.log, then you should open your original file in your 3d editor and check for usual issues, like degenerate vertices, flipped normals, duplicated points...

Edit:
On second thought, if there are no replies yet and yours is the last post, you may prefer to edit that post instead of creating another one