Landing and taxi lights

[NCGent]

Can anyone tell me how you set the direction of landing and taxi lights? After installing the lights I start up FS9 and the lights are pointed towards the aircraft instead of the runway, where am I going wrong?

[Milton]

The Local coordinate pivot of the lighted material object sets the location of the light source.

That object must be linked (parented) and the local coordinate pivot of the parent sets the direction of the beam, Z faces opposite the beam direction.

Hope this helps.

[NCGent]

Thanks for your quick answer Milton, I am sorta kinda new at this so im not real sure what all of that means. Anyway you could put that in dummy turms?....haha

[Milton]

Okay, take a look at the attached screen shot.



The gray rectangles are planars that are only used to apply the light_land material to.  The pivot of the planar sets the location of the light source (bulb?).

The lens behind the planars are used as parents.  The planars are linked to the lens.

The pivot of the lens determines the direction of the light beams.  You will notice the Z axis pointing rearward away from the gray planars.

This second screenshot shows the location of the Hierarchy button and the Local Coordinate button that must be used to AFFECT PIVOT ONLY and rotate the lens Local Coordinate pivot so that Z points rearward.

[NCGent]

Thanks alot Milton for your time and effort in answering my question, but I am using FSDSv3. I have searched for over 3 hours but have only found tut's on this subject for lower ver's of FSDS and they wont work for mine, or "I" can not make it work anyway. I guess this aircraft will have to go without landing and taxi lights like the rest I have made.

Thanks again for your time
Chris

[Milton]

Okay, but the name light_land and light_taxi still has meaning, and I would think that the pivots would also need to be set the same.

If you need additional names, light_land_01 , 02 etc will work.

Also, you must still adhere to the makemdl conventions so the light color (typically a tannish white) or material or texture must be in the diffuse slot.

And I suppose now that I have been through all this explanation and pictures, some FSDSV3 guru will come to the rescue and say I'm full of sh**.  lol

Thanks for listening anyhow. :-)

[curlyo]

Milton   I'm in FSDv3 and about too add lights to my model. Your input, as allways' is of great value to we who wish too learn. It also helps me to understand more of GMAX, so keep the help coming please.

cheers

Frank.