navigation lights problem

[mantab]

I am about to finish my  dash8 project so during testing at Meigs I noticed some navigation lights on while on the runway  they go off and on if I press the "L" key I never installed hese lights I have not even  got to that stage yet, could someone tell me what they are and how to get rid of them.
                      thanks.

[SilverFox441]

In the aircraft.cfg file you will find a section similar to the one below:

[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit            
light.0 = 3,  -3.03,-18.11 , 3.58, fx_navred
light.1 = 3,  -3.03,  18.11, 3.58, fx_navgre
light.2 = 3, -21.45,   0.00, 1.95, fx_navwhi
light.3 = 2,  -3.33, -18.31, 3.58, fx_strobe
light.4 = 2,  -3.33,  18.31, 3.58, fx_strobe
light.5 = 1, -21.52,   0.00, 7.40, fx_beacon
light.6 = 4,  -2.24,   0.00, 2.20, fx_vclight

Distance Fore/Aft of reference. - numbers are AFT
Distance Left/Right of reference. - numbers are LEFT
Distance Up/Down of reference. -numbers are DOWN
Effect type to use at the specified location

If you built your plane in FSDS it was probably based on an existing plane's files...this section would have come with it. Not sure how GMax works...but you would have had to have .cfg file and the donor undoubtedly had that section as well.

To get rid of them...simple put a // in front of each entry and then save the .cfg file. In case you didn't know FS .cfg files can be opened in Notepad...just be sure when saving that you save as the right file type.

[mantab]

Thanks Silver Fox 441 you have solved my problem  that was great now I can ge on with it .
               
                  Thanks again Mantab
                           

[SilverFox441]

I should have added one thing:

I suggested you comment out (//) the lines instead of remove them for one simple reason...you're going to want the lights back at some point!

It's easier to edit the entries and remove the comment markers to activate the lights than to try and rebuild the whole section from scratch.

Good luck with your design.

[mantab]

Hi Silver Fox I did put // in front of each entry that got rid of the unwanted nav lights. Since then I have installed my own nav lights,strobe light and landing lights and have not touched the cfg file since the // addition and is all working fine. I am very happy with it
              thanks again Regards Mantab.

[SilverFox441]

How could you put lights in without editing the .cfg again?

Lights are specified in the lights section...

Modelling the lights is possible, but you give up a lot to use modelled lights rather than effects.

[mantab]

This is a copy of what I did in the [Lights] section of the cfg file. I tried to send yo a copy of the whole cfg file but I kept getting a message saying that the message is to long and it would not send it. I still mantain that I have not  touched the cfg file until now and that is to send this copy.

[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit
//light.0=3,   0.56, -28.41,  1.97, fx_navred ,
//light.1=3,   0.56,  28.41,  1.97, fx_navgre ,
//light.2=3, -31.20,   0.00,  9.09, fx_navwhi ,
//light.3=2,   0.89, -27.89,  1.77, fx_strobe ,
//light.4=2,   0.89,  27.89,  1.77, fx_strobe ,
//light.5=1, -25.49,   0.00,  9.74, fx_beacon ,
//light.6=2,  -4.55,   0.00, -1.85, fx_strobe ,
//light.7=4,   5.91,   0.00,  1.64, fx_vclight,

[Falcon500]

on some older aircraft i notice that the "lights" are acually sections of the aircraft skin that lights up, this is made when the model is being animated i believe