3D lights!

[lunitic_8]

I see you took my advice  8-)

[C170b]

Does anyone know where the fx_siroccogtx2_light.bmp file is? It's supposed to come with the yahct, but it is eluding me!
Thanks.

[ApplePie]

It's in the effects/texture folder.

[Mitch.]

Thanks for the Heads-up Christian, just installed them on my De Havilland Comet with more aircraft to follow. 8-)

[gtirob01]

For anyone interested, Here is a good list you can reference for FSX aircraft

http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/sto ... ts_fsx.htm

And for FS9
http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/sto ... ts_fs9.htm

[C170b]

Great, thanks ApplePie.

[B_7772]

Just to make sure I fully know how to install these 3D lights:

1. Install the yacht ApplePie linked to.
2. Copy the lines below the [LIGHTS] section (in the yacht's aircraft.cfg).
3. Pasted it onto the end of every [LIGHTS] section, in every plane/helicopter's aircraft.cfg.

[ApplePie]

3. Pasted it onto the end of every [LIGHTS] section, in every plane/helicopter's aircraft.cfg.

The [LIGHTS] coordinates are different for each aircraft, so you have to find them yourself. (I'm making a list of coordinates for a bunch of freeware aircraft and it should be done sometime in the next week.)

[B_7772]

3. Pasted it onto the end of every [LIGHTS] section, in every plane/helicopter's aircraft.cfg.

A better way to say that is:

3. Pasted it onto the end of every [LIGHTS] section, change the numbers so that they line up (i.e., 6, 7, 8, ect.).
4. Repeat in every plane/helicopter's aircraft.cfg.

[Fr. Bill]

[quote]I had identified the FX file that was producing this nice little effect. Since the landing lights in FS9 or FSX are handled by fx_landing.fx, I thought that renaming the 3D effect file to "fx_landing" (I saved the original, of course) would do the trick, and all my planes would get a nice 3D landing light.

And guess what ?.... It DIDN'T WORK

[Daube]

Thanks for the info Fr.Bill, but there is also some wrong things in your explanations

Yes, the fx_landing is supposed to make the little ugly light bulb appear, but it's even more hard-coded than you said.
By replacing the fx_landing with the 3D effect, my purpose was not really to get lights on the ground, it was just to "replace" this ugly light bulb with this nice 3D effect. Unfortunately, the effect is not only attached to the model, it is completely copied into the model. So basically, even if one replaces or deletes completely this fx_landing effect, he will still get the ugly light bulb on the aircraft. The fx file on the disk is ignored by the sim, the effect is completely integrated into the model. That's why it didn't work.

[C170b]

BoeingGuy,
When you say,

A better way to say that is:

3. Pasted it onto the end of every [LIGHTS] section, change the numbers so that they line up (i.e., 6, 7, 8, ect.).
4. Repeat in every plane/helicopter's aircraft.cfg.

do you mean replace the existing lights, or just add these on to the end?
Thanks
C170B

[Daube]

At the end !
Do not replace any lines.

[Fr. Bill]

Thanks for the info Fr.Bill, but there is also some wrong things in your explanations ;)

Yes, the fx_landing is supposed to make the little ugly light bulb appear, but it's even more hard-coded than you said.
By replacing the fx_landing with the 3D effect, my purpose was not really to get lights on the ground, it was just to "replace" this ugly light bulb with this nice 3D effect. Unfortunately, the effect is not only attached to the model, it is completely copied into the model. So basically, even if one replaces or deletes completely this fx_landing effect, he will still get the ugly light bulb on the aircraft. The fx file on the disk is ignored by the sim, the effect is completely integrated into the model. That's why it didn't work.

Well, we are both right up to a point...

You are right in that it is far worse than I originally thought, but wrong insofar as how the effect file is "integrated" into the model...

When FSX is loaded, ALL .fx files in the folder are loaded into memory. So, unless you shut down FSX and then reload it, you can change/rename/delete .fx files until the cows come home and nothing will change!

I just spent about an hour running extensive tests on just what in the fx_landing.fx file has any affect whatever in the sim...

...guess what I found!  Aside from the filename itself, the only parameter in the .fx file itself that has any affect at all is the [Emitter.0]'s Rate= parameter. It must be non-zero, or else the ground splash AND the circle-of-light will not display. Even a Rate=0.001, 0.001 will work!  :D

Unfortunately, even with such a number the stinking ugly circles-of-light were present...  >:(

According to the SDK, the following should have produced no circle-of-light, or at least only a completely transparent-black circle-of-light...  :-/

Code: Select all

[Library Effect]
Lifetime=5
Version=2.00
Radius=-1
Priority=0

[Emitter.0]
Lifetime=0.00, 0.00
Delay=0.00, 0.00
Bounce=0.00
No Interpolate=0
Rate=0.001, 0.001
X Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Y Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Z Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
X Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Y Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Z Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
X Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Y Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Z Rotation=0.00, 0.00
X Offset=0.00, 0.00
Y Offset=0.00, 0.00
Z Offset=0.00, 0.00
Pitch=0.00, 0.00
Bank=0.00, 0.00
Heading=0.00, 0.00

[Particle.0]
Lifetime=0.00, 0.00
Type=19
X Scale=0.00, 0.00
Y Scale=0.00, 0.00
Z Scale=0.00, 0.00
X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
Color Rate=0.00, 0.00
X Offset=0.00, 0.00
Y Offset=0.00, 0.00
Z Offset=0.00, 0.00
Fade In=0.00, 0.00
Fade Out=0.00, 0.00
Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Static=1
Face=1, 1, 1

[ParticleAttributes.0]
Blend Mode=2
Texture=fx_2.bmp
Bounce=0.00
Color Start=0, 0, 0, 0
Color End=0, 0, 0, 0
Jitter Distance=0.00
Jitter Time=0.00
uv1=0.00, 0.00
uv2=0.00, 0.00
X Scale Goal=0.00
Y Scale Goal=0.00
Z Scale Goal=0.00
Extrude Length=0.00
Extrude Pitch Max=0.00
Extrude Heading Max=0.00


I next tried replacing the entire contents of fx_landing.fx with a custom white "ball of light" that I've used for small white nav lights. Nada. Still had the ground splash (because of the Rate= parameter > 0, but the ugly circles-of-light.

I need to put on my thinking cap and attempt come up with a completely new angle on this issue!

[C170b]

Thanks Daube! God only knows what would have happened if I had replaced them!
Thanks again,
C170B