Blue Taxi light FSX

[shamrock122]

hello,
i have a small problem with creating a blue taxi light in fsx. here is what i have done so far:

1) Create taxi light in GMAX
2) Create box above the light
3) Use attatch point tool to add an effect to the box
4) Export as .mdl
5) Convert to .bgl using Librarycreator XML
6) Place in FSX using ADE

the good news is that the light works and appears in FSX, however my problem is that it stays on all day. I want to have the light turned off during the day and only come on at dusk,night and dawn. I have used a controller file to insure the light stays on if you go further away than 10 miles but how do i only make the light come on at night?
I am aware that it has something to do with the XML but i am lost after this?
Do i edit the XML that Library creator XML creates and then convert that XML into a bgl?
any help would be appreciated

[PakMac]

Hi,

In the Attach Point Tool there's an Effect Params box, add DAY=0;NIGHT=1 into it.

If you need the effect to show at dawn and dusk you need to add another box and attach the effect to it, with DAWN=1;DUSK=1

Have a look at SDK - Enviroment Kit - Modeling SDK - Using Modeling Tools and scroll down to Attach Tool

David

[shamrock122]

how did i not see that! thanks for your help

[Avroman]

Hi Shamrock122,

I am working on a blue light in GMAX and am familiar with most of the steps you describe. One question however - what effect did you add? in the FSX Game pack as described in Step 3?

I have scoured the list and can't find a "blue light"

Cheers and thanks for any ideas!

John/Avroman

Originally Posted by shamrock122

hello,
i have a small problem with creating a blue taxi light in fsx. here is what i have done so far:

1) Create taxi light in GMAX
2) Create box above the light
3) Use attatch point tool to add an effect to the box
4) Export as .mdl
5) Convert to .bgl using Librarycreator XML
6) Place in FSX using ADE

the good news is that the light works and appears in FSX, however my problem is that it stays on all day. I want to have the light turned off during the day and only come on at dusk,night and dawn. I have used a controller file to insure the light stays on if you go further away than 10 miles but how do i only make the light come on at night?
I am aware that it has something to do with the XML but i am lost after this?
Do i edit the XML that Library creator XML creates and then convert that XML into a bgl?
any help would be appreciated

[Tejal Bernardo]

there is a effect Fx_navbluec, which have a blue light I think could be what your looking for, and I think it's default.

[Avroman]

hi Tejal,

Thank you for the reply. Hmmm. I checked my Gmax - it is version 1.2 - I don't see Fx_navbluec. Could it be in another folder somewhere?

cheers and thanks again!

John/Avroman

Originally Posted by Tejal Bernardo

there is a effect Fx_navbluec, which have a blue light I think could be what your looking for, and I think it's default.

[Tejal Bernardo]

I look for the effects in the fsx effect folder, and check them with the Arno's Fx editor, you can visualize them, anyway I was not too much sure if the light could be default or from the any other addon, but I think must be a blue light in the fsx effect folder

[Avroman]

Hi Tejal and Everyone,

Thanks again for your replies Tejal. Okay, I am running two individual copies FSX on two different PCs. I checked the FSX effect folder on both copies, no "fx_navbluec". Yes, I finally got Arno's FX editor working - it is a great little program! Maybe the blue light is default in FSXA, but not FSX. I know my taxiways in my home airport of North Bay have blue lights - but that might be due to a different effect.

Any ideas on where I could get this "fx_navbluec" file either through a website or add-on download?

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Cheers on a snowy Sunday in North Bay!

John /Avroman

Originally Posted by Tejal Bernardo

I look for the effects in the fsx effect folder, and check them with the Arno's Fx editor, you can visualize them, anyway I was not too much sure if the light could be default or from the any other addon, but I think must be a blue light in the fsx effect folder

[Tejal Bernardo]

I would send you the effect but here the people are very sensitive about third party addons and coppy rights, etc etc, and I not sure where the effect came from either. anyway this effect business is a little complicated but interesting, I don't know if you take a white light and changing his paramenters one could change his colour.

[Avroman]

Hi,

Apologies is it Tejal or Bernardo? I don't want to keep calling you the wrong name!

Re: Blue Lights - yes I understand. Yes, it is complicated. I have been trying to alter an existing light using blue RGB codes in the FXEditor.

So far, no luck, but it shows up blue in the FXEditor, so I think I must be on the right track. There may be a parameter I am not changing correctly. Will keep "test and fail" until I get it right.

Cheers and thanks again for your help!

John

Originally Posted by Tejal Bernardo

I would send you the effect but here the people are very sensitive about third party addons and coppy rights, etc etc, and I not sure where the effect came from either. anyway this effect business is a little complicated but interesting, I don't know if you take a white light and changing his paramenters one could change his colour.

[Tejal Bernardo]

Hi Avroman, yes, my name is Bernardo but no problem at all, I guess one is making that all the time. Tejal is a place name, as first name in spanish not exist, even for spanish language it's a weird name for a place, the effect is associated to the texture Fx_2.bmp, must be very common because I have four or five files of the same texture but with different name.and I guess the changing of the colour should be in the entries "color start" and "color end", but are only conjectures, I have no idea about this matter , and always I must apologize for destroy the english language

[Avroman]

Hi Bernardo and Everyone,

Actually, I am John - Avroman is in honor of Canada's Avro Arrow CF-105 - our late great fighter that was discontinued and cut up in the early 1960s. Check it out on Wikipedia - beautiful aircraft.

Re: The Blue Light Effect. I have moved along now - I have been able to use the existing effects and change the RGB to get a blue light. I am not thrilled with the one I have created in FX-Editor - I used the beaconRedSteady as my starting point. It is kind of diffuse. I want to experiment with the naviwhi file and see what I get in blue. The issue is now becoming Particle.0 and Particle.1 and the color start and color end - yes, you are right about this!

My big question now, and perhaps this is one for Arno, Bill and Company - do you adjust *intensity* through "color start" and "color end" (i.e. using different colours or the 4th variable in the string) or is there another field for this?

Thanks again Bernardo! Your English is much better than my Spanish!

Best wishes,

John / Avroman!

Originally Posted by Tejal Bernardo

Hi Avroman, yes, my name is Bernardo but no problem at all, I guess one is making that all the time. Tejal is a place name, as first name in spanish not exist, even for spanish language it's a weird name for a place, the effect is associated to the texture Fx_2.bmp, must be very common because I have four or five files of the same texture but with different name.and I guess the changing of the colour should be in the entries "color start" and "color end", but are only conjectures, I have no idea about this matter , and always I must apologize for destroy the english language

[n4gix]

There are two methods you can use. One is size (x,y,z) parameters, the other is the fourth parameter which is the Alpha value. Alpha controls the opacity of the emitter's "light" so try setting 0.5 (50%) as a starting point, then adjust from there...

[Avroman]

Hi Bill,

Thank you very much for this - i will follow up on these two approaches.

Best wishes,

John /Avroman

Originally Posted by n4gix

There are two methods you can use. One is size (x,y,z) parameters, the other is the fourth parameter which is the Alpha value. Alpha controls the opacity of the emitter's "light" so try setting 0.5 (50%) as a starting point, then adjust from there...