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MSFS20 Cockpit flood lights

T

terence jordan

Messages
236
Country
australia
Hi all, quick question if anyone has a second. I have a rotary knob on my overhead panel which controls cockpit flood lighting, it is labeled : LIGHTING_Knob_SidePanel
I use the following to control it and it works perfectly.

<Component ID="SIDE_PANEL">
<DefaultTemplateParameters>
<POTENTIOMETER>6</POTENTIOMETER>
</DefaultTemplateParameters>
<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_LIGHTING_Knob_Potentiometer_Template">
<NODE_ID>LIGHTING_Knob_SidePanel</NODE_ID>
<ANIM_NAME>LIGHTING_Knob_SidePanel</ANIM_NAME>
<TOOLTIP_TITLE>@TT_Package.LIGHTING_SWITCH_LIGHT_SIDEPANEL_BRIGHTNESS_TITLE</TOOLTIP_TITLE>
<TT_DESCRIPTION_ID>@TT_Package.LIGHTING_SWITCH_LIGHT_SIDEPANEL_BRIGHTNESS_ACTION</TT_DESCRIPTION_ID>
</UseTemplate>
<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_LIGHTING_Panel_Emissive_Template">
<NODE_ID>LIGHTING_Breakers_Emissive</NODE_ID>
</UseTemplate>
</Component>

However, one thing is driving me absolutely crazy, It only works after the toggle lights button is pressed, i.e. SHIFT+L in my case.
After that it works as it should. Is there any way I can get it to work without having to toggle all lights?
Thanks in advance TJ
 
I think your knob controls the intensity. If the light isn't on then it's not going to do anything. This is why it appears to work when you turn all the lights on. Because you aren't actually turning it off when you rotate the knob, you're just dimming it down to nothing.

You will need some code that turns the light on when the knob is above a certain level and turns it off again when it's below that level.
 
Yes, I have a very similar issue. It is a rocker switch, no intensity involved. However there is a glitch. In one model it works every time, after I have switched it on once. In the other model, it is as it is for you, I must first toggle aircraft lights. The distinct difference between the two is that the model with the default lights from the sample project works without toggling lights first.

I'm pretty poor when it comes to deciphering templates, but it looks like you have only pasted a partial code to control your light. I created mine in partnership with ChatGPT, so it's likely to be clunky and artificial, but it has essentially three component ID's, one for the switch, one for the cabin light state and one to make the lightbulb itself light up. Mine uses the condition of <CONDITION>(A:LIGHT CABIN ON, bool)</CONDITION> and it suggests a different condition would not be dependant on the default light state, that could just override whatever state had been pre existing, but I'm only guessing here.


 
Great points Anthony and RK. I was going along the lines of forcing the light intensity to zero but couldn't work out the code to do so. Will do some digging and report back. Many thanks.
 
=rk= said:
Yes, I have a very similar issue. It is a rocker switch, no intensity involved. However there is a glitch. In one model it works every time, after I have switched it on once. In the other model, it is as it is for you, I must first toggle aircraft lights. The distinct difference between the two is that the model with the default lights from the sample project works without toggling lights first.

I'm pretty poor when it comes to deciphering templates, but it looks like you have only pasted a partial code to control your light. I created mine in partnership with ChatGPT, so it's likely to be clunky and artificial, but it has essentially three component ID's, one for the switch, one for the cabin light state and one to make the lightbulb itself light up. Mine uses the condition of <CONDITION>(A:LIGHT CABIN ON, bool)</CONDITION> and it suggests a different condition would not be dependant on the default light state, that could just override whatever state had been pre existing, but I'm only guessing here.


Click to expand...
Rick, I am building off the default sample. Could that have something to do with it?
 
Anthony31 said:
I think your knob controls the intensity. If the light isn't on then it's not going to do anything. This is why it appears to work when you turn all the lights on. Because you aren't actually turning it off when you rotate the knob, you're just dimming it down to nothing.

You will need some code that turns the light on when the knob is above a certain level and turns it off again when it's below that level.
Click to expand...
Anthony, have you any idea on what code I could possibly use to toggle All lights. There seem to be no variables that I can find to do that. So far I have gone into the systems.config to find the particular potentiometer that I need to control.
From my systems.cfg, I need to control potentiometer 4

I have an initialization gauge that I am using. In it I am using the following element:

<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(A:ELECTRICAL MASTER BATTERY,Bool) 1;
if{ 100 * (&gt;K:4:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_SET) }
els{ 0 }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>

All this seems to do is when I roll the middle mouse button over the knob, I get a disco which seems to me that is firing the potentiometer variable then resetting to zero immediately after.

As you can see, I am stumped on two fronts, first, I need to toggle lights to start and second, I need to turn the potentiometer down to zero when the battery comes on.

Can you possibly assist?

Many thanks
 
terence jordan said:
Rick, I am building off the default sample. Could that have something to do with it?
Click to expand...
Yes, I don't think so. I am only guessing but it seems like <CONDITION>(A:LIGHT CABIN ON, bool)</CONDITION> is a query and not setting the state, as in "if light is on yes or no." So by extension, using the keyboard command for lights or flipping the switch once with no apparent result, sets that condition to "yes" and from there the light works as we expect. If you read the little thumbnail of the YouTube video it says, "logic to control the light based on the SIMVAR." I didn't type that comment, ChatGPT did, presumably from some other developer, but it supports my assumption. So instead of (A:LIGHT CABIN ON, bool) we'd want (L:CABIN LIGHT SWITCH ON, bool) or something similar.
 
=rk= said:
Yes, I don't think so. I am only guessing but it seems like <CONDITION>(A:LIGHT CABIN ON, bool)</CONDITION> is a query and not setting the state, as in "if light is on yes or no." So by extension, using the keyboard command for lights or flipping the switch once with no apparent result, sets that condition to "yes" and from there the light works as we expect. If you read the little thumbnail of the YouTube video it says, "logic to control the light based on the SIMVAR." I didn't type that comment, ChatGPT did, presumably from some other developer, but it supports my assumption. So instead of (A:LIGHT CABIN ON, bool) we'd want (L:CABIN LIGHT SWITCH ON, bool) or something similar.
Click to expand...
Thanks Rick, I'll give it a go tonight. These templates are damn frustrating. Cheers
 
terence jordan said:
Anthony, have you any idea on what code I could possibly use to toggle All lights. There seem to be no variables that I can find to do that. So far I have gone into the systems.config to find the particular potentiometer that I need to control.
From my systems.cfg, I need to control potentiometer 4

I have an initialization gauge that I am using. In it I am using the following element:

<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(A:ELECTRICAL MASTER BATTERY,Bool) 1;
if{ 100 * (&gt;K:4:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_SET) }
els{ 0 }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>

All this seems to do is when I roll the middle mouse button over the knob, I get a disco which seems to me that is firing the potentiometer variable then resetting to zero immediately after.

As you can see, I am stumped on two fronts, first, I need to toggle lights to start and second, I need to turn the potentiometer down to zero when the battery comes on.

Can you possibly assist?

Many thanks
Click to expand...
You may like to use the .FLT configs. Depending on how the user starts the flight the sim is going to load the appropriate .FLT files. You can set the lights and potentiometer values in the .FLT. Easiest way to do this is save a flight with the config you need and then open the .FLT and copy the values in the the starting .FLT files. The lights and potentiometer values will be in the [Switches.0] section of the .FLT file.

Your code is wrong too (I assume it runs only once otherwise it will always be setting the pot to 100

Code: 
 (A:ELECTRICAL MASTER BATTERY,Bool)

        if{ 100 (&gt;K:4:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_SET)  }

       els{ 0 (&gt;K:4:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_SET) }

Your other option is to use some update code

Check if the pot is below, say, 10 and if the light is on turn it off. else, if the light is off turn it on. This would be the simplest way to switch the light on and off depending on the knob position.

This doesn't solve one other problem you have which is what happens if the user uses a key command to toggle all lights on? In this case you will probably want to set the potentiometer to 100%.

To cover that case what I do is write some complicated code. The following uses my own custom templates but it should give you an idea of what is involved:

Code: 
            <CODEINC>
                (A:LIGHT PANEL:1,number) 0 == if{ 100 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_6_SET) } els{ 6 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_INC) }
                (A:LIGHT POTENTIOMETER:6,percent) 99.9 &gt; (A:LIGHT PANEL:1,number) 0 == &amp; if{ 1 (&gt;K:PANEL_LIGHTS_ON) 30 (&gt;L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) }
            </CODEINC>
            <CODEDEC>
                6 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_DEC) (A:LIGHT POTENTIOMETER:6,percent) 1 &lt; if{ 1 (&gt;K:PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF) }
            </CODEDEC>
            <CODESET>p0 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_6_SET)</CODESET>
            <CODEANIM>
                (L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) 0 &gt; if{ (L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) 1 - 0 max (&gt;L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) }
                (A:LIGHT PANEL:1,number) 0 == if{ 0 } els{ (A:LIGHT POTENTIOMETER:6,percent) (L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) + }               
            </CODEANIM>

The panel lights are turned on and off depending on the knob position (note that if the light is off the pot goes to 100 because that is how these UV lights work, you have to turn the knob all the way on to kick in the starter for the lights. This is what L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset handles, you can ignore any references to this variable in your own code.

In the anim code it checks if the panel light is on or off. If off it sets the knob to zero, otherwise it uses the pot position. This code handles switching the lights on and off depending on the knob position while also accounting for the user using a key command to switch the panel lights on and off.
 
Anthony31 said:
You may like to use the .FLT configs. Depending on how the user starts the flight the sim is going to load the appropriate .FLT files. You can set the lights and potentiometer values in the .FLT. Easiest way to do this is save a flight with the config you need and then open the .FLT and copy the values in the the starting .FLT files. The lights and potentiometer values will be in the [Switches.0] section of the .FLT file.

Your code is wrong too (I assume it runs only once otherwise it will always be setting the pot to 100

Code: 
 (A:ELECTRICAL MASTER BATTERY,Bool)

        if{ 100 (&gt;K:4:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_SET)  }

       els{ 0 (&gt;K:4:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_SET) }

Your other option is to use some update code

Check if the pot is below, say, 10 and if the light is on turn it off. else, if the light is off turn it on. This would be the simplest way to switch the light on and off depending on the knob position.

This doesn't solve one other problem you have which is what happens if the user uses a key command to toggle all lights on? In this case you will probably want to set the potentiometer to 100%.

To cover that case what I do is write some complicated code. The following uses my own custom templates but it should give you an idea of what is involved:

Code: 
            <CODEINC>
                (A:LIGHT PANEL:1,number) 0 == if{ 100 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_6_SET) } els{ 6 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_INC) }
                (A:LIGHT POTENTIOMETER:6,percent) 99.9 &gt; (A:LIGHT PANEL:1,number) 0 == &amp; if{ 1 (&gt;K:PANEL_LIGHTS_ON) 30 (&gt;L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) }
            </CODEINC>
            <CODEDEC>
                6 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_DEC) (A:LIGHT POTENTIOMETER:6,percent) 1 &lt; if{ 1 (&gt;K:PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF) }
            </CODEDEC>
            <CODESET>p0 (&gt;K:LIGHT_POTENTIOMETER_6_SET)</CODESET>
            <CODEANIM>
                (L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) 0 &gt; if{ (L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) 1 - 0 max (&gt;L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) }
                (A:LIGHT PANEL:1,number) 0 == if{ 0 } els{ (A:LIGHT POTENTIOMETER:6,percent) (L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset,number) + }              
            </CODEANIM>

The panel lights are turned on and off depending on the knob position (note that if the light is off the pot goes to 100 because that is how these UV lights work, you have to turn the knob all the way on to kick in the starter for the lights. This is what L:winjeel_uv_light_left_offset handles, you can ignore any references to this variable in your own code.

In the anim code it checks if the panel light is on or off. If off it sets the knob to zero, otherwise it uses the pot position. This code handles switching the lights on and off depending on the knob position while also accounting for the user using a key command to switch the panel lights on and off.
Click to expand...
You sir are the steely eyed missle man. Thank you so much. Will try tonight. Thanks again.
 
your shift + L, to turn ON "all light". if you want to light ON without shift + L, you need to turn ON your light in you code that you attach in system.cfg

this the base idea to work with, in your case is flood flight.
1. usually I use aircraft cabin light variable (Avar) to tie flood light, make sure this ON
2. light beam brightness are controlled by Potentiometer (0-100)
3. if your model need to emit as light source, you need NODE_ID and emissive texture, along with control from potentiometer.

this code to turn light of the cabin (stock code)
XML: 
<Include ModelBehaviorFile="Asobo\Common.xml"/>

<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_LIGHTING_Switch_Light_Cabin_Template"/>

this for emissive light
XML: 
<Component ID="Node_Emissive_name">
    <Parameters Type="Default">
        <NODE_ID>node_emissive_name</NODE_ID>
    </Parameters>
    <Component ID="#NODE_ID#_emis" Node="#NODE_ID#">
        <UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_GT_Emissive_Gauge">
        <EMISSIVE_CODE> (L:your_potentiometer, enum) 0.01 * </EMISSIVE_CODE>
        </UseTemplate>
    </Component>               
</Component>
 
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