Default Windsock Pole Length and Color

[TruNorthSim]

IMO The default windsock is ok and serves it's purpose, but the pole is huge and looks bad.

I recently tried to set the default windsock's pole length to 0 or the color transparent. It seems ADE limits the windsock's pole length to a minimum of 1.0, and the color section in the windsock xml doesn't show an alpha channel. If I could get either of these things to work, it would allow me to model a pole with the length and color(s) I need and place it at a field, on top of a building, or wherever. The default windsock could be placed on top using the altitude setting. I would still be free to set the windsock color as well.

Thank you.

 

[TruNorthSim]

This is a picture of the default windsock sitting atop a black 3/4" x 10' pole. The altitude of the windsock is set to 10'. I think it would look great, but it just needs that small amount of the default pole that's required set transparent or length limit removed.

I do not know if the length limit is required by the compiler, hard coded into ADE for another reason, or both. Having the ability to set the default pole color to transparent would be another option.

Jon, can you advise?

 

[scruffyduck]

I am away from my office at the moment so I will not be able to check until later this week.

 

[TruNorthSim]

No worries. Thank you for taking a look.

 

[scruffyduck]

The probem appears to be as set in the compiler. I used the RDV (Raw Data View) to set the length to a small number 0.1ft. The compiler threw it out

Sadly the schema for ctColor which is the definition of color for the pole and sock does not include transparency:

So ADE is providing properties in accordance with the SDK. There is no way to either reduce the pole length or make the pole transparent with SDK compliant source that is accepted by the compiler.

 

[TruNorthSim]

I appreciate your time and effort!

 

[scruffyduck]

You are welcome - sorry not to have an answer - other than making your own

 

[TruNorthSim]

I was hoping for a workaround rather than creating an entire windsock from scratch requiring SODE. I'm curious as to how the default windsock was made, and if it can be reproduced. It responds quite well to the wind in the simulator, and of course allows you to change things like the color. It's too bad it wasn't coded to use RGBA instead of just RGB. I'll have to do some reading.

Anyway, I suppose that a question for the FSDeveloper forum instead of ADE support. I've already read their topics on windsocks, so I will most likely get the "use SODE" response.

Thanks again for your help Jon.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Jack;

<Yup, I actually intended to "Hi-Jack" this thread ! >


Have you seen this recent discussion:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...-windsock-placement-shell.443203/#post-803045

IIUC, your posting history suggests you are developing for FSX and not P3D at this time, so SODE is not required for a true animated windsock that follows the wind direction in FSX.


Try using the animated windsock already available packaged as a scenery object library BGL inside:

British Columbia PNW Tofino by Mike Mann:

https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=tofinobases.zip&CatID=root&Go=Search

[tofinobases install path]\FSX BC PNW Tofino\BCPNWFloatBases\scenery\Windsock.bgl


Please review the discussion regarding the "Tofino" animated windsock scenery library object cited in this post:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...e-windsock-placement-shell.443203/post-803000

...as additionally explained in the linked thread in this post:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...e-windsock-placement-shell.443203/post-803009


FYI: If the "Tofino" Windsock Pole displays a Orange and White banded texture you may wish to try this 'work-around':

1.) Make a ZIP backup of the mapped texture for that object,.

2.) Make an exact same size (in total pixel Rows and Columns) copy of that texture.

3.) Edit a transparent attribute in another 24-Bit or 8-Bit gray-scale layer via a Alpha channel containing ex: pure Black (RGB 0,0,0) 'color' in the area of the Pole image UVW-mapped onto the Pole in the texture file.

4.) Edit a non-transparent attribute in that same 24-Bit or 8-Bit gray-scale layer via a Alpha channel containing pure White (RGB 255,255,255) in areas (if any) which are not UVW-mapped onto the Pole in the texture file.

5.) Substitute that edited copy under the exact original file name in the local paired \Texture folder for the \Scenery folder containing the copy of the "Tofino" animated windsock scenery library object that you wish to use for display at your airport ...without a 'visible' Pole.


NOTE: This process does not modify the MDL file and therefore requires no re-compilation of the MDL via the SDK.


Hope this idea may prove to be easier to implement than the non-required use of SODE for the FSX (not P3D) version of flight simulator.

GaryGB

 

[TruNorthSim]

Hi Gary

Actually, I am creating scenery for both FSX and P3D. The issue I'm having with the windsock is just a result of me trying to keep things as simple, and I hoped that either solution mentioned above could allow me to substitute a better pole model that default.

I really appreciate your input, and I may look into the solution you suggested. Also, thank you for listing step-by-step instructions!

 

[GaryGB]

Hi again, Jack:

I have not had the time to test any of the few recent "worked examples" for S.O.D.E. placement and display of the excellent S.O.D.E.-ready windsocks that Christian Bahr so kindly contributed to the FSDeveloper Resources section of this web site,

FYI: Since the ability of MDL files to directly access certain FS internal variables was removed beginning with the FSX MDL format, for both FSX and P3D, one must instead acces those variables via SimConnect and a specially written utility that communicates with SimConnect.

Thus a practical option is to learn how to utilize the S.O.D.E. method via some relatively simple XML code created in ex: NotePad++ ...rather than learning how to program such a special utility to communicate with SimConnect.

Please keep us informed as to your work-flow if you opt to use the SimConnect methods via S.O.D.E. as I believe the FS community could benefit from having some more "worked examples" of windsock placement via S.O.D.E. posted here.

GaryGB