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Dynamic lighting

arno said:
The function to convert FX files to spot lights on import only works if you use the default FX names that MCX generates. In your model you use a different name, so then it will not work.

Of course FS should still show the dynamic light correctly.
Click to expand...

Hey Arno,

would it be possible to add a feature that will alow MCX to display Spotlights with a customname at some point? I used to rename the FX files in my projects for better usage
 
You mean in the preview or in the attached object editor?

In the preview is something I want to add. In the editor not.
 
preview would be ok, changing the effect using the TXT Editor and reload it in MCX is fine for me :)
 
OK, that's on the wishlist.
 
Hi, Arno - great tool for dynamic lights- thanks! Question: is the P3D Effects folder the only place that effects can be placed to work?

James Shaddox
 
Yes, but I think if you use the add-on.xml method to add your scenery you can probably also use a local effects folder.
 
Arno, I apologize if this ? is a repeat, but with you FANTASTIC "attached object editor" and the adds to allow for very easy dynamic lighting to be created, have you had the time to put anything in writing about the use of such? Where I am headed is some "user info" on the Position and Orientation fields as well as the Inner Cone and Outer Cone parameters. I am had to ...and want to continue to "play" with the options for each and have been very successful, although it takes a lot of "trial, test, error, redo". I fully realize everything comes to he who waits, except documentation...or maybe "if it hard to write, it should be hard to read :) But I see you already have a wishlist started and maybe you will give consideration. Thanks for a really great MCX and option...using this to implement dynamic lighting versus using P3D/FX effects, really reduces FPS greatly....and looks 1000 times better. Many thanks!
 
Updating the manual is planned, but time is lacking to finish it soon unfortunately.
 
Arno, I am back asking what is probably either and answered or maybe a dumb question..but. What items are used to create the "effects" name from the Object Attach Editor? Let me clarify, with the editor, I have created a spotlight attached to a object, compiled, moved the generated effects file to the {P3Dv4.5) effects folder and all is GOOD. Use the MDL in an airport scenery and its perfect. THEN, I copy the MDL to a different airport scenery and I then "modify" the attached spotlight but changing only the "pitch", compile it to the new airport scenery and when I go to move the generated effects file to the P3Dv4.5 Effects folder, there is a duplicate file there (the one from the original compile), thus is leads me to believe (I have not yet tested it) the change in the pitch will be seen every place I use the MDL.
If true, how can I use the same MDL in multiple scenery folders (i.e. different airports or even the same airport) but with a different effects file? Do I need to change MDL name, GUID, or can there be an "effects" folder for each specific airport scenery?
Any insight and education (mine) is GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Lemon
 
Hi,

The pitch is not stored in the FX file, it is stored in the MDL file. So you should not have a conflict there. So the two FX files you have should be identical.
 
Arno, I apologize for being tardy with this THANK YOU for answering my question about pitch, etc. It has help me further enjoy (and implement) spotlights on a significant number of objects. Its awesome.
I have but another question and it has to do with the "inner cone" and "outer cone" values. The "inner cone" is most self explanatory as it changes the size of the "field of light" that is cast but I struggle with the "outer cone" setting, especially in relation to the inner cone setting. How do the 2 relate to each other as I find that with certain values the result is "no light" but rather a black shadow cast when viewed in P3D. I have recently created spots for the US flagpole (the generic object available in P3D) and I went thru a number of tests varying the inner and outer cones until I was able to finally (and it was truly just trial and error on my part) get a "narrow" spot that did not also light up adjacent objects. Thus, any insight / tutorial regarding these 2 variables and how they do / do not relate to each other, etc. would go a long way to pull my head out of that dark spot :).
Thanks in advance...your fantastic MCX has turned me into a monster of wanting to really jazz up the several airports and objects that I have created!!
Lemon
 
Hi,

As far as I understand them the angle between the inner and outer cone is used to gradually blend the light. So if you set them almost the same you get a hard light and else you get a more soft light that gradually fades off.
 
Good day to all!
On the first page, the possibility of turning on the lighting during the day when changing visibility (fog) was discussed.
I did spot lights to turn it on during the day in bad weather.
Is there such an opportunity at this time?
 
When adding a spotlight what is the best way to move it in the correct place? is it just playing around with thhe coordinate input until it fits? would be really useful to have some gizmo transform tool to move and rotate spotlights in place visually in rendered view just like in blender.
 
I have used MCX extensively to add “spots, points, effects” and it would be super nice to have the suggestion you made, but suspect it is certainly not trivial. So as for you question...I raise the object such that i can see the starting point and position and then change the “X” coordinate first to get it close to beneath where the spot should be and the change the “Y” coordinate, etc As far as the angle and rotation...trial and error and what looks best in P3D. YMMV
 
Having a kind of gismo that can be interactively moved is on the wishlist. But I'm not sure how easy it would be to implement. It would be the first interaction with the preview, so I need to check how to code that.

Do you imagine the gismo only moves along the axes or also freely in any direction?
 
arno said:
Having a kind of gismo that can be interactively moved is on the wishlist. But I'm not sure how easy it would be to implement. It would be the first interaction with the preview, so I need to check how to code that.

Do you imagine the gismo only moves along the axes or also freely in any direction?
Click to expand...
Thanks Arno, great to hear! Such a feature would be so cool and useful, I hope it is possible to implement.

It's enough to be able to move along a single axis at a time.
Maybe something like these gizmo 3d manipulators that are used for example in MSFS scenery editor and 3d software like blender, its a fast and efficient way to interactively move objects in 3d space


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Yes, that's what I have in mind. But I know in some applications you can also translate along a plane (e.g. XY plane) instead of just a single axis. I suspect moving along an axis only might be slightly easier to implement, but I guess I will only see when I try to implement it :)
 
arno said:
Yes, that's what I have in mind. But I know in some applications you can also translate along a plane (e.g. XY plane) instead of just a single axis. I suspect moving along an axis only might be slightly easier to implement, but I guess I will only see when I try to implement it :)
Click to expand...
Hi Arno!
A possible (temporary) solution that might be easier to implement and came to my mind recently is being able to manipulate the Values with lets say the mousewheel or sliding left/right to decrease/increase each of the X/Y/Z values and immediately seeing the result in 3d, rather than having to type in the X/Y/Z values and get to your desired coordinates by trial and error.
 
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