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Dynamic lighting

Hi,

I am new to scenery design and started building some basic airports and buildings for P3D V5. I came across this topic and thought I will give it a try. I finally got a dynamic light I placed on a pole to shine on the ground but I still have some questions.
1. I could not find the Spot Light in the Add Attached objects dropdown but then noticed there is a spot type under light. I assume that is a change to the software as it seems to work.
2. Although the light shines on the ground ang on objects there is no light at the top of my tower, do I need to add a separate effect for that.
3. Where are the .fx files supposed to go. I created an Effects folder in the same directory as my Scenery and Texture folders but that does not work. I only see the spot light of I place the .fx files in the Main P3D V5 Effects folder but I know that I should avoid that.

Thanks for the great tools, it has opened up some new areas of the sim to explore.
 
1. Correct.
2. AFAIK correct, you probably need to place a light effect there.
3. I believe all effects should be placed in the main Effects folder. I always have.
 
You can put the effects in a local effects folder as well, but then you need to add that effects folder to your add-on.xml file as well.
 
Pat, you would use MCX to actually craft the dynamic lighting for a given object (mdl). To add this "changed/modified" object to a freeware scenery, you would be well advised to use ADE (Airport Design Editor), available on FSDeveloper. After creating the updated object MDL with MCX, you wouild open the airport bgl file in question, add the MDL using ADE to the airports scenery list and then you can easily place the object (MDL) in/on the airport scenery bgl. Once that is done, you will need to recompile the airport (using ADE) before starting P3D. Also, if you modified the object and added the desired "lighting effect", once you compile the object to an MDL, MCX will place an "effects" file "fx" in the same location as the MDL. This effects (fx) file will need to be moved to your P3D effects folder or the lighting effect that you created will not be seen. I am also assuming that you have enabled P3D (via its options dropdown) for dynamic lighting.
 
Lemon said:
Pat, you would use MCX to actually craft the dynamic lighting for a given object (mdl). To add this "changed/modified" object to a freeware scenery, you would be well advised to use ADE (Airport Design Editor), available on FSDeveloper. After creating the updated object MDL with MCX, you wouild open the airport bgl file in question, add the MDL using ADE to the airports scenery list and then you can easily place the object (MDL) in/on the airport scenery bgl. Once that is done, you will need to recompile the airport (using ADE) before starting P3D. Also, if you modified the object and added the desired "lighting effect", once you compile the object to an MDL, MCX will place an "effects" file "fx" in the same location as the MDL. This effects (fx) file will need to be moved to your P3D effects folder or the lighting effect that you created will not be seen. I am also assuming that you have enabled P3D (via its options dropdown) for dynamic lighting.
Click to expand...
Hi Lemon, I was asking how to add Dynamic Lighting to Apron. Is it possible?
Actually, the Apron is dark you can see now.
Pat
 

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Yes, it certainly is possible. What FS are you running? (FS, P3D, MSFS)

Here is a couple of pics from my KAUS airport apron, with dynamic lights in P3Dv5.

This lighting was add using a combination of MCX and ADE
Is this what you are looking to do?
 

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Hi Lemon, YES! that's exactly what I am looking for VEBD airport in P3Dv5 or P3Dv4 apron either sim. I am not expert with MCX and ADE but I can do something following directions.
Pat
 
Pat, the process to create dynamic lighting is not trivial by any means. It all starts with the airport itself...is your VEBD from P3D stock or is it from a 3rd party seller? If it is from a 3rd party, do you have the rights from the 3rd party to change/modify it?
If yes, then its a matter of creating a "object" on which you add the dynamic lighting effect(s). The MDL "object" in the case of your apron lighting would be a lamp post and light. In the pics I sent, I have also added a red "hazard" light. These MDLs would be added to ADE for VEBD and then placed (with ADE) around the apron, etc. The actual "light" effect is created with MCX in which the light MDL object is imported by MCX and then the "light" effect is attached to the MDL in the position you want (X,Y,Z) coordinates as well as any light rotation (up, down, sideway, etc.), the degree of "light falloff", as well as the intensity/strength and the "distance" the light is to be projected, etc. Once this is done, the object is exported by MCX back to an MDL of the same name. MCX will also create an "effect" file based on all of the above mentioned inputs. That "effect" file will then need to be moved to the P3D "effects" folder.
It may sound very str8 forward, but I assure you, it is not. I have spent a very long time working with this since P3D enabled it and Arno made it all possible with MCX.
Therefore, I would suggest that if you do have the rights to "change/modify" the VEBD airport, that you make yourself a copy on which you will experiment as again, its not a 30min work effort.
Cheers
 
Lemon, the VEBD is SimFly Baghdogra X BETA and it is freeware. Since it is for my own use only in my home PC machine to enjoy flying on it, should I stop editing? I will try to contact directly to the Developer for permissions even it is a freeware and maybe more help. I can tell you after installed the VEBD and loaded with P3Dv5 the sim crashed to desktop with no message at all. Also, P3Dv4 crashes at middle of the flight. I had to edit the airport to resolve and successfully done. I am not a Developer but kind of some skills on how to fix some issues with sceneries, not always successful.
I will see if I can get the VEBD apron dynamic lighting effects.
Pat
 
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