Excluding an effect not attached to an object

[L_Rob]

Hi folks,

I need to exclude an effect that is not associated with an object. Is there a trick to this? An exclusion rectangle in IS3 will exclude a light that is attached to an object, but it will not exclude an effect not so attached.

I don’t see a likely exclude candidate in SBuilder X either. I have the GUIDs of the problem effects if that's a help.

Here's the specific problem. For a number of Holger's marine lights for PNW, the effects are assigned independent of the model so that one model can be used for a number of different lights with different periods, 1 sec, 2 sec, 4 sec etc. I need to exclude some of these lights and replace them with the same but higher off the water. Because the light is up on a platform, the problem light shines through underneath my hopefully accurate model.

Thanks much,

Larry

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Larry:

Could you attach to a PM or to this thread, a saved flight (*.Flt) file in a ZIP, at a location in either the freeware demo or the payware installation of FTX PNW, that shows an example of such a light object which displays the associated (BglComp-XML placed ?) 'Effect' light in question ?

GaryGB

 

[L_Rob]

Hi Gary,

Maybe I can do you one better in the morning if I can refresh my memory of how it works; I should be able to attach the XML that generates the effect in question. I figured out how it's generated from the raw data (the Light List) once upon a time... so he says.

Larry

 

[GHD]

If it is an individually placed effect, an ExclusionRectangle with excludeEffectObjects = "TRUE" should remove it.

 

[L_Rob]

Thanks George,

I figured it was something simple.

Why I could not find this before I don't know:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526978.aspx#ExclusionRectangle

Thanks for this link in a related post Gary.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Larry:

George is indeed correct (Happy Holidays, George ! ).

However, care must be used when determining what FS scenery library Area layer in which one shall position the BGLComp-XML-type "Exclude Rectangle", or what alpha-numeric BGL filename is used ...relative to the BGL that places the 'replacement' or 're-placed' Effect (either 'directly' via BGLComp-XML, or 'indirectly' via an AttachPoint on a MDL; otherwise that "Exclude Rectangle" may also exclude a 'replacement' or 're-placed' Effect too.


If you would be so kind as to indicate the Effect name we are discussing (via PM if preferred), and/or could attach a saved *.FLT file in a ZIP that positions the user aircraft adjacent to an example of such a marine light scenery object which displays the associated 'Effect' light in question, I could reply with more specific info and perhaps also 1 or more "worked example" of how one might 'place' the Effect in question.


You may recall that if a 'default flight' is used in FS, or if a saved flight is manually end-user-generated, such saved *.FLT files", are stored in:

C:\Users\[user account or profile name]\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\


I just wanted to be more certain as to what scenario and scenery object type we are dealing with, since the terms "GUID", "attach" and "XML" have all been used above in your description of- and/or the placement of- ...the Effect 'light' in question.


PS: An additional SDK reference pertinent to BGLComp-XML placement of Effects is here:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526969.aspx#Step1CreateanXMLFile


Hope this helps !

GaryGB

 

[L_Rob]

Hi Gary,

Using your example to find my silly typos, I managed to do what I want but far more generally.

I had forgotten how the lights worked; the effects not attached to objects don't use GUIDs. It's been a while since I played with this.

Here's an example that will place a light effect, one line for each effect:

<SceneryObject lat="51.5" lon="-127.99" alt="9.00M" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" pitch="0.0" bank="0.0" heading="0.00" imageComplexity="NORMAL"> <Effect effectName="fx_my_test_effect" effectParams="DAWN=1;DUSK=1"/> </SceneryObject>

This line is generated from a spreadsheet with rows for each light.

And this line will exclude a single light

<ExclusionRectangle latitudeMinimum="49.11675" latitudeMaximum="49.21675" longitudeMinimum="-123.980972222222" longitudeMaximum="-123.880972222222" excludeAllObjects="FALSE" excludeEffectObjects="TRUE"/>

This line also is generated from a copy of the spreadsheet where the max and min lat and lon are computed from the lat lon of the light I want to exclude. Getting the concatenation just right was a pain. Just tested it; it works! This means I can exclude as many lights as I wish by adding more lines to the spreadsheet; just fill in the lat lon of the light.

I would assume that once I exclude the light, I can then replace it in another file using the pattern above and that part is simple -- copy and paste. I'll have to check the alpha numeric file naming if that's an issue.

These light adjustments have been something I've wanted to do for a long time, but never really tried to figure out how to do it easily.

Larry

 

[GaryGB]

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...not-attached-to-an-object.436042/#post-731150

I would assume that once I exclude the light, I can then replace it in another file using the pattern above and that part is simple -- copy and paste. I'll have to check the alpha numeric file naming if that's an issue.

These light adjustments have been something I've wanted to do for a long time, but never really tried to figure out how to do it easily.

Larry

AFAIK, alpha numeric file naming is an issue only when a "Exclude" BGL is included in the same folder (and therefore in the same FS scenery library Area layer) as that containing the BGLs which place the original and 'replacement' or 're-placed' Effects (and IIRC, regardless of whether that Effect is placed 'directly' via BGLComp-XML, or 'indirectly' via an AttachPoint on a MDL).


Hope this helps a bit more !

GaryGB