• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

[FSX] Light Method

Yes! It took a bit of wrangling out! But we got there in the end!:D

This works splendidly, and no more faffing about with trying to align effects with lights.

Guys, you've done a great service to the community! I thank you wholeheartedly!

1000986_218604761625890_328532656_n.jpg


69203_218604454959254_1025532530_n.jpg
 
One little thing drawback of this, you cannot get diffuse edge light like the previous method.
I noticed that the whole plane seem to have color all over the plane, not diffusely disappear through the black color of diffuse texture.
But it is a little trade off. I think I can live with that. There might be some setting alleviate that. I'll try to set more final alpha blend to more.





I'll get a tutorial for light texture in pdf file for you if you like.
To be honest, I really don't know what blending function "one" is. Need a smarter guy to explain.
 
Last edited:
So you're saying that the second image uses this technique and results in the whole plane being illuminated; you can see the edges?

I did try source=one before, but the whole plane appeared as a really bright square so abandoned it.

After you mentioned it, I had to change the _lm so that the entire area around the orb of light was completely black, and the orb was really quite dark; the planes of light in my night image above are square. Even the _lm texture being a few notches above absolute black makes the whole plane plainly visible.

I think this is what you mean?
 
Last edited:
I've been playing about with some approach light effects. I like the way these don't overlap much.
1072339_218887518264281_1528822618_o.jpg

1074538_218889108264122_1308742482_o.jpg
 
It is better than using effect in many ways.
Eliminate those hazzle on placing and changing the color of the effect which has to be done in FX editor. Editing effect is not easy.

However it is quite low visibility, even modified mipmap for this. You need to have LOD for bigger object to display at distance. Not the normal method that usually display a smaller or less vertices when get further.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I'm going to play with LODs for visibility. I think I'll get rid of everything except lamps and the light orbs, make them twice as big and have that as the LOD before this model here.
 
I found this in the internet.
http://takinginitiative.net/2010/04/09/directx-10-tutorial-6-transparency-and-alpha-blending/

blendingexmaple.jpg


This might get you (and me) more understanding about blending.
So, there is no way to get around to get alpha channel read since if we use alpha channel, FSX will provide us only day alpha channel. So the whole thing will disappear. If we set the same alpha channel of the night texture, we will get black texture during the day.
There are 9x9 possibility of options. I have tested numbers possibility of bending but still find no other setting than this.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, blending by the source rather than the source alpha overcomes the issue of the _LM blend being limited to the diffuse alpha. I had tried many combinations before this, but none worked as well.... The result also depends on the_LM textures . A stroke of genius on your part Tic!:D

I've got some strange issues where my approach lights (when viewed from underneath) show the models behind and clouds over the light splash (but not the actual lighting array of the model they're in), my taxi lights don't do this. I'm going have to play with it some more, might be down to it being double sided on the taxi lights, or that I put two back to back double sided planes.
 
Hey fellas,

I'm pretty sure I have the fix for this. The solution is to un-check the "Blend diffuse by diffuse alpha" check box when using the one/one blending mode.

Putting together a couple screen shots.

** Here's a couple shots showing the effect. This is my first time attempting night textures so be nice!
 

Attachments

  • 2013-7-19_12-34-39-770.jpg
    2013-7-19_12-34-39-770.jpg
    659.2 KB · Views: 896
  • 2013-7-19_12-35-23-938.jpg
    2013-7-19_12-35-23-938.jpg
    392.5 KB · Views: 949
Last edited:
Good start! Don't forget you can put ground poly light splashes underneath, the textures should be dds DXT5 and so feint you can hardly see them; as they'll be there during the day also.

Cheers; I'll try the turning off that diffuse blend in the textures!:D
 
Shaun said:
Good start! Don't forget you can put ground poly light splashes underneath, the textures should be dds DXT5 and so feint you can hardly see them; as they'll be there during the day also.

Cheers; I'll try the turning off that diffuse blend in the textures!:D
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I have light splashes but removed them because I wasn't happy with them. What do you mean they'll be there during the day? They have never shown up during the day when I had them in-game.
 
Oh ok; which way do you do it?

I had a semi-transparent DXT5 texture; which, as it has an alpha channel, used only the diffuse alpha for both the diffuse and the _lm. Hence, if the diffuse was completely invisible, the _lm would be too, even if it wasn't!

The "blend diffuse by diffuse alpha" isn't ticked for this material setting.

Strange, it seems Tic's textures don't have this drawing order problem; perhaps he can suggest what I am doing wrong...

I only have:
One, One (Diffuse and Dest. Blend.)
No Shadow
No base Material Specular

Everything else is left default I think.
 
Same technique for the splash or "hotspot" as used for the cone.

Black diffuse texture
splash Light color on black for the _LM texture

No alpha blending modes checked.
 
Yeah, that did suddenly occur to me after writing that past post. I'll give it a go.
 
I check that too, blend diffuse by diffuse alpha.
However I think it is not necessary since no alpha is used anyway.
The transparency that you get is from final alpha blend instead not the alpha channel.
So, no alpha channel is needed at all.
 
Those shots look awesome!:eek:

Thanks; I'll give it a try. I think that the only difference is
"Blend diffuse by diffuse alpha"
"Allow emissive bloom"
"Assume vertical normal"
and the white day texture.
 
Shaun said:
Those shots look awesome!:eek:

Thanks; I'll give it a try. I think that the only difference is
"Blend diffuse by diffuse alpha"
"Allow emissive bloom"
"Assume vertical normal"
and the white day texture.
Click to expand...

I think we are in the same setting. I use all those setting.
The only difference is, the white day texture.
 
This method doesn't work for ground polys for me. The black of the _lm texture still shows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top