• 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.

FX Tool set up

F

Farfy

Resource contributor
Messages
410
Good day guys

I am using FSXA
I have decided to give making or at least tweaking effects a try.
I have the effect tool installed in FSX

I took a default effect and changed the name so as not to mess it up.

Next working in the samples folder I made the XML file with the cords I want to use as my test location and put in the name of my “new” effect, I compiled it and installed the BGL file.

I start the game and I see my effect were I placed it.

I can open the FX tool and make adjustments, but I don’t see the changes unless I save the changed with the tool and restart the game.

From what I read in the SDK I thought I could see the changes with out rebooting the game.
I am sure I am just missing a simple step can someone point me in the right direction.

Thanks H_Farfy:D
 
Actually, the "Effects Tool" will only allow you to "build/tweak" your .fx files. Changes in the parameters may be seen immediately in the sim by simply changing x, y or z slightly and clicking on the Update (or whatever it's called) in the upper right corner.

Be aware though that the changes you make and Save will NOT be updated until you restart FSX...

...nor will the "working copy" that the Tool places disappear until you restart the sim.
 
Hi Bill
Thanks for your help

But I am not getting this yet.

I open FX tool and changed the colour to green, I save the effect and re-started the game and I have green light so I know I am doing that part correct.

Next I reset the effect back to default by copy and paste in the effect folder.

Next re-start game re-open the FX tool and again change to green and this time I mess with the offset sliders both up and down and inside out (0.1 to 50 ) each time I click the DO Effect button and then move all around then red light both close and far in slew mode and normal flight but I don’t see a green light.

Last night I tried this with a few different effects to see if that would help but no go, so I am back to the Obstruction red light

I also tried with that Show Location on and off.

I am missing something.
H_Farfy:D
 
Last edited:
Hi Folks

Farfy -
Just some comments whic may assist -



There's no need to restart FSX
unless you wish to observe your compiled placements.



The Show Location offset
is relative to the model centre of the aircraft you are viewing from.
i.e.
At 0, 0, 0 it'd be buried in your model behind you.

From your screenie -
the fx should be displayed at -
* 20m forward
* 20m stbd
* 20m up
from the centre of origin of the aircraft model that you're sat in.

e.g.
If you were sat in the 747,
the effect would be alongside the cockpit,
but only visible from stbd seat,
looking directly stbd and upwards at 45 degrees.



From your screenie -
you're testing in the middle of an airport, (can see VOR).

Suggest you test at a location
remote from any existing scenery or traffic.
e.g.
Over the ocean.



Again from your screenie
RGB colours of 128, 255, 128 will show up as green.

The effect you picture is obviously red.

Therefore either you've not clicked the Do Effect,
or are observing the wrong effect.

Suggest always copying an effect to a unique name,
to ensure you're loading/viewing the correct effect.



PPS
Settings for Particle2
may be swamping your colour changes.



HTH
ATB
Paul
 
Hi Paul

Thanks for your thoughts.

I realize that I should not have to restart FSX to see changes made with the FX Tool, but this is my problem I am not seeing the changes.

To clear up the above post I only saved the changes and then restarted the game to confirm that I WAS making a change to the effect, I then set it back to default (red) and started the game again and made the same change and this time tried to offset it as described by Bill.

After clicking the “DO Effect” button I moved back and all around looking for the new effect but it is no where to be seen.

Your suggestion to copy an effect to a unique name is exactly what I did.

I opened “fx_lightObsRedSteady.fx” and saved it as “fx_FARFYlightObsRedSteady.fx”.

Using that name I made a XML file in the sample folder, as below (note I moved to the ocean as you suggested).


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
<SceneryObject lat="43.333" lon="-51.296" alt="5" pitch="0" bank="0" heading="0" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<Effect effectName="fx_FARFYlightObsRedSteady.fx" />
</SceneryObject>
</FSData>


Next I compiled this and installed the BGL file.

I go back to that location and I see my red light but still can’t see any changes while using FX Tool.
Unless I save it and re-start game.

This time I change both Particle one and two to green.

BTW two days ago I did fresh install of FSX Deluxe with SDK then reboot PC
Then install Acceleration with SDK SP1a first then sdk.msi
I have added nothing to the set up, No aircraft, effect, gauges CFG files, I should have a clean install

Thanks Again
H_Farfy
 
Last edited:
Hi Folks

Farfy -
Can't really tell from your screenie.

The position for the displayed red effect
apparently does not match your applied offset, (nor colour).

Are you sure your screenie
is not showing the above precompiled red light ?



What aircraft were you viewing from ?



From your effect's offset,
the green effect will display at the combined offset of -
- 20m forward of the model centre
AND
- 20m above the model centre, (currently shows below viewpoint).
AND
- 20m stbd of the model centre, (currently shows directly ahead).



Please remember the "Do Effect" is not statically located,
it's always relative to your aircraft's model centre, and heading.

i.e.
If you turn your a/c's heading,
the effect will be similarly moved and displaced relative.



Try setting offsets x and z to zero,
and offset y to 50
and your modified effect
should always display directly ahead of your a/c.



HTH
ATB
Paul
 
Last edited:
Hi Paul

I SEE THE LIGHT……lol

I was in the Robinson 22 and I went to out side view several times and never saw the effect (the green one) all I could see was the red effect.

But thank you for telling me it will move with the aircraft, I was wasting a lot of time flying around looking for it LOL.

You mentioned the 747 so I thought perhaps I needed to be in a fixed wing, so I switched to the Lear and did the same steps and there it was, a green light.

I then went back to the Robinson 22 and it now works with it to….. Very odd.

I have now re-booted the game a few times with the helo and as far as I can see I am changing the colour and the off set the same way as I was before and as soon as I click “do effect” it shows every time.

For any one in the future having same problem as I was, I guess try switching aircraft as I can not see that I did anything else to fix this odd behavior than that.

Bill and Paul thank you for your help and suggestions.

Now I am off to see what kind of bad effect I can have on the game…sorry

H_Farfy:D:D:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top