hability to detect rain?

[BrBlazer]

Hi developers?

Is it possible to detect rain so I can configure mdltweaker to only display a certain object if it's raining?

Kindly,

Blazer

 

[arno]

Hi,

No, there is no variable for rain that the scenery can use.

I added one in the ActiGate module, so by using that module it would be possible. But personally I would only depend on such a module users have to install if it is a really import feature of the scenery.

 

[Hangar32]

Hi Arno,

I think I understood your response - that scenery objects (buildings, bridges, etc.) cannot show/display rain.

How does FSX show rain and snow and their associated effects on runways and taxiways?

 

[hgschnell]

....

No, there is no variable for rain that the scenery can use.

...

there are gauges which uses variables for detecting rain:

"


<Gauge Name="Openskyreverserspray" Version="1.0">
<copyright>(c)2007 Edward Cox [edetroit@projectopensky.com]</copyright>
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(A:TURB ENG1 REVERSE NOZZLE PERCENT,percent) 50 &gt; (A:AMBIENT PRECIP STATE,number) 4 == (A:AMBIENT PRECIP STATE,number) 8 == or &amp;
if{ (A:SMOKE ENABLE,bool) ! if{ 0 (&gt;K:SMOKE_TOGGLE) }
1 (&gt;G:Var1) 0 (&gt;G:Var2) }
els{ 0 (&gt;G:Var1) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(G:Var1) !
(G:Var2) ! &amp;&amp;
if{ 1 (&gt;G:Var2) (A:SMOKE ENABLE,bool) if{ 0 (&gt;K:SMOKE_OFF) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
</Gauge>
"
is something like this possible in sceneries?

just an idea ..

 

[n4gix]

No, since scenery can't use "gauges."

 

[hgschnell]

hi Bill,

ofcourse you are the pope of gauges

I did not think, the scenery should use gauges but only the variable

A:AMBIENT PRECIP STATE,number) 4 (rain or 8 for snow)...

please forgive my naive ideas

 

[n4gix]

Well, that is precisely the problem: FSX scenery doesn't support such, which is why we can't have user controlled hanger doors, etc.

 

[BrBlazer]

That's a real shame. I though of doing some puddles on the tarmac to try and make it even better than FSX water which is just reflection you have no feel of water being there.

 

[hgschnell]

Well, that is precisely the problem: FSX scenery doesn't support such, which is why we can't have user controlled hanger doors, etc.

I did not know we are discussing FSX, sorry

So I quit (FSX is not my field)

 

[arno]

I don't think we were discussing FSX, the thread starter is talking about MDLTweaker, which is for FS2004 only. But for both sims there is no scenery variable for rain (unfortunately).

 

[BrBlazer]

It is actually to be used in both if possible, even if it meant FS9 gamepack coding in FSX.

 

[sfrenchie]

And that's one more check mark in my "why I don't use FSX" list.
Let's see next what MS removed from Flight that could be done in simple old 2004.

 

[hcornea]

FSX:

The "rain" functionality is associated with controlling reflection, within the model material settings.

The checkbox is "take precipitation into account", and you can apply an offset, which determines the time between rain starting and the material setting altering.

Basically, this just switches on the reflection map, when it is raining, which in combination with a bump map (to break the reflection up) is what is used on model surfaces to simulate water on aprons / roof etc.

@Patrick: this functionality is not available in FS9, BUT all of the MDLTweaker tweaked models work in FSX (with the minor exception of transparency, which will display but is faulty). It is certainly not a reason to develop FS9 exclusively!

The only reason I could think of developing for FS9 is not wanting to learn the new tools!

So you can have tweaked FS9 models, FS8 groundpolys, and all of the increased FSX texture resolution and material settings! That's why I don't develop for FS9!

 

[sfrenchie]

I believe I was referring to this

Well, that is precisely the problem: FSX scenery doesn't support such, which is why we can't have user controlled hanger doors, etc.

 

[hcornea]

Pretty sure (although I haven't found the need) that conditional animations work fine in FSX using legacy tools.

... including CAT driven hangar door animations.

Hmm ...... so you can run FS9 code for variable driven animation, and FSX materials for other things.

Unfortunately no RAIN variable for FS9 though (or material for that matter).

Now, what was the problem with FSX developing again?