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P3D v4 Landing Light Splash Not Appearing

tgibson

tgibson

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us-california
Hi,

I have converted an aircraft from FS2004 to FSX format and loaded it into P3Dv4. It all seems to work fine except the landing light splashes do not appear on the tarmac. The landing light splashes of this model appear fine in FSX SP2. What could be the issue? Is there something I need to do in MCX to make them appear in P3D?

I have the "Landing Lights shine on ground" box checked in P3D and the default C-69 landing light splash appears just fine.

Thanks,
 
PS. I converted it to P3Dv4 format and that didn't change anything - the landing light splashes still do not appear.
 
Would you nor have to attach some effects for the landing light? Or are they in the cfg file?
 
OK, I guess some aircraft export would have to tell us what's different in P3D v4 then...
 
I don't know if there are many people still using the default landing light splash. :)
 
I read in another thread the other day that it is best way still to make them. But I'm not an aircraft expert, so don't know the details.
 
Tom, some info FWIW. First, I get the light splash on the ground, based on an attachpoint object such as
Code: 
FSXML = <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?> <FSMakeMdlData version="9.0"> <Attachpoint name="attachpt_landing_3"> <AttachedObject> <Effect effectName="fx_landing" effectParams=""/> </AttachedObject> </Attachpoint> </FSMakeMdlData>

.. but I find the splash in V4.5 is much fainter than in ordinary FSX, also fuzzier (which could be nice in principle). Also note that in the object mesh the green (x) axis needs to be pointing towards the ground at a suitably oblique angle, considering rotation if any. So check if you have that in your original mesh/animation, and if the attach code is correct.
 
Thanks, Manfred.

I don't have the FSX or P3D model in a modeling program like 3DMax, only in MCX. I don't know how to view the attachpoint code in MCX. When I Import the FSX model into MCX the settings in the Attachpoint Editor look much the same as in your code. Name= attachpt_fx_landing_241, Effect Name= fx_landing. The green axis is pointing forward, the blue is pointing up, and the red is pointing right, just like the default L-049 landing light attachpoint. The name I gave the attachpoint is the same as the default L-049, in case that was important. While my original landing lights were linked to the animated lens that drops down out of the wing, I've also tried it with a fixed light, well away from any geometry. No light splash and no light bulb.
 
OK; it's unlikely that this could be significant, just a stab in the dark, but in gmax et al the attachpt code and name is assigned automatically, numbering upwards apparently, and indeed the object itself is renamed (to attachpt_landing_3, in my case), as soon as you attach the effect...
 
MCX does create this xml code for you. The attachpoint is also automatically numbered.
 
I changed the name to attachpt_landing_3 and still not visible...
 
The exact name should not matter.
 
Hi Arno,

I figured out the problem, well at least the symptom. When I have no Visibility Condition set, the light displays in P3D. But when I add a general light condition to the Attached Object, the light no longer displays (at least when I turn the lights or landing lights on or off). This also happens when I add my custom taxi light or special light visibility condition.

The default L-049 uses the general light condition for its landing light., and it turns of and off. I tried isolating that attachpoint from the L-049 and Merging into my model, but then it behaves the same way - only without a Visibility Condition does it display.

So it appears it is something about the way that MCX adds the Visibility Condition to a landing light attachpoint that causes the display to fail in P3D.

Hope this helps,
 
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It may be possible that something is going on with the general light visibility conditions in P3D? When I apply the condition to a visible part, the part never appears, whether the lights are on or off (using the L key or Ctrl-L keys).
 
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Hi,

I have worked on this some more. This XML code works to turn the P3D light on and off using the Taxi Light switch on my panel:

Code: 
  <PartInfo>
    <Name>light_taxi_visible</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Visibility>
      <Parameter>
        <Code>
          (A:LIGHT TAXI, bool)
        </Code>
      </Parameter>
    </Visibility>
  </PartInfo>

While this type of code (which is more typically used) does not work:

Code: 
  <PartInfo>
    <Name>light_taxi_visible</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Visibility>
      <Parameter>
        <Sim>
          <Variable>LIGHT TAXI</Variable>
          <Units>bool</Units>
        </Sim>
      </Parameter>
    </Visibility>
  </PartInfo>

This last code works fine when exporting to an FSX model, but it does not work when the FSX model is used in P3D or when exporting directly to a P3Dv4 model.

This is probably the reason that the general light condition does not work, since it is in the Sim format (the second one) that does not work.

Hope this helps,
 
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PS. While I have been using the FSX modeldef.xml file for exporting to both FSX and P3D models (I guess there is no way in MCX to use different modeldef files for different sim exports), the code of the general light condition in the P3Dv4 SDK modeldef file is in the same format that does not work:

Code: 
    <PartInfo>
        <Name>general_light</Name>
        <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
        <Visibility>
            <Parameter>
                <Sim>
                    <Variable>LIGHT LANDING</Variable>
                    <Units>bool</Units>
                </Sim>
            </Parameter>
        </Visibility>
    </PartInfo>
 
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OK, I now have a plane that has working landing and taxi lights in P3D, by using the workaround of:

1. Changing my custom taxi_light_visible condition to use the code above (using Code, not Sim).
2. Changing the AIG custom special_light condition (for landing lights) to use Code, not Sim.
3. Assigning all landing lights the condition of special light, not general light.

But I'm afraid many people will not realize this, so it would probably be best to get the Sim code working as well. :)

BTW, this also works when you export to FSX format and use that model in P3D. So it's not specifically an issue when you export to P3D format, it appears it's an MCX formatting thing, no matter the sim you export to. And BTW, these modified landing/taxi lights also work fine in FSX.

Hope this helps,
 
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PS. Manfred, for my taxi light I placed *two* identical attachpoints there, which brightened it up to an acceptable level. I didn't need to do that with the landing lights, since the lights on each wing overlap in the middle and make it bright enough.
 
Yes, I'll try doubling or even tripling the lights and see how that looks in V4.
 
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