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FSX:SE Making/Attach effects to light model with blender software

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442
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malaysia
Hi,

I came across with wiki article on how to make taxi edge light using effect.
I followed this file: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13936&d=1359701230

Just for reference: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Apron_lighting_using_effects_and_GMax

But the article mainly for users of GMax as the modelling software. So, I tried with blender using similar way but I couldn't finish it up since there are multiple .mdl file. There is no enough information about the compilations of the model file. I am not sure weather I am doing it correctly or not.

What I am curious about is:
1. Does the box that was created to attach the effect must have materials and fsx parameters too?
2. What is 'colour start' and 'colour end' in the effect file means?
3. I am using 'source blend' and 'destination blend' value as 'One' for the light plane. Is that ok?
4. How to combine/make multiple .mdl file into a single bgl file?

Hope someone can correct me and make me successful on this matter. Thank you.

Edit:
1. I have removed the video link.

From above questions:

What I am curious about is:
1. Does the box that was created to attach the effect must have materials and fsx parameters too?
Yes, the light box should have material.

2. What is 'colour start' and 'colour end' in the effect file means?
Color Start:
The initial color of a particle. Use the color dialog, or input the values directly.
The alpha value here applies throughout. The alpha value in the xml file for Color End is ignored.
Red, Green, Blue, Alpha
Color Start= 0, 0, 0, 0


Color End:
Color End = 0, 0, 0, 0
The final color of a particle. Use the color dialog, or input the values directly.

(Source: FSX SDK)

3. I am using 'source blend' and 'destination blend' value as 'One' for the light plane. Is that ok?
Yes, that's ok

4. How to combine/make multiple .mdl file into a single bgl file?
You can see my xml code below. Just change the information with yours.

To compile the BGL

Along with the compiler is the file BGLComp.xsd, this file must be located in the same directory as BGLComp.exe for the compiler to function properly.

  1. Select the YOURFILENAME.XML file and drag it onto the bglcomp.exe.
  2. bglcomp.exe will compile the .XML file into a new .BGL file called YOURFILENAME.BGL.
BGL Compiler.exe can be found in FSX SDK:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\BGL Compiler SDK
(The file directory might differ from yours)
 
Last edited:
Hi Dave,

I tried that but
1. I made a mistake here. I didn't have material for the box.

2. How to make the box invisible during day time? Does the effect will hide it if we set Param to: Day=0; Night=1

3. There are 3 mdl files. And I don't know how the model should be exported. No idea about exporting 3 files into single bgl file.

Maybe if you don't mind please look at my video on the link above and advice me where did I did wrong.

Thank you.
 
Last edited:
I have tried the following steps for my model:

Attaching effect to the box:

effect setting 1.PNG
Effect Properties.PNG


2. Material for the effect Box:

Materials.PNG


3. The effect Box (blue)[In x ray mode] & black box (bounding box UV maped to black area on the texture).

Once you have placed all of your lights and have attached your effects, you **must** create a transparent bounding box around the entire set of lights / boxes. Source: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Apron_lighting_using_effects_and_GMax

X-ray mode.PNG

Material for bounding box:
Box material.PNG


fx_TaxiBlueLight Effect Code:

[Library Effect]
Lifetime=5
Version=1.00
Radius=200

[Properties]
Spot=1
Tower=1
Map=1

Priority=0

[controller.0]
lifetime=0.0, 0.0
type=3
distance=10000.00, 10000.00
delay=10000000.00, 10000000.00
x offset=0.00, 0.00
y offset=0.00, 0.00
z offset=0.00, 0.00
effect.0=fx_navwhih, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

[Particle.0]
Lifetime=0.00, 0.00
Type=19
X Scale=1.00, 1.00
Y Scale=1.00, 1.00
Z Scale=0.00, 0.00
X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
Color Rate=0.00, 0.00
Fade In=0.00, 0.00
Fade Out=0.00, 0.00
Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Static=1
Face=1, 1, 1

[ParticleAttributes.0]
Blend Mode=2
Texture=fx_2.bmp
Bounce=0.00
Color Start=0, 255, 30, 100
Color End=0, 77, 9, 0

Jitter Distance=0.00
Jitter Time=0.00
uv1=0.00, 0.00
uv2=0.50, 0.50
X Scale Goal=0.00
Y Scale Goal=0.00
Z Scale Goal=0.00
Extrude Length=0.00
Extrude Pitch Max=0.00
Extrude Heading Max=0.00

(simply was made in green colour just to differentiate the effect form with the texture (blue colour)

XML Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

<SceneryObject lat="2.265524543" lon="102.252794134" alt="0" pitch="0" bank="0" heading="0" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<LibraryObject name="{fd01aa5e-1899-4586-fa72-1dc26f94554f}" scale="1.0" />
</SceneryObject>
<ModelData sourceFile="taxiedge lights Model.MDL" />

<SceneryObject lat="2.265524543" lon="102.252794134" alt="0" pitch="0" bank="0" heading="0" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<LibraryObject name="{5ccca3b1-67af-49c6-238e-58a3e8185d8d}" scale="1.0" />
</SceneryObject>
<ModelData sourceFile="Taxi Edge Light Effect.MDL" />
</FSData>

Final result: (texture with brighter mipmap just to confirm the effect box appeared on SIM.)

Mip Map High.PNG


Result without effect attach:

Notmal without effect.PNG


With effect attached:
with effect.PNG


No luck :banghead:

When i try attach the effect seperately in XML:
<SceneryObject lat="2.265524543" lon="102.252794134" alt="0" pitch="0" bank="0" heading="0" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<Effect effectName="fx_TaxiBlueLight" />
</SceneryObject>

The green light form:
Screenshot (119).png


So, i'm not sure where did i do wrong in the model.
 
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