Most Tedious and Boring Tasks
- Thread starter n4gix
- Start date
When I get creative and start modeling, I try to get in a state-of-flow whereby I practice to postpone any kind of (mental) judgment.
This keeps my attention and energy focused to the challenges at hand (feet? anywhere?) and gets the job done in any way I can.
Questions:
Nice panel by the way Bill. To which aircraft does it belong?
- Are you only referring to the changing textures in this case?
- Does this panel/gauge use with backlight-ing that dynamically in/decreases in light-intensity when turned on/off?
- Is it possible to automate these boring tasks in any way, with macro's of some sort?
This keeps my attention and energy focused to the challenges at hand (feet? anywhere?) and gets the job done in any way I can.
Questions:
Nice panel by the way Bill. To which aircraft does it belong?
- Are you only referring to the changing textures in this case?
- Does this panel/gauge use with backlight-ing that dynamically in/decreases in light-intensity when turned on/off?
- Is it possible to automate these boring tasks in any way, with macro's of some sort?
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This is the annunciator sub-panel for the Avanti P180.
Each "light" requires two polygons; one for the unlighted text, the other for the lighted text (Additive mode, Self-Illumination)
They are controlled by <Visibility> conditions, so 50 of them require 100 unique entries in the modeldef.xml file.
Since the only difference between them is the custom L:variable used for <Visibility> control, and the <PartInfo> name, it is indeed possible to copy/paste each set and simply change the names of the <PartInfo> and (L:var)...
...which while relatively fast, is still boring and tedious!
This panel has a "Systems Test" knob that selects the specific system to test, and requires a knob "pull" to make the selector active, which is why the extra test conditions in the <Code> section.
Each "light" requires two polygons; one for the unlighted text, the other for the lighted text (Additive mode, Self-Illumination)
They are controlled by <Visibility> conditions, so 50 of them require 100 unique entries in the modeldef.xml file.
Since the only difference between them is the custom L:variable used for <Visibility> control, and the <PartInfo> name, it is indeed possible to copy/paste each set and simply change the names of the <PartInfo> and (L:var)...
...which while relatively fast, is still boring and tedious!
This panel has a "Systems Test" knob that selects the specific system to test, and requires a knob "pull" to make the selector active, which is why the extra test conditions in the <Code> section.
Code:
<!-- ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS VISIBILITY -->
<PartInfo>
<Name>Avt_L_FIRE_LIGHT_OFF</Name>
<Visibility>
<Parameter>
<Code>
(L:Avt_SysTest_SEL,enum) 0 !=
(L:Avt_SysTest_PULL, bool) ! or
(L:Avt_L_FIRE_LIGHT,bool) ! and
</Code>
</Parameter>
</Visibility>
</PartInfo>
<PartInfo>
<Name>Avt_L_FIRE_LIGHT_ON</Name>
<Visibility>
<Parameter>
<Code>
(L:Avt_SysTest_SEL,enum) 0 ==
(L:Avt_SysTest_PULL, bool) and
(L:Avt_L_FIRE_LIGHT,bool) or
</Code>
</Parameter>
</Visibility>
</PartInfo>
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You can always try mentally reciting the Rosary - as a cradle Catholic, when have tedious things to do, I sometimes do that to contemplate on weightier matters…although I can never remember the new mysteries that JPII added. In this case… an "Our Father" for each column of Warning Lights and a "Hail Marry" for each Caution Light in a column, actually works - albeit only four decades…just say'n.
Speaking of tedious and boring, I find recreating the materials, animations, visibilities and hierarchy of objects imported from .obj into 3ds Max incredibly boring especially since it's hours and hours of work to get to the point of something that was already there.
There needs to be an ISO norm for a universal 3D model format.
There needs to be an ISO norm for a universal 3D model format.
Bill, great work on that annunciator. Keep going, it will be worth it!
Speaking of a lack of motivation, below are some shots of the OH and the annunciators of the Saab 340 - 134 lamps only there.
Might I suggest another approach: My unlighted lamps are part of the OH texture - there are no seperate polygons for them, they are always there. The lighted polygons "hover" directly above the unlighted. Therefore only the lighted polygons require a "Visibility" entry in the modeldef.xml. Saves you 50% of workload and you can't tell a difference visually.
Speaking of a lack of motivation, below are some shots of the OH and the annunciators of the Saab 340 - 134 lamps only there.
Might I suggest another approach: My unlighted lamps are part of the OH texture - there are no seperate polygons for them, they are always there. The lighted polygons "hover" directly above the unlighted. Therefore only the lighted polygons require a "Visibility" entry in the modeldef.xml. Saves you 50% of workload and you can't tell a difference visually.
