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PAPI lights with Separation plane

Messages
187
Country
hungary
Hello,

i'm makeing PAPI with separation plane. I successfully maked a BGL light and placed it to the correct place and after that i added the separation plane command. My runway heading is 310 degrees so i calculated the separation plane vectors:

first variable = -cos(130) * 32767 = 21062
third variable = -sin(130) * 32767 = -25101

so the code is:

Code:
    SEPARATION_PLANE wrong_direction, 21062, 0, -25101, 32767
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.692, 1.064.......
    wrong_direction label word

This works OK! But how can i calculate the vertical vector?! And what is the correct PAPI logic? Okay the last light is always white unless you are below the 3 degrees glideslope. But what is the highest angle for the first light for example? And so on..

Regards, Peter
 
Hello,

Have no answer... but a question about approach light system.

On a photo I can see four lights... can anybody tell me what system this is ?

For now I set in my own scenery a PAPI (with Airport for Windows) and this gives two bars (a white light and a red one)... and that's not the reality. Even the FS models are not right. Is it possible to use the default FS ones in an own made scenery ?
Or has AFW the approach light I am searching ?

Thanks. José.
 
Hi,

the four lights are the PAPI. There are different PAPI types i think with two bars, left side PAPI, right side PAPI, etc. I also tried to make an invisible runway with full lighting system with Airport for Windows. The result that the runway surface invisible and all lights visible without the PAPI. So it would be nice for me but i can not make visible the PAPI lights with this technic however somebody said that it work.. hmm. I tried with FSSC as well in this case the PAPI is visible too but its just appear as short ugly lines. It is not good for me. (i have to place my lights above my ground polygons)

Theoretically you can set in AFW the number of the bars of PAPI at the runway options and the approach light system as well. And i think you can also use AFCAD to put and make default lights but they are always shown below gmax made ground polygons. So you can use AFCAD if you don't use own ground.
 
Hi,

Thanks... I will look at AFW what I can do or find. If someone said it can be done... it must be possible to find a way, hà. I am running FS2002.

Byebye. José.
 
Hi,

Have just looked at GroundMaker and in this program it is possible to choose PAPI (bars or lights... and these 4 lights are more convenient).

Have now to test if I can place only the lights. If that is not possible I have a problem too because redo all the runway configuration is not so nice. :(

Greetz. José.
 
Hi,

Maybe the lights can be drawn seperately when setting the measures for the runway to zero feet.

There is a note, saying that the lights will not be seen if a custom surface has been set. What does that mean ? :rolleyes:

Greetz. José.
 
José Bourgoignie said:
Hi,

Maybe the lights can be drawn seperately when setting the measures for the runway to zero feet.

There is a note, saying that the lights will not be seen if a custom surface has been set. What does that mean ? :rolleyes:

Greetz. José.

If you use custom textures for the runway (your own BMP files for example) the lights won't be visible. But its a bit strange :)
 
Hey José!!!


It really works with GROUND MAKER :)

The PAPI and runway lights and approach lights so ALL lights are visible fine ABOVE ground polygons! Before you make the BGL file tweak a bit the SCASM code. Change the SURFACE x (x is variable) command to SURFACE -1. In this case the runway surface will be invisible. Turn off all runway marks in ground maker as well and you have a fully working runway lighting system :)


But the topic question about separation plane is still live :)
 
Hello,

OK... I set a runway (with Groundmaker) but it was not possible to give the runway zero values.
Otherwise, the four PAPI lights showed op... very tiny.
Maybe it is possible to draw above this runway on a higher layer something else that covers... like grass or so.

Greetz. José.
 
Here are the code I used for my PLASI lights.
The vector must point upwards the second number is the z axis.
This meens that the plane is laying allmost flatt, and when you are below the plane the light does not light.

Code:
    SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_all, 3933, -32473, 1918, 32767

    SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_4, 2387, -32659, 1164, 32767
    VAR_BASE_OVERRIDE VAR_BASE_GLOBAL
    IFMSK       nolgt_all, beacnt, 09999h
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 1
    BGL_JUMP_32 nolgt_all
    nolgt_4       label BGLCODE

    SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_3, 2477, -32650, 1208, 32767
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.013, 0.000, 0.013, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0E5FF0000h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 2
    BGL_JUMP_32 nolgt_all
    nolgt_3       label BGLCODE

    SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_2, 2656, -32633, 1295, 32767
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 3
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 3
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 3
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 3
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_NAV, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 20, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 3
    BGL_JUMP_32 nolgt_all
    nolgt_2       label BGLCODE

;    SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_all, 18323, 0, -27165, 32767
    VAR_BASE_OVERRIDE VAR_BASE_GLOBAL
    IFMSK       nolgt_all, beacnt, 09999h
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 4
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 4
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 4
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 4
    BGL_LIGHT LIGHT_STROBE, -0.017, 0.000, 0.017, 40, 0.60, 0.40, 0FFFAFAC8h, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000 ; source poly num = 4
    BGL_JUMP_32 nolgt_all
    nolgt_1       label BGLCODE

    nolgt_all       label BGLCODE
 
I understand this. But how can you get the vectors for the z axis? What is the formula? How did you get -32659 etc?

For PAPI lights the glideslope angle is 3 degrees.
 
José

Does it work for you? Because it works fine for me. The runway altitude is the same as my ground scenery altitude (maybe 1-2 centimeters or millimeters different because i had to convert feets to meteres for SCASM code). The runway surface invisible the runway marks disabled, the runway lights and papi lights turned on and now i have a custom runway with workable light system.
 
I used Gmax to find the coordinates.

This picture explains how I get the coordinates
separation_plane.jpg

I just rotate this object the way I want, then I get the coordinates.
 
I saw this thx! I can do the same with trigonometric functions like sine and cosine. My problem is that i can't set the vectors for PAPI lights on z axis. With this object what you suggested i cannot make exactly 3 degrees glideslope. There are four lights so neither of them have to set to 3 degrees. 2 of theme under the 3 degrees and 2 of them above but i don't know where. I don't know the angle for the Z axis. I'd like to create realistic PAPI. If i make too high pitched glideslope for example.. the planes descend too fast if they use the PAPI.
 
Hello,

I haven't tried it yet.

I saw also the topic with the PAPI API's ... but my aircraft disappears too when approaching the objects. Strange. The models of the API's are very natural. Hope a solution is in sight.

Greetz. José.
 
Last edited:
If you use SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_4, 0, -32767(x), 0(z), 32767(y), it will be visible only when you are above the light.
If you use SEPARATION_PLANE nolgt_4, 2387, -32659, 1164, 32767 the plane will be tilted aprox. 3deg as you asked for.
 
Thanks i'll try it!

José:

I tried these APIs as well and Ras78 from this forum too but the result is the same what you said :(
 
Just to clearify, I use Gmax with FS2004 SDK to make the lights.
Then I mark out the Ifmsk command in the .asm file to get the lights to work in FS
Code:
;   IFMSK       nolgt_.....
Then I add the Separation plane and compile to BGL.
 
lambda said:
Thanks i'll try it!

José:

I tried these APIs as well and Ras78 from this forum too but the result is the same what you said :(


Hi,

I wonder if these objects are made in GMAX. Normally it should not intervene with other items.
If I made this objects again without making an API of it... maybe it works normally ? There must be happend a fault during the operation GMAX - FSRegen - API.

Greetz. José.
 
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