Is there a way to turn up the brightness of the lights on any aircraft to make it look more realistic.
I looked in my .Cfg file on the aircraft i'm working on but i don't know what the numbers mean when i look in a different aircraft.cfg file. I'm a noob at aircraft design but not scenery.
The Lights on the wingtips of the aircraft are to dim and their is no strobe lights have tried messing with the aircraft.cfg file made a back up before doing it but it doesnt brighten up the lights or even add the strobes as i was told.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

If the lights aren't modeled into the aircraft, then the lights are produced by effect files. (.fx) In the aircraft.cfg, find the lights section for reference to the effect files in question.

The snip below is from the FS9 default Lear:
[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing
light.0 = 3,  -39.00, -23.6,  -0.25, fx_navred ,
light.1 = 3,  -39.00,  23.6,  -0.25, fx_navgre ,
light.2 = 3,  -63.63,   0.00,  9.20, fx_navwhi ,
light.3 = 1,  -37.00,   0.00, -2.59, fx_beacon ,
light.4 = 2,  -36.97,   0.00, -2.62, fx_strobe ,
light.5 = 1,  -63.05,   0.00,  9.75, fx_beacon ,
light.6 = 5,  -29.7,   -1.3,  -1.71, fx_landing ,
light.7 = 5,  -29.7,    1.3,  -1.71, fx_landing ,
light.8 = 4,  -16.00,   0.00,  2.25, fx_vclight,
light.9 = 4,  -27.00,   0.00,  0.25, fx_vclight,

number.#=type, front/back+/- , left/right -/+, top/bottom +/-, file.fx,

Positioning for FS9 goes as above. (If memory serves, FSX does it differently)
The different light "types":
types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing, 6=Taxi, 7=Recognition, 8=Wing, 9=Logo, 10=Cabin

You can add any lighting effect to any plane you wish by adding lines similar to the ones above to the aircraft.cfg file. A little trial and error may be needed to get your positioning right. One word of advise when it comes to positioning, SMALL CHANGES. Supposedly, the positioning numbers are measured in meters from datum (center). (E.G. 1.00=1 meter in one direction, -1.00=1 meter in the opposite direction.)


Next browse to the effects folder of your sim, find the effect files you'd like to make brighter, and back them up. You can open an effect file with note pad, or any other text editor.

Look for the sections called:

[ParticleAttributes.#]

In that/those headings you'll find two entries:

Color Start=0,30,25,200
Color End=0,30,25,0

These are just standard RGB codes.(the above yields a green "light") The fourth number in the sequence is for intensity. Usually (depending on the "Blend Mode" being used) the higher this number is, the brighter the light.

Found a cool RGB Calculator the other day. Comes in handy should you decide to tweek the colors of those lights.

Hope this helps.
:)

Thanks this helped out alot. Now i know how to tweak the lights and position them just right for the perfect authenic lighting of a F-19 Nighthawk that i've been work on for the past 3 years. :)

Along this line....

I too am new at aircraft design but I am learning fast.  Read through most of the sdk info etc.

I was successful in changing the flaps so they operate correctly on this aircraft.   So I understand how to change the aircraft.cfg file.  I am by no means a pro but I can change things. 

I am using this addon that is for FS9 in FSX.

The above mentioned help talks about the lights being modeled into the aircraft.  How can I check this out and make changes?  For example if I wanted to add beacon lights to the anticollision switch?  In this model the strobes come on but not beacon when you turn on the anticollision.  Technically it would be ok with the FAA for that, but I like beacons.  LOL

Here is the original [lights] section of the aircraft.cfg file.

[lights]

//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing

light.0 = 3, -43.17, -21.12, -0.06, fx_navred
light.1 = 3, -43.13, 21.09, -0.06, fx_navgre

Here is what I did in a FEEBLE attempt to add a beacon :-/

[lights]

//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing

light.0 = 3, -43.17, -21.12, -0.06, fx_navred ,
light.1 = 3, -43.13, 21.09, -0.06, fx_navgre ,
light.2 = 1, -43.00, 0.00, 8.00, fx_beacon ,

What is odd is I have the following:

Landing Lights
Taxi Lights
Nav Lights
Strobe Lights

I see that all that is in the original [lights] section are the nav lights.  (?)  AND the switches for all those lights work too.  I am missing something.

Anyway can someone point me in the right directions?

M. Lang wrote on Jul 7^th, 2011 at 3:19pm:

Along this line.... I too am new at aircraft design but I am learning fast.  Read through most of the sdk info etc. I was successful in changing the flaps so they operate correctly on this aircraft.   So I understand how to change the aircraft.cfg file.  I am by no means a pro but I can change things.  I am using this addon that is for FS9 in FSX. The above mentioned help talks about the lights being modeled into the aircraft.  How can I check this out and make changes?  For example if I wanted to add beacon lights to the anticollision switch?  In this model the strobes come on but not beacon when you turn on the anticollision.  Technically it would be ok with the FAA for that, but I like beacons.  LOL Here is the original [lights] section of the aircraft.cfg file. [lights] //Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing light.0 = 3, -43.17, -21.12, -0.06, fx_navred light.1 = 3, -43.13, 21.09, -0.06, fx_navgre Here is what I did in a FEEBLE attempt to add a beacon :-/ [lights] //Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing light.0 = 3, -43.17, -21.12, -0.06, fx_navred , light.1 = 3, -43.13, 21.09, -0.06, fx_navgre , light.2 = 1, -43.00, 0.00, 8.00, fx_beacon , What is odd is I have the following: Landing Lights Taxi Lights Nav Lights Strobe Lights I see that all that is in the original [lights] section are the nav lights.  (?)  AND the switches for all those lights work too.  I am missing something. Anyway can someone point me in the right directions?

First thing's first...IF the light is modeled into the aircraft, there isn't much of anything you can do to change it without the original source code for that model. Modeling a light into the model itself is usually only done if that light will need to move. For example, if you have a carrier based aircraft like an F-18, many modelers will opt to have some of the lights modeled into the aircraft itself so that, lets say, when the wings are folded, the nav lights will fold with the wings instead of just remaining stationary, hanging out in mid-air.

Try setting the light type of the beacon you're trying to add to type "3", and see what you get. I really don't know all the ins and outs of it, but if I'm not mistaking, many times, the switches you use in the cockpit to turn those lights on are actually gauges, and if those gauges aren't programed to recognize certain light types, they won't work. Like I said, this is just my best GUESS as to what's happening, and I could very well be wrong.

[quote
First thing's first...IF the light is modeled into the aircraft, there isn't much of anything you can do to change it without the original source code for that model. Modeling a light into the model itself is usually only done if that light will need to move. For example, if you have a carrier based aircraft like an F-18, many modelers will opt to have some of the lights modeled into the aircraft itself so that, lets say, when the wings are folded, the nav lights will fold with the wings instead of just remaining stationary, hanging out in mid-air.

Try setting the light type of the beacon you're trying to add to type "3", and see what you get. I really don't know all the ins and outs of it, but if I'm not mistaking, many times, the switches you use in the cockpit to turn those lights on are actually gauges, and if those gauges aren't programed to recognize certain light types, they won't work. Like I said, this is just my best GUESS as to what's happening, and I could very well be wrong.
[/quote]


Most Excellent!

Here is the sharware aircraft in question...

http://simviation.com/1/search?submit=1&keywords=falcon+10

The good news is that it worked exactly as you had stated!

So after a little experimentation, I now have BOTH beacons not only working but where they should be!  I threw in the tailcone white nav just for good measure.

Here is my fix.  (after taking your advice that is)

[lights]

//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing

light.0 = 3, -43.17, -21.12, -0.06, fx_navred ,
light.1 = 3, -43.13, 21.09, -0.06, fx_navgre ,
light.2 = 3, -53.60, 0.00, 1.85 , fx_navwhi
light.3 = 2, -38.00, 0.00, -1.6, fx_beacon ,
light.4 = 2, -56.50, 0.00, 9.8, fx_beacon ,

Works like a champ.

Thanks again for the idea.  Take care!!!

(just a little designer's advice)  If you want lights on the aircraft body, I can make ones of any brightness and any color on an aircraft's body, but they won't flash or anything.  What you have to do is open the _T file, Stretch it DOWN to 256x256 pixels, and just add the color you want the lights to be where you would want the lights to be,  then make everywhere else that you don't want to make have a light black.  This will only edit the lights on the aircraft's body and you can see the lights from this method at night when the landing lights are on, otherwise, you won't see them.  That's actually how I make my glowing aircraft.

Hey Thanks for the info Club!  I'll give it a try!

I forgot to mention one thing in my above comment. Don't replace the _T with the new image.  Replace the _L image.