Since more and more aircraft (commercial airlines, the majority of new corporate jets, etc) are currently or soon to be outfitted with pulsating landing lights (learn more from A.net and PulseLite), I think it would be interesting to have such an effect available for FS.  I work with a Falcon 2000 with this system installed, it looks really cool on approach.  I don't know if this is possible in FS, and I am unfamiliar with effect programming (links to good resources appreciated).  Nonetheless, I thought I'd throw the idea out there, if anyone is interested in picking it up, or knows of its already being in progress.  is this something that could be done for FS and could this level of effect work be learned relatively easily by a novice?

Actually, I would not want it built into the model--that makes it harder to apply to another aircraft.  I was suggesting that someone pick up that project (maybe I'll run it by the guy who does the Nick's light FX) or point me in a direction to learn how to do it.  thanks though.

Nick left, so he's not much help here.

I would think XML would work?  I don't see why no.  You have XML gauges that do all sorts of smoke things, why couldn't an XML control landing light timing?

The other simpler solution I could feasably see is like a strobe light, but I dont know that it would actually illuminate anything.  You can assign more than one set of strbes, so if you made a white or yellow strobe light effect and then placed it on the plane in the right place you'd get the visual effect of pulselite but not necessarily the illumination that goes with it.

Well, they actually don't go all the way off, and they alternate strangely, which wouldn't be possible to model into FS since it doesn't recognize each light as an individual event.  All landing lights are handled by the one switch.  They really don't go all the way off, sicne it would defeat the purpose, which is to save on light usage.  They dim and brighten alternately, from 30% to 100%.  And the light function of FS is not a graduated setting.  You can only have on and off.

A way to simulate this (sort of):

The landing lights are in the model, and it consists of two seperate entities that are linked to each other.  One creates the actual beam of light that you see shining on the tarmac.  The other creates the spot that shows you where the light is coming from: the lightbulb itself.

Simply leaving out the bulb part and putting in the beam part, then inserting an effect that would come on with the landing lights that functions like a strobe, but with a very long brighten-dim sequence.  Place this where the "bulb" would be, and you have your effect.  It won't brighten and darken on the runway, but you will get that cool brighten-dim effect you mentioned.

Jayhawk Jake wrote on Feb 21^st, 2007 at 6:21pm:


Yes XML would work, my experience in that codding is very limited.. Least I know what I need to learn..

Quote:


Turning a light on and off constantly would shorten the lifespan o fthe bulb...

...I doubt that is a selling point at all.

If you go into the Aircraft file using the Notepad, you'd probably be able to position yellow or white strobes over top of the existing white landing lights.  You'd have white illumination (if provided) from the landing lights, and the flashing lights.  Quick and dirty, but effective.  Just not for me.  - John