Simviation Forum - 172 Taxi lights

Sep 9^th, 2007 at 10:21pm

bok269 Offline
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Whenever I engage the taxi lights on the default 172 I notice no difference. Is there something I'm missing?

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Reply #1 - Sep 9^th, 2007 at 10:37pm

MattNW Offline
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Taxi lights or landing lights? You have to set the sim to show landing lights. Go to your settings/customize/aircraft and select "Landing lights illuminate ground".

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Reply #2 - Sep 10^th, 2007 at 12:29am

justpassingthrough Offline
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None of the default aircraft have the taxi beam. Microsoft left it out. They know about it but only they can fix it because it requires all the models be fixed and compiled in an update. The taxi lights on the plane work but there is no beam on the ground. Even the default AI Dash 8 and MD 83 are missing BOTH the taxi AND the landing beams.

I have been testing NickN's latest Light Fix beta which adds all the taxi and landing light beam/glow to the plane and even though it does change the landing light beam on the ground to a much better looking one, it can not add a missing beam 0f light to the ground. Only the model builder who has the original source files fro the aircraft can do that, and that would be microsoft.

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Reply #3 - Sep 10^th, 2007 at 1:51am

Keep It Simple Offline
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Yeah, but, we got missions and new expansion pack MS wants to sell us.
Aren't we all happy about that? Roll Eyes

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Reply #4 - Sep 10^th, 2007 at 3:21pm

bok269 Offline
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justpassingthrough wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 12:29am:

None of the default aircraft have the taxi beam. Microsoft left it out. They know about it but only they can fix it because it requires all the models be fixed and compiled in an update. The taxi lights on the plane work but there is no beam on the ground. Even the default AI Dash 8 and MD 83 are missing BOTH the taxi AND the landing beams.

I have been testing NickN's latest Light Fix beta which adds all the taxi and landing light beam/glow to the plane and even though it does change the landing light beam on the ground to a much better looking one, it can not add a missing beam 0f light to the ground. Only the model builder who has the original source files fro the aircraft can do that, and that would be microsoft.

I figured I couldn't have messed that up...when will the Fix be released?

Also, will 3-D lights by Shockwave fix the problem?

Check out my around the world tour!

&&http://fsxaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/&&Reality is wrong; Dreams are for real. -Tupac&&&&No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. -William Blake&&&&The way I see it, you can either work for a living or you can fly airplanes. Me, I'd rather fly. -Len Morgan&&&&To invent an airplane is nothing. To build an airplane is something. But to fly ... is everything. -Otto Lilienthal&&&&

I will not be silenced by a stupid badger!

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Reply #5 - Sep 10^th, 2007 at 4:48pm

justpassingthrough Offline
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bok269 wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 3:21pm:

justpassingthrough wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 12:29am:

None of the default aircraft have the taxi beam. Microsoft left it out. They know about it but only they can fix it because it requires all the models be fixed and compiled in an update. The taxi lights on the plane work but there is no beam on the ground. Even the default AI Dash 8 and MD 83 are missing BOTH the taxi AND the landing beams.

I have been testing NickN's latest Light Fix beta which adds all the taxi and landing light beam/glow to the plane and even though it does change the landing light beam on the ground to a much better looking one, it can not add a missing beam 0f light to the ground. Only the model builder who has the original source files fro the aircraft can do that, and that would be microsoft.

I figured I couldn't have messed that up...when will the Fix be released?

Also, will 3-D lights by Shockwave fix the problem?

as I said, nothing can fix the beam on the ground except the maker of the aircraft. I dont know if Microsoft intends to fix that and other light problems or not.

That shockwave file only adds a glow to the plane and you have to add it manually to all the aircraft config files by editing. I also read and saw pictures on other forums that it shows up WAyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much during the day. At night it looks great but during the day it looks silly so for 10 bucks I thought it was a good idea but was very expensive for one light I had to spend hours on end adding to planes.

Its also not a 3D light. I read its just a fancy trick of FX file writing which basically multiplies a texture file in size and rotates it to give it a cone look. A real 3D light requires it be MODELED into the plane as a cone, like the rotating airport beacons, then skinned like any other model.

I also read a few people complain it blocks the pilots view because its so big in certain conditions. Too many reported problems and too many 'what-if's" to spend 10 bucks on one light!

I almost bought it too but last week NickN sent me a beta light fix to test and I was shocked to see the glow appear on all the planes, INCLUDING all the AI and all I did was install the files! You get a very cool look and no visual issues. During the day it glows just enough to show its on and does not make a huge white light cone in daylight. It also responds correctly to the zoom and visual angle where the glow is picked up but the intense light is not seen as the viewing angle is changed.

New strobes and beacons are drop dead awesome and it looks like he corrected all the scale and location problems for the default planes. It also changed my 400 AI planes and worked perfectly with them too. AND since all the AI add-on planes I use HAVE the taxi and landing lights in them they way they should, you can SEE the lights turn on and off as they taxi and switch to the landing lights when they get to the runway!

He should sell it because I would pay for this!

There are a few bugs I am sending to him later this week to look at but nothing that is more than minor visual quarks and seems to be related to certain add-on planes. All the default planes work perfect. Since every aircraft builder can make different texture calls and positions/angles lights differently, what he is looking for is a 'happy-medium' that works for just about everything that could get installed. I would say he is 98% there, even the helo's are looking great!

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Reply #6 - Sep 10^th, 2007 at 9:05pm

UU Offline
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Aye miltestpilot,

show some pics please

UU,&&Bayern, EDNT

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Reply #7 - Sep 11^th, 2007 at 3:32am

justpassingthrough Offline
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UU wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 9:05pm:

Aye miltestpilot,

show some pics please

I did above

I did not ask permission to post them but I do not think its a problem. Sill images do not do these lights justice. Stills do not show the animation in the strobes and beacons and it doesnt show the changes as the viewing angle moves but here are a few more quickies

I don't want to post any more without asking first and I don't want my fingers slapped for posting as many as I have in one thread already Wink

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Reply #8 - Sep 11^th, 2007 at 1:03pm

Keep It Simple Offline
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USA

Posts: 495

Looks great!

Personally I don't like the effect of the shockwave lights but these look much more realistic. Smiley

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Reply #9 - Sep 12^th, 2007 at 9:07pm

macca22au Offline
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Do you need any more beta testers? Like today. NickN has done a great job.

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Reply #10 - Sep 14^th, 2007 at 4:26pm

justpassingthrough Offline
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I have some news about these FX. A few of the bugs I reported back about have to do with something called “alpha-fade” which from what I have been told influences the FX the same as it does the autogen. The thing that makes autogen fade instead of pop was removed in SP1 and because of that some of the lights are not working the way they were programmed to do in every visual situation.

I was told that if they are color tweaked to not use alpha-fade and Microsoft restores alpha-fade with SP2 next month that it may throw everything off in how these lights look and they will have to be redesigned to work with the right fade numbers.

So right now there is a decision about which way to go or to just wait and see if Microsoft plans to restore fade with SP2.

It’s a real bummer. Changes like that are why add on companies have been waiting for so long to deliver stuff. So they don’t spend weeks getting things tweaked right to have a sim change mess it all up.

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