MAIW_WSMG F-16's

[Weescotty]

What is funny is that lights can be added exactly the same way in FSX, so there should be a similar issue going from FSX to FS9 with hard coded lights.

[Firebird]

It is weird and I have tried everything I can think of to get around this. The fact that the taxy lights work as intended makes me wonder whether I have hit a bug in MCX.

In the original Conversions the taxy lights were AttachedLights, as the original, but I found that there is a config file for lights in MCX and I commented out the conversion of landing lights away from the original type.
I thought that I had cracked it - no.

The config file amends FS9-FSX conversion and vice versa, so there didn't seem any point in trying to go through an FSX mid point for this.

[Firebird]

Hi Firebird, accidently hit 'Report' on the "visibility post" by mistake, have contacted mods to fix. Sorry!

Heres the full XML for the landing lights in P3D...

<PartInfo>
<Name>light_landing_vis_AND_gear_down</Name>
<Visibility>
<Parameter>
<Code>
(A:GEAR CENTER POSITION,percent) 90 &gt;
if{ (A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) 1 ==
if{ 1 } els{ 0 } }
els{ 0 }
</Code>
</Parameter>
</Visibility>
</PartInfo>

Thanks for that now that is interesting in that MCX must convert some names automatically but I can't think that the name itself would be of consequence.

[Weescotty]

Do they still show over 10,000ft?
That's the default off point in FS9.

If they go out its the trigger for the landing gear not working.
If they still show, they are not being tagged as landing lights.

[Firebird]

I can try a test flight to see. At the moment I just use circuits.

[Firebird]

OK they switch off at exactly 10000 AGL. So that would seem to indicate that they are working correctly.

Are you aware of anything we can do to alter that default behaviour?

[Weescotty]

IF I remember correctly...

There are two parts to the taxi and landing lights in FS9 -
1) The light splash which is a poly tagged with a special material named - LIGHT_LAND or LIGHT_TAXI
2) The light entries in the config file.

P3D -
1) Its an attached effect
2) Visibility for it is added in the AttachedEffect section of the Heirarchy Editor in MCX

[Weescotty]

XML it is then ...

From ...

<Code>
(A:GEAR CENTER POSITION,percent) 90 &gt;
if{ (A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) 1 ==
if{ 1 } els{ 0 } }
els{ 0 }
</Code>

To -
<Code>
(A:GEAR CENTER POSITION, percent) 90 &gt;
(A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) 1 ==
and
if{ 1 } els{ 0 }
</Code>

That might mean the same prob converting FSX to FS9?

[edit] Both tags are valid in FS9
It could be MCX is always assuming landing lights are on the wing or fuselage.

[edit 2] XML code was wrong, had included a bit from the original code. Updated it.

[Firebird]

OK tried that new code and unfortunately it didn't change anything. I even renamed the part to the default light_landing_vis to see if it would override it. Still no good.

Whilst the purist in me would like to solve this, the pragmatist says that the model converts and if the only issue is two small points of light are visible, at night, under 10000' then this does not stop the show.

So I will continue converting the block 52s.

However, if any new theories or ideas come up I will be glad to try them.

[Weescotty]

Has to be a problem with the way the landing light is being converted to FS9.
In which case I would expect the same to happen with a hard coded landing light doing a FSX to FS9 conversion.

Could be the 'and' thing again?

<Code>
(A:GEAR CENTER POSITION, percent) 90 &gt;
(A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) 1 ==
*
if{ 1 } els{ 0 }
</Code>

[Weescotty]

Also an easy was to see if its even using the XML...

<Code>
(A:LIGHT LANDING, bool)
if{ 0 } els{ 1 }
</Code>

Should turn if off peramanetly

Guessing you tried calling it -
c_gearlight

Finally -
What happens with a FSX aircraft with gear mounted lights, when converted?

[Firebird]

I thought of that and amended it to '*' first. Will try that xml check now.

[Weescotty]

Did have one thought...
I don't think we need all that code.
IF it is acting as a landing light, all we need is to set it on when the gear is down, no need for the additional condition (P3D acts differently)

<Code>
(A:GEAR CENTER POSITION, percent) 90 &gt;
if{ 1 } els{ 0 }
</Code>

[Firebird]

Guessing you tried calling it -
c_gearlight

Do you mean the visibilty part or the light name? Can you have two lights called the same name?

[Weescotty]

the visibilty part can be called c_gearlight, this should auto turn off ANYTHING attached to it when the gear retracts as it makes it invisible.
Shouldn't need XML for that, the partname does it for you.

[Firebird]

OK I have tried every combination - I think. Still no joy.
I have to think that in some part this is due to MCX.
When you load the P3D mdl I can mod the xml to add any part name and code i like, then I can select that visibility tag for the landing lights.
After exporting and importing the saved mdl the landing light condition is always light_landing_vis. I again add the xml and re-export. After importing the new saved mdl the visibility is again set to light_landing_vis.

Seemingly there is nothing I can do about it. I might mention it to Arno when he has more time but at the moment he is a bit pre-occupied.

[Weescotty]

Any luck replacing the gear door and parts on the converted FS9 model with a door and parts from an FS9 model.
Would be the last thing I could think of.

[Firebird]

I don't know it that well but from what I understand you can't import part of the structure from one mdl into another.
You can merge certain file types into an MCX mdl.

I have been able to export the nosedoor from the Blk 52 model, which does have the attached lights, as a colladae part.
I can also delete the original part in the mdl. What I can't seem to do is import/merge the colladae part into the model.

So close but so frustrating.

[TheFoufure]

I don't know it that well but from what I understand you can't import part of the structure from one mdl into another.
You can merge certain file types into an MCX mdl.

I have been able to export the nosedoor from the Blk 52 model, which does have the attached lights, as a colladae part.
I can also delete the original part in the mdl. What I can't seem to do is import/merge the colladae part into the model.

So close but so frustrating.

And if you first convert your Collada part in a sparate MDL file ? And after merge the the MDL in the main MDL ?

[Firebird]

You are going way past my knowledge here.
Are you saying that I need to import the colladae file save it to an mdl file and then merge both mdl files?