Contrails and Wing Vortices

[edetroit 933]

I sense a coming together...

Might it be possible for you 3 talented and hard working fellers to assemble something that would work for mortals?

 

 

Hello WingZ,

 

I feel that RJ has kind of done that already because there isn't a one size fits all.

 

If you want to be really fussy and fine tune your vortices for each aircraft type you will have to edit panel cfg (to place the gauge), aircraft cfg (to place the effect in the SMOKE or LIGHTS section (forward/back, left/right), effects file (to change the height placing) and the vortices XML gauge (flap setting etc).

 

I have been playing/editing the actual effect itself today (which believe me is a PITA! as one has to shut down/reboot the sim every time to see any changes). If I can make any significant improvements I will upload here.

 

Edit (an afterthought): In FS9 we are limited by the number of effects lines we can have so we have to be clever. (FSX ers are not but I do not know how many of them know that as it is not obvious)

If you have an add-on that is already using the SMOKE section of the aircraft cfg look to see if you can use the LIGHTS section of the aircraft cfg. FS9 allows a maximum of 18 effect lines in the LIGHTS section.

Now one can optimise one's effect by editing the effects files themselves ....so for example you might think you need two lines for the two flap vortices .....well not if you write them into the effects file itself.

So one line in the lights section can produce the two vortices. The same can be done with the strobes or above/below beacons.

The point being in FS9 we only have 18 effects lines to play with so if you want your aircraft to have all your lights plus reverser spray effect, flap vortices, thrust spray, engine smoke etc etc you are going to have to start being very inventive...get down and dirty..and start editing effects files to be aircraft specific. :Nerd:

[WingZ 547]

Sounds good... I'd be looking at doing the TDS B787 for starters.

The wing flex is mostly outboard so one could fudge it for the flaps easily enough

[edetroit 933]

Sounds good... I'd be looking at doing the TDS B787 for starters.

The wing flex is mostly outboard so one could fudge it for the flaps easily enough

 

There should be no fudging involved. I have not flown the TDS B787 yet.....I will download it and check it out for you.

 

edit: I am struggling to find a video or photo of the 787 producing any vortices at all.....perhaps she is vortex free?

[WingZ 547]

I imagine if it's going to happen anywhere, it will be here:

 

[edetroit 933]

Hello WingZ.

 

I have been playing with the TDS 787. What a fantastic model!....Hiroshi is one of my all time FS heroes.

 

I am still tweaking the vortices but meantime have noticed a big faux pas in the FDE.

 

Multiple contact points.....I thought we went through this in POSKY.

 

Multiple contact points that is more than one point for each main gear means the auto brakes will NOT work.

 

The static pitch and static cg height is also miles out ...this will cause problems with AES pushback amongst other things. 

[WingZ 547]

There's much more wrong with the FDE... and in fact a fix has been posted already (which I think made things worse).

Most of the stuff is being uploaded to flightsim I see.

I am back to a mix of original + derated engines at present.

 

There's a nice-looking panel for it, with the usual POSKY-type issues of transplanting the utility panel. and needing [VC] entries to drive the nose-gear XML coding etc etc

 

But it is a lovely model, and I am hoping it will mature into a great one with help from the community.

[HaraldG 559]

Ed, many thanks for the code!

 

Harald

[HaraldG 559]

Hi,

 

sorry, here come the stupid questions again.

I tried to equip my DF B727 with flap vortices. Beside the fact that in aircraft.cfg the [smokesystem] section is already used for the engine smoke (don't want to switch it on and off by flap setting and airspeed) I discovered that the [lights] section has 20 (!) entries, from .0 to .19. How can this be?

 

Nevertheless, if I wanted to use the lights section to define flap vortices at another plane, which light type should I define and how would the code of the .xml file then read to switch light.x and light.y?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Harald

[HaraldG 559]

I have to ask another question in an extra post, because I had massive problems to edit my above post yesterday due to server problems:

 

Ed, which weather conditions did you define for flap vortices being shown? I can't read if air pressure has to be above or beyond 1020 mbar and if the temperature has to be above or beyond 5 °C (sorry for my lacking knowledge in meteorology, too). The problem is that the code shows up different if I open the .xml with an xml editor instead of, let's say, text editor, so I'm not sure how to read it.

 

Background of my question is: I equipped the Aeroproyecto SSJ-100 with nice flap vortices, but if I use Ed's code, they don't show up. I did test it in several weather conditions but no success. In the screenshot I switched them manually - and by the way, if I can switch them manually, doesn't this mean that the xml code doesn't work at all? It should switch them off immediately else...

 

Can I make the vortices shorter - by editing the .fx file itself?

 

Many thanks to the posters here who gave a new input here for further enhancing FS2004!

Harald

 

 

[edetroit 933]

Hi,

 

sorry, here come the stupid questions again.

I tried to equip my DF B727 with flap vortices. Beside the fact that in aircraft.cfg the [smokesystem] section is already used for the engine smoke (don't want to switch it on and off by flap setting and airspeed) I discovered that the [lights] section has 20 (!) entries, from .0 to .19. How can this be?

 

Nevertheless, if I wanted to use the lights section to define flap vortices at another plane, which light type should I define and how would the code of the .xml file then read to switch light.x and light.y?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Harald

 

Hello Harald, If the DF 727 has 20 entries in the LIGHTS section of the aircraft cfg that means that 2 will not work.

I would keep the smoke section as is. Could you post the lights section here so I can see what could be trimmed down?

I have to ask another question in an extra post, because I had massive problems to edit my above post yesterday due to server problems:

 

Ed, which weather conditions did you define for flap vortices being shown? I can't read if air pressure has to be above or beyond 1020 mbar and if the temperature has to be above or beyond 5 °C (sorry for my lacking knowledge in meteorology, too). The problem is that the code shows up different if I open the .xml with an xml editor instead of, let's say, text editor, so I'm not sure how to read it.

 

Background of my question is: I equipped the Aeroproyecto SSJ-100 with nice flap vortices, but if I use Ed's code, they don't show up. I did test it in several weather conditions but no success. In the screenshot I switched them manually - and by the way, if I can switch them manually, doesn't this mean that the xml code doesn't work at all? It should switch them off immediately else...

 

Can I make the vortices shorter - by editing the .fx file itself?

 

Many thanks to the posters here who gave a new input here for further enhancing FS2004!

Harald

 

130903 SSJ100 EDDP.jpg

 

Let me check the code again Harald. The make the vortices shorter you will have to go through the pain of editing the effect file itself. I will upload my vortex file today....see if you like it.

[alcanallen 0]

Edetroit! I take it your mods go into the panel xml? ie <Gauge Name="vortex" Build="1.0">

<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(P:UNITs OF MEASURE,enum) 2 ==
if{ (A:SEA LEVEL PRESSURE,millibar) 1020 < }
els{ (A:SEA LEVEL PRESSURE,inHg) 30.12 < }
(A:AMBIENT TEMPERATURE,celsius) 0 > &&
(A:FLAPS HANDLE INDEX,number) 5 > &&

if{ (A:LIGHT CABIN,bool) !
(A:Radio height, feet) 20 >
(A:AIRSPEED INDICATED,knot) 175 < && == if{ 0 (>K:TOGGLE_CABIN_LIGHTS) }
1 (>G:Var1) 0 (>G:Var2) }

els{ 0 (>G:Var1) }

</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(G:Var1) !
(G:Var2) ! &&
if{ 1 (>G:Var2) (A:LIGHT CABIN,bool) if{ 0 (>K:TOGGLE_CABIN_LIGHTS) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
</Gauge>

Please correct me if i`m wrong.

heers.Alcan

[edetroit 933]

No, the code is for the gauge XML .... I will upload the actual gauge and effect today. I would wait until then.

[HaraldG 559]

O.k., many thanks again.

Will post the lights section of DF727 today in the evening. But this plane is so well made that I think every light has its purpose (maybe I can save the tailfin lighting as I mostly fly a private livery without company logo - I edited the lightmap but not the light so far). That's why it's not that problem if I can't equip the 727 with the vortices. It's a wonderful plane even without them.

 

Harald

[edetroit 933]

O.k., many thanks again.

Will post the lights section of DF727 today in the evening. But this plane is so well made that I think every light has its purpose (maybe I can save the tailfin lighting as I mostly fly a private livery without company logo - I edited the lightmap but not the light so far). That's why it's not that problem if I can't equip the 727 with the vortices. It's a wonderful plane even without them.

 

Harald

 

Yes but like I said earlier your nav lights could be 1 line, your beacons 1 line, your strobes 1 line .... you could have all of your effects and even effects line left over.

 

The vortex effect that I will upload for the TDS787 will only take one line. (in either your smoke or lights section)  

[edetroit 933]

Hello chaps,

 

My vortices code was poop as it happens....it was so old I obviously did not know what I was doing then! :lol: 

 

I have re-written it from scratch and it works and has been tested.

 

The code and effect are included in this file for the TDS 787

 

http://www.mediafire.com/download/y2epdc4rvd17zew/TDS_FDE_interim_fix.zip

 

For those who just want the code I will post it below....but I would recommend getting my effect as well. :Nerd:

<Gauge Name="vortex" Build="1.0">
<copyright>(c)2013 Edward Cox</copyright>
<Update Frequency="2"/>
  <Element>
    <Select>
      <Value> 
(A:AIRSPEED INDICATED,knot) 180 < (A:Radio height, feet) 20 > (A:SEA LEVEL PRESSURE,inHg) 30.12 < (A:FLAPS HANDLE INDEX,number) 4 > (A:AMBIENT TEMPERATURE,celsius) 0 > and and and and if{ 0 (>K:SMOKE_ON) } els{ 0 (>K:SMOKE_OFF) } 
      </Value>
    </Select>
  </Element>

</Gauge>