A2A 3D Lights Redux - Feedback/Best Solution to AI Light Blob?

[ant_1984 20]

Was flying some circuits at ORBX YSTW last night recreating some of my real world flights from when I was there.

 

At dusk the landing lights on the AI CT-4's looked like big GIANT blobs in the distance.

 

Since this is a reasonably fresh FSX install I'd forgotten about this issue and have just been reading up how to resolve it since I couldn't remember what I did last time to try and remedy this.

 

Anyway in my course of reading I found that A2A 3D Lights Redux may be the best solution as the other freely availably remedies tend to have a negative impact on other lights.

 

It also looks like it might be a pretty neat addition to some of the aircraft I fly.

 

Everything else A2A does seems to be great. What's the general consensus on this one?

 

Would this be the best solution to the "Blobs" while still allowing AI aircraft to be visible from a distance?

[CFIJose 5,485]

I don't think it will fix the AI blob issue, but there's a fix by NickN.

 

Let me know if you can not locate it.

[ant_1984 20]

Any chance you can post a link to the NickN fix?

 

I may end up taking a look at these A2A lights anyway since they look pretty good from what I can see.

[CFIJose 5,485]

The issue is with the halo file:

 

Replace with this new one:

 

http://www.b3ta.cr3ation.co.uk/data/zip/2624.halo.zip

 

LOCATED here:

 

Flight Simulator X (or your FSX install folder)\Texture\halo.bmp

 

Add this to cfg:

 

[Display] section.

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_SURFACE_SCALAR=0.75
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_VASI_SCALAR=0.5
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_APPROACH_SCALAR=0.65
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_STROBE_SCALAR=0.7

[Kuragiman 227]

That is a good fix and the 3D lights are awesome.   I have them strapped to all my PMDG 737 models and night landings and take off look epic.   I highly recommend this light add-on.

[ant_1984 20]

Been toying around with the A2A Redux lights.

 

Can't decide whether I like them or not.

 

Ran into another problem though. Been trying to change my landing light effect through REX but no matter what I change it too, xenon intense etc, it always just looks the same on the runway. Got me stumped!!

[ant_1984 20]

Just occurred to me that rebuilding the shader cache might sort out my unchangeable runway/landing lights. Fingers crossed! I'll try it when I get home.

[Kuragiman 227]

Been toying around with the A2A Redux lights.

 

Can't decide whether I like them or not.

 

Ran into another problem though. Been trying to change my landing light effect through REX but no matter what I change it too, xenon intense etc, it always just looks the same on the runway. Got me stumped!!

 

I don't think A2A Redux changes the runway lighting, just the lights on the aircraft and they have their own way of setting what kind of light is emmiting.   I think if you choose the lights from REX it is going to overwrite the things A2A has done.    For me, I have my Scalar scale set so low that it doesn't matter what kind of runway lights I use, they all just appear as small points of light with a slight bloom rather than the runway destroying standard blob lighting.

[ant_1984 20]

Yer you're right the A2A lighting does mainly affect the aircraft lights, but it's halo.bmp means it also affects runway lighting etc as well.

 

I've figured out how to go about using A2A solely for the landing light and nothing else which is what I'll probably end up doing for my AI aircraft but I'm not decided yet. I'll do some more playing around.

 

The runway lighting I'm talking about though is the light emitted on to the runway by the landing light.

 

REX and other files available can alter the brightness/beam that appears on the runway. For some reason for me though no matter what spotlight.bmp I use it doesn't seem to change the effect.

 

The landing lights on my aircraft (default I'm talking about here, others seem ok) also look really dull, but I know that's a bit of a known issue with default aircraft.

 

Can't quite crack what's causing the issue on my system though. Rebuilding the shader cache and installing the default "ShadersHLSL" folder did nothing.

 

I'm stumped! Might start another thread on it.

[ryanbatc 12,849]

Since this thread is already here let me state my opinion. I love the lotus LL on the 172 but I HATE the foggy orb of light projecting from the wing.

 

I'm also one who dislikes the original shock wave LL effects. The only time that cone of light emits is in some sort if precipitation/fog.

[ant_1984 20]

Ryan I'm with you. The effect looks cool at night from an external viewpoint but I'm not mad on the 3d cone of light during the day.

 

Followed an AI plane to see what it looked like during the day and the 3d cones sort of ruined it for me. The effect at night looks brilliant though, however AI planes seem to take ages to switch off their landing lights.

 

 

 

I love the lotus LL on the 172 but I HATE the foggy orb of light projecting from the wing.

 

 

What are these Lotus LL you refer to? Are they from the L39? Anyway you can post a screenie of these on your Cessna so I can take a look?

[ryanbatc 12,849]

I refer to all the new 3D lighting as Lotus because Mike from Lotussim was the first to create them in FSX.  LL for Landing Lights.  If you have your LL on in the cessna you'll see the cone emitting from the leading edge of the wing.

[ant_1984 20]

Oh I see, thanks for the clarification.

[Boeing or not going 578]

The version 1.2 of the A2a lights allows you to turn off the light glow at daytime

[ryanbatc 12,849]

Oh interesting