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OMG!...the FINEST night rendered scene in ANY flight simulator...

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My actual OMG comments were inspired by the night-scape, perhaps more than the more visible approach plate lights.  With UrbanMaxx's custom night light file that a user posted on the .org,that varies the size of the orbs below you, along with the files I also mention in my O.P., is what was so stunning. At climb out from out of KFNT, it looked as the most plausible real-world depiction I had ever seen in a flight sim of the vast light-scape out to the horizon. Detroit looked amazing.  I happen to like the more visible and 'hot' look to the approach especially when coming onto final over the markers on a fog or low cloud cover/haze/rain.  It looks fantastic, to be sure.

 

Lovin' it

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I've just given this a try, and I did an evening flight from the Isle of Man (EGNS) to Liverpool (EGGP) in the Saab 340A. It really is incredibly immersive, especially when breaking through the clouds on approach into Liverpool and seeing all the street-lights and buildings lit up from OSM. The approach lights also look fantastic. The sky colours are a massive improvement over the default, highly recommended.

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For the first time when dark, I was driving on the highway that goes by the end of one of my airport's runways late last night. I was struck by how bright they were relative to the street lights. In addition to the PAPI and runway lighting, I could clearly see even the blue taxiway edge lighting all the way to the far end of the runway. Conditions were rainy and very windy though, so maybe the tower had cranked the intensity up as Janov mentioned could be done.

 

I am not a real-world pilot so have never seen an approach from the cockpit with my own eyes, but I think one's preference for light intensity really depends on your sim setup. On my 22" screen at 1080p at 80° FOV, the default XP10 airport lighting is impossible to make out from the cockpit. I can't even see the PAPI lights, which are literally a single pixel each (with no halo/hazing) until you're almost on top of them, making visual approach at night almost impossible. If I zoom in I get a more realistic depiction of what a pilot might see, but then I can't see any of my instruments.

 

Maybe the custom halo-ing and other lighting effects provided by HDR Enviroment X II and Enhanced Runway Lights overcompensate, but for me they at least make visual approaches possible, unlike the out-of-box experience.

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I've just given this a try, and I did an evening flight from the Isle of Man (EGNS) to Liverpool (EGGP) in the Saab 340A. It really is incredibly immersive, especially when breaking through the clouds on approach into Liverpool and seeing all the street-lights and buildings lit up from OSM. The approach lights also look fantastic. The sky colours are a massive improvement over the default, highly recommended.

BTW, Tony, here is the varied light size (much more realistic) file listing, if you use UrbanMaxx 3D v2.0.

 

The is part of the OMG (lol) collective....:

 

http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=17668

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HDR lighting at airports fantastic as well.

 

attachicon.gifLAX night.jpg

That view out in the distance...that is exactly what is also upon my monitor.  There has to date, been nothing...in no month or year, that has been released,to ever pull this off, and I am including other simulator platforms as well.  At 1,800 to 3,500 feet the effect of the panorama really makes my jaw drop still.  This file combo is also great for FL's as well. I hope you are using the .org file that needs to be put into your UrbanMaxx folder (follow the instructions for where...). This will REALLY make a tremendous difference, as you relax your mind, and let the visuals lead you to realism.....

 

I have been flying with XPX and all the noted elements of my OMG post exclusively since placing in the file mixture. I can't get enough of the visuals!  I might be thought of as a vampire,if I don't take a flight soon into the daytime hours ROTFLMBO!     VFR is so sweet, as you merely follow the OSM roadways to your destination.  Well....cloud decks and/or fog aside, lol!

 

Here is the link to that (must have modified light texture UrbanMaxx orb lights (varied in size) from off of the XPlane.org....:

 

http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=17668

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Hey Mitch,

 

Do you have any modifications to lights.txt that you have installed (and if so, which mod?)- or do you have the stock lights.txt installed?

 

Thanks, Bruce.

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Approach into DFW with the above addons.

 

 


NAX669.png

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While on the subject of night lighting, has anyone figured out the secret to increasing the distance lights will display? The night lighting looks great, but having large chunks of it popping in and out as you approach or fly away from them sort of kills the effect.


"No matter how eloquent you are or how solidly and firm you've built your case, you will never win in an argument with an idiot, for he is too stupid to recognize his own defeat." ~Anonymous.

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Hey Mitch,

 

Do you have any modifications to lights.txt that you have installed (and if so, which mod?)- or do you have the stock lights.txt installed?

 

 

Thanks, Bruce.

Bruce, I used the modified light text of the enhanced runway 1.2 and the mod files for UrbanMaxx Extreme v2.0 Just follow what I installed from my O.P. and you will duplicate my visual results.

While on the subject of night lighting, has anyone figured out the secret to increasing the distance lights will display? The night lighting looks great, but having large chunks of it popping in and out as you approach or fly away from them sort of kills the effect.

You increase to the high or very high setting for world distance on the middle right side of the Rendering Screen. I have mine at 'High'.

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You increase to the high or very high setting for world distance on the middle right side of the Rendering Screen. I have mine at 'High'.

 

I keep mine at Very High. Still get the pop. :( I'm in the middle of a daytime flight right now, but will be landing pretty soon. I'll load up at night over KLAX and take a screenshot to show what I'm seeing.


"No matter how eloquent you are or how solidly and firm you've built your case, you will never win in an argument with an idiot, for he is too stupid to recognize his own defeat." ~Anonymous.

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Oh dear, if it would look like the screenshot of Dallas posted by mwilk in real life I would have to yell at the controller to dim those effing lights :). I generally enjoy the X-plane night experience. But that does not look extra realistic (comparing to my actual night experience so far, 200+ night approaches).

 

I'll try it out though, maybe it's better in motion and in person.

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I figure a video is better than a picture in this case:

 

 

Airports and vehicle lights are visible before the street/city lights pop in.


"No matter how eloquent you are or how solidly and firm you've built your case, you will never win in an argument with an idiot, for he is too stupid to recognize his own defeat." ~Anonymous.

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I get better distance, and while it does pop in, it doesn't do it in ugly sections like that......

 

You are using an awful lot of Vram..... How much on that card?

 

Screen size is ginormous, too.

 

Texture resolution could go down a notch or two (Whuts to see at that height in tha' dark?) without losing very much, but would probably cut your ram usage quite a bit.


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I get better distance, and while it does pop in, it doesn't do it in ugly sections like that......

 

You are using an awful lot of Vram..... How much on that card?

 

Screen size is ginormous, too.

 

Texture resolution could go down a notch or two (Whuts to see at that height in tha' dark?) without losing very much, but would probably cut your ram usage quite a bit.

Two gigs on the card, and screen res is native monitor resolution. When I change it, weirdness happens. Of course, I normally run with real weather. For the video, I set it to clear, CAVOK, with 100 mile visibility to try to compensate for whatever compression YouTube put on it,  so that's why the frames are crawling and the memory is peaking so high. My normal frame rate is 25-30, and visibility has no effect on whether or not the lights pop in, with the exception of low visibility where the popping is hidden by haze, fog, and/or clouds.

 

I have a feeling this is just a part of the sim. There was a similar thing in Ultimate Terrain for FSX where the point light streetlights would pop in and out in blocks similar to this. It just wasn't as drastic.


"No matter how eloquent you are or how solidly and firm you've built your case, you will never win in an argument with an idiot, for he is too stupid to recognize his own defeat." ~Anonymous.

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