Missing Shockwave Effects

[martinlest2 58]

Hi. I was flying (or trying to!) an iFDG a320-200 (merged with a PSS '3xx' airbus panel) and was having some issues with excessive disc activity and consequent unresponsive PC. I had a look in Process monitor and found thousands upon thousands of entries (seemingly unending) as per the screenshot, here:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/martinlest/Fx.jpg

 

What part of FS9 is trying to open these files? The shockwave (is that payware?) files are not on my PC as far as I can find, and are not listed in the aircraft.cfg or .air file.

 

How can I either obtain the files FS9 is looking for (buy them at a2asimulations.com I guess! - but I wouldn't normally have thought of doing so), or (preferably) remove them from whatever cfg file (?) is demanding them. (Are the shockwave files a 'must have' in anyone's opinion??)

 

Or, perhaps I could create dummy files from existing effects files, using the names that FS9 is loooking for?? Would that 'satisfy' FS9? I have already placed a dummy (empty) effects.cab file in the root FS9 folder, as I have no idea what cab file FS9 actually thinks it requires. (But maybe such dummy files are not a good solution ??).

 

No idea if this is the root of the performance issues I was originally investigating, but even so....

 

Many thanks,

 

Martin

[martinlest2 58]

I realised after posting the above that the shockwave lights could - obviously!! - be in any of the aircraft I have installed, not just the iFDG a320. So I searched for the word 'shockwave' in any cfg file in the FS9/Aircraft folder and there are several AI a/c which demand those files.

 

So the question is, whether to use dummy shockwave files, based on strobe & nav lights I already possess (I am going to do that in the first instance), edit the cfg files to avoid the shockwave lights, or purchase the shockwave files themselves. Hardly seems worth the expense of the latter though, as I don't fly all that often at night (I like to see the scenery as I fly, having paid no end of money for third party scenery addons!)...

 

M.

[pfflyers 7]

The Shockwave lights are nice, even in daytime. For me the major selling point is the landing light effects. They are very cool 3d looking effects. I've added them to most of my aircraft. I seldom fly at night myself, but the effects look great even in daylight.

[martinlest2 58]

Well, thanks, but for now I have just made some dummy fx files which stops fs9 searching for them continuously (which might be a memory drain as far as I have understood things). I can have a look at the real files though and perhaps buy the software at some stage,

 

M.

[martinlest2 58]

Hi.. Can I ask - are they lights easy to install in the aircraft.cfg files? The site below seems to be missing quite a few of the a/c I might be interested in 'illuminating' - PSS Airbuses, for example. Are the co-ordinates the same as for the lights already in the cfg file (in which case, why the need for the information here?):

 

http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/store/shockwavelights/3dlights_fs9.htm

 

or are the shockwave lights in a slightly different position to the defaults for some reason? That's a bit daunting. And as for all my AI a/c - it'd be quite a task!!

 

Thanks.

[martinlest2 58]

I have been looking at the shockwave package and various threads here relating to the light effects. I wonder if someone can answer a question?

 

It seems to me from reading what people have said , that the landing lights will go out as soon as the gear is raised (as the lights are on the landing gear). This doesn't seem ideal. Why should that be? The shockwave installation must specify different co-ordinates for the lights than the default FS9/FSX lights, as in the aircarft.cfg, as this doesn't happen with the lights I have at the moment.

 

If so, rather than have the shockwave lights install to a different location on the aircraft (does this happen on setup or do you have to do something manually??), is it not possible to use the same lights co-ordinates as in the existing aircraft.cfg file and just substitute the shockwave fx files for the ones already specified there? That way you'd retain the landing lights till 10000', I assume, as per the defaults, rather than lose them as the gear goes up.

 

Or have I misunderstood what actually happens?

 

Thanks,

 

Martin

[pfflyers 7]

The reason the gear mounted landing lights automatically switch off (assuming one installed the effect and gauge) is because the light effect does not move with the gear as it retracts. If it did not switch off you would have lights flying formation with your plane after the gear retracts. Wing or fuselage mounted landing lights can stay on as long as you like.

 

As for installing the lights - yes, you must edit your config files yourself. AFAIK there is no auto-install mode. The premade file enties you found will help you set up those planes; for others you are on your own. In most cases you can use the existing locations and simply substitute the shockwave effects. In some cases the lights will look better if slightly adjusted. One reason for the saved files being offered is because some of the effects come in a variety of sizes so some trial and error is needed to find the best match for a given airplane.

 

There is no need to update every plane in your hanger all at once. If this all sounds too daunting you may be better off to leave things as they are.

[martinlest2 58]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I understood why the lights switch off, but the point was that they don't currently do so when I retract the gear, they go off when I turn them off. I need to look further at where the lights are situated (currently flying the PA a380 a lot, so that would be a good place to start) but I suppose they cannot be placed on the landing gear, or they would hang in space just like the shockwave lights would.

 

I was wondering (but perhaps didn't explain well) why the landing and taxi lights stay visible in all my a/c currently, but all apart from fixed wheel GA a/c will have the lights extinguished as soon as I pull up the gear if I install shockwave. Shockwave moves the lights from their default position to the landing gear? But if you have to install the files manually for 3rd. party aircraft, I don't see why this should be. Aren't the co-ordinates you use to set the exact positions of the shockwave lights the same as the defaults already in the aircraft.cfg? Well, I guess they can't be if after installing shockwave they'd be left hanging in mid air under the plane!

 

Actually I see that the PA a380 would not be a good palce to start as the Lights section in the Project Airbus cfg file is minimal to say the least (no landing lights specified).

 

Sorry if I am not expalining this too well, or am confused - I can try again if this post isn't clear (assuming anyone replies!). I think I have a true picture though of what happens with shockwave installed (but until I get the software - not sure I want it if this is what I'll get - I can't be 100% certain)...

 

Why does the software introduce a problem that is not in FS9 as it stands?

 

Thanks.

Later:

 

OK, I found this as part of a cfg file posted for shockwave installation for the FS9 PMDG 737NG:

 

light.10 = 5, -38.500, 6.750, -2.000, fx_Shockwave_landing_light,// Right Inboard Landing Light
light.11 = 5, -38.500, -6.750, -2.000, fx_Shockwave_landing_light,// Left Inboard Landing Light
light.12 = 5, -39.500, -2.500, -6.000, fx_Shockwave_landing_light,// Bottom Left Landing Light
light.13 = 5, -39.500, 2.500, -6.000, fx_Shockwave_landing_light,// Bottom Right Landing Light

 

My current PMDG aircraft.cfg file has this for the landing lights:

 

light.10 = 5,   -33.500,  11.750,  -2.000,   fx_pmdgland,     // Landing Light Illumination Engine Right
light.11 = 5,   -33.500, -11.750,  -2.000,   fx_pmdgland,     // Landing Light Illunination Engine Left

 

OK, shockwave adds two more, but the positions are different... If you installed the shockwave lights using the default co-ordinates in the second example, woldn't the problem be solved?? Why have they been moved? I suppose there's a good reason that I can't figure out!

 

M.

[martinlest2 58]

I am clearly wrong in the above above, because I now notice, after 11 years flying FS9, that the landing lights DO go out as soon as you raise the gear, not only with my PMDG 737s, but even when flying the default FS9 a/c (that's to say the Boeings). Is that the case with everyone or has something gone wrong with my setup (can't see what it would be!)?

 

WHY though do the lights automatically go out (assuming everyone would have the same thing) when you raise the gear? The landing lights are not situated on the wheel struts in the case of these aircraft....

[martinlest2 58]

Ok, I don't really want to be talking to myself here :-) but this gets sillier and sillier. I tested this morning with a few a/c and posted as above. Now I am flying a PMDG 737-800W (FS9) and the lights all come on just fine with the landing gear up (as I always thought). No idea what was going on when I flew a few tests this morning.

[gwillmot 31]

My mind is telling me that your mind is misleading you ....... you should stop listening to it ..... or at least stop talking to it ......

[martinlest2 58]

I think so too! I am all ears now - to listen to someone else here!

[pfflyers 7]

Just to once again attempt to clarify - only the gear-mounted landing lights turn off 'automatically' - the body/wing monted lights respond to your switch inputs. You can have your landing lights on all the time with shockwave lights if you want.

 

Many aircraft models have lights modelled into them rather than added on as effects. This is why the "lights" section of many config files is so sparce. In the case of landing lights, shockwave lights can be added over the top of modelled in lights.

 

The neat thing about shockwave landing lights is they are "volumetric" rather than just being a bright spot on your airplane. When you see it you'll understand why people like them.

 

For models with wing flex you cannot use shockwave navs or strobes because they won't move with the wingtips.

 

It sounds to me like you've become a little obssessed with the fact that shockwave includes a gauge to shut off the gear mounted lights. You don't have to install the gauge if you don't want to. In that case the lights will respond to the landing light switch.

 

I don't work for the shockwave folks and am not an expert in all aspects of them. If you want more people to respond you should start a new thread with a title like "Why Should I Install Shockwave Lights?" or "How Does One Install Shockwave Lights?"

[martinlest2 58]

Yes, I had realised about the thread title, the topic kind of changed tack en route, but I didn't want to be accused of duplicate posting! I have been a member of this forum for so many years, but I don't think Tom likes me - inasmuch as he even knows who I am at all (I got a bit fed up with his 'tetchiness' in his replies, and said so), so I try to post strictly by the book! I am on AVSIM pretty much every day for one reason or another, so want to keep things right. No matter, I know Tom has a hard job here! I am sure he's a good guy really!

 

I guess I should just buy the lights and be done with it. I have spent so much time reading up on them already. I gather that if I don't add the 'required' lines to the panel.cfg file the lights will stay on all the time and I can then probably edit the [Lights] section (I am fairly fluent at editing the aircraft.cfg files) to stop lights floating in mid-air.

 

I have just spent quite a bit of money on FS9 (buying various sceneries I wanted, the full Tropicalsim Azores for instance) and a daft amount of money on my other major hobby (wine!), so I may wait a little bit before getting the shockwave lights. But the videos look good, so I will buy them within the next few weeks, then I can experiment properly.

 

Thanks very much for taking the trouble to reply in detail.

 

Martin

[pfflyers 7]

Just wanted to add a post-script. This discussion got me curious as to whether or not I was giving accurate info. Specifically I wanted to see if shockwave provided "switched" and "unswitched" landing light effects - and I think I found that they DO NOT. So, if one installed shockwave landing lights on the wing or fuselage I think they would shut off with the gear retraction assuming one installed the light control gauge (and it worked). I wanted to test this hypothisis, but my shockwave auto switch off thingie seems to have broken. I bought the pack some years and computers ago. I think somewhere along the line a reinstall may not have gone right or it could just be operator error.

 

These questions would probably be easily answered if I could find the documentation that came with the pack, but I can't.

 

In any case, it should be noted that the shockwave effects pack contains way more than just landing lights. I never did get around to really exploring all that's there. Just looking at what's in my effects folder it seems like one could stay occupied for a long time just goofing around with them.