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Strobe Lights Help Please

Featured Replies

Good afternoon,

 

I am trying to change the strobe effects on my Fifity North 737's so that the wing strobes and tail strobe all flash at the same time as I've seen some on YouTube but cannot figure out the correct FX settings?

 

Can anyone help me with the correct settings in the strobeh FX file in the Effects folder please? I've managed to slow the rate down but when I do this the port side and tail strobe flash at the same time but then the starboard side will flash on its own a few seconds after and not in unison.

 

Look forward to any replies and help with this.

 

Kind regards

Gavin Moss

Hi Gavin

 

There is a SDK about this.  I think it's the special effects one which should be available from the Avsim library.  It should tell you everything about strobe lighting.

 

I have the Dreamflett Piper Archer II and its strobes flash independently.  I also have the Real Air Simulations SF260 and their strobes flash in unison even though I slowed the flash rate down.  So I compared the effects files for both aircraft and the entries were exactly the same in both - which doesn't help :mad:  I have to admit that I have never consulted the relevant SDK, so maybe I should :wink:

 

Dijvid

Hello Gavin,

 

Check for any delay on the emitter for the starboard side.

 

My wife gave birth to a lovely baby boy 6 days ago, so I have packed up my FS computer and put away.

 

So no more FS for me for some time. :Cry:

Well congratulations on the lovely baby boy!

Don't throw away the FS computer just yet.

I say: Catch 'em young... and anyone who hasn't landed a 747 while burping a baby, just hasn't lived  :smile:

:smile: :blush:

Hello Gavin,

 

My wife gave birth to a lovely baby boy 6 days ago, so I have packed up my FS computer and put away.

 

So no more FS for me for some time

 

Surprised you had time to sim anyway :wacko:  Sorry, couldn't resist this one :blush:

 

Congrats, and don't forget the two things he must do as soon as possible - fly the sim and learn to text.  In that order :smile:

 

Dijvid
 

 

 


and anyone who hasn't landed a 747 while burping a baby, just hasn't lived

 

You made my wife and I burst out laughing! :lol:

 

Thank you for that. I'm gonna have to put his burp into one of my videos on very short finals. :lol:

  • Author

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for the replies and congratulations to Ed on the baby lol.

 

I have checked and there is no delay in the two emitter entries. What is confusing me is in the FX file how do I know which is the port entry and the starboard entry? Also if I want to have the wing strobes and the tail strobe all flash at the same time, do I need to have 3 emitter entries in the FX file rather than just the two entries?

 

I am finding it a bit confusing lol so any other help would be much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Gavin Moss

do I need to have 3 emitter entries in the FX file rather than just the two entries?

 

Yes. Sounds to me like you have a separate file for one of your strobes. Check your aircraft cfg lights section.

 

All three strobes should be in the same effects file, no delays and the same timing. You can change their positions by the x,y,z offsets. 

  • Author

Hi Ed,

 

I've checked the lights section and all three strobes have fx_strobe so they are all the same.

 

[LIGHTS]

//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing

light.0 = 3, -18.011664, -47.3237064, 3.215184, fx_navred.fx ,

light.1 = 3, -18.011664, 47.3237064, 3.215184, fx_navgre ,

light.2 = 2, -62.3581656, 0.00, 7.4506968, fx_strobeh ,

light.3 = 2, -17.3193432, -47.3695088, 3.1954992, fx_strobeh ,

light.4 = 2, -17.3193432, 47.3695088, 3.1954992, fx_strobeh ,

light.5 = 2, 7.00, 0.00, -4.10, fx_beaconb ,

light.6 = 1, 4.1, 0.00, 9.9, fx_beaconh ,

light.7 = 4, 44.41, 0.00, 3.50, fx_vclighth ,

light.8 = 3, -22.20, -46.97,3.175, fx_navwhi

light.9 = 3, -22.20, 46.97,3.175, fx_navwhi

light.10 =3, -62.3581656, 0.00, 7.4506968, fx_navwhi.fx take a screenshot of the fx entries too

 

and here are the fx emitter entries:

 

[Emitter.0]

Lifetime=0.00, 0.00

Delay=0.00, 0.00

Bounce=0.00

No Interpolate=1

Rate=2.70, 2.70

X Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Y Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Z Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Drag=0.00, 0.00

X Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Y Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Z Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

X Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Y Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Z Rotation=0.00, 0.00

X Offset=0.00, 0.00

Y Offset=0.00, 0.00

Z Offset=0.00, 0.00

Pitch=0.00, 0.00

Bank=0.00, 0.00

Heading=0.00, 0.00

 

[Particle.0]

Lifetime=0.01, 0.01

Type=19

X Scale=2.00, 2.00

Y Scale=2.00, 2.00

Z Scale=0.00, 0.00

X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Drag=0.00, 0.00

Color Rate=0.00, 0.00

X Offset=0.00, 0.00

Y Offset=0.00, 0.00

Z Offset=0.00, 0.00

Fade In=0.00, 0.00

Fade Out=0.00, 0.00

Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Static=1

Face=1, 1, 1

 

[ParticleAttributes.0]

Blend Mode=2

Texture=fx_2.bmp

Bounce=0.00

Color Start=100, 100, 150, 200

Color End=100, 100, 150, 0

Jitter Distance=0.00

Jitter Time=0.00

uv1=0.00, 0.00

uv2=0.50, 0.50

X Scale Goal=0.00

Y Scale Goal=0.00

Z Scale Goal=0.00

Extrude Length=0.00

Extrude Pitch Max=0.00

Extrude Heading Max=0.00

 

[Emitter.1]

Lifetime=0.00, 0.00

Delay=0.00, 0.00

Bounce=0.00

No Interpolate=1

Rate=2.70, 2.70

X Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Y Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Z Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Drag=0.00, 0.00

X Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Y Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Z Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

X Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Y Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Z Rotation=0.00, 0.00

X Offset=0.00, 0.00

Y Offset=0.00, 0.00

Z Offset=0.00, 0.00

Pitch=0.00, 0.00

Bank=0.00, 0.00

Heading=0.00, 0.00

 

[Particle.1]

Lifetime=0.01, 0.01

Type=19

X Scale=0.50, 0.50

Y Scale=0.50, 0.50

Z Scale=0.00, 0.00

X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Drag=0.00, 0.00

Color Rate=0.00, 0.00

X Offset=0.00, 0.00

Y Offset=0.00, 0.00

Z Offset=0.00, 0.00

Fade In=0.00, 0.00

Fade Out=0.00, 0.00

Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Static=1

Face=1, 1, 1

 

[ParticleAttributes.1]

Blend Mode=2

Texture=fx_2.bmp

Bounce=0.00

Color Start=200, 200, 255, 255

Color End=200, 200, 255, 0

Jitter Distance=0.00

Jitter Time=0.00

uv1=0.00, 0.00

uv2=0.50, 0.50

X Scale Goal=0.00

Y Scale Goal=0.00

Z Scale Goal=0.00

Extrude Length=0.00

Extrude Pitch Max=0.00

Extrude Heading Max=0.00

 

[Emitter.2]

Lifetime=0.00, 0.00

Delay=0.00, 0.00

Bounce=0.00

No Interpolate=1

Rate=2.70, 2.70

X Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Y Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Z Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Drag=0.00, 0.00

X Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Y Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

Z Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00

X Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Y Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Z Rotation=0.00, 0.00

X Offset=0.00, 0.00

Y Offset=0.00, 0.00

Z Offset=0.00, 0.00

Pitch=0.00, 0.00

Bank=0.00, 0.00

Heading=0.00, 0.00

 

[Particle.2]

Lifetime=0.01, 0.01

Type=19

X Scale=2.00, 2.00

Y Scale=2.00, 2.00

Z Scale=0.00, 0.00

X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00

Drag=0.00, 0.00

Color Rate=0.00, 0.00

X Offset=0.00, 0.00

Y Offset=0.00, 0.00

Z Offset=0.00, 0.00

Fade In=0.00, 0.00

Fade Out=0.00, 0.00

Rotation=0.00, 0.00

Static=1

Face=1, 1, 1

 

[ParticleAttributes.2]

Blend Mode=2

Texture=fx_2.bmp

Bounce=0.00

Color Start=100, 100, 150, 200

Color End=100, 100, 150, 0

Jitter Distance=0.00

Jitter Time=0.00

uv1=0.00, 0.00

uv2=0.50, 0.50

X Scale Goal=0.00

Y Scale Goal=0.00

Z Scale Goal=0.00

Extrude Length=0.00

Extrude Pitch Max=0.00

Extrude Heading Max=0.00

 

Thanks in advance for any help

 

Kind regards

Gavin Moss

all three strobes have fx_strobe so they are all the same

 

This is where you are going wrong.

 

There should be one fx_strobe.....only one line in your aircraft cfg that will be all three strobes. (if you wish them to flash in unison)

 

The strobe effect you are using has three emitters. In the same effect file copy/ paste the whole effect from Emitter0 down twice over (for the other two strobes) .....then number them correctly in order (emitter 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) and the corresponding particle bits.

 

then edit the Emitter X Offset, Y Offset etc to suit for emitter 3,4,5 and 6,7,8

 

​You might be thinking this is a lot of work but in FS (like everything really) you get out what you put in.

 

It gets worse.... to see any changes you have made you have to completely reload your sim.

 

I put a ridiculous amount of hours into making my sim how I want it, which is why I have quit now my son has arrived.

  • Author

Hi Ed,

 

Thanks for that, I have edited the FX_strobeh with all of that but not sure which lines to take out on the aircraft.cfg in the lights section. I'll have a play around as don't mind putting the work into it lol

 

Kind regards

Gav

I have edited the FX_strobeh with all of that but not sure which lines to take out on the aircraft.cfg in the lights section

 

Okay lets try something... put two forward slashes in front of light.3 and light.4

 

You know what..I do not have time for this I have to take my son out.

 

Why is light.5 a strobe?

  • Author

Hi Ed,

 

I've just tried that and the two wing strobes don't work when I do that as it stops them from working I guess

 

Gav

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