Help in understanding VASI/PAPI issue

[tttocs 301]

I'm having an issue with VASI/PAPI lights not being visible as I get close to certain airports.  For these airports, I can see the lights in the distance, but as soon as I get close enough to actually begin using them, the lights disappear.  This sounds somewhat like it could be the issue mentioned in the manual about the lights disappearing at certain angles, but Orbx airports are specifically called out as NOT needing the lightfield fix and I see the problem at several Orbx fields - for example at KTEX Telluride (where you REALLY need the visual glideslope guidance) and Sonoma KSTS.  Other Orbx fields, for example Redding KRDD and Eagle KEGE are fine.  I also see the issue at Turbulent's otherwise exceptional L35 Big Bear City.

 

Thoughts on this?  Does anyone else see this at some Orbx fields or at L35?  Should I just try the LightField fix, and if so what are the potential drawbacks for doing so?

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,

 

Scott

[SteveFx 258]

There is no real downside to light fields and they can be necessary at some orbx airports.

[tttocs 301]

OK, thanks.  I'll give that a try and see if it helps.

[tttocs 301]

Well, it didn't.  No change that I could see whatsoever after trying things at both L35 and KTEX.  Nuts.

[SteveFx 258]

do they work in DX9?  Do they work in spot view when you have landing lights and nav lights  on with the default Cessna?

 

Also it could be an issue with your halo.bmp - sometimes versions of halo.bmp can cause oddities.

 

What happens with default KTEX?

[tttocs 301]

Steve, thanks again for your help.  Looks like I jumped the gun in assuming this was a DX10 issues.  I switched back to DX9 and the problem was there as well.  Apologies for making the assumption this was a problem unique to DX10, but I'd seen enough references to a PAPI light issue that, well... My bad.

 

FYI, the problem occurs in the cockpit or in spot view, and landing and nav lights make no difference using the default 172 or a number of other payware planes.  The default airports are also fine.  One thing I do note is that I will see the lights in the distance and then as I approach, a black square appears at the approach end of the runway.  When the appropriate ground re-appears the lights will be gone.

 

Anyway, thanks again for your help.  I'll continue to troubleshoot, but DX10 is clearly NOT the problem.

 

Scott

[SteveFx 258]

No problem, are your orbx libraries up to date? You could try turning on missing texture alert in fsx.cfg.

[tttocs 301]

Steve, yes my Orbxlibs are current, thanks.  I've started a thread on the Orbx support forum.

 

Scott

[tttocs 301]

Just a quick followup in case someone else runs into this.  The problem did turn out to be with the halo.bmp file.  Why this file impacted these couple of fields in this way I do not know, but it did.

 

Scott

[jcomm 5,908]

But, how exactly did you solve that ?

 

Did you pick a replacement "halo.bmp" ? If so, where did you get it from ?

[tttocs 301]

José,

 

Since I couldn't find the original halo.bmp, I searched through some of my archives and found an alternate version which was included as an optional install in a Freeware airport (in this case, one of Don Grovestine's fields).  I copied that file in its place after looking at the .bmp to see if it appeared "reasonable" and all was well.  Not sure what I would've done had I not found this version.

 

The halo.bmp that had been installed appears to have come from an older version of UTX, which I no longer use.

 

Scott