As nice as the backlighting for all the labels on the panels is, not to mention the panel floodlights, they only display when FSX decides that it is dark.. please bear with me..

Until the sim decides it is dark, the cockpit can get pretty dark and controls hard to find. Is it possible to add some kind of dome light which would illuminate the cockpit prior to, and indeed during, darkness? I'm sure there should be a spare key combo to toggle the light.. Would this "just be a case of" editing the aircraft.cfg file to get a light then playing with its coordinates until it shows up in a suitable position? 

The only type of cockpit light would be a VClight, which is a panel light turned on by the Panel Light switch or Shift+L.

Is there anything in the [Lights} section of the aircraft.cfg that shows a fx_vclight.fx being used?  You may be able to add more lights using the same #4 designation and proper placement.

//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing, 6=taxi, 7=recognition, 8=wing, 9=logo

Thanks Charlie. FWIW here's the lights section:-

[LIGHTS]
light.0 = 1, -99.47, 0, 10, fx_beaconh
light.1 = 1, -147.79, 0, -10.1, fx_beaconh
light.2 = 6, -60, 0, 1, fx_SKY_CABLT
light.3 = 6, -31.5, 0, 1, fx_SKY_CABLT
light.4 = 10, -19.89, 0, 3.2, fx_SKYMD11_DKLT
light.5 = 6, -49.7, -7, 2, fx_SKY_CABLT2
light.6 = 6, -49.7, 3, 2, fx_SKY_CABLT2
light.7 = 9, -187.89, -7, 30, fx_SKY_LGLT
light.8 = 9, -187.89, 7, 30, fx_SKY_LGLT

 

You could try adding something like this:

[LIGHTS]
light.0 = 1, -99.47, 0, 10, fx_beaconh
light.1 = 1, -147.79, 0, -10.1, fx_beaconh
light.2 = 6, -60, 0, 1, fx_SKY_CABLT
light.3 = 6, -31.5, 0, 1, fx_SKY_CABLT
light.4 = 10, -19.89, 0, 3.2, fx_SKYMD11_DKLT
light.5 = 6, -49.7, -7, 2, fx_SKY_CABLT2
light.6 = 6, -49.7, 3, 2, fx_SKY_CABLT2
light.7 = 9, -187.89, -7, 30, fx_SKY_LGLT
light.8 = 9, -187.89, 7, 30, fx_SKY_LGLT

light.9 = 4,  0.000,   0.000,  10.350, fx_vclighth

,

 

 

Hi Charlie - SOLVED! Thank you very much.   That was exactly the type of light I was looking for. Here's the location I arrived at to make it work , give or take a few inches for personal preference (oo-err missus!). If any other Sky Sim MD-11 owners want to try this and let me know.

light.9 = 4,  -21, 0.000, 5, fx_vclighth

light.9 = 4,  -21, 0.000, 5, fx_vclighth

Yes, it only works by way of SHIFT-L and not a button on the VC. I guess that would need the model re-coding to get that.

If I can post a few screenshots by way of an example (hopefully mods..)

Here's the cockpit at night with only the screens and displays powered. The backlit labels do work but I've not put them on.

Here's the new "dome" light. Notice by the way that the fuel and pax displays are full on brightness. That is how you know the sim and the plane have decided that it is dark. The "dome" light doesn't alter that. You'll see what I mean further down the post.

Here's what I mean about it not being dark according to the plane. The fuel and pax displays are not lit very well. The panel labelling is becoming a little indistinct; I have had worse lighting conditions before I can actually use the backlighting, hence my reson for asking for a new "dome" light.

Hey presto!

All I can do now is perhaps further tweak the position and maybe the colour or hue, but that requires messing with the effect files.