Very odd Dynamic lights behaviour in P3D4.5

[Ariel 6]

I mentioned a problem I've got with the landing and taxi lights in another post below from Somillar.  It seems to be different to his problem so I'm starting a new post.

My problem is loss of the light beams (usually at the end of a flight).  I might have no light beams on at all when I land, or I mifght have them on ok when landing,but after turning off onto a taxiway they suddenly disappear and leave me in the dark.  I have now had time to investigate this and found some odd things.

The light beams can be seen either from within the VC or from outside in an exterior spot view.  They show (or not) in both views (i.e. if present in one they are present in the other.  Using the exterior spot view at night with the lights turned on I have found some odd effects: 

1. Starting with the beams visible ahead of the aircraft I rotated the spot view around the plane 360 degrees,  I find that there is an arc of the circle, about 45 degrees wide within which the light beams vanish!  When first found this blackout arc was in the right rear sector of the arcraft, so looking ahead from the tail (or within the VC) there was no problem - good beams ahead.

2. The trouble is, this blackout arc is not staying fixed somewhere behind me.  On my last test flight (following a full reinstall of the Falcon 1.9) I had good lights ahead at the departure airfield and also for landing at destination.  However when I turned off the runway I lost all the light beams (also the recognition lights) so  I stopped the aircraft and took a look around with the exterior spot view.  The blackout arc sector was now ahead of me!  Outside this sector, all the way round the circle, the beams were visible!   I took some screenshots of this but they only show what I've said, so I haven't attached them.

Either there is is something strange in my setup, or others can see the same effects in the exterior view.  Take a look...  It is a bit of a show-stopper for me at the moment!

Ariel

 

 

 

 

[ark 1,290]

2 hours ago, Ariel said:

I took some screenshots of this but they only show what I've said, so I haven't attached them.

Ariel,

Suggest you go ahead an post the screen shots -- I think that will be helpful to Mark at FSW.

Al

 

[Ariel 6]

Well ok, but I've had to put in 6, starting rear left quarter round to rear right quarter.  They are dark, but hopefully you can make them out.  Not sure how to do this so I hope it works.

The middle three around the rear are in the blackout sector, with no dynamic lights showing.  The beams stay visible looking from all round the rest of the circuit (the sides and front of the aircraft).

As this only creates a problem occasionally, maybe the blackout sector is oriented geographically - not in relation to the aircraft..?

Confused (Ariel)

[Ariel 6]

Maybe this link will work...

Ariel

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8jbzkktwhzcy6bj/AABZ4zax84FHnk1fw_Hs5jcxa?dl=0

[ark 1,290]

44 minutes ago, Ariel said:

Maybe this link will work...

Ariel

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8jbzkktwhzcy6bj/AABZ4zax84FHnk1fw_Hs5jcxa?dl=0

I was able to see the pictures but they are dark -- maybe they will be helpful. Thanks.

Al

[gaab 111]

I don't know if it is related, but I noticed that some effects of the Falcon are referring a "Texture=fx_lights.bmp" which is missing in the texture subfolder of effects.

Thanks for the new 1.9 Falcon - always improving

 

Gérard

 

 

[Ariel 6]

I've put a new set of evening screenshots up which you can actually see.  They show exactly the same effect of a blank geographically orientated sector in which the light beams disappear.  I started by going around in the exterior spot view and then showed the same problem in the VC by taxying around in a circle.

This is the Falcon 1.9B version clean installed on p3Dv4.5 hotfix 2. 

Ariel

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8jbzkktwhzcy6bj/AABZ4zax84FHnk1fw_Hs5jcxa?dl=0

 

[Flysimware 647]

On 1/22/2020 at 4:10 PM, gaab said:

I don't know if it is related, but I noticed that some effects of the Falcon are referring a "Texture=fx_lights.bmp" which is missing in the texture subfolder of effects.

Thanks for the new 1.9 Falcon - always improving

 

Gérard

 

 

Yes the texture is not needed. But i did update these files. Thanks.

[Flysimware 647]

6 hours ago, Ariel said:

I've put a new set of evening screenshots up which you can actually see.  They show exactly the same effect of a blank geographically orientated sector in which the light beams disappear.  I started by going around in the exterior spot view and then showed the same problem in the VC by taxying around in a circle.

This is the Falcon 1.9B version clean installed on p3Dv4.5 hotfix 2. 

Ariel

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8jbzkktwhzcy6bj/AABZ4zax84FHnk1fw_Hs5jcxa?dl=0

 

What kind of if any tools and addons besides aircraft and scenery do you have installed on your P3D?

[Ariel 6]

N

8 hours ago, Flysimware said:

What kind of if any tools and addons besides aircraft and scenery do you have installed on your P3D?

Nothig much:  F1 GTN;  MIlviz WX Radar;  FS Labs Spotlights (not in the Falcon);  SODE;  Traffic Global (Early Release) AI traffic.  However - this last might be significant - read on:

I've had medically-enforced time on my hands so I've spent several hours investigating this.  I won't go through everything I did, but I have now isolated the factor which is causing or controlling the problem, and it explains why most people won't have it:

My AI traffic slider is turned up very high, almost maxed out.  I have established that this is causing the exterior lights to break down with a blackout sector (as I call it) which seems to point to the area of AI concentration (I think).  The AI itself does not necessarily have to be visible it would seem, although it might be, as parked aircraft.  By adjusting the traffic slider I can set the exact % point where the exterior lights breakdown occurs - this varies between airports - not just the size but how busy the region is seems to matter.  On my system the AI traffic level when the trouble kicks in varies from 65% to 95%.  That's why the problem is apparantly intermittant or non-existant depending on where I am.  Interesting, eh?

Now, I am using Traffic Global AI, as I said above.  On very high settings this fills my airport stands but keeps the airborne numbers within reason (mostly).  But it could be relevant that the Traffic Global AI all have bright dynamic exterior lights, and even all the aircraft parked on stand seem to keep their taxi lights on.  I haven't removed Traffic Global and reverted to default AI to see if this is a factor or not.  So it all seems to be some sort of resources issue, whether hardware or software related I have no idea.  I've solved it for me anyway - just have to reduce the slider enough.

Ariel

 

 

[ark 1,290]

2 hours ago, Ariel said:

I won't go through everything I did, but I have now isolated the factor which is causing or controlling the problem, and it explains why most people won't have it:

Good detective work!

Al