runway lights view distance lua settings

[bandit648]

I've been experimenting with lua settings for view distance in the hope that I can increase the range that you can see runway lights. The only thing I've found that affects runway light view distance is the view distance setting in options. There's a noticeable difference on the runway lights between low and extreme but even extreme is not very realistic.

 

I've tried editing settings that made sense in Config\graphics.lua and Config\terrain\Extreme.lua but it doesn't seem to have any affect on the runway light view distance.

 

Does anyone have any ideas or is this hopeless?

[OzDeaDMeaT]

I am also investigating this after I saw a screenshot on a Twitch stream today.

[LucShep]

@OzDeaDMeaT Perhaps try this:
 

1. In your DCS save files (default is "C:\Users\'Your-User-Name'\Saved Games\DCS"), go to the Config folder.
    
2. In there, and if it's not in there already, create an "autoexec.cfg" file (with notepad or similar app).
    
3. Open the "autoexec.cfg" (with notepad or similar app) and paste this line in it:    
   
   options.graphics.lights = {200, 80000};
    
4. Save and exit the "autoexec.cfg" file.  Restart DCS and see how it goes...

That is for all lights you see in game - aircraft lights, airfield lights, building lights and so on.
The first number means the closest popup range for them, and the second number means the farthest popup range for them.

I suspect that increasing that first number from "200" to "5000" should achieve what you're looking for.
But adjust as you see fit (bigger value = bigger covered distance).

Edited October 13, 2024 by LucShep

[Morrowstalker]

On 10/12/2024 at 2:54 PM, LucShep said:

@OzDeaDMeaT Perhaps try this:
 

1. In your DCS save files (default is "C:\Users\'Your-User-Name'\Saved Games\DCS"), go to the Config folder.
    
2. In there, and if it's not in there already, create an "autoexec.cfg" file (with notepad or similar app).
    
3. Open the "autoexec.cfg" (with notepad or similar app) and paste this line in it:    
   
   options.graphics.lights = {200, 80000};
    
4. Save and exit the "autoexec.cfg" file.  Restart DCS and see how it goes...

That is for all lights you see in game - aircraft lights, airfield lights, building lights and so on.
The first number means the closest popup range for them, and the second number means the farthest popup range for them.

I suspect that increasing that first number from "200" to "5000" should achieve what you're looking for.
But adjust as you see fit (bigger value = bigger covered distance).

 

Does this break IC?

[OzDeaDMeaT]

Nothing in your profile should break IC.

[LucShep]

19 hours ago, Morrowstalker said:

Does this break IC?

Nope, no problem.  

Using the different"options.graphics.XXXXXX" parameters with customized values in the autoexec.cfg file does not break IC.
I use them so myself mostly for performance reasons.

[Morrowstalker]

4 hours ago, LucShep said:

Nope, no problem.  

Using the different"options.graphics.XXXXXX" parameters with customized values in the autoexec.cfg file does not break IC.
I use them so myself mostly for performance reasons.

Awesome, Thank you

[Dunska]

On 10/13/2024 at 7:54 AM, LucShep said:

@OzDeaDMeaT Perhaps try this:
 

1. In your DCS save files (default is "C:\Users\'Your-User-Name'\Saved Games\DCS"), go to the Config folder.
    
2. In there, and if it's not in there already, create an "autoexec.cfg" file (with notepad or similar app).
    
3. Open the "autoexec.cfg" (with notepad or similar app) and paste this line in it:    
   
   options.graphics.lights = {200, 80000};
    
4. Save and exit the "autoexec.cfg" file.  Restart DCS and see how it goes...

That is for all lights you see in game - aircraft lights, airfield lights, building lights and so on.
The first number means the closest popup range for them, and the second number means the farthest popup range for them.

I suspect that increasing that first number from "200" to "5000" should achieve what you're looking for.
But adjust as you see fit (bigger value = bigger covered distance).

Hi All.  Does this setting work for anyone in DCS 2.9.12.5336.1?  I tried a range of setting for "options.graphics.lights" using a night approach to a carrier and airport, however all settings were the same... airport light first visible around 24.6 miles and the carrier at around 5.5 miles.  I could see from my dcs.log that it took the setting... I just did not see any difference in light visibility distance.