Anti Collision Light Brightness

[Luft Waffel]

I think the red anti collision lights should be much brighter on the hornet similar to the brightness of the F-16C. When I look at videos of hornets especially flying at night the whole plane is lit up by the red anti collision light however in DCS it is barely even visible even at night unless you are flying in close formation with the plane and even then it isn't really bright enough to reflect of the metal which I think is a shame. It would look really cool if the AC light was brighter to a level similar to the F16C and I can't imagine this change being much more difficult than changing some kind of brightness value.

[razo+r]

As someone who saw them live during day and night, I can confirm that the light is too dim.

 

Note that this has been brought up already earlier but nobody cared back then...

Edited January 31, 2020 by razo+r

[MacEwan]

Apparently there are some big lighting changes coming to DCS in 2.5.6 to fix a lot of the general lighting deficiencies in the sim. This is one of the top 5 things I'm looking forward to and I hope we can finally get some good lighting in DCS.

[Harker]

I agree and I've tried everything I could to mod the external lights on the Hornet, without success.

I might be wrong, but from what I've surmised by reading stuff online, the 3D model itself (the edm file(s)) needs to change, because the attribute controlling how much a light source bleeds into its surroundings is part of the 3D model. I don't have any appropriate software for this though.

I don't think it's a big change, so it'd be really nice if we could get better external lights.

[Tholozor]

I say we wait to see how lighting will improve after 2.5.6 and beyond, who knows, maybe the lighting simulation will improve across the board, or things may swing to the other end of the spectrum and start blowing out screens as night.

[ST0RM]

Anti-collision lights are still too dim. More like simple flashing lights instead of strobes. Ineffective

[CajunJosh]

I think the red anti collision lights should be much brighter on the hornet similar to the brightness of the F-16C. When I look at videos of hornets especially flying at night the whole plane is lit up by the red anti collision light however in DCS it is barely even visible even at night unless you are flying in close formation with the plane and even then it isn't really bright enough to reflect of the metal which I think is a shame. It would look really cool if the AC light was brighter to a level similar to the F16C and I can't imagine this change being much more difficult than changing some kind of brightness value.

 

Ditto Ditto Ditto Direct evidence of the lights brightness below. Even if it's a later variant of the hornet I'm sure the technology in a xenon strobe light hasn't changed much.

 

 

I sure hope they bother looking at this thread and consider making the necessary changes. The F18's formation lights are looking much better and the cockpit lighting is great but this light looks horrible. The F5's light looks much closer to what I would expect with the F18.

[Ryback]

I was complaining about the same thing.

 

I was wondering why A-10C has beautiful strobe lights but F-18 has not.

 

Well I decided to make my hands dirty, after few hours of lights.lua reading/testing, i managed to integrate ''natostrobelights'' to F-18.

 

I made a gif, it's not really a preview, plus I'm having hard times getting the strobe positions right, it's little complicated than it seems but here is the result.

Link to video also:

https://streamable.com/tdgbg

 

I really don't understand ED's way of making things!! Why don't they use when something is already there?

Edited February 26, 2020 by Ryback

[BoneDust]

I was complaining about the same thing.

 

I was wondering why A-10C has beautiful strobe lights but F-18 has not.

 

Well I decided to make my hands dirty, after few hours of lights.lua reading/testing, i managed to integrate ''natostrobelights'' to F-18.

 

I made a gif, it's not really a preview, plus I'm having hard times getting the strobe positions right, it's little complicated than it seems but here is the result.

 

 

I really don't understand ED's way of making things!! Why don't they use when something is already there?

 

Where is the image?

[Harker]

I was complaining about the same thing.

 

I was wondering why A-10C has beautiful strobe lights but F-18 has not.

 

Well I decided to make my hands dirty, after few hours of lights.lua reading/testing, i managed to integrate ''natostrobelights'' to F-18.

 

I made a gif, it's not really a preview, plus I'm having hard times getting the strobe positions right, it's little complicated than it seems but here is the result.

 

 

I really don't understand ED's way of making things!! Why don't they use when something is already there?

I'll also want to check the lua, do you mind telling me where it is? Or share the lua with your edits so far?

 

This sounds very interesting, if we can get strobe lights like the A-10C, it'd be great. :thumbup: Btw, the gif link is broken, I can't see it either.

[Ryback]

Where is the image?

 

I've uploaded as attachment but it's gone now..Hold on I will look at it!

 

Image uploaded again!

Edited February 26, 2020 by Ryback

[Ryback]

I'll also want to check the lua, do you mind telling me where it is? Or share the lua with your edits so far?

 

This sounds very interesting, if we can get strobe lights like the A-10C, it'd be great. :thumbup: Btw, the gif link is broken, I can't see it either.

 

Sure!.We can exchange some knowledge.I will write the code soon. Thank you for your interest!

[Harker]

Sure!.We can exchange some knowledge.I will write the code soon. Thank you for your interest!

I found the lights_data for the Hornet is in the FA-18C.lua in CoreMods. I managed to get a red strobelight effect, but I can't correct its position with pos_correction.

I also don't know how to make it work for the two separate strobe lights. I assume with "connector", but I don't really know how to find the names of the lights.

You're probably much further ahead, I'm looking forward to the result! I'll keep poking around in the meantime.

[Ryback]

I found the lights_data for the Hornet is in the FA-18C.lua in CoreMods. I managed to get a red strobelight effect, but I can't correct its position with pos_correction.

I also don't know how to make it work for the two separate strobe lights. I assume with "connector", but I don't really know how to find the names of the lights.

You're probably much further ahead, I'm looking forward to the result! I'll keep poking around in the meantime.

 

Don't know how much further I am.:cry:

 

But here is the code:

lights = {	
		{typename = "natostrobelight", argument = 193, period = 1.2, phase_shift = 0, connector = "RED_BEACON L", color = {0.8,0,0}, intensity = 200, position = {-5.3, 2.2, -3.0}},	
		{typename = "natostrobelight", argument = 193, period = 1.2, phase_shift = 0, connector = "RED_BEACON R", color = {0.8,0,0}, intensity = 200, position = {0.820, 0.2, 0.0}}
},

 

The bothering thing is: I tried to use connectors which are non-existent in 3d model.Connector names defined in 3D models somehow and my guess is they have fixed positions. This is where I am clueless.

 

After trial and error I managed to get strobe lights working with an ok positioning on the left vertical stabilizer, but as you see in the code, as there are no two separate arguments for them(arg=193 for both Vert.Sta.)my guess is when you tweak left also the right will be.

What I didn't try is to input extreme values to right side to see if it's moving..

 

Knowing that everytime I change a value, I have to restart the game check if it's correct and pray there is no syntax fault in lua file. It's really time consuming. Praying is... not the lua part :D

 

Kidding aside:

 

I don't understand why AH-64's which nobody can fly has natostrobelights and Hornet does not.Yes Apache has working strobe lights.

 

May be ED will add strobe lights in 2021 or so and all work will be in vain, but hey until then we will not be more pathetic than AI Apache right?

 

Greetings

[Harker]

The left one looks really good, good job! There must be a way to get to work for both of them, since the original effect is working for both. I think the answer is in modifying argnatostrobelight somehow, since it's applied to both strobes.

Otherwise, we'd need to define a new, separate argument for the other strobe. I tried 193 left, 194 right, for example and it doesn't change anything. I tried to set up a new collection for the right strobe only and it messed up the everything, so that's not the way.

[diveplane]

I was complaining about the same thing.

 

I was wondering why A-10C has beautiful strobe lights but F-18 has not.

 

Well I decided to make my hands dirty, after few hours of lights.lua reading/testing, i managed to integrate ''natostrobelights'' to F-18.

 

I made a gif, it's not really a preview, plus I'm having hard times getting the strobe positions right, it's little complicated than it seems but here is the result.

Link to video also:

https://streamable.com/tdgbg

 

I really don't understand ED's way of making things!! Why don't they use when something is already there?

 

brilliant lot better airframe lit up as it should like real life.

[diveplane]

can u upload the file here so we can download add it in , is it multiplayer friendly?

[diveplane]

can u do the same for the f16 white tail flashing beacon, back of the jet should be lit up, atm its not.

[Ryback]

The left one looks really good, good job! There must be a way to get to work for both of them, since the original effect is working for both. I think the answer is in modifying argnatostrobelight somehow, since it's applied to both strobes.

 

Thank you!

argnatostrobelight does not have the same effect.It must be the default one no? Reflections go away when selecting that one.

 

I don't know what is causing this.May be shaders? Intensity entry also did not work on it..

 

I checked two units (A-10C and AH-64) both have reflections and are really powerful and unfortunately both use ''natostrobelight'' argument.

 

I'll let you know if i get my mind around it.

[diveplane]

{5.3, 2.2, 3.0}}, try that for right side.

 

side that's not working correct.

[Harker]

{5.3, 2.2, 3.0}}, try that for right side.

 

side that's not working correct.

Tried that, no change. The problem is that there's only one argument for two strobe lights, so any change only applies to one of them. I don't know if it's possible to easily create another argument or have the same argument applied to two different points.

What I tried: 1) create a new argument for the second strobe via net_animation (no change); 2) create a new entry in lights_data (it doesn't mess up stuff if you place it after [4], but it doesn't do anything either), with both 193 and the new argument (no change) ; 3) add the second strobe without argument (no change); 4) define two positions in the same typename (the second simply overrode the first, no change)

Its possible to place the effect in the middle with {-5.3, 2.2, 0}, but it doesn't look good at all.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Harker

[diveplane]

Tried that, no change. The problem is that there's only one argument for two strobe lights, so any change only applies to one of them. I don't know if it's possible to easily create another argument or have the same argument applied to two different points.

What I tried: 1) create a new argument for the second strobe (no change); 2) create a new entry in lights_data (it doesn't mess up stuff if you place it after [4], but it doesn't do anything either), with both 193 and the new argument (no change) ; 3) add the second strobe without argument (no change); 4) define two positions in the same typename (the second simply overrode the first, no change)

Its possible to place the effect in the middle with {-5.3, 2.2, 0}, but it doesn't look good at all.

 

maybe ed can chime in help with this.

 

possible for the f16?

[Harker]

maybe ed can chime in help with this.

 

 

 

possible for the f16?

Hopefully, or someone who knows more about how this works. It doesn't seem particularly complicated, we're just missing some key details.

I tried for the F-16, you don't have the above problem, since there's a single strobe on the tail, but it replacing argumentlight on [7] with natostrobelight kinda messes up the anti-collision patterns that you select via the knob in the cockpit. Also, the effect isn't correctly placed I think, so you'd have to adjust the position a bit (I guess around {-6, 2.2, 0}, but I'm just guessing). Don't use "period", because it won't light up at all. Line 712 in F-16C.lua in CoreMods.

 

Edit: it wasn't showing up because I also had "phase", without it, it shows up and its position can be adjusted.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Harker

[Ryback]

maybe ed can chime in help with this.

 

possible for the f16?

 

It's much worse than the F-18.Positions are all over the place, i don't even see where it's flashing.But i'm looking to it.

 

BTW i will upload the F-18.lua file as it is! Give me little time.

 

ED would place this during the Early Access phase but they didn't. I would like to see it as in all their wisdom must be a reason to not activate it.

 

But like i said why AH-64 has these lights and flyables don't? That's very curious.

 

 

Hopefully, or someone who knows more about how this works. It doesn't seem particularly complicated, we're just missing some key details.

I tried for the F-16, you don't have the above problem, since there's a single strobe on the tail, but it kinda messes up the anti-collision patterns that you select via the knob in the cockpit. The strobe effect isn't well placed, but when I tried to adjust its position, it stopped showing up.

 

Like i doubt single argument for strobe lights limits us. Other units with natostrobelights have multiple entries for arguments.

 

No, it's not complicated may be somebody with much more expertise on modding will handle this.

[Harker]

It's much worse than the F-18.Positions are all over the place, i don't even see where it's flashing.But i'm looking to it.

 

 

 

BTW i will upload the F-18.lua file as it is! Give me little time.

 

 

 

ED would place this during the Early Access phase but they didn't. I would like to see it as in all their wisdom must be a reason to not activate it.

 

 

 

But like i said why AH-64 has these lights and flyables don't? That's very curious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like i doubt single argument for strobe lights limits us. Other units with natostrobelights have multiple entries for arguments.

 

 

 

No, it's not complicated may be somebody with much more expertise on modding will handle this.

 

Exactly, if we can just add an additional argument to this entry, we're done.

A few flyables have good strobe lights, such as the A-10C and the JF-17. The Mirage looks good too, although it doesn't light up as much.