Further Question re: Gmax and Lights

[Avroman]

Good Morning All,

I finally got my single light working.

Now I would like to make an array of lights in GMAX. I have used the Array command as listed in the GMAX Bible, but the resulting object will not export to an MDL file.

My plan is make an array of lights ( a single line) which would then be placeable on the edge of a floating runway scenery object.

So, my question; Why no export? Second question: Is there another way to do this without individually placing each light.

Cheers and thanks,

John

 

[hcornea]

The Maxscript posted here:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1518&highlight=maxscript+lights

may be useful ... note the FSX version on about the 4th or 5th post.

Save your project before you play with it, and make sure only the objects you want as lights are named BOX..

 

[Avroman]

Hi hcornea,

Thank you very much for this! I will check this out. As with much of what we are doing with GMAX and FSX, it seems to be test, retest and test again.

Cheers,

John /Avroman

 

[Avroman]

Hi Everyone,

I have tried NickW's script for attaching multiple objects but on export from GMAX received the following error;

ERROR: Failed to process part XML for part: frm-attachpt_RedLight0, this part will lose all custom attributes!
ERROR: Verify the attached XML data block in the modelling package!
ERROR: System.Xml.XmlException: '

Here is the original script (Thanks for this! NickW!)
strAttachNumber = 0
for obj in $box* do
(
obj.name = ("attachpt_RedLight" + (strAttachNumber as
string))
strBufferText = ("FSXML = <?xml version=\"1.0\"
encoding=\"ISO-8859-1\" ?> <FSMakeMdlData
version=\"9.0\"><Attachpoint name=\"attachpt_RedLight" +
(strAttachNumber as string) + "\"> <AttachedObject> <Effect
effectName=\"fx_navwhih\" effectParams=\"\"/>
</AttachedObject> </Attachpoint></FSMakeMdlData>")
setUserPropBuffer obj strBufferText
strAttachNumber += 1
)

I constructed a box (Box01) of .5m by .5m by .5m, converted it to an editable mesh, (should I make a clone??) then made an array of 100 boxes 1.0 meters apart. I then copied and pasted the script into the NEW Maxscript box and ran Evaluate All. When you press "H" you get attachpt_0-99. On export the export fails.

Where am I going wrong? I am trying to make a scenery object array of runway lights.

Cheers and thanks,

Avroman

 

[Avroman]

Hi Again,

A brief addendum - it should be "attachpt_Redlight0", to 99 in the array once done.

Cheers,
Avroman

 

[Avroman]

Hi Everyone,

Hey, totally cool, I just discovered Page two of Nick W.'s post that has been "stickied" to this forum ( "a little reading is a dangerous thing...") and the wiki article on lights on aprons here;

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Apron_lighting_using_effects_and_GMax

I am going to have a look at this and see if I can squeeze it for some knowledge and information....I think the principles look the same- rather than placing the lights on a terrestrial apron as a scenery object, my aim is to place them at the side of an airborne carrier based runway.

Cheers,

John/Avroman