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GMax light problem

F

FSD184

Messages
34
Country
australia
Hi guys,

I have made a simple white light by using the attatch tool in GMax and an .fx file I modified slightly from a default light .fx file so that it uses my custom light texture .bmp. All is well except that the light in FSX only shows up when I am extremely close, within a few feet, if i move away it fades into the square in the attached screen shot.
Can anyone help me narrow down what is causing this?
 

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  • FSX_Light.jpg
    FSX_Light.jpg
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Hi,

My first idea would be to check the texture. Does it behave like this with the default texture as well?
 
Default behaves normally.
What I did to create the texture was open an effect .bmp in photoshop to use as a template, converted it from indexed color to RGB so that I could add a layer over the top to create my own light texture.
Flattened the image and converted it back to indexed color.

Is there something specific about the .bmp, does it have to be saved as indexed color? I am just playing with trial and error at the moment but still no luck.

Edit: This time I decided to use DXTBmp and send the .bmp to Photoshop this way and save as extended bitmap 256 color, all is working perfectly now.

And so now to change the color of the light I play around with the numbers in the .fx file correct? there is nothing I need to change in my GMax model for each color of light?

Also what do the numbers mean exactly.

There is for example Color Start= 255, 255, 255, 1, I take this to mean R, G, B channel but what is the last number? and what does the "Color Start" and "Color End" refer to?
 
Last edited:
The last number is the Alpha channel level, normally 255 for the start color, and 0 for the end color (provides a gradual fading effect).

Think of the emitter as providing a "ray of light" which begins at the origin, and extends outwards to the size specified.

The start color is what is used at the origin, and will change in a linear gradient to reach the end color in the length (size) specified.

So if you use red for example, the start color will be fairly "bright", and the end color will be much "lighter" normally.
 
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