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MSFS20 rotating beacon light tower

All xml files are loaded when the BGL file of your airport xml file is created. In the project definitions folder is the directory where the source of the bgl is located. So put it in the same driectory of your airport xml file.
 
You need to make a package and then compile with either the DevMode or the fspackagetool.
 

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  • RotatingBeacon Example.zip
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Hi Dick:

Thanks again for posting another worked example at c59. :)

I was able to open the project source XML in MSFS SDK DevMode, Build All, then copy the compiled Package to Community folder.


At run time in MSFS, when slewing North bound from c59 RWY 36 start position, to the Right (East) of the taxiway, I see:

* A White (only) flashing light Face on the ground.

Note: I do NOT see an alternate Face washed-out Green halo surrounding the White flashing light on the ground.


* A White flashing light on the Icosahedron, with IIUC, 3 other flash patterns (is 1 supposed to alternate as a solid Green ?)

Note: I DO see a washed-out Green halo surrounding the Icosahedron White light (...when it is supposed to be solid Green ?).


Adjacent to c59's "FBO" building at RWY 36 start / offshore at Lake Lawn, is the previously cited default MSFS (flashing) beacon.


FYI: That previously cited default MSFS (flashing) beacon object displays (only) a White light 'Face' alternating with another Face.

The 'alternate Face' is a washed-out Green halo surrounding that MSFS (flashing) beacon's White light 'Face'

As always, I DO see plenty of solid Green reflections on the adjacent beacon tower, and on my user aircraft nearby. :rolleyes:


Does MSFS' DirectX rendering engine use not compensate for Windows 10 HDR mode, thus Green 3D Faces = 'washed out' ? o_O


Unfortunately, I do not (yet ?) see the 'legacy' rotating civilian airport beacon placed at / near C59 in MSFS at run time.

Was that 'legacy' rotating civilian airport beacon intended to be displayed via the worked example(s) attached above ? :oops:


I hope there's way we can eventually place- and display at run time- in MSFS, the 'legacy' rotating civilian airport beacon. :scratchch

UPDATE: On my AMD video card, in MSFS-2020, I must enable "BLOOM" via Options > General > Bloom: ON ...to see a Green colored beacon flash.


GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Yes I know it's not rotating BUT...
So I used Blender to create a simple square box (but you could select ANY standard MSFS scenery object - say a car and not use Blender). I added the box to MSFS and turned on the option "Has Beacon". I then "buried" the box (turned off snap to ground) 11 meters under the control tower so that the light appears at the exact position I require on top. The end result is you only see the light and no actual device handling it but really, unless you're on the roof or looking through the man-hole, why would you need to? The ONLY limitation is MSFS viewing distance which I assume one day, will be looked at and it doesn't rotate but flashes.
I looked at creating a rotating beacon (as per Flying Theson's
) but there's so much light bleed that does not appear to be able to be removed. My POI Lighthouses do suffer from this as they use that technique. The video doesn't have this and looks OK but when transitioning to MSFS it's there. Maybe it's the versions of Blender

1626485350677.png
1626485448542.png
 
It’s in the FS-Base ModelLib and appears in Dev mode and in ADE as Rhumbaflappy shows
 
Easily done in the DevMode... I don't think it can be done in the ADE. And it might not show in the DevMode,
Correct - ADE does not currently support attached elements but it is on the list
 
If someone out there has successfully created a working model of a rotating beacon, (And I'm guessing here from some of the inputs of the thread), then why don't "they" offer it as a library object so "we" can simply add it to our own creations?

Just sayin....

TB2
 
If someone out there has successfully created a working model of a rotating beacon, (And I'm guessing here from some of the inputs of the thread), then why don't "they" offer it as a library object so "we" can simply add it to our own creations?

Just sayin....

TB2
Object: "AS_EDJA_Beacon"
GUID: {CD6EA24C-7D9F-4E9F-B390-2ED643EF7889}
Package: "microsoft-airport-edja-allgau"
 

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  • Screenshot (58).jpg
    Screenshot (58).jpg
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Object: "AS_EDJA_Beacon"
GUID: {CD6EA24C-7D9F-4E9F-B390-2ED643EF7889}
Package: "microsoft-airport-edja-allgau"

Well, that's not exactly what I meant, but appreciate the reply. (How do I acquire your beacon? Is the lighting "correct"?) I too created a model and successfully added the lighting, but it's still not "right". "Right" means the rotating beacon can be seen for 10 miles away from the airport as the "stock" rotating beacons can. Mine can only be seen when you get close to the airport and the "beams" are a bit too bright for ground level. Shouldn't be THAT bright....

If I can figure how, and when I'm satisfied with it, I'll make my beacon available for download. It will be the blender file ready for export. (Not sure how to make JUST the model available yet). AND it would be nice if it was "right" as defined above. As it is now, it rotates and the lights rotate, 1 green, one white, at the correct rate and it reflects off of the buildings and ground.

TB

Beacon.jpg
 
When I last updated my Essen/Mülheim Airport EDLE, I added the so-called "Asobo Beacon Light" to the tower. the light is visible in fog and has great visibility.
In the first step you create a dummy object in your 3D model and call it attachpoint_beacon, for example:


tower_beacon_light_asobo.jpg

In the next step you reference the dummy object with the same name in your XML placement file:

<!--SceneryObject name: mh_flughafen_tower (Beacon)-->
<SceneryObject parentGroupID="8" groupIndex="18" lat="51.40647299999826" lon="6.93854500000000" alt="0.00000000000000" pitch="0.000041" bank="-0.000041" heading="135.000000" imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" snapToGround="TRUE" snapToNormal="FALSE">
<LibraryObject name="{59589256-FB71-4D94-99D8-953DC12312BE}" scale="1.000000"/>
<AttachedObject attachpointName="attachpoint_beacon" instanceId="{42910FFC-EEF5-43B1-A0F6-AEB885F7B95A}" pitch="0.000000" bank="0.000000" heading="0.000000">
<Beacon type="CIVILIAN" baseType="AIRPORT"/>
</AttachedObject>

</SceneryObject>


The referencing can also be done in the Scenery Editor, where you only have to use the tower as a beacon light object. It's called Replace Beacon Light Model, or something like that.

edle_beacon_light_tower.jpg
 
When I last updated my Essen/Mülheim Airport EDLE, I added the so-called "Asobo Beacon Light" to the tower. the light is visible in fog and has great visibility.
In the first step you create a dummy object in your 3D model and call it attachpoint_beacon, for example:


View attachment 86936

In the next step you reference the dummy object with the same name in your XML placement file:

<!--SceneryObject name: mh_flughafen_tower (Beacon)-->
<SceneryObject parentGroupID="8" groupIndex="18" lat="51.40647299999826" lon="6.93854500000000" alt="0.00000000000000" pitch="0.000041" bank="-0.000041" heading="135.000000" imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" snapToGround="TRUE" snapToNormal="FALSE">
<LibraryObject name="{59589256-FB71-4D94-99D8-953DC12312BE}" scale="1.000000"/>
<AttachedObject attachpointName="attachpoint_beacon" instanceId="{42910FFC-EEF5-43B1-A0F6-AEB885F7B95A}" pitch="0.000000" bank="0.000000" heading="0.000000">
<Beacon type="CIVILIAN" baseType="AIRPORT"/>
</AttachedObject>

</SceneryObject>


The referencing can also be done in the Scenery Editor, where you only have to use the tower as a beacon light object. It's called Replace Beacon Light Model, or something like that.

View attachment 86937

Sweet! I'll have to investigate this when I can! Do you need to add any "lights" in the Blender file or export JUST the model? How do you synchronize them together?

Thanks!

TB2
 
No, no other lights, only the 3D model of the tower is exported. Nothing needs to be synced.
 
There is a default scenery object rotating beacon, the light is white and green, it comes on only at night, obviously and I believe it should be visible to the horizon, it is not, but it seems to be as bright as Christians, am I mistaken? Waldo Pepper shared the thumbnail of it and here is a screen of it in scenery:

KTTD Tower.png


Well, that's not exactly what I meant, but appreciate the reply. (How do I acquire your beacon? Is the lighting "correct"?)
This model is in the scenery library and we add it using the DevMode Scenery Editor. You can just search "beacon" and add the EDJA one, or navigate to the package. Using ADE, you'd have to find it in the scenery library and I don't really know that route.
 
I found these visual reference guides to be exceptionally useful.

About
Here is a categorized list of default assets to be used by scenery developers. Mainly buildings are included.

The objects belong to the Premium Deluxe version of MSFS 2020, actualized until 40th anniversary.

Only sceneries from Microsoft and Asobo were utilized.

This is a complement of the excellent work made by FlyBoyRez1.

Hope it will be useful.

 
Rick, as I understood it, was about the technical description of how to implement the Asobo Beacon Light.
The video shows how the Asobo Beacon Light does its job:

asobo_beacon_light.gif
 
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