wind turning runway indicator

[JonPatch]

Thanks, Jörg.

Jon

 

[arno]

Here is finally the tweaked animated windsock that I posted about before. Thanks to Jorg for sharing his sources with us, as that gave me a good basis for the tweaking. And also thanks to Jon for optimizing the models (adding LODs, reducing amount of polygons) and for testing my the tweaks I had made.

In the attached ZIP file you will find two MDL objects. One is for the normal windsock and the other is for a windsock that is lighted at night (using the _LM texture). Apart from this difference, the two windsocks are the same. So both have three windspeed conditions (calm, medium and high wind). And they rotate with the wind direction.

Of course the bug that you need to place at least two of these is still there, as with any object that interacts with the wind.

 

[JonPatch]

Hi Arno,

Thanks to you and Joerg for your work on this; a true community effort!

I tested 19 placements of the windsock, and found that all worked with a single object, rather than having to place 2. Under what conditions would two be needed?

Is the placement offset issue fixed in this version? I'd found that the object was placed 4.4m south of the given coordinates, although the gmax model is centred at 0,0,0.

Jon

 

[Noki]

Here is finally the tweaked animated windsock that I posted about before. Thanks to Jorg for sharing his sources with us, as that gave me a good basis for the tweaking. And also thanks to Jon for optimizing the models (adding LODs, reducing amount of polygons) and for testing my the tweaks I had made.

In the attached ZIP file you will find two MDL objects. One is for the normal windsock and the other is for a windsock that is lighted at night (using the _LM texture). Apart from this difference, the two windsocks are the same. So both have three windspeed conditions (calm, medium and high wind). And they rotate with the wind direction.

Of course the bug that you need to place at least two of these is still there, as with any object that interacts with the wind.

Arno, I am a bit confused at how to place the windsock into existing scenery. I normally use an .xml file to do this - can I generate a .xml file from the .mdl files you provide? how do I go about doing it?

thanks,

Noki

 

[JonPatch]

Noki,

Here's a typical XML placement file. Just ensure you have "windsock.mdl" in the same folder as this XML when you compile the XML with BGLCOMP.

Jon

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

<!-- Gaines Field, Saturna -->
	
<!-- Windsock -->

<SceneryObject lat="48.7936211" lon="-123.1145783" alt="0" pitch="0" bank="0" heading="85" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" imageComplexity="NORMAL">
   <LibraryObject name="443e616064a211dbbd130800200c9a66" scale="1.0"/>
</SceneryObject>

<ModelData name="443e616064a211dbbd130800200c9a66" sourceFile="windsock.mdl" />

</FSData>

 

[Noki]

Noki,

Here's a typical XML placement file. Just ensure you have "windsock.mdl" in the same folder as this XML when you compile the XML with BGLCOMP.

Jon

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

<!-- Gaines Field, Saturna -->
	
<!-- Windsock -->

<SceneryObject lat="48.7936211" lon="-123.1145783" alt="0" pitch="0" bank="0" heading="85" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" imageComplexity="NORMAL">
   <LibraryObject name="443e616064a211dbbd130800200c9a66" scale="1.0"/>
</SceneryObject>

<ModelData name="443e616064a211dbbd130800200c9a66" sourceFile="windsock.mdl" />

</FSData>

Thankyou Jon, very very much appreciated.

Noki

 

[arno]

Hi Jon,

I tested 19 placements of the windsock, and found that all worked with a single object, rather than having to place 2. Under what conditions would two be needed?

Humm, good question, I indeed also found a place where one works fine. Let's phrase it different, if you sock does not respond, you need to place another one nearby .

Is the placement offset issue fixed in this version? I'd found that the object was placed 4.4m south of the given coordinates, although the gmax model is centred at 0,0,0.

Yes, I found and fixed that.

 

[arno]

Here's a typical XML placement file. Just ensure you have "windsock.mdl" in the same folder as this XML when you compile the XML with BGLCOMP.

When using the code Jon provided, please be sure that you use your own GUID. If everybody copies and uses this code (with the GUID) we can run into trouble .

Another option is to place the MDL file in an object library you might have and then place it with an object placer (like ObPlacer XML, Rwy12, EZ-Scenery).

 

[JonPatch]

Arno, thanks for the clarification.

And so that folks are aware: the windsock has one known bug. When viewed from certain directions with the wind from certain directions the windsock can oscillate between two different directions about 70 degrees apart. This happens quite rarely.

Jon

 

[Noki]

Thanks guys,
I automatically created my own GUID for the windsock but thanks for the reminder.......something I am sure a lot wouldn't think about.

Arno: I created a library object for use with EZ Scenery but when I place the sock with EZ Scenery, I get a perfect Pole but a very very tiny sock. I adjusted up and down various settings in EZ Scenery with out any success in getting the sock to display properly. Any thoughts on this? I created the library object using your library tool (which I might add, is very good.......I have never had any problems with it).

Apart from all that, Jorg and Arno have done a top job on the sock.

regards,

Noki

 

[arno]

Hi Noki,

Does that display problem in EZ-Scenery also happen after you have created a BGL file for it? I can imagine that the rendering of EZ-Scenery itself has some trouble with the animation tweaks. But that should be gone after you generate a BGL file for the placement.

And apart from that, you also might want to make sure you place the windsock with a heading of 0 degrees. Else the rotation with the wind will be wrong .

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Hi all.

When using the code Jon provided, please be sure that you use your own GUID. If everybody copies and uses this code (with the GUID) we can run into trouble .

I haven't read of a single instance of anyone having GUID duplication problems. In FS9, I could have duplicate GUIDs in different folders, representing different objects, and they would still display the different objects properly. I think the sim is pretty forgiving in this area, especially if the MDL is within the placement BGL.

Dick

 

[JonPatch]

Hi all.
I haven't read of a single instance of anyone having GUID duplication problems.
Dick

Hi Dick, considering the impossibility of duplicate GUIDs, even when pseudo-randomly seeded, I would have thought so too. But I have had a problem with this windsock: even though I replaced the .mdl file with a new version, I used the old GUID, and somehow BGLCOMP still used the old model when I recompiled in the same folder. Changing the GUID fixed this.

Ask me no more about how this could be, it hurts my head to think about it.

Jon

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Hi Jon.

The computer "remembered" the old BGL as associated with the GUID, not the old mdl specifically.

Would it be that you didn't exit FSX, and restart the sim with the new BGL?

We do have the same problem as with FS9... we must restart the sim after scenery changes. You can add a Scenery folder to the running sim via the Scenery Library, but any changes to that folder will not be recognised until you restart the sim.

Dick

 

[JonPatch]

I'm pretty religious about sim exit/restart. I don't use an external scenery manager.

That said, we can easily chalk this one up to finger trouble, since I can't be 100% sure of the steps ...

Jon

 

[PakMac]

Hi all,

as promised here my windsock containing three MDL/XML-objects and one texture-file in DXT-format. Normal size would be about scale 0,2

Don´t forget to place 2 of them (in summary 6 objects!) Edited to make it clear.

I use Library Creator for the Library and SGX for the placement of the object. Makes life much easier.

Feel free to use the object in your own projects, feedback is welcome.

Jörg

Thanks for sharing these files with us, Jörg.

I have noticed that they blow in the opposite direction to the default wind socks.

Other than that, they are awesome.

Cheers
David
CanUK Scenery

 

[JonPatch]

How odd, David. In testing I placed them side by side with the default to ensure the direction was the same.

Jon

 

[arno]

How odd, David. In testing I placed them side by side with the default to ensure the direction was the same.

Yep, the same here, I placed it next to a default windsock during the tests as well. Got a few questions for you though (and hopefully that solves the problem):

• Did you place the windsock with a heading of 0 degrees? That is needed to get the correct rotation.
• Which side of the world are you placing the windsock. I must say I only tested in the northern hemisphere.

 

[PakMac]

• Did you place the windsock with a heading of 0 degrees? That is needed to get the correct rotation.
• Which side of the world are you placing the windsock. I must say I only tested in the northern hemisphere.

In reply to your questions Arno.

• Yes they are placed with a zero heading. Infact I used the xml files which came with the models.
• Northern hemisphere.

See the screen shot below.

David

 

[arno]

Hi David,

That is quite weird . Could you send me the XML file (and possibly the BGL file as well) that you used to make this screenshot?