Aircraft lights intensity
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Aircraft lights intensity
Here are two pictures comparing the taxi light and additional the recognition light.
I assume that the recognition lights are for aircraft recognition in airport vicinity, so typically below 10.000 ft. This as the taxi and landing lights can only be active with gear down which is relatively late in the approach.
If the recognition lights are used like that, they seem to be very intense, especially if you leave them on on ground, as you can see on the 2 attached pictures.
So my questions:
a) If the intensity is right, are the only used in air and will be switched off when the LDG lights come on or lately need to be turned off when leaving the RWY or when you typically switch of LDG lights?
b) Or the recognition lights are too intense and in reality can be used on ground supporting the NAV lights for recognition and the taxi light during ground maneuvers? Recognize also the right side recognition light is much brighter than the left one. This is a RW picture which kind of confirms that the wing tip lights are much less intense than the LDG/Taxi lights. To me they are like a white NAV light.
I assume that the recognition lights are for aircraft recognition in airport vicinity, so typically below 10.000 ft. This as the taxi and landing lights can only be active with gear down which is relatively late in the approach.
If the recognition lights are used like that, they seem to be very intense, especially if you leave them on on ground, as you can see on the 2 attached pictures.
So my questions:
a) If the intensity is right, are the only used in air and will be switched off when the LDG lights come on or lately need to be turned off when leaving the RWY or when you typically switch of LDG lights?
b) Or the recognition lights are too intense and in reality can be used on ground supporting the NAV lights for recognition and the taxi light during ground maneuvers? Recognize also the right side recognition light is much brighter than the left one. This is a RW picture which kind of confirms that the wing tip lights are much less intense than the LDG/Taxi lights. To me they are like a white NAV light.
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Re: Aircraft lights intensity
hello,
Anyone seeing this or might this be related to my setup?
Anyone seeing this or might this be related to my setup?
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Re: Aircraft lights intensity
They are (to) bright here too.
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- Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:47 pm
Re: Aircraft lights intensity
Unfortunately both FSX and P3D offer one - and only one - landing/taxi light effect file that actually casts light on the ground.
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Re: Aircraft lights intensity
Hello Bill, understand that if you use the default effects you need to live with them. But, as we have done on our CRJ and others do too, you can copy the effect and texture and after modification save them under a different name. And then assign those to your model.
From the outside visual aspect it looks like you are using custom made light effects. Just the ground effects and building effects are too strong. Maybe you can tone them down a bit?
From the outside visual aspect it looks like you are using custom made light effects. Just the ground effects and building effects are too strong. Maybe you can tone them down a bit?
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- Posts: 1023
- Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:47 pm
Re: Aircraft lights intensity
Alex, in all of the decades I've been working on lighting, I've only succeeded once in creating a 'custom' version of the default fx_landing.fx file. This was for a Global Express that I was developing and it only worked twice. I was never able to get it to work again. 

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Re: Aircraft lights intensity
Hello Bill,
Just to get aligned, the landing light and taxi light while on ground are a bit bright, but I need to see what was done on the CRJ to make them a bit weaker. My major concern was the recognition light in the wing tips, as they illuminate the ground just like the taxi light, which I think in reality is not the case. They will light up the ground a bit but their beam is to my understanding less strong and horizontal from higher above ground that the taxi light. They are required when you fly typically below FL100 and the gear is not extended as aditional recongnition lights suporting strobes and nav lights. I don't think it is required to turn them off when you taxi to or from the runway, while currently as they flood the floor like the taxilight, three of that intensity them seems too much too me for taxi operation.
Maybe Ken can help with the procedure as I may be mistaken and can give idea on how strong those recognition lights are in reality.
Just to get aligned, the landing light and taxi light while on ground are a bit bright, but I need to see what was done on the CRJ to make them a bit weaker. My major concern was the recognition light in the wing tips, as they illuminate the ground just like the taxi light, which I think in reality is not the case. They will light up the ground a bit but their beam is to my understanding less strong and horizontal from higher above ground that the taxi light. They are required when you fly typically below FL100 and the gear is not extended as aditional recongnition lights suporting strobes and nav lights. I don't think it is required to turn them off when you taxi to or from the runway, while currently as they flood the floor like the taxilight, three of that intensity them seems too much too me for taxi operation.
Maybe Ken can help with the procedure as I may be mistaken and can give idea on how strong those recognition lights are in reality.
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- Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:47 pm
Re: Aircraft lights intensity
Thanks Alex. I will replace those .fx files with a dimmer white "nav light" then and be done with it... 

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Re: Aircraft lights intensity
Actually the Recog lights do illuminate the ground when used during ground operations. They are not very bright, less than even the taxi light, but you can see the ground a little better with them on. When I taxi around very dark ramps I would use them to help clear the area around the wingtips.metzgergva wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2020 10:15 pmMy major concern was the recognition light in the wing tips, as they illuminate the ground just like the taxi light, which I think in reality is not the case. They will light up the ground a bit but their beam is to my understanding less strong and horizontal from higher above ground that the taxi light. They are required when you fly typically below FL100 and the gear is not extended as aditional recongnition lights suporting strobes and nav lights. I don't think it is required to turn them off when you taxi to or from the runway, while currently as they flood the floor like the taxilight, three of that intensity them seems too much too me for taxi operation.
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Re: Aircraft lights intensity
That is exactly what I expected them to do. You can use them on ground, but would not blind ground staff around. As you can see on my screenshots they are brighter than the taxilight on the nose wheel strut. I hope that Bill will find a good balance for them versus the taxilight.