I'm currently running an early beta carrier aircraft (no gauges as yet) and have been using the lovely freeware Ark off Devon and Gib and the Alpha Enterprise off Portland as operating platforms. The Alpha models app lights are too bright to be of much use on my system (they kind'a merge) and on the Ark, I don't see any at all which is the reason for my question :shock: I've looked back through the Ark Royal thread and can't see anything related to a 'no lights' prob so.. is anyone out there having similar probs or have had the prob but managed to fix it??
I've checked the original files and all the fx files are where they should be (in the effects folder) so is there anything obvious I've missed :think: The Mk.1 Eyeball has been operating fine so I've not missed a wire yet but I wouldn't fancy a night time landing :roll:
Edit I've just started a flight from Ark (I've been flying TO it previously) and the lights seem to be on although I can't visibly detect any variation.. 2 reds, a green and 2 reds. All other flights have been made taking off from shore and flying to the Ark and the lights don't show. Perhaps it's just one of those things
ATB
I wondered if you'd answer and for the same reason
The beta I'm testing is a 'carrier aircraft' not an 'aircraft carrier' matey (no names, no packdrill) I'm using the Ark and Alpha Enterprise to land on.. both of which are .bgl's so I doubt very much they's be of any use as AI. Compiling and decompiling isn't my bag mate so what's inside the .bgl's is, and will remain a mystery
Anyway.. back on topic I've confirmed that the Ark's APP lights are only operational if you begin your flight onboard the carrier (deck lights too for that matter) which isn't very helpful to the joining squadrons but is something I'll have to put up with.
Off Topic. I agree that an .mdl version would be rather jolly for AI use in FSX though
Dave I think it is a Fs thing much like the water at deck level if you fly to it from somewhere else or fly out of a 30 mile or so radius and fly back, seems Fs does'nt refresh the scenery properley at least thats what I have found.
I can take off from Ark and do approaches all day with no prob but fly outside the circle and return then the decks are almost awash, not much help I know.
I have Ark in Manila bay and have only moved the tail lights so far the horizontal line of greens and the vertical reds, there are a lot of lights to move, around 80 I think.
Tks for that Fortunately, I've not had the 'decks awash' problem on the release version though it did occur on one of the beta's. I know of at least one user who had it from the word go and never resolved the issue.. even though I sent him the exact file structure I have here :sad:
Much of it is as you say, down to FS not refreshing as it should and to complicate things further.. no two systems are alike so it's all too easy to fall into a spiral of the unknown :shock: Fortunately, the lights issue is the only prob I have with it so I'm glad of that Reading the readme (cunningly disguised as the .idz file), it states that the 'OF' folder should always be at the top of the scenery listing.. something I'd quite forgotten. Dunno if this would help bring the lights back but I'll try it and see what pop's out
I can't remember how exactly, but it is possible to return to the ship and get the lights to turn on. It may be something like going to the map and then exiting back to the sim world to force a refresh of the texture maps etc. or reselecting the aircraft as the one you're already flying. I only actually noticed it myself a week or two before it was released as all the testing was done from the deck.
Rich if you can wait a couple of months until I'm back in the UK I can e-mail you the spreadsheet I used to generate all the fx co-ordinates.
At the moment it wouldn't be possible to generate an .mdl file from the source model as I had to split it into four subparts to get around some issues I was having with the size of the model and the export/import process. It is something I could look at in the future with the FSX tools, but at the moment they seem more tempremental than the method I was using!
Oh and Rich, I'm working on the Wyvern flight data, but I'm waiting on the code so I can open up the flight manual pdf on my laptop!!
I'd tried flying to Ark, landing on then selecting a new airport (the Ark area I was on) but that didn't work. It's not much of a pain really and is a zillion times better than having no Ark at all
DaveB, no I never did upload the Manila setup as I have'nt moved all the lights yet and I never got a reply from Mr Swallow re using his Ark V and frigate, the fleet has since expanded by 1, a model of a Spanish navy Fearless type though the funnels are a bit short with the white ensign and Fearless pennant number it does'nt look to bad.
Currently in Manila bay are Ark's 4 and 5, Hermes, 5 frigates and now the bogus Fearless which still needs a AFCAD, the default Ms scenery for tthat area is very basic it needs add on Manila International and the mesh for the Philippines.
Skippy, thanks for the lights offer it will probably be a while before I get back to the lights as Ark is busy on deck landing trials here also, will email you re Wyvern.
