FSX Wingtip Vortices

[PeteH]

As anyone with FSX knows these are set by default by the sim.

I don't like them. They look unrealistic to me and they often seem to appear under circumstances when you would not expect them. So, can they be turned off? I have tried deleting fx_wingtipvortice_r(and l).fx but it seems to make no difference.

Any help would be appreciated as they are driving me crazy!

Thanks

Pete

[Jetstreamsky]

unfortunately these are hard coded as part of FSX and located by the wingspan dimensions

[Chris Sykes]

There is a way of getting rid of these, IRIS F-14 uses this techniqe and works brilliently... Just cant say what it is as im at work with no access to the files.

[DanKH]

Nope they're not.

in the effects section of your specific Aircraft.cfg write the following:

(contrails off the wingtip, usually from a jet such as the F18). ex: l_wingtipvortice=False

[effects]
l_wingtipvortice=False
r_wingtipvortice=False

A few others that might be of interest could be:

vaportrail_l= True/False
vaportrail_r=True/False

contrail=True/False

SkidPavement=True/False


These Parameters could also be turned off by assigning them the value fx_dummy:

vaporttrail_l=fx_dummy

here is from the SDK:

The effects section of the file refers to the visual effects that result from various systems or reactions of the aircraft. An effect file associated with a keyword in this section will be used when the corresponding action is triggered. If no entry is made a default effect file will be used. The table below outlines the aircraft effects currently supported, though of course not all effects are supported on all aircraft.
Each entry can be followed by a 1 if the effect is to be run for a single iteration. Set this number to zero or leave blank (the default), for the effect to continue as long as the respective action is active.
Make an entry in the configuration file to replace any of these effects with a new one. Or to turn off the effect add an entry that references the fx_dummy effect (which does nothing).

This is the parameter list (modified due to text formatting)

• wake
  water
  waterspeed
  dirt
  concrete
  touchdown
  contrail
  startup
  landrotorwash
  waterrotorwash
  vaportrail_l
  vaportrail_r
  l_wingtipvortice
  r_wingtipvortice
  fueldump
  EngineFire
  EngineDamage
  EngineOilLeak
  SkidPavement
  SnowSkiTrack
  WheelSnowSpray
  WheelWetSpray
  WetEngineWash
  SnowEngineWash
  WaterBallastDrain
  PistonFailure
  windshield_rain_effect_available (Special case, set this to 0 to turn off the effect of rain on the windshield).

[PeteH]

Thanks for the replies.

Dan, that did the trick. No more annoying trails from the wingtips. I'd sooner do without them completely than get them at the wrong time!

BTW it was vaportrails and not wingtipvortice that needed disabling. Obviously I need to brush up on my terminology.

Thanks again.

Pete

[DaveG]

Nice one Dan

Learn something new every day

[Jetstreamsky]

Cool, learnt something new.

[airboatr]

Dan , you da man


Pete , since you turned off the vaportrails and not wingtipvortice you still get some effects that are realistic?
....somewhat realistic i mean.

[PeteH]

I'm not sure I have ever seen wingtip vortices. Are they the curly trails?

I've tried to get them to appear but with no success. Under what conditions do they appear?

Anyway, as I don't get them I have no need to turn them off

Pete

[SkippyBing]

They seem to come on at around 2 - 2.5g, or if you're pulling a lot of alpha.