Re: FSDS-how to use Beacon variable at dusk/night/dawn?

[cloudandy]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

Paul

Airport has a macro, called "Radar1.api" or so, where an antenna is
rotating. For rotation the variable 282 is used, and here you can see
how this is implemented. 282 is incremented in a strange bitwise scheme,
somehow like 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 ... 32767 steps, so you
can get max 16 steps in ~6 seconds.
Now, instead of the rotation labels of the antenna, you can as well
implement the lightup or dark commands for the beacon light phases.

Andreas

[leatzaw]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

Paul

Airport has a macro, called "Radar1.api" or so, where an antenna is
rotating. For rotation the variable 282 is used, and here you can see
how this is implemented. 282 is incremented in a strange bitwise scheme,
somehow like 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 ... 32767 steps, so you
can get max 16 steps in ~6 seconds.
Now, instead of the rotation labels of the antenna, you can as well
implement the lightup or dark commands for the beacon light phases.

Andreas

Thanks Andreas,

Sorry my question was not clear.

How do I show the Beacon command only at Dusk/Night and Dawn?

Thanks
Paul

[martinwright]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4

[leatzaw]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing
Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to
use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul

[cloudandy]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

Paul

Airport has a macro, called "Radar1.api" or so, where an antenna is
rotating. For rotation the variable 282 is used, and here you can see
how this is implemented. 282 is incremented in a strange bitwise scheme,
somehow like 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 ... 32767 steps, so you
can get max 16 steps in ~6 seconds.
Now, instead of the rotation labels of the antenna, you can as well
implement the lightup or dark commands for the beacon light phases.

Andreas

Thanks Andreas,

Sorry my question was not clear.

How do I show the Beacon command only at Dusk/Night and Dawn?

Thanks
Paul

Paul

With FSDS, select in the part properties:
display when var [28C]

Between V1 and V2

v1 [2] V2 [4]


or, in scasm you can handcode that with

IfVarRange{ :daylabel 28C 2 4 )
:darklabel
; here commands for the light beacon
Jump( :skipbeacon )

:daylabel
;here commands without beacon light

:skipbeacon

;and so on

That´s it.

Andreas

[cloudandy]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing


Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to


use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul

Paul

That makes it different, of course. But it should be possible to handle
it with normal scasm fiddling.

In FSDS, generate two parts: one part with the lighted Kodak logo and one
part with the dark logo.

Now, in my scasm text from my last message, you must call a label
e.g. "lightbeacon" or something like that. That´s the label containing
another decoding sequence where the variable 282 is used for switching
between the two bright and dark Kodak logo labels.

This 282-decoder can look like this:

:lightbeacon

IfVarRange( :step1 282 0 2 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step1
IfVarRange( :step2 282 2 4 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step2
IfVarRange( :step3 282 4 8 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step3
IfVarRange( :step4 282 8 16 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step4
IfVarRange( :step5 282 16 32 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

etc. and so on

...

:step16
IfVarRange( :step17 282 16384 32767 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step17
Return


Now you must define the :darklogo and :brightlogo labels which are actually
your two FSDS-parts containing the dark and bright phases.
You are now switching like a flip-flop between dark and bright, according
to the variable 282 which runs between 0 and 32767 in 6 seconds.

Good luck

Andreas

[leatzaw]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing




Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to




use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul

Paul

That makes it different, of course. But it should be possible to handle
it with normal scasm fiddling.

In FSDS, generate two parts: one part with the lighted Kodak logo and one
part with the dark logo.

Now, in my scasm text from my last message, you must call a label
e.g. "lightbeacon" or something like that. That´s the label containing
another decoding sequence where the variable 282 is used for switching
between the two bright and dark Kodak logo labels.

This 282-decoder can look like this:

:lightbeacon

IfVarRange( :step1 282 0 2 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step1
IfVarRange( :step2 282 2 4 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step2
IfVarRange( :step3 282 4 8 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step3
IfVarRange( :step4 282 8 16 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step4
IfVarRange( :step5 282 16 32 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

etc. and so on

...

:step16
IfVarRange( :step17 282 16384 32767 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step17
Return


Now you must define the :darklogo and :brightlogo labels which are actually
your two FSDS-parts containing the dark and bright phases.
You are now switching like a flip-flop between dark and bright, according
to the variable 282 which runs between 0 and 32767 in 6 seconds.

Good luck

Andreas


Thanks for trying Andreas,

[martinwright]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing


Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to


use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul




Paul

SDL macros are just raw bgl (ie compiled scasm) code so it should be possible
to create one that would do all you need though you may have to create it with
scasm externally then cut and paste from a Hex editor to create the sdl file.

I never use FSDS for creating bgls. I always use it to create sca and then edit
where necessary or better yet create api and then use a "proper" scenery
program to place the object. Also creating as api means you can reuse the
object as many times as you want in Airport/FSSC/ASD.

FSDS isn`t a scenery design program really. It`s a Scenery Object design
program (and very good it is too....)

[leatzaw]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing




Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to




use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul




Paul

SDL macros are just raw bgl (ie compiled scasm) code so it should be possible
to create one that would do all you need though you may have to create it with
scasm externally then cut and paste from a Hex editor to create the sdl file.

I never use FSDS for creating bgls. I always use it to create sca and then edit


where necessary or better yet create api and then use a "proper" scenery
program to place the object. Also creating as api means you can reuse the
object as many times as you want in Airport/FSSC/ASD.



............

FSDS isn`t a scenery design program really. It`s a Scenery Object design
program (and very good it is too....)


Yes I agree, its just the objects that are using transparent textures and
transparent "dummy" polygons so that they show up at dusk/dawn OK. these
objects just dont seem to come out right unless I compile right from FSDS.

If I could produce a scasm code for these from FSDS that worked, I would be
free and clear, and if it weren't for the Transparent/dumy polygon things I
know it would be fine. maybe I amusing he wrong version of scasm for this, I
believe I used 2.50 but maybe I should try an earlier version.

thanks again for all the help.

Paul

[cloudandy]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing






Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to






use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul

Paul

That makes it different, of course. But it should be possible to handle
it with normal scasm fiddling.

In FSDS, generate two parts: one part with the lighted Kodak logo and one
part with the dark logo.

Now, in my scasm text from my last message, you must call a label
e.g. "lightbeacon" or something like that. That´s the label containing
another decoding sequence where the variable 282 is used for switching
between the two bright and dark Kodak logo labels.

This 282-decoder can look like this:

:lightbeacon

IfVarRange( :step1 282 0 2 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step1
IfVarRange( :step2 282 2 4 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step2
IfVarRange( :step3 282 4 8 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step3
IfVarRange( :step4 282 8 16 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step4
IfVarRange( :step5 282 16 32 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

etc. and so on

...

:step16
IfVarRange( :step17 282 16384 32767 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step17
Return


Now you must define the :darklogo and :brightlogo labels which are actually
your two FSDS-parts containing the dark and bright phases.
You are now switching like a flip-flop between dark and bright, according
to the variable 282 which runs between 0 and 32767 in 6 seconds.

Good luck

Andreas


Thanks for trying Andreas,

From all the replies I can tell I have done a very poor job of communicating
the problem.

The Kodak logo? LOL, that works just fine, Its all these radio transmission
towers that I'm working on.
I guess I am gonna get as close as I can get using the SDL editor, in the
editor you just combine a timer with the time of day command 28C 6 and use that


in FSDS with a "Light.Beacon" labeled part.

I really wanted use of the normal Beacon on and off with a Dusk/dawn/night
switch but the normal beacon on/off is not available to the SDL editor.

As I mention before, when FSDS writes a scasm code that includes the dummy
polygons for transparent texture display at Dusk/dawn, it just doesn't compile
right, so I have to Compile right from with-in FSDS, then all's fine. SO I cant


really go in and modify scasm code, it all needs to be done in FSDS.

I hope the next version allows us to the option of compound variables
like:
282 -3256 and 28C 6

Hope someone is "listening".

Thanks again
Paul

Hello Paul

I am persisting to pretend that all that could be handcoded.
When you create dummy polygons, take care that you include them into the
same part as the transparent texture polygon, with same points used. If so,
I can´t imagine that FSDS won´t generate the proper sca macro.

I am persisting to pretend that your beacon switch be handcoded.
Perhaps by an IfVarRange2 switch?

Andreas

[rundio]

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

Can you be more specific? I'm not aware of SCASM generation problems,
but it's possible you have found an obscure bug. Have you examined the
SCASM and verified it isn't generating code for the transparent poly?

Do you have the 'uses transparent texture' box checked in part/properties?




I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to




use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

I'm pretty sure SDL Edit will do exactly what you want. I think you
can control the parameters to exactly mimic the beacon on/off preset
in FSDS if that gives the timing you want.

[rundio]

SDL macros are just raw bgl (ie compiled scasm) code so it should be possible
to create one that would do all you need though you may have to create it with
scasm externally then cut and paste from a Hex editor to create the sdl file.

Designers comfortable with SCASM should get 'SDL Maker' at:
ftp://ftp.visi.com/users/rundio/FSDS/SDLmaker.zip

It lets you enter scasm code, compiles it for you (using SCASM) and
strips the sdl macro from the resulting bgl file. It's not fancy, and
isn't nearly as easy to use as SDL Edit, but it'll let you do whatever
you want.


I never use FSDS for creating bgls. I always use it to create sca and then edit


where necessary or better yet create api and then use a "proper" scenery
program to place the object. Also creating as api means you can reuse the
object as many times as you want in Airport/FSSC/ASD.

FSDS isn`t a scenery design program really. It`s a Scenery Object design
program (and very good it is too....)

Thanks for the kind words :) This is exactly how FSDS was intended to
be used. The BGL file output is really there as a quick and dirty way to
create something to test in FS. Some features, such as RefPoint3, are not
supported in BGL output.

[leatzaw]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing








Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to








use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul

Paul

That makes it different, of course. But it should be possible to handle
it with normal scasm fiddling.

In FSDS, generate two parts: one part with the lighted Kodak logo and one
part with the dark logo.

Now, in my scasm text from my last message, you must call a label
e.g. "lightbeacon" or something like that. That´s the label containing
another decoding sequence where the variable 282 is used for switching
between the two bright and dark Kodak logo labels.

This 282-decoder can look like this:

:lightbeacon

IfVarRange( :step1 282 0 2 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step1
IfVarRange( :step2 282 2 4 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step2
IfVarRange( :step3 282 4 8 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step3
IfVarRange( :step4 282 8 16 )
Call( :brightlogo )
Return

:step4
IfVarRange( :step5 282 16 32 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

etc. and so on

...

:step16
IfVarRange( :step17 282 16384 32767 )
Call( :darklogo )
Return

:step17
Return


Now you must define the :darklogo and :brightlogo labels which are actually
your two FSDS-parts containing the dark and bright phases.
You are now switching like a flip-flop between dark and bright, according
to the variable 282 which runs between 0 and 32767 in 6 seconds.

Good luck

Andreas


Thanks for trying Andreas,

From all the replies I can tell I have done a very poor job of communicating
the problem.

The Kodak logo? LOL, that works just fine, Its all these radio transmission
towers that I'm working on.
I guess I am gonna get as close as I can get using the SDL editor, in the
editor you just combine a timer with the time of day command 28C 6 and use that




in FSDS with a "Light.Beacon" labeled part.

I really wanted use of the normal Beacon on and off with a Dusk/dawn/night
switch but the normal beacon on/off is not available to the SDL editor.

As I mention before, when FSDS writes a scasm code that includes the dummy
polygons for transparent texture display at Dusk/dawn, it just doesn't compile
right, so I have to Compile right from with-in FSDS, then all's fine. SO I cant




really go in and modify scasm code, it all needs to be done in FSDS.

I hope the next version allows us to the option of compound variables
like:
282 -3256 and 28C 6

Hope someone is "listening".

Thanks again
Paul

Hello Paul

I am persisting to pretend that all that could be handcoded.
When you create dummy polygons, take care that you include them into the
same part as the transparent texture polygon, with same points used. If so,
I can´t imagine that FSDS won´t generate the proper sca macro.

I am persisting to pretend that your beacon switch be handcoded.
Perhaps by an IfVarRange2 switch?

Andreas


Thanks for the persistance!

I did "join" and "snap to scale" the dumy to the transparent part and it has
worked perfectly for all these type of objects at all times of day as my pic
post showed.
But it just would not work when I tried to compile from the scasm code and that
was with no alteration other than a change of the bmp name. I will revisit this
again latter as I will need start adding other conditions such as scenery
density settings etc.

Paul

[leatzaw]

Louis,


Can you be more specific? I'm not aware of SCASM generation problems,
but it's possible you have found an obscure bug. Have you examined the
SCASM and verified it isn't generating code for the transparent poly?

Do you have the 'uses transparent texture' box checked in part/properties?


I was careful to enter a certain build order for the correct display of my
transparency parts, as I had 5 levels of transparency> 2 double sided boxes and
a logo, I did not check the "uses Tran...) box as I thought this might mess
with my drawing/build order.
use of the check box did not originaly help me get this object to display all
its part properly as compared to the Build/drawing order probably because of
all the levels. it could be though that my good results were because of a
solution (Dumy polygons)to the Transparent duck/dawn problem.

To help resolve this I will go back and check the "uses trans..) box for the
radio towers and try to compile a scasm code as they use the "dumy" polys as
well.
and I will get back to you on this.






I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to






use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

I'm pretty sure SDL Edit will do exactly what you want. I think you
can control the parameters to exactly mimic the beacon on/off preset
in FSDS if that gives the timing you want.


Thanks Louis,

Paul

[martinwright]

I am using FSDS to make a few radio towers for FS2k and I only want the Beacon
light to show up at dusk/night/dawn and I still ned controle over the Beacon
using Sdl or the default FSDS beacon command, I have looked over the all the
docs in FSDS and SDL edit, I dont se away to do this.

Is this not possible to do?

Thanks
Paul

You just need to call the real Beacon section from code that tests the Time
OfDay variable first

IfVarRange( :out 28C 2 4 )
Call( :Beacon )
:out
return

You may be able to do this in FSDS by setting the Beacon part only to display
when 28C is between 2 and 4


Thanks Martin,

I know that the code for dusk/night/dawn is 28C 6 :) but I need to make this a
Flashing beacon.

The problem is that in FSDS to generate a project such as a radio tower that
has trasparent textures and to fix the display of them at Dusk/dawn, you have
to use "dumy" transparent polygons and when I do the result works if I compile
(make bgl) from with in FSDS, If I produce a scasm code that I could add the
variable to the flashing beacon , the scasm never will compile the right way
with the dumy polygons, All of that seems to be wiped out.

So I am just frustrated that there seems to be no way to add a regular Flashing






Beacon and give it special display (dusk/dawn etc.)instructions with-in FSDS.

I have figured out how to wright an SDL that will do the trick, but it seems to






use its own timer, it doesn't use the regular beacon on/off commands. so I
guess I am stuck with that.

Thanks

Paul




Paul

SDL macros are just raw bgl (ie compiled scasm) code so it should be possible
to create one that would do all you need though you may have to create it with
scasm externally then cut and paste from a Hex editor to create the sdl file.

I never use FSDS for creating bgls. I always use it to create sca and then edit




where necessary or better yet create api and then use a "proper" scenery
program to place the object. Also creating as api means you can reuse the
object as many times as you want in Airport/FSSC/ASD.



............

FSDS isn`t a scenery design program really. It`s a Scenery Object design
program (and very good it is too....)


Yes I agree, its just the objects that are using transparent textures and
transparent "dummy" polygons so that they show up at dusk/dawn OK. these
objects just dont seem to come out right unless I compile right from FSDS.

If I could produce a scasm code for these from FSDS that worked, I would be
free and clear, and if it weren't for the Transparent/dumy polygon things I
know it would be fine. maybe I amusing he wrong version of scasm for this, I
believe I used 2.50 but maybe I should try an earlier version.

thanks again for all the help.

Paul




I may be wrong but I have always assumed that FSDS uses the "Abacus" scasm that
they bought the rights to for ASD. This is pretty old (explaining why all the
newer commands are coded as Dwx() lines in FSDS output)

In theory any version should compile the same but I know from experience that
this isn`t always the case....

[martinwright]

Designers comfortable with SCASM should get 'SDL Maker' at:
ftp://ftp.visi.com/users/rundio/FSDS/SDLmaker.zip

It lets you enter scasm code, compiles it for you (using SCASM) and
strips the sdl macro from the resulting bgl file. It's not fancy, and
isn't nearly as easy to use as SDL Edit, but it'll let you do whatever
you want.

Thanks for the kind words :) This is exactly how FSDS was intended to
be used. The BGL file output is really there as a quick and dirty way to
create something to test in FS. Some features, such as RefPoint3, are not
supported in BGL output.


Louis
Just like to take the opportunity here to say that, though primarily an
Aircraft Design Program, FSDS is the best program I have ever used for creating
scenery Objects. The 3D display makes it so easy to get exactly the result you
want. Money well spent (especially as I got the Standard version on special for
£12 ;^)

[rundio]

I may be wrong but I have always assumed that FSDS uses the "Abacus" scasm that


they bought the rights to for ASD. This is pretty old (explaining why all the
newer commands are coded as Dwx() lines in FSDS output)

In theory any version should compile the same but I know from experience that
this isn`t always the case....

FSDS doesn't ship with SCASM at all, but I made sure FSDS code would
compile with the version that ships with ASD. I made that decision
because there are no commercial restrictions on the use of that version.

I have heard of behavior changes in newer versions of SCASM, so it is
possible that is a factor. FSDS was tested with SCASM version 2.39 quite
a bit, but not beyond that. Version 2 will probably support the BGLC
commands.

[rundio]

Just like to take the opportunity here to say that, though primarily an
Aircraft Design Program, FSDS is the best program I have ever used for creating


scenery Objects. The 3D display makes it so easy to get exactly the result you
want. Money well spent (especially as I got the Standard version on special for


£12 ;^)

I'm glad you like it :) Why do you say 'primarily on Aircraft Design
Program'? Actually, it was going to be strictly a scenery design program
at first. When I found out how MDLs draw stuff the same way as scenery,
I added the aircraft capabilities.