Night Lighting (FSX + SketchUp + ADE + ModelConverterX)

Hello; I need help with making night lighting for custom, non-stock FSX airports. The programs I use are in the description and I would prefer NOT to have any more, but if I needed to get one I might be willing. The simplest form I can put it in is: Using these programs, can I easily make night lighting that shows up in FSX? Any help is appreciated and thank you in advance.

What kind of lighting are you asking for?

 

ADE can add all of the default airport lighting.

 

It can also add scenery objects such as light poles etc.

 

You can make custom models in SketchUp and convert them in MCX for use in the sim.

 

peace,

the Bean

Sounds like you are looking for night textures for structures. I've done a lot of buildings using sketchup and the above, but to create a good night texture you need a good editing program. I use Photoshop. I was just trying to see if the Paint program would work (comes with Windows). Maybe, but I couldn't get anything good out of it. Others may. I haven't read all the recent Sketchup tutorials on FlightSim.com, but they may address your issue.

That said, and assuming you are familiar with using the above programs you've named, to create a night texture, use an editing program to get the day texture adjusted for nights. I usually lighten and color the windows, darken the walls, etc. If the day texture already has a night texture (like the default building textures), you don't need to do this. In Sketchup, place the day texture just like you want it on the model. The night texture should be the same size as the day texture and just what you want to appear at night. After exporting the .skp file (model) to Collada form, import the Collada into MCX. Place your night texture into the texture folder created by the Collada during export. Use the MCX texture converter tool to convert the jpg file of your original texture to a .dds file for FSX. Don't forget all textures have to be a power of 2 (2x2 pixels, 4x4, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64 etc). Your editing program should be able to do this for you with its image sizing tool. MCX can do it for you using the resize button on the texture converter tool, but they won't look the same on the final model. Label the night texture identical to the day texture with the suffix _LM (e.g. day texture is NafCon1.dds/ night texture would be NafCon1_LM.dds). When matching the .dds textures to the model in the Material Editor of MCX, note that a couple of spaces down it has a line for nightmap texture. Click in the blank space and navigate to your _LM file and attach it. When you export your model, it will be ready to display the night texture at the appropriate time.

@StringBean: I'm looking for basic window lighting so that it looks like people are in the building (too literal? Lol); just note that I don't have any interior zones on my object, the windows are just pictures. Can ADE import specific light entities that FSX uses?

Great, I'll try this out! I have a good program for editing textures, because its defaults are ALWAYS power of 2, and it works with widespread pixeling or whatever (I'm rambling now). Also one more thing: I made a model with SketchUp, put it in ADE in an airport, compiled and installed it into FSX, but it didn't show. My settings in FSX for buildings is (I THINK) "sparse" or "very sparse". I think its because I set the model to show at "Normal" in ADE. Could that be it? Or maybe some other problem?

Re the object not showing up - it may be that you haven't got the object's textures included with the scenery that FSX is loading for your airport

 

 

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