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"How to put lights in the .eng file"

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msavianney (79 posts)
Mar-19-02, 05:34 PM (EDT) "How to put lights in the .eng file" Hello all,Can anyone help with a bit of a rundown on putting lights in the .eng file? I created a TSM ver 1.1 eng file for my Milwaukee interurban and it came without the light details. I tried to cut and pase a test set from another .eng flie but I got the error message that it couldn't read line 72 of the file, which is where I pasted it. I take it that I've done something wrong and am not taking into account the brackets, etc. Any suggestions from those witm more experience (i.e. anyone!) Thanks alot,Matt Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
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Subject Author Message Date ID RE: How to put lights in the .eng f... Trevithick Mar-19-02 1 RE: How to put lights in the .eng f... maintainer May-01-02 6 RE: How to put lights in the .eng f... harveype Mar-20-02 2 RE: How to put lights in the .eng f... CMO Mar-21-02 3 RE: How to put lights in the .eng f... CPR_Malice_96th Mar-21-02 4 RE: How to put lights in the .eng f... ajp31 Mar-24-02 5

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Trevithick (47 posts)
Mar-19-02, 06:30 PM (EDT) 1. "RE: How to put lights in the .eng file" Not an easy job to do, indeed!
A few hints:
1. take your original CD 1 of MSTS and read the file
How_To_Specify_Lights.doc
in the techdocs.2. what this doc-file does not tell: The lighting systen is an own block in the "wagon" section of the .eng-file, that begins with
Lights (x
were x is the number of lights. Just a little hint to get the right number: most modellers begin each light with a little comment as an example: light(
comment(Spere of light dimmed)
Type ( 1 )
...Give each light an increasing number (in the example light(
comment(1: Spere of light dimmed)
Type ( 1 )Doing this, you will not have problems with the number of lights.3. In the block for the single light the number of opening parenthesis must be equal the number of closing parenthesis.4. You opened the lighting system block with the statement

Lights (x
(remember: x stands for the number of lights) and opened herewith a parenthesis for the lighting block, so you have to close the block with a parethesis.5. Not a must: The first two lights should be the speres for bright and dimmed light. Bright light should be white (cool), that means, red and green should have equal values, blue should be very near the values of red and green. Dimmed light usually is a little bit warmer (the helical thread in the bulb is a little bit cooler, if they do not use a separate bulb), so you can set the value for blue (and green) a little bit lower. Kuju sets only a spere for bright light, so you have a problem, driving with dimmed light through stations. Do not try to set a spere of light for the marker lights on the rear side, in this case your front spere will not work (one of the many bugs in the sim).
If you have Xenon lamps, you can set the value for blue higher than for red and green (very cold light).6. Don't copy the light section of another locomotive, that has not exact the equal 3d-shape and size. If the lights are inside the carbody, you will not find them. If you did not construct the 3d model, begin with one light and position it by try and error. Look then for symmetries. For symmetric lights you have only to change the sign befor the value of the x-axis.This should be enough for lection one.A fair offer: If you have severe problems with the lighting system, send me your model (all files of the engine) and I will do the lighting job for you. The price: a few words in the readme file, that fondle my ego.Drive on without scrap and ticketsYoursTrevithick
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maintainer (7 posts)
May-01-02, 02:19 PM (EDT) 6. "RE: How to put lights in the .eng file" Trevithick:
Your message here, in response to a search, was really helpful to me. I've been wanting to create an occassional spark effect where a pantagraph contacts the running wire. Using the NALW NJT GG1, I was able to get a reasonable looking spark by trial and error. If interested, e-mail me at <criketnj@mindspring.com> and I will send you a copy of the "eng" file addition I used. I've now got the timing set to one minute now (totally unrealistic, but gotta see the thing while debugging- had it at 1 sec at first!). I can see there are ways to vary the cycles by increasing the states, maybe even bring weather in as a variable. There's really lots to do with this. To keep from having it spark while standing still, I trigger the cycle with headlight on full. If I stop, I dim the light, which is usually OK (realistic).
I was also able to make a fairly good cone effect, but had no luck getting a 360 dispersion. Also, like you mentioned, this kills the headlight cone, so I just deleted the thing. It's too bad that bug is there. It syncs real well with the glow (point)of the spark.
Again, thanks for the insight, and let me know if you have any suggestions for improving what I did.'maintainer' Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
harveype (98 posts)
Mar-20-02, 05:17 PM (EDT) 2. "RE: How to put lights in the .eng file" You have missed a brace, did you cut and paste it to about the same area also that you took it from.Peter Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
CMO (96 posts)
Mar-21-02, 01:01 AM (EDT) 3. "RE: How to put lights in the .eng file" You might study the .eng file in this locomotive, as Chuck Hebert has 24 different lights on this SD40: rgsd40eg.zip, 9/4/01
This includes step lights and inspection lights. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
CPR_Malice_96th (733 posts)
Mar-21-02, 10:53 PM (EDT) 4. "RE: How to put lights in the .eng file" I have spent a GREAT deal of time working with lights on MSTS.If you do not find your problem let me know I will be more than happy to give you a hand with itTim Kent

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ajp31 (25 posts)
Mar-24-02, 05:05 PM (EDT) 5. "RE: How to put lights in the .eng file" Question for Tim (or anybody else who might know):Is it possible to define a "sphere of light" for AI trains? So that, in addition to the lights being on the AI loco, they actually light up the world like player-controlled lights do? I've tried every .eng file edit I can think of, after consulting the Tech doc about lights, and looking at others' .eng files (such as the NALW F40PH), but I haven't had any success.Thanks!
Andy Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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