Idea Second light source

[paradineai]

i think i know how to fix the second star light source but im not sure how to do it. i think that if you use the locale light source module and make a REALLY BIG flood light (scifi of course) but make it so it is a config (so that we can adjust how bright it is and maybe even the color of light that it puts out) and put it inside a mesh that looks like a planet and have that as a vessel and have it orbit something else (like a very small fake star that is like a dot compared to the vessel) then you can have other planets orbit the fake star like moons. if anyone can do this as a quick thing please let me know also the light has to go in all directions at the same time and has to reach from neptune to jupiter and have half the light that the sun does at that point
:sos:
:stirpot:
lease:
:feedback:

 

[Loru]

ypu can experiment with "spotlight" add-on by brianJ

 

[paradineai]

i thought about that but its so small and i have to reload it every time even if i quick save (i think there may be a bug in my install or on my junk pc)

 

[Loru]

well - it's rather easy to to create simple vessel with proper spotlight but there is one limitation - local lightsources AFAIK affect only meshes (base elements and vessels) not planets

 

[paradineai]

is there a way to get the planets to sort of "glow" (even slightly) when hit by the light

 

[garyw]

Simple answer = No.

Longer answer = Not without a rewrite of the orbiter core. Quite simply, orbiter wasn't designed to have more than a single point of light. The fact that the spotlights work is testament to Martins coding skills and desire to improve Orbiter. However, Adding a second sun isn't possible.

You could make a mesh that 'pretends' to be a star. You could then shine a spotlight out of it. You could then make a planet mesh but you'd probably need a DLL to make it orbit the pretend star. All of the navigation MFD's would have problems because they expect planets to be planets and not supersize meshes.

Chances are that orbiter would then crash at the size of the meshes. In short, it's a lot of work for little gain.

 

[paradineai]

so for now only the items that have a mesh will show the light hitting them but what about making the "fake" star and having the light shine out of it (even if it dont light up the planets for now

i dont do much (if any) programing but im learning more as i go

 

[Loru]

Assuming light can shine on interplanetary distances (you'll need enormous intensity to make it work) you'll still for example end up with vessels and meshes lit up through planet as I don't think spotlight (local ligtsource) interacts in any way with surface of planets.

 

[paradineai]

i would be happy o test if anyone can build

 

[jedidia]

Longer answer = Not without a rewrite of the orbiter core.

I wouldn't say so. I don't know the architecture well enough, but enabling multiple global sources would certainly not require a rewrite. More of a tweak, I should expect. Depending on how things are handled, it should even be possible to do client side...

 

[paradineai]

can you try it and send to me so i can test

 

[Glider]

If you will try to add a star/planet light source as local light source they will shine (if local light source with this kind of range will work in DX7 engine at all) through any planet because planetary shadow works only for Sun. Also, if I remember it correctly, lighting of planets in default DX7 engine doesn't work with local light sources so this star won't change looks of any planet, only vessels.
It is possible to add with another graphics engine, like D3D9 for example, where u can add another light source, including global one, but this will require many changes of client's code.