FS9 KBUF and UT USA 3D Lights

[kiwiflyer]

I am loving this scenery - it is absolutely amazing. But I just tried my first look around at night and did notice one problem. Is there any way to exclude the Ultimate Terrain 3D lights from the airport area? They are showing up on the roads that you've modelled around the airport, which spoils the great lighting effects you've already built in. But there are also some of them within the airport area, including some of the hard stands and parking lots. It's not a huge deal, but it does detract from the otherwise astonishingly realistic night lighting along with the awesome day scenery.
The UT lights always look good at a distance for general urban scenery, but up close in a scenery like this they just float in the air and look pretty hokey.
Thanks so much for an absolutely outstanding product

[george[flytampa]]

i don't know to be honest not used it for years. will think about it.

[kiwiflyer]

Hi George
I don't know if you designers have an underground connection with each other but Holger Sandmann has an option in his freeware Glacier Bay 2 scenery setup whereby you can disable the UT lights so they don't clash with his lights. Maybe he could point you in the direction of how to do it without it being a huge hassle. I have always found him amazingly helpful and willing.

I would say this isn't really much of an issue, but the UT lights really do enhance the surrouding default urban scenery while at the same time significanlty interfering with the wonderfully subtle lighting you have for the airport and surround areas. If it could be solved it would be great and have the best of both but if not I guess I will just disable the UT lights when flying into KBUF.
I don't want to sound like I am buttering you up (well, maybe I am a little) but the night lighting for this product really seems groundbreaking to me. Up to now I thought the FlyTampa KMDW product was the benchmark of the realistic and subtle play of light and shade at night, but KBUF is absolutely astonishing! There is almost a 3D quality to it when flying low and slow in a chopper at night. WELL DONE!

[kiwiflyer]

Hi George
I don't know if you read my post suggesting that Holger Sandmann might have a fix for the UT lights? I am truly not trying to be a PITA - but if there is an easy fix it would be nice to be able to continue using UT USA without having to turn off the 3D lights so KBUF is displayed the way you created it to be. You have given us an amazing, fantastic product and I totally love it. If the issue of the 3D lights can't be solved, I'm okay with it. But if it can, it's just another little touch that puts this scenery in a class of its own. (And also may provide a way to avoid the problem with future sceneries)

[george[flytampa]]

Hi George
I don't know if you read my post suggesting that Holger Sandmann might have a fix for the UT lights? I am truly not trying to be a PITA - but if there is an easy fix it would be nice to be able to continue using UT USA without having to turn off the 3D lights so KBUF is displayed the way you created it to be. You have given us an amazing, fantastic product and I totally love it. If the issue of the 3D lights can't be solved, I'm okay with it. But if it can, it's just another little touch that puts this scenery in a class of its own. (And also may provide a way to avoid the problem with future sceneries)

I did google it but came up with nothing. I don't know of Holger so I can't really ask him. I don't even have UT to test anyway. I think i have the Fs9 version now I think about it.
He's one of those highly technical guys anyway, I'm probably too dumb to understand how he did it.

[george[flytampa]]

Okay I lied about having UT FS9. I must of deleted the installer.
Anyway, I tried a quick custom exclude file. This sucker will kill beacons & effects within a large area around buffalo. It won't effect any of the flyBuffalo effects or beacons.

Let me know if it it kills those UT lights.

Just unzip & copy the bgl file to your flytampa buffalo\scenery folder.

[kiwiflyer]

Hi George
Sorry my friend - no cigar. I tried the exc file and it didn't work.

I will see if I can contact Holger and if he has a fix or useable info, I'll forward it on to you. If not, I will just turn off UT 3D lights when I'm flying to/from KBUF. Thanks for giving it a try - I appreciate the effort

[kiwiflyer]

Hi George
I got a reply back from Holger. The good news is that it can be fixed. That bad news is that it might be time consuming. If you decide you want to give it a go, I am more than happy to volunteer time in going through the files.
Here is the text of his email:

Hello Ian,

indeed it's impossible to exclude Allen's night light files so all I
did was have the configurator deactivate the UT light files for the
Glacier Bay coverage area by moving them into a cache folder
(renaming in situ to .OFF or something similar would work too). So
it's a matter of finding the correct LA9*, LB9*, LM9* files in the
\Scenery\UTUSA\SCENERY folder. I looked up KBUF and it's in the FS9
grid cell 27x16 so you're looking for files like LA92716... ,
LB92716... etc. Actually just west of the airport is the boundary to
cell 26x16 so you should include those in your searches too.

The disadvantage for doing so in the case of KBUF is that those files
cover large areas each so you'd wipe out UT night lights for many
miles. Those cells are subdivided though, which is why there are
several LA92716... files etc. It's a matter of trial and error to
find the specific files that infringe on the FlyTampa coverage area,
meaning deactivate one, check in the sim, and repeat with the others
until you have a list of files you want to share with others.

Hope that helps.

Cheers, Holger