Download from GitHub!
XPlane2Blender v4.1.0-beta.1
This is a beta so make backups of your work before using!
New features!
Custom Spill Lights
Custom Spill Lights are now implemented (#312)! To use, make a light datablock with the XPlane2Blender light type as Custom Spill. Relevant properties are:
| Property | Function |
|---|---|
| Light Color | RGB color for the light |
| Light Rotation | Spot light direction |
| Light Spot Size | The width of spot light |
| Size | Size parameter (in meters)? |
| Dataref | Dataref that controls the light |
Custom Spill lights can make dataref driven custom omni-directional billboards and directional spot lights.
As with Automatic Lights, the goal is What You See Is What You Get.
In this photo the green light is a Custom Spill, where sim/graphics/animation/lights/traffic_light changes the color between green, yellow, and red! The white lights have different widths, all made without doing any math by hand.
Cockpit Device
X-Plane has pre-made high quality GPS devices that are easily accessible to the artist. Thanks to (#481) using one is as simple as making a mesh, and giving it a material with a Cockpit Device set. Pick the device, at least 1 electrical bus (matching Plane Maker), the lighting channel, and if the screen’s brightness should auto-adjust. You’ll get a fully functional GPS device just like that! You can have multiple devices in the same OBJ, as well as use of the panel texture.
The Cessna’s cockpit provides 2 great examples of using cockpit devices.
Cockpit Features UI
Given the changes and additions to our Cockpit Features, the UI has been changed slightly. On the material Properties tab use the “Cockpit Features” to find “Cockpit Regions” and “Cockpit Device”. The updater should adjust the setting for you if you were using regions.
Minor features
(#426) Shadow Blend’s Blend Ratio can finally be set. Thanks @kbrandwijk!
(#548) Non-Exporting Lights are back in. They’re intended as “work lights” and will never ever show up in the OBJ! Simply set the X-Plane Light Type to “Non-Exporting” and use freely.
Important fixes
- Light Level can now be used multiple times in the same .obj without tricks or getting lucky!
Thanks to everyone who downloaded alpha.1! I’m glad that this series has been so successful and I can wait to see what you make with the new light features! As always make backups!
Will these implementations also be available for the 3DS Max plug-in?
I did say its very unlikely, the 3DS Max plugin is from another developer and from what I know there’s no work being done to it currently.
3DsMax is no longer being developed by Laminar Research – we’re fully behind Blender now. However, it is open source so if you find someone to develop it you can. ATTR_cockpit_device was very simple to implement for me (except for some weird UI changes you wouldn’t have to worry about)
Hi.
Just a reply on the former thread as it was closed down:
Ted, thanks for trying about the *.OBJ stacking problem.
I guess your “or use some scratching paper” is the best solution compared to the WED one 😀 😀