Christmas tree lights on airfield under attack? Can the Navigation lights please be turned off by default?

[Mysticpuma]

I am really just starting to invest some time into BoX and really want to start making some films with it.....but today when getting ready to attack an enemy airfield, I see.....(from miles away), aircraft brightly glowing like Christmas trees on acid pottering along the airfield!!?

 

I have heard mention before about the navigation lights but just don't understand the logic of wartime aircraft, in daylight, having navigation lights on and then not only that, these can be seen from a ridiculous distance.

 

Has any thought been given to letting the mission builders firstly set the navigation lights to off or if not, simply having the Navigation lights turned off in daylight?

 

I just can't get my head around it, and secondly why would they be shining so brightly, and thirdly why would any enemy parade with nav lights on when the airfield is under attack!?

 

Devs. please allow the lights to be switched off or at least be off by default. Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Mysticpuma

[HBB*Hunger]

Yep, would be great to have an option for this. As well as for switching off headlights of vehicles at night. 

[Raptorattacker]

I believe that the lights have been brightened temprarily (for some reason) and this will be lookedat shortly.

Don't quote me on that but I'm sure I picked that up somewhere recently.

[iFoxRomeo]

Update from 11.01.2022

 

28. Restored the visibility of navigational lights (now it is as it was before, but in the future, we plan to reduce it at long range);

 

 

I don't understand why it was necessary to increase the lights back to christmas-tree level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Diggun]

16 minutes ago, iFoxRomeo said:

I don't understand why it was necessary to increase the lights back to christmas-tree level.

It was, I believe, tied into the issue that made tracers too hard to see.

[Mysticpuma]

A simple option in the menu "Nav Lights on" - "Nav Lights Off" for AI controlled aircraft would suffice?

Similarly, when putting together my last short film, I had to use a mod to suppress the Nav lights. I mean aircraft taxiing, broad daylight, wartime conditions...Nav lights on? I have no idea why they are not just off by default.

[BlitzPig_EL]

It is indeed frustrating.  I have also seen AI aircraft flying with them on for no apparent reason.

[[CPT]Crunch]

The issue was flak becomes completely invisible, you'll never even know you entered a hornets nest, since it's the only cue you've got.  Relax, it's being looked at.

[Mysticpuma]

5 hours ago, [CPT]Crunch said:

The issue was flak becomes completely invisible, you'll never even know you entered a hornets nest, since it's the only cue you've got.  Relax, it's being looked at.

I hope so. 

Just having Nav lights off for all aircraft on the ramp and field, even friendly as default would be awesome. 

I have found a mod that works almost perfectly but the lights are still on when in close proximity to friendlies on the ramp. 

 

Anyway, cross fingers Christmas can just be a seasonal feature in real life rather than on every aircraft ?

[FoxbatRU]

In my version of the mod, the lights are only visible on nearby aircraft.

 

FoxbatRU_MPG_full_Blackout_adjust_Nav_light_MOD.zip

Edited January 31, 2022 by FoxbatRU

[56RAF_Roblex]

I assume your problem is with AI aircraft?    In multiplayer players use them to let people know they are in the circuit so there is less chance of some twat pulling onto the runway just as you are landing.  They also use them to show who the raid leader is so people can form up before heading out and this was also done in real life though in real life nav lights were not bright enough to be seen from a long distance during daylight hours. The aircraft itself would have been blindingly obvious before the enemy was close enough to see that it had its lights on.    When they get the bugs out then we should get nav lights that can only be seen from maybe 1000m and even then should look like small lights, not small suns ?

[Yogiflight]

9 hours ago, 56RAF_Roblex said:

When they get the bugs out then we should get nav lights that can only be seen from maybe 1000m and even then should look like small lights, not small suns

This is the one thing, that should happen, but nonetheless, the AI's nav lights shouldn't be turned on during daylight. Like Mysticpuma suggested in another thread, they should be linked to the landing lights. So, if it is dark enough, that aircrafts, which have landing lights, have them turned on, then the nav lights should also be turned on when starting and through landing pattern. But they should be turned off in daylight.

[Mysticpuma]

Yeah, it's not so much online play, I understand how they can benefit players. 

 

This is an Ai issue and coding issue. 

 

So for example, you start a mission on the ramp with you and 3x Ai aircraft. All have engines off. Broad daylight, wartime, midday. 

 

Engines start and suddenly the Christmas celebrations begin. Vastly 9verbright  av lights get switched on, glowing like sun's attached to the aircraft. 

 

Finally after taxiing, take off and wheels up.... Lights go off! 

 

There needs to be a radio command or default setting of Nav lights off, there is no need for them, especially in daylight and wartime conditions. 

 

It's beyond frustrating to see the entire flight glowing along the entire taxi run until take off. 

 

Can Nav lights just be disabled on AI aircraft for daylight hours? Maybe just auto off between 6am-8pm?

 

Anything to not have to use Mods to disable them? (which partially works but not perfectly). 

 

So maybe it only affects offline players but, just a request, please disable Nav lights in daylight ?

 

Cheers, Mysticpuma 

 

 

 

 

[Jaws2002]

On 1/31/2022 at 5:33 AM, iFoxRomeo said:

 

 

I don't understand why it was necessary to increase the lights back to christmas-tree level.

 

 

 Because it was Christmas. 

[IckyATLAS]

This issue with the navigation lights is with us since many years now and has been brought up many times. I am sure that it is being looked at. I cannot imagine that the dev team who is so keen to have all details ironed out would not correct this. Maybe it is complicated the way it is coded where changing one effect impacts many other ones because they share underlying common visual data and parameters.

 

But in all cases I would be very happy to be able to set the lights of planes, vehicles, trains and ships in different modes:

 

Mode 1) AI by default

Mode 2) ON

Mode 3) OFF

 

And let's be foolish. Why not an MCU Set Lights, where you can switch lights On, Off, and AI mode in game for ships, trains, vehicles. When there is an alert all lights go off.

That would be a nice effect, to see from afar the lights of trucks, trains and ships and then alert is sounded and they all go off in a gradual way. Would be nice, no?

 

I have a night mission where the cargo ships in a small bay prone to attack are lit up, when there should be no light to help the planes to bomb them.

 

[ITAF_Artiglio]

Hello everyone, since the last update I have noticed some strange artifacts in the clouds and on the horizon, in the night mode I am attaching an image ...

and these are my graphic parameters that I have always used and I have been happy with ... until now ...

 

can anyone help me? Ths.

[Ribbon]

Just imagine you are in Marvel universe and those are infinity stones!

[IckyATLAS]

Just for the record there is the Force Complete MCU that is used to switch landing lights or search lights. But it has a different function for Planes, Trains, Vehicles and Ships.

Better group all in a specific MCU.

 

[Mysticpuma]

This morning I was playing a mission. All aircraft (4 lined up on the apron, engines off) look great.. No navigation lights. Then all engines start, all Nav lights switch on.... Gah!!! 

Is it really this hard to have the Ai aircraft have their Nav lights off in daylight? 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Mysticpuma

[AEthelraedUnraed]

On 2/10/2022 at 2:11 AM, Mysticpuma said:

Is it really this hard to have the Ai aircraft have their Nav lights off in daylight? 

Why do people always assume that something is easy to program?

 

Anyway, the Devs have said that they will fix the navlights in the future. Which makes this discussion moot since they won't be that visible anyhow.

[No_85_Gramps]

5 minutes ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Why do people always assume that something is easy to program?

 

Because a lot of people have no experience in writing code, let alone an understanding of the complexities involved.

Edited February 11, 2022 by No_85_Gramps

[Mysticpuma]

2 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Why do people always assume that something is easy to program?

 

Anyway, the Devs have said that they will fix the navlights in the future. Which makes this discussion moot since they won't be that visible anyhow.

 

Code:

Daylight=Navlightoff

Dusk/Night=Navlighton

Dusk/NightAirfieldunderattack=Navlightoff

Edited February 11, 2022 by Mysticpuma

[No_85_Gramps]

1 hour ago, Mysticpuma said:

 

Code:

Daylight=Navlightoff

Dusk/Night=Navlighton

Dusk/NightAirfieldunderattack=Navlightoff

Thanks Mysticpuma, I needed a good laugh today. If only it was that simple!

[AEthelraedUnraed]

6 hours ago, Mysticpuma said:

Code:

Daylight=Navlightoff

Dusk/Night=Navlighton

Dusk/NightAirfieldunderattack=Navlightoff

While we're at it, I fixed the navlight shader too:

if (light.type=="navlight"){

   float size_in_pixels = conversion_factor * light.size / distance(light,camera);

   if(size_in_pixels < 1){

      light.brightness *= size_in_pixels;

   }

} else if (light.type == "searchlight"){

   draw_halo();

}

 

Being the author and copyright holder of the above code, I kindly request the Devs to transfer 5% of the IL2 GB sales income to my bank account once the navlight problem is fixed.