Custom Light Object into BTB

[Drummer]

Hello everyone!

I'm currently using the trial of Pro. I have a custom floodlight object in AC3D and would like to place it onto my track in BTB. I've put the glow objects with transparencies in place on the model, though, these can be exported separately if need be. Can someone explain how I go about doing what I'd like to, please? I've a rough idea on how to use the XPacker utility, but I'm not totally clued up on everything, so please be gentle.

Not knowing how to do this at all, I'd assume that I'll need to know how to import the object itself, which I'm pretty much confident with, how to make it produce actual light and set it so that the glow objects only come on at night. Also, something that would make things a lot more immersive would be adding a sound file to the object, as it's a generator floodlight trailer unit, if you know what I mean. I'm not sure if I can do this, but if I can, it might be good for other things like spectator areas and PA systems.

So yeah, not to be a nutter for detail or anything! Any help would be very, very much appreciated! Thankyou!

 

[R Soul]

On the BTB website it implies that the trial version can only use the default xpack. I never put that to the test myself, so before spending ages on your own attempt, I think you should see if you can load someone else's xpack first.

If you extract Default.zip (btb\XPacks folder) to your btb\XPakcer\XPacks folder, you can examine a wide range of objects to see how they're put together.

In the case of lights, you need to import the main object and the glow separately.In the Properties tab, set the Purpose of the main object to Light, and for the glow, select LightGlow. You'll also need to set the Light properties of the glow object, which might take a bit of trail and error to get right.

Once those objects have been set up, click on Add Complex, and use the Child Objects tab to add the main light and the glow object. It should be ready for exporting.

 

[Drummer]

Thankyou for your help, Soul! I'll give it a go and see where I end up. I'm running out of time on my trial version now, so I'm going to have to scrape up some money to buy it; although I'm not sure whether to go for Pro or Evo, as I use Rfactor as well as SimBin titles. It's a shame there can't be one BTB for all, but there you go.

Also, if the creator of BTB happens to come by this thread, I just want to let you know that I sent an email a while back and am awaiting a response... I'm not sure if it's a defunct email account, which is why I'm saying here.

Many thanks!

[EDIT]

Brilliant! I've managed to get my light unit into BTB and it's positioned and working in Rfactor. There is a new set of obstacles now, regarding the light that is cast by the unit. I know R Soul mentioned that I'd need to set the light properties of the glow object, and I'm sure this is what is now causing me problems. To save me messing something up, can anyone give an insight into what settings I'll have to make, please? Right now, the light appears to be 'pointing' in the wrong direction. I'd like it to match the glows themselves and for the glows to actually appear to glow; as at the moment they just appear as smudges with transparencies. Would it be easier to create a transparent object and import that as the light emitter, so I could move it around to match the glows? I'm very lost as to how BTB and Rfactor use lighting; it seems it's not as easy as setting omni directional or spot lights and pointing them where they need to go, unfortunately.

Thanks again!

 

[Ken Leamy]

In the light properties on top you will see Position X, Y, Z
set the center on to 0.05 - 4 depending on height if it is set to 0.00 and your object is a little underground you will not see the light. now play with the others, one will be setting the light left and right the other will set front to back. you can not use negative values here. I always try to save my LightGlow facing X,
Set the pole or fixture to Purpose "object" , set the lightglow Purpose to "LightGlow"
set the light color to white.
now got to Materials and select the material and set the Emissive to white. power to 4 + Transparency to alpha, Material Name I use grdr, and click Double-sided

 

[Drummer]

Thankyou for that; I'll give it a shot! So, is the light source positioned on the 'ground' and pointing downwards by default then? If this is the case, I'll have more of an idea of where exactly I need to move it to and bypass most of the trial and error of it.

Thankyou for your help!

Glen.

 

[Ken Leamy]

if I want a light to shine up a building I just rotate it in the direction I want it to shine
ie I create a spotlight with
Position 0.00, 4.00, 0.00
range min/max 0, 10
intensity 8 to 10 or so depends on how bright you want it to be.

In Materials: Glow and GlowLong
Power 10 , emissive white, Use Alpha, Double-sided

You could set Glow power to 6 and GlowLong to 10 all depends on brightness you want.
You need to play with the setting . always save as a temp and then test on a test track. when they are what you want copy the folders to the XPack you will want them in and zip it up