Vertical Beams of Light

[ricka47]

I noticed today these beams of lights that come from ships.   Has anyone seen anything like this before?  Or maybe it's supposed to be smoke?

PS I am using P3D v3.1.

PPS  It appears that the fx_wake_coastguard.fx may be the culprit.    Yet, I'm not sure what to change in the file to fix the issue.

[ricka47]

It looks like the fix may be here for others who have the same issue with P3D: http://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100687

[Doug]

Darn, I saw that yesterday while streaming up at Cedar Ridge Lake Lodge ... wondered what it was. Thank you for posting. (I dropped Dex a notam on that forum entry).

Doug

[nbrich1]

Yup, all ships wake  issues but found a fix... but using
Ground Decal=1 in the fx_wakexxx.fx files... in the effects folders..

Ground Decal  If this is set to 1 (in the wake effect) the particle will decal on to the ground surface. (Instead of into the air!) This is for such effects as wake, rotor wash, burn marks, and similar ground effects.  Ground Decal=1.

Now to apply the wake fixes.. (called - FlyTampa Corfu Ship Wake and wave adjustment for P3D V3.1) but seems to work in any version of prepard3d.

Link to avsim forum post on it..(that I found just the other day)

http://www.avsim.com/topic/481165-flytampa-corfu-ship-wake-and-wave-adjustment-for-p3d-v31/

About half way down in that forum post, a gent (Nuno Pinto) wrote a small exe command program to do it all..  1. Figures out which effects files require the fix.. and 2. to apply the fix.

Just need to know some old dos commands like how to get to command prompt, change drive letter and subdirectories and two commands a) to scan the effects folder to determine the files that need the fix and b) to apply the fix to those files..

Direct link to the tiny program: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2weoelil6pcas2/ChangeFX.exe?dl=0

Works great.. finally, say goodbye to vertical wakes.

[Doug]

There is a zip file (beta, be careful) on the shipping page that has most of those FX files fixed. You just add them to your effects folder and over write. I say "most" of them, I think I got them all, waiting for someone else to let me know. But whatever you do ALWAYS backup the effects file first. Look for it on the shipping page, second Prepar3D Wake Update.

Doug