NS F79 engines needs to be fixed.

[ddcat]

Rick, this is Scott. I just found out about a couple of hours ago that Gaetan will be gone for 10 days out camping. First of all, I pray for his safe return. The NS F9A engines needs 2 fixes. The top headlight is burned out when you look at the engine straight on and at an angle. The only time the top light is on is when you are down on the ground. The second problem is that engines do not have any dynamic brakes. They need dynamic brakes added to the engines. I don't know if the NS Business Train was your project or Gaetan's project or both of you. I just thought you ought to know about the 2 problems that I found.

Scott

[rfranzosa]

Scott,

The headlight issue is, unfortunately, pretty common with MSTS. IT has something to do with two light sources being close together. I believe that I had read of a fix somewhere on UKTrainsim, I will check it out.

The NS F9s do not have dynamic brakes from what I understand, if you have information to the contrary, we'll add them in.

Thanks

Rick

[uli]

Scott,

as Rick already said, the NS F9s don't have dynamic brakes: http://www.nsdash9.com/rosters/4270.html

If you are familiar with editing ENG files, you can go to the folder "...\Train Simulator\Trains\Trainset\BLW_ZT_F9_NS", open the files "F9A_4270.eng" and "F9A_4271.eng" with Wordpad and change the positions of the headlights as follows:

Head Light 1:

Position ( 0.0 3.37 7.395 )

Head Light 2:

Position ( -0.0 3.17 7.375 )

That should take care of the headlight issue. "Head Light 1" is the upper headlight, "Head Light 2" is the lower headlight. When two headlights are close to each other, one being above the other, the upper headlight should be positioned 0.01 to 0.02 in front of the other (7.395 and 7.375, respectively, in this case).

uli

[rfranzosa]

Uli,

It's THAT EASY? Thank you so much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have dozen's of ENG files to edit!!

RGF

P.S. For those of you who will make this fix on your own, there are actually two different places where Headlight 1 and Headlight 2 are called out, once for 'dim' and once for 'full'. For the rest of you, I will update the eng files and send them to Gaetan to be released as a patch when he returns in July. Thanks again, Uli

[ddcat]

Hello Uli, I have the same light problem on the MLT SD70Ms. I know they are not BLW/ZT but I thought you might know how to fix the lights so that both of them are on. The lights are side by side instead of up and down. I am including a picture of the problem. I have tried the same method as you told me for the NS F9s a few days ago but it did not work. I need some help to get both lights to shine at the same time at all angles.

Scott

PS. I just tried to send the picture and the forum will not accept .pcx formats. I tried to change it to .jpg and .bmp format but it will not show up. Sorry Uli. No picture.

[uli]

Hello Scott,

don't worry about the picture, I know what the problem is. Unfortunately, the issue that one of the two side-by-side lights disappears if viewed from one side is not as easy to fix as for two lights up and down.

There are at least two ways to partially fix the side-by-side lights. Both have their pros and cons. Which one is the best depends on the radii of the two lights and on the distance between them. Both methods work by adjusting the azimuths of the lights.

Are you using MSTSbin? With MSTSbin the lights can be made smaller, which will make it easier to fix the problem.

uli

[ddcat]

Yes I am using MSTSBin. I have used it from day 1.

Scott

[uli]

Scott,

you can try this:

1. Change the "Radius" of the dim and bright headlights to "0.4".

2. Adjust the positions of the headlights and add an azimuth line below the position line for each of the headlights, so they look like this:

Head light Left dim:
Position ( 0.08 4.33 8.671 )
Azimuth ( -0.3 -0.3 -0.3 )

Head light Right dim:
Position ( -0.15 4.33 8.671 )
Azimuth ( 0.3 0.3 0.3 )

Head light Left bright:
Position ( 0.08 4.33 8.672 )
Azimuth ( -0.3 -0.3 -0.3 )

Head light Right bright:
Position ( -0.15 4.33 8.672 )
Azimuth ( 0.3 0.3 0.3 )

These are the figures for the MLT SP SD70M, I hope that's the model that you mean. See if that works for you.

You will notice a fine vertical "line" or "border" between the two headlights now. Sorry, that's the "con" of this method.

uli

[ddcat]

Yes it is. The MLT SP SD70M 9804 is the one I am working on. I have been trying to fix it for 2 days now with no luck. I hope your suggestion works. If I can do the 9804, I can do the 9823 and all the repaints of the SD70M. But I want to do 1 engine at a time.

Scott

[ddcat]

Uli, I tried that what you gave me and it still does not work. Do you have Yahoo Messenger or MSN Messenger or AIM or ICQ? I would like to talk to you on one of those so I can send you a picture and the engine file. I still can't get the lights to stay lit at all angles.

Scott

[uli]

Scott,

I have sent you an e-mail to the address in your profile.

uli