Scott - A2A wrote:
EXAMPLE of Microsoft 747
AIRCRAFT.CFG
[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing
light.1 = 3, -223.85, 0.00, 8.85, fx_shockwave_navwhi_l ,
light.2 = 2, -228.97, 0.00, 44.62, fx_shockwave_strobe_l ,
light.3 = 1, -45.05, 0.00, 15.65, fx_shockwave_beaconh ,
light.4 = 1, -80.22, 0.00, -11.05, fx_shockwave_beaconb ,
light.5 = 4, -18.24, 0.00, 11.19, fx_shockwave_vclight_l,
light.6 = 6, -20.0, 0.0, -11.5, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_747_nose // Shockwave light
light.7 = 5, -71.0, 18.0, -4.7, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_747_rw // Shockwave light
light.8 = 5, -71.0, -18.0, -4.7, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_747_lw // Shockwave light
light.9 = 5, -40.0, 0, -20, fx_shockwave_landing_light_light_l,
Light 6 is a taxi light (#6 means TAXI) and lights 7 and 8 are LANDING lights (#5 means LANDING).
I'm trying to educate myself about the position references in FSX. I believe that I have figured out that the numbers represent offsets from a datum- longitudinally, laterally and vertically. I have intuited that negative numbers of latitude are to the left (port) side and vice versa, and that positive numbers of verticality are up, and vice versa.
I'm stumped on longitude. In the references above, ALL of the longitudinal references are negative, leading me to believe that the datum (reference point) is the tip of the nose. That's why the nose gear light is at -20.00, or 20 feet back from the tip of the nose. However, later in the same thread, Joost shows a longitudinal reference for a nose gear light as follows:
jostytosty wrote:For instance the nose wheel is in the middle so it has to be something like:
light.12=6, 29.95, 0.0, -3.93, fx_Shockwave whatever light you want
the 0.0 is the figure that places the lights in the middle seen from the front.
6 is the type of light (5= landing 6= taxi)
So the nose gear on HIS airplane is about 30 feet FORWARD of the datum... leading to the inescapable conclusion that the datum is somewhere in the middle of the airplane.
Or, if I have my longitudinal polarity backwards, -20.00 means 20 feet
forward of datum (per Scott) and +29.95 means ~30 feet
aft of datum per Joost. Either way, I'm baffled and need an explanation from someone, please, as to where "datum" is supposed to be and whether negative numbers mean forward or aft of datum.
Please, somebody help me to understand longitudinal offsets and how a nose gear light can be both -20.00 (20 feet aft OR forward of datum per Scott) and +29.95 (~30 feet forward OR aft of datum per Joosty), since nose gears are pretty much in similar positions (um, on or close to centerline, more or less under the nose and "a bit" AFT of the very front tip of the nose or the prop spinner) on ALL aircraft so equipped.
If you guys tell me that sometimes datum is the nose and other times the CG, I'll just shoot myself now and save everyone any future irritating questions from me....
Thanks