Feature Request: Ability to select which Entry lights are on at first loading
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Hi Nick @Black-Square,
Would it be possible to be able to configure the entry lights in a future update?I've edited the \bksq-aircraft-starship\SimObjects\Airplanes\bksq-aircraft-starship\model\Starship_Interior.xml for now to tune the lighting to my preference but it may be a nice QoL addition?
Regards
James -
Can you guys tell me about the entryway cockpit light switch? When I load in a starship for the first time, all of the entry way lights are on so I turn them off. In that panel is a switch for cockpit lights, but when it’s on, there are no lights in the cockpit. Even when there is power, it seems to turn nothing on.
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Hey Brian, as far as I'm aware there's a "fake" power supply (as in doesn't drain the aircraft battery and is always "hot") to that entry panel that provides lighting for the cockpit. With the door closed and the aircraft is on external power the Cockpit Area rheostat on the main lighting panel (p85) works, however, if the door is open then the Cockpit switch on the entry panel on p82 overrides the lighting panel.
Personally I think the effect from the small Door light operating on it's own is really nice and less jarring than all the lights being enabled, I would then use the Alt+L default flashlight to locate things in the cockpit until closing the door and there was sufficient power to use the cockpit area light, storm lights or Instrument indirect lighting. For that reason I've tweaked the startup parameters in Starship_Interior.xml so that only the Door light is enabled which is perfect for me.
Attached a quick video so you can see what I mean, as you'll see even if I turn on the cockpit area light on the overhead if the door is open it won't do anything (as it's switched off at the door) however as soon as I close the door the area light activates along with the storm/indirect instrument lighting controls.
https://youtu.be/QFpTgZUUzIw
Cheers
James -
Hey Brian, as far as I'm aware there's a "fake" power supply (as in doesn't drain the aircraft battery and is always "hot") to that entry panel that provides lighting for the cockpit. With the door closed and the aircraft is on external power the Cockpit Area rheostat on the main lighting panel (p85) works, however, if the door is open then the Cockpit switch on the entry panel on p82 overrides the lighting panel.
Personally I think the effect from the small Door light operating on it's own is really nice and less jarring than all the lights being enabled, I would then use the Alt+L default flashlight to locate things in the cockpit until closing the door and there was sufficient power to use the cockpit area light, storm lights or Instrument indirect lighting. For that reason I've tweaked the startup parameters in Starship_Interior.xml so that only the Door light is enabled which is perfect for me.
Attached a quick video so you can see what I mean, as you'll see even if I turn on the cockpit area light on the overhead if the door is open it won't do anything (as it's switched off at the door) however as soon as I close the door the area light activates along with the storm/indirect instrument lighting controls.
https://youtu.be/QFpTgZUUzIw
Cheers
James -
@hughesj2 It's not really fake, it's connected direct to the battery bus (hot batt bus), and they are presumably very efficient LEDs with no noticeable power draw
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IDK, I can imagine that compared to the avionics that spin up together with the battery master switch, LED lights would be really unnoticeable and could run for days off of that battery.
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Actually we can do some numbers. So when I turn on the battery master and press the batt amp button to see battery amps, I get around 48A. Now with a 28V system, that's 1344W of power draw.
I have here a 5W LED lightbulb that could be comparable in intensity to the courtesy lights in the Starship, so let's say we'd need 5 of them placed around the plane, that would total 25W of power, that is around 50 times less than what the plane draws when you flip the battery on.
I didn't time this, but if the battery drains in let's say 1 hour with battery master on, then with only the lights on, it will last 50 times longer, that's 50 hours of light time. So for the time you usually leave the sim on with the plane loaded and doors open, you wouldn't really notice any battery drain
Edit: Please don't take this as being argumentative, it's just a fun thought experiment -
Actually we can do some numbers. So when I turn on the battery master and press the batt amp button to see battery amps, I get around 48A. Now with a 28V system, that's 1344W of power draw.
I have here a 5W LED lightbulb that could be comparable in intensity to the courtesy lights in the Starship, so let's say we'd need 5 of them placed around the plane, that would total 25W of power, that is around 50 times less than what the plane draws when you flip the battery on.
I didn't time this, but if the battery drains in let's say 1 hour with battery master on, then with only the lights on, it will last 50 times longer, that's 50 hours of light time. So for the time you usually leave the sim on with the plane loaded and doors open, you wouldn't really notice any battery drain
Edit: Please don't take this as being argumentative, it's just a fun thought experiment@Randolf Ha ha yeah as I said if this quote is still correct then they'll never drain the battery, 5w virtual LED or 55w virtual 80s incandescent
"Don't tell anyone, but the courtesy lights won't actually drain your battery in MSFS, because I am a merciful aircraft designer
"I'm happy with a 99.999% accurate electrical system though same as the other guy.
