Dash 7 Ice Recon FSX Port Version Question

[Milton Shupe]

For those of you running this version of the Dash 7, I need your feedback.

I have a user that runs both dx9 and dx10.

Attached are screenshots of what he sees at night for gauge backlighting running in each DX setting.
The dx9 backlighting washes out the gauge displays while there appears to be no backlighting in DX10.

Is anyone else having this issue in DX9, and is anyone running this version in DX10?

After over 20,000 downloads from various sites, this is the first reported issue I have with gauge and panel lighting so I am a bit miffed as to how this happens, and if wondering if anyone else has night lighting issues.

Thanks in advance.

[Daveroo]

i dont have a clue about any of this stuff myself..BUT is it possible,since so many copies are out there as you stated,is it possible his is corrupted?...maybe he needs to delete the version he has,and redownload and try again?..dunno..is just a guess.

[ncooper]

I don't fly at night but I have tried the aircraft model.
These are the results.

Dx9 at night panel light on, nothing amiss here. Daytime looks the same only less dark.
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Dx9night_zps706f7ceb.jpg

Dx10 at night panel light on, gauges re-appear if the lights are turned off.
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Dx10night_zps9b2cebcc.jpg

Dx10 by day, many transparent 8 bit textures
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Dx10day_zpsf1fa3f30.jpg

Fixed by the Dx10 toolbox.
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Dx10dayfixed_zpsb6e894d5.jpg

I have no complaint to make at all, I have enjoyed the aircraft model for many years and I am very grateful to you and your team for it.
I hope these shots may help.

Regards,
Nick.

[ncooper]

Exterior in plain Dx10
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Dx10nofixer_zps4184e1cb.jpg

and fixed by the fixer
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Dx10fixer_zps0e9a36b1.jpg

Regards,
Nick

[Milton Shupe]

Thank you Nick for your time and efforts.

Where can one find the DX10 fixer? I'll pass that on.

[ncooper]

There is much discussion here
http://forum.avsim.net/forum/569-dx-10-discussions-hints-and-help/

a support forum here
http://forum.avsim.net/forum/644-the-official-dx10-scenery-fixer-support-forum/

and if the decision is made to purchase it
http://www.flightsimstore.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=250&osCsid=c1gubbc4aaa9coab4qafe0p7t6

Regards,
Nick

[Milton Shupe]

Thanks Nick :-)

[Roger]

Nick, what did you change to lose the transparent floor?

[ncooper]

Roger,

The Dx10 Fixer folder contains Dx10 Toolbox.exe.
Open that and select Textures\convert 8 bit textures.
Then navigate to the SimObjects\airplanes\de Havilland Canada DHC-7\texture.shared
folder and click OK.

The incompatible textures are then converted and the original ones saved with a prefix
of ORIG.

Regards,
Nick.

[ncooper]

@ Milton and Roger,

This topic has prompted me to experiment a little more and the
results are pleasantly surprising.

Using the Dx10 toolbox again I tagged the aircraft and added ballast
lights to it.

Dx10 at night now.
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Fsxversion_zpsfd4454d9.jpg

Even more pleasantly surprising, to me at least, here is the original Fs9 version which I adapted to FSX for
myself a long time ago.
Textures converted, model tagged and ballast light added.
Backlit instruments have returned. 100% Dx10 compatible.
http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Fs9version_zps4041e1f9.jpg

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a508/ncooper00/Fs9version_zps6197166d.jpg

Regards,
Nick.

[Milton Shupe]

Roger,

The Dx10 Fixer folder contains Dx10 Toolbox.exe.
Open that and select Textures\convert 8 bit textures.
Then navigate to the SimObjects\airplanes\de Havilland Canada DHC-7\texture.shared
folder and click OK.

The incompatible textures are then converted and the original ones saved with a prefix
of ORIG.

Regards,
Nick.

Certainly it does more than just convert the textures to 8-bit as many of those textures have an alpha channel, especially the gauge backlighting textures. ??? What format did the vcleft_L.bmp texture end up being?

[ncooper]

Yes, I think it alters the way that FSX displays the textures.
vcleft_L.bmp is not modified by the Dx10 Toolbox.

The VC panel looked correct after I had applied the "ballast light" fix,
so I suspect that it is the VC lighting method that has been adapted rather
than the textures.

Looking at the textures that were altered, I see only those that were invisible day and night.
It seems that they are simply changed from 8 bit to 16 bit.

Regards,
Nick.