Any DBS/IRIS A-7E Experts/Owners around?

E

expat

Charter Member
Am trying set up one or two of these as AI, using Antonio Diaz's realistic looking weathered paints. Problem is that the red intake and exhaust plugs remain visible and do not disappear, as they do when you operate the flyable aircraft.

There is some "trigger" somewhere that I cannot find, e.g. a gauge entry or possibly xml link to the engine running, you need to disengage if using as AI. You can see that the red plugs remain when you look at the plane in the "select aircraft" revolving window in the FSX menu. Also, there is a model in the package, "model.ai" but not sure if "ai" means "AI" or is just another load out variant - it seems no lighter in polys or size than the other and the red plugs did not disappear when using it as AI in the sim.

Appreciate any steers or suggestions.

expat
 
The "ai" model is "Air Interdiction" (a 'normal' model). Sorry I can't help with any of your other question.
 
There is a pure AI version just so you know. It was modeled by Jake Burrus for FS9, I'm sure it can be converted to FSX fairly easily. There are also quite a few paints already available for it.

Check here towards the bottom of the page:
http://rayparker-repaints.jimdo.com/downloads-2/

I'm pretty sure there are other repaints online as well.
 
Thanks, yes I have the JAI model but like the detail of the IRIS one and the paints for it by Antonio Diaz. Flies and looks great - with one (actually two) obvious exceptions!:icon_lol:
 
You won't be able to rid it of those covers due to the way the model was coded. An idea you can try is to make that part of the texture sheet, the red parts, transparent using an alpha layer.
 
What Mike said. You will get the same result (different accessories) with the F-15C/D, E, Tornados, and if you have them, the F-4 packages. The engine cover is controlled by an xml gauge if I remember correctly that needs the engines actually turned on to make them go away. That's why there is no pilot in the screen shot as well.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I was hoping an easy fix would be to change the color of the plugs to black or dark grey, however, I searched the textures using DXTbmp but could not see the red colored plugs anywhere so they well be imbedded in the model.

I wonder if there is a way to make the engines turn on in an AI model? Probably not.
 
expat said:
I was hoping an easy fix would be to change the color of the plugs to black or dark grey, however, I searched the textures using DXTbmp but could not see the red colored plugs anywhere so they well be imbedded in the model.
Click to expand...

Matt Wynn would be a sensible person to speak to about this, as he does some work with/for Iris and has also recently been redoing the paintkit for this particular aircraft; maybe drop him a PM?

Did I really just say Matt would be sensible? :isadizzy:
 
expat,
I see you that you mention FSX in your first post and I think that may be the problem.
I tried the "ferry" model as AI in FS9 , (on XP), and I can't get the engine/jet pipe blanks to show up at all. Each time I loaded it, both as a flyer and as AI after removing, one at a time, the panel folder, the VC, the moddled lights, the cfg lights, cfg effects and the cfg smoke section the aircraft would move off with the pilot visible and the intake/exhaust clear. I also tried it with two different textures to ensure it wasn't a texture file problem.
I realise this doesn't help much but at least you know, at least on the ferry model, what the problem is not. If the ferry model gives you the same problems in FSX it has to be the sim' and not the aircraft.
Sorry I can't help further but I don't have FSX.
Good Luck.
Alan
 
WHHOO HOOOO !!!!!

OBIO, bless his heart, despite a busy work schedule has come through - in spades - with the goods and fixed my IRIS AI A-7 for FSX. FANTASTIC JOB!!

Owe you a big one mate! You are truly a top man. :salute::salute:

Regards,

expat
 
For any one else who wants to use the IRIS A-7 as AI, open the various MDL files in Martin Wright's MDLmat program. Go down to LOD 01 13 (13th material in the model's main LOD) and give the Diffuse material an Alpha setting of 0. Send the modified material back to the MDL and save the modified MDL. This will make the intake and exhaust covers 100% see through. For a tutorial on using MDLmat, look under the uploads by Norab...he took my tutorial and converted it to a much easier to use PDF format.

OBIO
 
Question: to make the canopy darker (partly because the pilot disappears) do I just make the alpha channel lighter? Have done it this way for FSX on another ported aircraft.
 
NO...the alpha channel is most likely used to give the canopy a reflective look....the actual color and darkness of the canopy glass is likely set via the MDL material settings. I will take a gander at this when I get a few free moments. Oh wait....FSX....in that case, maybe. I don't use FSX.....not sure if I even have it anymore...may have sold it during the garage sale. I know I don't have it installed any longer.

OBIO
 
OBIO said:
NO...the alpha channel is most likely used to give the canopy a reflective look....the actual color and darkness of the canopy glass is likely set via the MDL material settings. I will take a gander at this when I get a few free moments. Oh wait....FSX....in that case, maybe. I don't use FSX.....not sure if I even have it anymore...may have sold it during the garage sale. I know I don't have it installed any longer.

OBIO
Click to expand...

No worries. I can experiement and report back. Thanks again for the help.

expat
 
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