[1.3.1] Aviation Lights v3.14 [use MOARdV's version instead!]

[Deadweasel]

I have B9 aerospace and plenty other mods, nothing conflicts with these lights AFAIK.

Well, the first mode in the cycle is always going to be the Flash mode. Maybe you double-tapped it or something. I will test it out myself to see if it will work.

Well there's a portion of that video clip I posted that was left out, where I cycled the modes through Interval where it flashed like a freak because Interval is set to .4. Also, I cycled from Off to be certain I was looking at the right mode before I started recording in the first place.

[Moustachauve]

Wow, the new version seems alot better than the one back in 0.16 ! I will readd them into my game

[GROOV3ST3R]

Check the values of the lights you are using and put the full video up just so I'm sure what your problem is. I think you WERE in flash mode but something may have glitched out and you cycled again to interval mode.

Wow, the new version seems alot better than the one back in 0.16 ! I will readd them into my game

Watch this space - Aviation Lights are coming in as part of a larger mod pack soon

EDIT:

0.4 can't ''flash like crazy'' because it will stay on for nearly half a second and then go off for another half.

Edited May 21, 2013 by GROOV3ST3R

[Deadweasel]

Check the values of the lights you are using and put the full video up just so I'm sure what your problem is. I think you WERE in flash mode but something may have glitched out and you cycled again to interval mode.

Watch this space - Aviation Lights are coming in as part of a larger mod pack soon

EDIT:

0.4 can't ''flash like crazy'' because it will stay on for nearly half a second and then go off for another half.

Yeah I've just verified that there's something else conflicting with the mod on my installation. It works perfectly on a new install without other plugins going. I've also noticed that the runway in the overview scene is full black in my original install, and grey in the fresh install. Hmmm... Something's messing with the natural order of things....

[GROOV3ST3R]

Add plugins in one by one and you will figure it out Maybe you were just missing a file or something. But like I said, I have lots of plugins in and none conflict - only glitch I found was when toggling the lights from 2 separate action groups, it's possible to reverse the flash modes so they stay on for a long time and switch off for 0.05 of a second lol.

[BigNose]

I am looking forward to using this one! The only reason I didn't use it much before was because the lights were tied to staging, but no I have no more excuses not to light up the night sky of Kerbin with flashy space stations!

Yeah, that indeed was really weird, glad JDP helped me getting this out of the way.

[BigNose]

Yeah I've just verified that there's something else conflicting with the mod on my installation. It works perfectly on a new install without other plugins going. I've also noticed that the runway in the overview scene is full black in my original install, and grey in the fresh install. Hmmm... Something's messing with the natural order of things....

Ah ok, now I wonder what caused the conflict.

[Deadweasel]

Ah ok, now I wonder what caused the conflict.

Well, it's confirmed: something was screwed up with my original game install. All the plugins and parts were transferred to the new install, and the AviationLights are still working perfectly fine. :/

A couple of differences I've seen in the game's behavior between original install and the fresh one:

• The runway is black in the "old" install, grey in the fresh one
  
• If out of focus when parts finish loading (xenontank being the last one), the game will not continue to the main menu until it's brought back into focus. The fresh install continues to main menu even if out of focus
  

I'm thinking something got broken when I attempted to run MechJeb a week ago, at which point Kerbin started disappearing randomly until the game was reloaded, and the behavior continued until MJ was removed entirely from the install.

Either way, all seems to be working perfectly and as-intended under the fresh install, so I'm just going to start using that. Thanks for your tolerance while I'm busy over here crying wolf, apparently.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Deadweasel

[Deadweasel]

Well, okay, it's not the runway that's different, but the taxiway:

Original (0.19.1.54) install:

Fresh (same version) install:

If you're perhaps assembling a list of known-compatible mods, here's what I'm running:

• Modular MultiWheels: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/modular-multiwheels-and-omniwheels/
  
• Lazor Docking Cam: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/lazor-docking-cam/
  
• B9 Aerospace pack: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/0-19-1-b9-aerospace-pack-release-2/
  
• H.O.M.E. Start Kit: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/0-18-1-h-o-m-e-start-kit/
  
• KW Rocketry: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/0-18-1-kw-rocketry-overhauled/
  
• Fueltastic: (link unavailable since the Kraken Krash of '13)
  
• Quantum Struts: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/quantum-strut/
  
• Kerbal Crew Manifest: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/18-1-kerbal-crew-manifest/
  
• Subassembly Saver/Loader: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/subassembly-saver-loader/
  
• And of course (now ecstatically) AviationLights 3.0! : http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/aviation-lights-v1-2/
  

Thank you thank you THANK YOU!

[Deadweasel]

Final update:

So the problem came back, AFTER I attempted to copy over my persistence file. Apparently there was a bug in there somewhere. I tried cancelling flights in-progress to see if there might be a conflict with an action group or part on an already-deployed flight, but the aviation lights simply would not go back to working the way I had already seen they were supposed to.

Start a new save, and oh look! Everything's back to normal. :/

I was loathe to start a new save because I had a goal for the new plane (shown in the video clip I submitted earlier) to rendezvous with a stranded crewed rover at Duna to rescue them. Sadly, with the transition, the crew of the rover seems to have disappeared, though the rover remains controllable. Go figure.

So: bad persistence file, looks like. Since the rover mission was screwed up somehow, there's no reason to worry so much about maintaining the other flights that had been in-progress either. New save for me.

[heikkik]

So if I have a craft landed somewhere with the lights off and i fly there with a craft with lights on and switch modes, does the mode on both crafts change? This was a problem I had in the old version.

[BigNose]

So if I have a craft landed somewhere with the lights off and i fly there with a craft with lights on and switch modes, does the mode on both crafts change? This was a problem I had in the old version.

Nope, the mode is now handled per light, you can even have different modes on the same craft.

EDIT: Updated the Changelog

[BigNose]

Final update:

So the problem came back, AFTER I attempted to copy over my persistence file. Apparently there was a bug in there somewhere. I tried cancelling flights in-progress to see if there might be a conflict with an action group or part on an already-deployed flight, but the aviation lights simply would not go back to working the way I had already seen they were supposed to.

Start a new save, and oh look! Everything's back to normal. :/

I was loathe to start a new save because I had a goal for the new plane (shown in the video clip I submitted earlier) to rendezvous with a stranded crewed rover at Duna to rescue them. Sadly, with the transition, the crew of the rover seems to have disappeared, though the rover remains controllable. Go figure.

So: bad persistence file, looks like. Since the rover mission was screwed up somehow, there's no reason to worry so much about maintaining the other flights that had been in-progress either. New save for me.

Something bad is going on with your game, something very bad...

Sorry for you to loose your safe, but I sounds like the lights had nothing to do with it.

[taniwha]

Ok, I've found a mildly annoying bug: I've got my aviation lights setup to activate with the rest of the lighting on my ship. Pressing escape to pause the game deactivates the aviation lights, thus putting the aviation lights and the rest of my lights out of sync. While it's easy enough to get back into sync, it is annoying.

[BigNose]

Ok, I've found a mildly annoying bug: I've got my aviation lights setup to activate with the rest of the lighting on my ship. Pressing escape to pause the game deactivates the aviation lights, thus putting the aviation lights and the rest of my lights out of sync. While it's easy enough to get back into sync, it is annoying.

I can't recall having this issue myself, I'll check that real quick.

EDIT: Ok, confirmed the problem. It only occurs when you activate the escape menu, and deactivate it again using the 'esc' key or pressing 'Resume flight'. Going to the Tracking Station or the Space Center and back to the craft doesn't affect the lights state. I've to look into that, as I have no idea why this happens at the moment.

EDIT2: It might has something to do with the UniversalTime value getting set to 0 while pausing. Since the new version the lights calculate their flash timer using the UniversalTime (Timewarp) setting. If it's set to 0, this might causes problems.

Edited May 22, 2013 by BigNose

[GROOV3ST3R]

I can't recall having this issue myself, I'll check that real quick.

EDIT: Ok, confirmed the problem. It only occurs when you activate the escape menu, and deactivate it again using the 'esc' key or pressing 'Resume flight'. Going to the Tracking Station or the Space Center and back to the craft doesn't affect the lights state. I've to look into that, as I have no idea why this happens at the moment.

EDIT2: It might has something to do with the UniversalTime value getting set to 0 while pausing. Since the new version the lights calculate their flash timer using the UniversalTime (Timewarp) setting. If it's set to 0, this might causes problems.

Maybe you could make the lights take the mission time into account?

[BigNose]

Maybe you could make the lights take the mission time into account?

Well, the mission time depends on timewarp, too.

[BigNose]

The 0.20 Update made things go horribly wrong, as the lights won't even load as parts now.

I'll have to look into that later, I'm going to bed now (it's 3:34am here in Germany o.O)...

[Moustachauve]

you have to add part { (all cfg stuff) } inside each cfg file. Have you done that?

[Deadweasel]

Yeah, the parts folders are all now segregated, and there's a central parts database that will have to be taken into account for these as well, I'm sure.

Oh well, this is why .20 lives in its own folder and doesn't replace the original install. You can have my blinking navlights when you pry them from my cold, dead hands!! XD

[Deadweasel]

you have to add part { (all cfg stuff) } inside each cfg file. Have you done that?

It's not just a config file though; there's also a specific plugin .dll that's used as well. I'm pretty sure just about every mod out there right now is going to have to adjust their expectations for actual file locations.

[Deadweasel]

UPDATE:

Well I'll be...

Apologies Moustachauve, you're right. A lot of simple parts mods DO just suddenly work when enclosed in PART {}. That's pretty slick!

Unfortunately, that does not fix this particular mod. Even after I adapted all the part config files, none of the aviation light variants show up in the available parts.

I think it might have something to do with this mod's reliance on an additional plugin .dll, because I'm having the same kind of issues with other mods that are similar (in that they offer a part with an associated additional .dll).

[BigNose]

UPDATE:

Well I'll be...

Apologies Moustachauve, you're right. A lot of simple parts mods DO just suddenly work when enclosed in PART {}. That's pretty slick!

Unfortunately, that does not fix this particular mod. Even after I adapted all the part config files, none of the aviation light variants show up in the available parts.

I think it might have something to do with this mod's reliance on an additional plugin .dll, because I'm having the same kind of issues with other mods that are similar (in that they offer a part with an associated additional .dll).

And yet still the parts should show up in the editor, even if the .dll doesn't work. I've tried multiple different things, like copying a stock part.cfg and adapting it to make sure there are no format errors or whatevs, no luck yet.

[BigNose]

Little Update:

I just tested a bit with the Alt+F2 Debug Console and it looks like the AviationLights.dll gets loaded just fine (along with MechJeb2 which I used as an indicator).

When it comes to loading the parts though, it looks like the lights just get ingnored completly. I rewrote the .cfgs to the new 0.20 design (rechecked the MechJeb2 .cfg format to make sure it's the same), but the PartLoader doesn't even throw out an error in the Debug Console, while loading the MechJeb2 AR-202 Case without any problems (And I really made sure the folders and .cfgs are the same).

I've no idea what's happening there. Maybe it's just one line in the .cfg of the lights which confuses the new PartLoader, I really don't know which one though. There is nothing too special in there...

EDIT:

After some further testing I'm safe to say it must be the parts themselves, the .dll has nothing to do with it. The parts of every other mod I tested still load if the plugin is missing, the Aviation Lights won't regardless if the plugin is there or not.

The only main difference I noticed is that the Aviation Lights models are .mdl and .msh files, while most other mods use .mu and .mbm models. But I can't believe that's the problem, as the models always worked before. Why should Squad make them incompatible?

Edited May 23, 2013 by BigNose

[Deadweasel]

I don't know if it's a compatibility issue with the .mdl format though, because I have another small part mod that uses .mdl and it works fine.

HOWEVER, one difference I notice is that the .dae format is also present in this other mod's directory structure, one level up from "mesh"