PAPI Lights not visible from distance

[hjmx]

When I am approaching CYVR runways PAPI lights appear (become visible) very late ( maybe 300 ft AGL) and very small (not easy to see). Is this normal? As I remember PAPI/VASI lights should be visible from larger distance (at least 2-3 nm)

Harry

[virtuali]

No, it's not normal. Nobody reported it before, and it can't be caused by another addon that (for example) replaced their textures, because we used fully custom PAPI lights.

Try with your video settings in the Video card control panel, set Anisotropic filtering to be forced at 16x.

[hjmx]

AF is set to 16x via NVidea Inspector.

Harry

[virtuali]

Then I'm sorry, but I don't have any other explanation. Nobody ever reported this before. We use the same method to do custom PAPI lights in KDFW and KLAX, so it's been quite tested by now.

[firebird6003]

Hi! Fantastic scenery! - well done!  It's brought the enthusiasm back to my simming... but I get a similar issue - Night runway lights, no problem.  Dawn runway lighting, no problem.  Dusk runway environment lighting, great.  Daytime runway light... ah.  I've  loaded CVYR at night with a default cessna, gone to the Map view, moved the 'plane back and up, changed the time of day to day, I see the lights, but when I unpause the sim, all the lights disappear.  From a distance, I can't see whether I'm lined up on a taxi-way, car park or runway.  Doesn't matter if I choose any runway, any season, any aircraft default or payware.
I've loaded the original, then the update.  I over-installed the update (full installer).  No change.
It's a really fantastic piece of work and I'm sure there is a simple fix...
Graphics card set as you suggest, no issue with other airports... (Will try with KORD and edit this post)[no issues with KORD - PAPI lights show for miles night and day]
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[virtuali]

We'll check this. Could you please confirm these are the reproduction steps ?

oaded CVYR at night with a default cessna, gone to the Map view, moved the 'plane back and up, changed the time of day to day, I see the lights, but when I unpause the sim, all the lights disappear

[firebird6003]

Yep. Have tried loading at night, taking off rwy28, flying a circuit, landing, all with great rwy lighting.  I brake, change time of day to 12pm, all rwy lights disappear. Tried loading at dawn, flew a circuit, saw the rwy environment lighting no problem, paused the sim, changed the time of day, lights still visible, unpaused the sim, all lights disappear. Load in daylight, no lights at all. (Dynamic shadowing is outstanding, btw!) Eop
Graphics card is nvidia geforce580, i7 sandybridge chip at 3.8, los of RAM, oodles of hard drive. Orbx NRM, victoria +
I have a short Fraps video if that helps?

[Dave_YVR]

I just tried a flight around during the day and had no issues with the PAPI's to all of the parallels out to around 5nm.

[firebird6003]

Can you talk me down then?  I'm still orbiting, trying to find the runway...!

[Dave_YVR]

Can you talk me down then?  I'm still orbiting, trying to find the runway...!

Try the ILS       Honestly though, in those screens you look way too high and if so the PAPI's will appear to be non functional.

[firebird6003]

re ILS 
The screenies were just to show the airport environment - I'd started the flight on the active runway and adjusted altitude and distance in the Map function to show the fact that I don't get any lights at all on the runways from any height or distance during the day - dawn, dusk and night are fine.   Tried with DX10 preview off and on, no difference.

[Dave_YVR]

re ILS 
I don't get any lights at all on the runways from any height or distance during the day - dawn, dusk and night are fine.   Tried with DX10 preview off and on, no difference.

 Are you referring to the actual runway lights? During the day they won't be on, just the PAPI's. That's how it is irl until the visibilty starts to drop below 3 miles, but I don't think FSX renders that part.

[firebird6003]

no papi, no lights, no obvious runway environment on which to line up...

[Dave_YVR]

No runway environment at all sounds like the scenery isn't loading. Does this happen every time you load up Vancouver? I've seen it a couple times where the scenery takes a bit to load at first, but then it's fine.

[firebird6003]

scenery loads fine.  I can start a flight in cold and dark with a Captain Sim 727, or running in a default FSX aircraft, take off, etc. but when it switches from dawn to day, the runway environment, PAPI, lights, etc. disappear.  If I've just gone for a circuit, I have to pause the sim, change the time of day to dawn, dusk or night and then everything appears as normal and I can approach and land.  Must be something to do with loading that particular time of day scenery?
Getting a bit frustrated now!