Extremely Dark Night Textures (Outside & Cockpit)

[marinosk]

Hello,

I have installed P3D v4.4 in a brand new hard disk a couple of days ago. I am having an issue with night textures - especially when inside the virtual cockpit.

This is what I see:

It's impossible to see anything - and only by chance you are able to light up dome lights and been able to see a few things.

On the outside, the case is also the same, however it does not pose such a problem since I fly from the cockpit:

I have deleted shaders folder and Prepar3D cfg as instructed in another thread of this forum. I have turned HDR lighting on and off with no real improvement.

The images posted are from a payware airport (FlyTampa Athens) and a payware aircraft (Majectic Dash 8Q400). The same behavior is also present in default aircrafts.

Is this normal? Or I am missing something? I understand that this is in favor of realism (which I am all in) but it is too much not to be able to see absolutely anything.

[reliablebeam]

I'm afraid I am getting the same problem. The only things I've been able to dig out is the new moon phase functionality makes it quite dark externally if there's no moon on this particular date (try adjusting the date a bit to full moon and I notice it's a lot brighter). Of course it's frustrating and unrealistic that apron lights aren't giving some illumination at an airport. Any ideas would be appreciated, I get this at default and add on airports!

[Martyson]

@marinosk

Hello,

"I have installed P3D v4.4 in a brand new hard disk a couple of days ago. I am having an issue with night textures - especially when inside the virtual cockpit. "

Some airports are not well lit.

That poses some initial problems without a virtual flashlight.

How are you doing getting your pre-flight done in the VC of your favorite aircraft?

[TYR521]

And i believed i messed up something with the shaders while i testing new things and presets with tomatoshade. i always have a backup of the original shader files even when Programms like tomatoshade already make a backup. And i also have a backup of the original sky textures, these has also a massive impact on how day and night looks like.

I'm gone completely back to the original textures and shaders but the night ist still massive dark. Then i checked a Moon-phase calendar, this one https://www.moongiant.com/phase/today/ Like you can see the site says there is at the moment January 6th 0% Illumination of the Moon, that's probably the case that it is so dark in the sim. On 21st January is full Moon, and look at that, everything is bright in the sim like it should be. BUT, we all know because of light-pollution the night even at new Moon is not completely dark.

But i'm pretty sure that this new Moon-phase simulation is a shader thing, and maybe it is possible to fine tune it, and bring again light to the dark.

[marinosk]

How are you doing getting your pre-flight done in the VC of your favorite aircraft?

Hi @Martyson,

I am currently flying the Majestic Dash8-Q400. In order to perform the pre-flight I have to have the dome light on. Otherwise I am randomly pressing buttons and turning knobs as I do not see a thing. Basically whenever I have to do an action on the cockpit that is not linked to my joystick / controller and does not have to do with the auto pilot (ie, turn on / off the anti-ice, or lock/unlock the throttle lock) I have to turn on the dome light as it is much easier to see what you are doing.

[marinosk]

@TYR521

I am always flying on the exact date - I have never thought of changing that. I like the fact that it is darker than FSX (which I was using till a couple of weeks ago), but it is TOO dark. And the fact that you have to light the dome lights to see where the switches / knobs are, is a bit frustrating.

[Martyson]

How are you doing getting your pre-flight done in the VC of your favorite aircraft?

Hi @Martyson,

I am currently flying the Majestic Dash8-Q400. In order to perform the pre-flight I have to have the dome light on. Otherwise I am randomly pressing buttons and turning knobs as I do not see a thing. Basically whenever I have to do an action on the cockpit that is not linked to my joystick / controller and does not have to do with the auto pilot (ie, turn on / off the anti-ice, or lock/unlock the throttle lock) I have to turn on the dome light as it is much easier to see what you are doing.

I do not understand where the problem is.
If you need to use the dome light for preflight that is ok.

[marinosk]

The problem lies in the fact that when you are flying and you need to turn on the anti-ice (for example) you shouldn't have to turn on the dome lights to find the switches. You should be able to see them - even slightly. I do not see them at all.

[Martyson]

The problem lies in the fact that when you are flying and you need to turn on the anti-ice (for example) you shouldn't have to turn on the dome lights to find the switches. You should be able to see them - even slightly. I do not see them at all.

I do not have the Majestic Dash8-Q400.

I would assume the plane has panel lights?

[marinosk]

It has dome lights that light the cockpit and panel lights.

[Martyson]

It has dome lights that light the cockpit and panel lights.

I just did a quick search.

Is this what you do for night ops ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78O2rqPxErA

[marinosk]

Very good video. Pls check the image I have posted here in the first post vs the initial seconds of the video, where the dome lights are not on. You are able to clearly identify where every knob and switch is. In my case, you are not.

[Martyson]

Very good video. Pls check the image I have posted here in the first post vs the initial seconds of the video, where the dome lights are not on. You are able to clearly identify where every knob and switch is. In my case, you are not.

Right, I seen your first post here.

I do not have that aircraft so I cannot test.

Where is the light in dimly lit VC in the video coming from while in flight?

Is your version of the aircraft updated for your version of P3D?

Have you asked Majestic Support?

[marinosk]

I have checked the default aircraft as well and the case is the same. Total darkness. So it is not a case of this particular aircraft - that is why I have not checked with Majestic. Same happens in PMDG aircraft - I have another thread open in our local (Greek) forum, and I see pictures where the virtual cockpit of the 737 is in the same situation.

So I am assuming that this is an "issue" of the platform - that is why I opened this thread here.

[Martyson]

I have checked the default aircraft as well and the case is the same. Total darkness. So it is not a case of this particular aircraft - that is why I have not checked with Majestic. Same happens in PMDG aircraft - I have another thread open in our local (Greek) forum, and I see pictures where the virtual cockpit of the 737 is in the same situation.

So I am assuming that this is an "issue" of the platform - that is why I opened this thread here.

I will load the PMDG737 at the Athens airport right now and have a look around.