How to get rid of headlight "lens flares"?

[ColoradoRailfan]

So I tried to remove the lens flare parts from the AC6000CW, I thought they looked unrealistic. But now its showing a "Missing Texture" message. Anyway to get rid of it?

20160501193036_1.jpg

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And these are the files that I removed

lensflare.jpg

[PapaXpress]

You will need to repaint the textures so they are completely transparent. It likely uses an alpha dropout.

[mrennie]

Isn't there an option in the in-game graphics settings to turn off lens flare?

Another option is to edit the headlight bin file to remove the lens flare sections at the end.

[ColoradoRailfan]

You will need to repaint the textures so they are completely transparent. It likely uses an alpha dropout.

So im guessing a conversion from TGPCDX to .ace, then transparent the image using photoshop could work?

Isn't there an option in the in-game graphics settings to turn off lens flare?

Another option is to edit the headlight bin file to remove the lens flare sections at the end.

I wanted to remove the "Sun Flare" section of the headlight part. And im guessing RW Tools would be needed?

[mrennie]

I wanted to remove the "Sun Flare" section of the headlight part. And im guessing RW Tools would be needed?

You can convert the bin files into xml by opening them with serz.exe (located in the Railworks root folder), edit them with notepad++ and convert them back again by opening the xml with serz.exe. However, in some cases it's still easier to use RWTools, or so I've heard (I always edit source blueprint xml files, in the Blueprint Editor).

The headlight blueprints have a section at the end for the "head light flare component". It's main (initial) part has entries that define the "bloom" or "starburst" effect you get around the headlight itself. After that, there are optional entries for "Lens flare", which set up that effect where you see a pattern of hexagonal flares extending into space, simulating the effect you get from a camera. I don't use those on my locos and perhaps that's what you want to remove.

[buzz456]

Just a FYI the nice thing about RWTools is it opens the bin file directly and automatically saves a file called a .bak right next to the modified .bin file so if you mess up you can just go back to the original by changing the suffix.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

When you don't want to edit any bin files, there is an easy way to switch the flares off.

Go into Settings => Graphics => Advanced => Next => untick Headlight flares checkbox.
Press Save and on next start of a scenario the flares should be off.

[ColoradoRailfan]

which set up that effect where you see a pattern of hexagonal flares extending into space, simulating the effect you get from a camera. I don't use those on my locos and perhaps that's what you want to remove.

That is correct, so which file would it be to edit?

filesac6000.jpg

[BNSFdude]

You know the flares are an option setting in game right?

[ColoradoRailfan]

You know the flares are an option setting in game right?

I dont think you understand, I said that I wanted the hexagonal sun flares to be removed, not the whole thing.

[mrennie]

which set up that effect where you see a pattern of hexagonal flares extending into space, simulating the effect you get from a camera. I don't use those on my locos and perhaps that's what you want to remove.

That is correct, so which file would it be to edit?

filesac6000.jpg

Probably all the ones with headlight in the name. Open up each one (as an xml) and check that it says at the top that it's a headlight blueprint, and then look at the end of the file for the section that defines the flares (and delete them).

[railhead001]

I had the same issue with the Justin Cornell G38-2 model and solved it by using the settings suggestion and unchecking the Lens Flare box. Made it a 1000 times betters, thanks for the tip _o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha !

[ColoradoRailfan]

Im getting there, I kinda did it, except there are small white bars on the very top. However, it looks alot better imo without the rays.

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[OldProf]

Something seems to be missing here: how do lens flares from real engines look from the same viewpoints depicted in your TS screen shots? Just curious.

[ColoradoRailfan]

Something seems to be missing here: how do lens flares from real engines look from the same viewpoints depicted in your TS screen shots? Just curious.

DSC_0117headlightcomparison.jpg

Kinda bad photo, but in it, I dont see any headlight "flares"