Adding in a Strobe/Flasher for a scenery item

[Don6218]

Hello all, I do hope everyone is practicing safe living.

I would like to create/add a flashing lamp, preferably a strobe type as a Scenery Item so that it could be added wherever needed. Such as a Stopped Track-Truck used as a Static Scenery Item. Just one colour would work for almost everything, a Yellow/Amber such as used on some Locomotives. Also a Red one could be used to simulate the lights at Truck Loading Docks that are close to the rails.

It would be similar to the Shapes used by Vincent Lanza for the Building Mount lamps. Any ideas or how do I start to make/convert one?

[ebnertra000]

The shapes would use the same concept as Vinnie's flashing lights, but I don't know if you could modify them, for legal or logistical reasons. The shape is easy enough to create, and animating shouldn't be too difficult either.

Have you got a particular type in mind? I've got so much signalling equipment (of both rail and roadway varieties) that I may have just such a thing laying around

[rdayt]

I remember a thread from way back when where someone was working on a radio tower with flashing red lights.
Man, that was years ago but I think it would be neat.
How hard is it to model a bright spot in the night?

[qballbandit]

I have a radio tower with flashing and alternating light options. Must have come from some route that's been around for awhile.

[eric]

I've done flashing tower lights before in GMax... not difficult.

One way is to create your light source, and then have a darker colored shape that effectively blocks it via animation... That's how my tower top lights work.

Another is to create an "engine cylinder" function where the light source emerges and retracts. I've done that for crossing lights where alternating action needs to be coordinated.

Also did a set of airport landing strobes where the light object simply jumped between the five towers and then buried itself 100m underground.

Presumably you could do the same in TSM or Blender.

[niknak]

A search of the file library under "animated" brings up ....... radiotowerlights.zip...... Any good?

[Don6218]

The shapes would use the same concept as Vinnie's flashing lights, but I don't know if you could modify them, for legal or logistical reasons. The shape is easy enough to create, and animating shouldn't be too difficult either.

Have you got a particular type in mind? I've got so much signalling equipment (of both rail and roadway varieties) that I may have just such a thing laying around

Yes you must have quite a collection of various lights and animations. I was thinking the type that is commonly used on the cab roof of some of the BN diesel units. They are a convenient size and rotate rather than flash like a strobe. To be placed on a Static Rail Truck or Equipment piece. Thank you for any help on this.

[Don6218]

Thank you all for the responses, let's see what comes around from the people who know how to do these things.

Yes I have the "Tower Flashers" and they do lend a nice touch to night scenes, on smokestacks as well as tall buildings with only the top few lamps visible.