FX files:- why do some effects repeat, but others don't?

[UncleTgt]

So I'm working on effects files, trying a variety of things:

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a smoke generator vehicle, so you can spawn it mid-mission & have your DD escorts begin laying smoke...

That required the creation of a smokescreen effect...

 

[UncleTgt]

Or some longer lasting oil fire effects, they don't seem to last long enough, or have large enough black plumes of smoke. Which resulted in me looking at Skylane's excellent predam objects, as I tried to develop some better looking oil fire effects.

 

[UncleTgt]

Both use transparent pyramid objects, with the effects placed in the DP file.

I'm using Arno's beta FXviewer tool (just like MCX), & noticed that some fx files repeat & cycle, but others don't.

For instance there are 3 artillery effects. In FXviewer these all cycle & repeat, as though they never switch off.

AF's mortar_expl effect only plays once. Any of the grndexpl effects similarly play only once.

But, I can't see any obvious differences in the code used (either in Notepad or FXviewer).

Does anyone know which value in the fx file are responsible for this repeating?

 

[UncleTgt]

I stumbled across a sort of answer to this.

ALL the emitters used in an effect must have their lifetime set to 0.00, 0.00. I guess the sim reads this as infinity.

BUT

If you have a complex effect, you may then need to adjust each emitters "rate" (the rate it creates particles) to match the whole effect lifetime.

BTW here's a link for FXEditor (not FXviewer as I called it in the posts above)

FXEditor | SceneryDesign.org

 

[Shessi]

Hi UT,
Hmmmm...very interesting Mr Bond...

Thanks for the Fseditor info, not seen that before, will have a play.

The only thing I've done is alter effects like a wake or weapon smoke/fire, and it's quite complicated understanding what each part does in the effect, as there's no manual for it! So good on yer for looking into them.

Cheers

Shessi

 

[kdriver]

The smoke screen effect looks great John. More realistic effects for oil files would be welcome - especially for Dunkirk, Palembang and Ploesti missions.

 

[UncleTgt]

Kev,

I think a black smoke pillar rising to 15000ft (ref. Dunkirk) might break the sim .

But some larger & longer lasting oilfires are desparately needed. For instance, the RAF used the oil smoke column as a VFR nagivational reference when operating around Dunkirk. You just couldn't do that using the current set of effects.

Besides new effects, this would also mean updating some relevant object DPs to use the new effects.

 

[UncleTgt]

on a different subject...

I think I have developed a "Verey Light" object effect that works quite well in the sim. The attached screengrabs were all taken at dusk so you can see the effect more easily.

Like the modified volcano effect object, I find it works best as an invisible vehicle object, that you can create a trigger & spawn as an event within the mission.

IT fires once only, & the effect dies after 40-44 secs.

ASR/Dumbo missions might be a little more immersive with it ...

 

[kdriver]

Perfect timing John - look what Captain Kurt has made for his WW1 German two-seaters.

Martin Klein and I have turned it into a weapon which can be added to the payload via the aircraft DP.

All we need now is a single shotgun sound.