So Coxxon, how have you spent 2015?

[Commando]

Would be nice if the bomber supported the same engine flames that hovercraft units use. Especially for the engines on that bomber.

[General BlackDragon]

Yeah, APC's too.

[coxxon]

Well real life is making a bigger intrusion on me, so my amount of modding time has significantly dropped. I still hope to get the mod out in Sept, but I have less time than before to work on it. So let me try to get a little help here:

1 - On the bomber and apc door animation. Since I’m not really a programmer I don’t know how to do it myself, but if any of you can send me a copy of the FULL files and where to place them, I’m willing to find the time to rework the models to take advantage of the anim. Either PM me on this site with their contents or post the full file text in this thread, or send me a download link.

APC/Bomber/Archer flames – It’s different than the standard flames, but I’ve already taken care of these with some pretty decent substitutes.

2 – Does anyone know how to get the crash chunk explosion file to work on scavs servs, gtows, walkers, cons, deployed scavs? This is a chunk explosion file, not the chunk effects in the odf, which isn’t working for them either in most cases. Basically hover vehicles and standard buildings blow into good chunks, but that’s it. Same response method as above please.

3 – Dust trails. I’ve implemented dust trails similar to BZ1, and they look pretty good, BUT, they follow the vehicle when it leaves the ground, making it look more like exhaust at times rather than dust. I noticed that the version GSH did stays on the ground (but it’s not configurable, and I want something that looks a little more natural), and I’m thinking maybe the BZClassic mod ones do to. Can anyone share the code/config/sample files to do this?

4 – I’m generally willing to add in replacement visual effects/sounds/anims from the community if you have the materials to contribute. Though I'll have the final say on inclusion (I really don’t want to do anything that throws off the stock game too badly). It needs to be something that can be dropped in with a minimum of effort. ... new Mire trees, and stab cannon sound effects would be nice

Contributors to any of the above will receive credit in the mod’s readme file.

[Commando]

I had put in a request to cull effects based on a ship's altitude. I'll have to look up the command when I get home. In the meantime, it should be listed in one of the changelogs.

[Red Devil]

tried this one for effect altitude yet (there is an update on them, line 2121, Changelog_pb5.txt)

[GameObjectClass]
effectMinAltitude1 .. effectMinAltitude16 = -1e30
effectMaxAltitude1 .. effectMaxAltitude16 = 1e30

If an object's height is between the min & max altitudes, then it's
enabled. If it's not, it should be disabled. Note: in order to make
this go a bit faster, a min <= -1e29 or a max >= 1e29 won't be
considered. You should never be that far off the ground, though. [NM]


also found this in Changelog_pb4.txt


[BuildingClass]
collapseTime = 1.5 // == 0.0 for SIGN. Not new, just documenting it.
UseCollapse = true // Default: True if not sign and collapseTime > 0.0
UseChunks = false
UseExplosion = false // Default: opposite of UseCollapse.

Previously, the collapse and explosion were mutually exclusive. Now,
they only default that way. UseChunks defaults to false, but if set to
true, it needs the following entries set up, though NOT under the normal
spot of [CraftClass]

[GameObjectClass]
ExplosionEnergy = 1000.0 // How much "energy" is passed in to the vehicle explosion
NumChunks1 .. NumChunks5 = -1 // # of chunks per chunk type. max = 10
NumChunks = -1 // # of chunks overall. -1 = autodetermine, max = 25
chunkEffect1 .. chunkEffect5 = "iochnk01.xsi" .. "iochnk05.xsi"
HasSeparateChunks = false // if true, then it reads SeparateChunkEffect1 .. SeparateChunkEffect5
SeparateChunkEffect1 = "iochnk01.xsi"
...
SeparateChunkEffect5 = "iochnk05.xsi"
xplChunk = ...
xplCrash = ...
damageEffect1 .. damageEffect4 = "dmgvhcl1" .. "dmgvhcl4"
ExplodeSound = // "blah.wav"
LeaveExplodeScorch = true // If craft can scorch, why shouldn't buildings?

You might be tempted to move these items to [GameObjectClass] for
both craft & buildings. That'd be bad. For all crafts, it'll still
look for those items under [CraftClass], like it normally did. If a
craft has these items under [GameObjectClass] and [CraftClass], then
the entries under CC will win. Note: this code compiles, but is pretty
much untested. [NM]

[General BlackDragon]

The smoke effect needs to be simulateBase = "sim_dust" to spawn on the ground.

Code: Select all

[dustemit1]
simulateBase = "sim_dust"
renderBase = "draw_emit"
emitName = "BZCdust.dustcloud1" //BZCdustsprite" //Bad, renders get culled if more then 4 ships are in view, doesn't look right. Stick with simple dust.
emitDelay = 0.075 //0.067 //0.075 //0.06
emitDelayVar = 0.1
emitVelocity = "1.6 0.4 0.8" //2.0 0.5 1.0
emitVelocityVar = "2.0 0.0 1.0"
emitVariance = "6.0 4.0 6.0"
//emitInherit = "-0.1 0.0 -0.1"

[dustcloud1]
simulateBase = "sim_dust"
lifeTime = 0.5
renderBase = "draw_twirl"
textureName = "BZCdusta8.tga" //"dustb.tga" //"smoke.tga"
textureBlend = "srcalpha invsrcalpha modulatealpha"
startColor = "125 134 150 240" //"220 220 240 240"
finishColor = "125 134 150 0" // "210 210 230 0"
startRadius = 0.96 //0.75  //1.2
finishRadius = 3.6 //3.0 //4.5
animateTime = 0.5
rotationrate = 5.0

Also, the default dust is configurable, sligthly. But i also didn't like the way it renders :3

Also, you can modulate it based on Speed as well, so ships that are NOT moving do not generate Dust.

Code: Select all

[GameObjectClass]
effectHard1 = "HP_EMIT_1" 
effectName1 = "BZCdust.dustemit" 
effectMinAltitude1 = 0.0
effectMaxAltitude1 = 4.0  
effectMinVelocity1 = 3.0
effectMaxVelocity1 = 1000.0 //Nothing in BZ should EVER go this fast.

[coxxon]

tried this one for effect altitude yet ...

Yup, I had found those different things and have been working with them. The NumChunks version works pretty well with hover vehicles and standard buildings. But you can also write up a crash explosion odf that allows you to specify more than five pieces, which is even better. Basically the chunks each are treated as a particles. Most of the vehicles that I use that with explode into a dozen or more distinct pieces. The problem I'm having is that neither the NumChunks version or the crash explosion odf work with gun towers/spires, deployed scav buildings, walkers, constructors, and are inconsistent with vehicle scavs. I think I can go back to the NumChunks with the vehicle scavs and service trucks, but I still can't get anything to work with the gun towers, deployed scavs, and walking things.
It wouldn't be the end of the world if I couldn't get it figured out, but it would be nice to have them for consistency in the effects. Plus I just like stuff that blows ups good.

[coxxon]

The smoke effect needs to be simulateBase = "sim_dust" to spawn on the ground.

Thanks for the info, I now have a better understanding (I hope) of particles. I've tried working with them, and have gotten various results - I was tempted to use the Tron light cycle wall version I stumbled on. Though, I think I'm going to ultimately stick with what I have, mainly because the dust effect animates better, and it doesn't give the sprite slicing into the ground (if that makes sense).

[coxxon]

delete'n this'un

[coxxon]

I had put in a request to cull effects based on a ship's altitude. I'll have to look up the command when I get home. In the meantime, it should be listed in one of the changelogs.

uh what did you have in mind? certain effects can be set to be different based on altitude, but I'm not sure if any existing stock odfs have effects where that ability would be useful.

[Commando]

I believe said feature was implemented already. I made the request so dust wouldnt be rendered for ships too high off of the ground.

[General BlackDragon]

The problem I'm having is that neither the NumChunks version or the crash explosion odf work with gun towers/spires, deployed scav buildings, walkers, constructors, and are inconsistent with vehicle scavs.

Gun Towers/Vehicles: Make sure the ChunkEffect stuff is under [CraftClass]


Buildings: Make sure the ChunkEffect stuff is under [GameObjectClass] and that you have:

Code: Select all

[BuildingClass]
UseCollapse = false // Default: True if not sign and collapseTime > 0.0
UseChunks = true
UseExplosion = true

There's also this:

Code: Select all

[GameObjectClass]
UseVehicleCrashOnDeath = true

   If false, will not generate a copy of the vehicle geometry that's
flying to the ground after death. [NM]

[coxxon]

I believe said feature was implemented already. I made the request so dust wouldnt be rendered for ships too high off of the ground.

I've been using speed and altitudes limiters for my dust effects, so I think I've got you covered for my mod. Usually dust cuts off at 3m high or less than 10m/s, or for apc/bomber, doesn't come on until around 15+m high.

[coxxon]

Gun Towers/Vehicles: Make sure the ChunkEffect stuff is under ...

Yup, I've been doing the three under the building section.
And, I tried out the crash model line a couple of days ago, with no results - well actually it worked on the ivscav, but only the ivscav. I'll try it again though with just the gun tower. Maybe I missed something.

...some minutes later...
okay tried it again with ibgtow. Still no joy, but what's weird is that even though I used UseCollapse = false, UseChunks = true, UseExplosion = true, it still collapsed and used the custom explosion effect file - but not the custom crash explosion file (which I had done a double check on to make sure it actually existed).

...some more minutes later...
I also tried having the NumChunks version included back in (along with the custom crash explosion). Gtow still just collapsed, no chunks, and UseCollapse = false.

[General BlackDragon]

For gun towers / buildings try putting these under [GameObjectClass] instead of [CraftClass]? Tho I suspect GT's may still use it under [CraftClass], but my ODFs could have it under wrong section

explosionName = "blah"
xplChunk = "blah"
xplCrash = "blah"