Anybody knows how to program the smoke system?

[akka]

I know we can use the smoke system to program special effects in fs2004 like dropping bombs and missiles.

Anybody know what all the parameters in the smoke system like
particle attributes stands for?

Also I have a problem with the bmp files used in the texture file of the effects. I understand that fs2004 can only take bmp files of a max size of 512x512. I scanned a AIM120 from the net, convert it to bmp size only 16K well below the 512x512. Put it to the test and it only show up as a white square in fs2004. Anybody knows what happened?

[FridayChild]

Make love, not war  :P

[pepper_airborne]

I know we can use the smoke system to program special effects in fs2004 like dropping bombs and missiles.

Anybody know what all the parameters in the smoke system like
particle attributes stands for?

I wouldnt know anything about how this works, but my geuss would be that you control how the emitter works(the emitter is where the particles come from).

Also I have a problem with the bmp files used in the texture file of the effects. I understand that fs2004 can only take bmp files of a max size of 512x512. I scanned a AIM120 from the net, convert it to bmp size only 16K well below the 512x512. Put it to the test and it only show up as a white square in fs2004. Anybody knows what happened?

it is the dimention, not the size, this means the image needs to be in a power of 2 and can only be rectangle, so valid sized would be 32x32, 63x63, 128x128, 256x256  etc. I dont the size really matters. There was also something about the BMP type. FS uses something called the extended bitmap format along with the normal BMP. Maby this is causing your problem. What is the bitdepth of the bitmap youre using?

[akka]

Hi Pepper

The emitter is the particle generator as I have figured that out. The particle itself is the important part as it is the object that is being displayed. If the particle texture is a missile, then U have missiles coming out rather than smoke when U press "I". I have also figured out some attributes too which is quite easy to guess if one has any programming background. The the face attribute the three parameters means whether U want to display x,y,z dimension of the bmp. x goal means how far you want the particle to emit etc but there are some which I have no clue at all.

The AIM120C missile I scanned from the web has a size of 497x132 which is in jpeg format. I use photoshop to convert it to bmp 16bit color depth (X1,R5,B5,G5 RBG system) scale it down so that it size is the same as another missile I got from TU-95 package which works. I have also tried other depths 24bit and 32 bit too. All doesn't work. Still get a rectangle either white or blue when fired from all the combat aircraft I tried. I have all modern US, Russian, Sweden, South Africa, French and German combat aircrafts in my collection. All of them works the same. Any solutions or suggestions?

[pepper_airborne]

Ah the dimension of the image is wrong, it needs to be in a so called power of 2, so that both sides(X, Y) are both as long as the other, this is usualy done in 1024x1024, 512x512 in engines. Although some engines also support combinations of those lengths(32x 512 etc). You should also try converting it to 8bith depth. This is done by changing it to indexed color in photoshop if im right(did it just a few days ago, long live my short term memory ).

I think somewhere along the line the program forgets, doesnt know, or cant read the image file, since you get a white rectangle. I havent messed around with effects a lot, but it could be that the texture is in the wrong location. I presume your working from the effects folder?

[akka]

Hi Pepper

I have solved the problem already. It may be something to do with size but the missiles from the Tu95 package also have a different x,y dimension but it works. It has to do with the format. U have to convert the image to "Extend Bitmap" format for it to work. I convert all my missiles and laser guide bombs pics using DTXbmp program and now it works perfectly. Now all the AIM120C ,GBU-24, Tomahawks show up clearly. Now I have to figure out how to get these bombs and missiles different flight characteristics by altering the parameters of the effect files. I have been using the effect files of the KH95 missile from the Tu95 package as a blueprint. However, this works more like a laser guided bomb rather than a air to air missile or a cruise missile.

As you have fiddle with the effect files a lot. Do U have any idea what the parameters in the [emitter] and [particle] stands for besides the obvious ones. Also any idea how to control the size of the fireballs.

It would be nice if some can write an XML file that can use this missiles to track down the AI aircraft and destroy them.

Any idea pepper?

[Fozzer]

Hi Pepper

I have solved the problem already. It may be something to do with size but the missiles from the Tu95 package also have a different x,y dimension but it works. It has to do with the format. U have to convert the image to "Extend Bitmap" format for it to work. I convert all my missiles and laser guide bombs pics using DTXbmp program and now it works perfectly. Now all the AIM120C ,GBU-24, Tomahawks show up clearly. Now I have to figure out how to get these bombs and missiles different flight characteristics by altering the parameters of the effect files. I have been using the effect files of the KH95 missile from the Tu95 package as a blueprint. However, this works more like a laser guided bomb rather than a air to air missile or a cruise missile.

As you have fiddle with the effect files a lot. Do U have any idea what the parameters in the [emitter] and [particle] stands for besides the obvious ones. Also any idea how to control the size of the fireballs.

It would be nice if some can write an XML file that can use this missiles to track down the AI aircraft and destroy them.

Any idea pepper?
::)

When it comes to FS '98, FS 2000, FS 2002, FS 2004, FSX, ....and Civilian Aircraft, I still favour Friday's recommendation!...>>>

[quote]Make love, not war

[Groundbound1]

The FS9 special effects SDK can be VERY usefull when trying to decifer parameters.

[pepper_airborne]

I reckon it could be possible to make it go to the nearest AI aircraft since you can trace there XYZ coordinates, you could pass this data back to a carrier that emits the effect( in our case the missle). If it gets within a certain range of the target aircraft then it might be possible to remove it from the flightlist or change its display properties, although i am in no way familiar with FS programming.

[akka]

Thanks Grondbond1. Your SDK for FS9 has been very useful. I think I will get all my missiles and bombs working in no time.

Also a word to Fozzer and Friday Child. Don't worry, I'm all for peace and no war. I will not bomb San Francisco into the stone age or fire a missile at somebody in any multi-player game. I usually fly civil jets and heavies all around the world but it is certainly fun to play around with military jets of all sorts especially when U can play with something U can do with civil jets. How can U do a high angle of attack climb with a jumbo or land on an aircraft carrier or do SVTOL ? Playing with planes like the F-22A or Su-37, Harrier,F-35C and FA-18E gives U something new and interesting to do or otherwise put some punch into an old dog.

[Fozzer]

Thanks Grondbond1. Your SDK for FS9 has been very useful. I think I will get all my missiles and bombs working in no time.

Also a word to Fozzer and Friday Child. Don't worry, I'm all for peace and no war. I will not bomb San Francisco into the stone age or fire a missile at somebody in any multi-player game. I usually fly civil jets and heavies all around the world but it is certainly fun to play around with military jets of all sorts especially when U can play with something U can do with civil jets. How can U do a high angle of attack climb with a jumbo or land on an aircraft carrier or do SVTOL ? Playing with planes like the F-22A or Su-37, Harrier,F-35C and FA-18E gives U something new and interesting to do or otherwise put some punch into an old dog.

;D

WOWZERS!...akka... :o...

So many "Text Speak" "U's" in one Post!... :o...!

Don't YOU just love the alternative to the standard English written and spoken Language?... ::)...

...NAH!...... ;D...!

Paul....G-BPLF.... ;D...!

FS 2004...and a few General Aviation, Cessna 152's and Beech Baron 58's.....without missile avoidance systems fitted!.... :o... :o... :o...!

A familiar sight in England.....

You Ewe...>>>>

;.... ... ...!

[microlight]

Cackle!

And don't forget that you can do all this good stuff with missiles and effects - but they won't actually do anything in FS9 as it's not programmed to be a Combat Flight Simulator - you need something with a suspiciously similar name to be able to do that! You might be able to get fireballs close to the AI planes, but they'll still fly serenely on their way...

[Boikat]

akka:

After you hammer out all the details and have it working the way you like, you might want to consider packaging up the effects and a "how to install" into a zip folder and up-loading it as an add-on.

Or at the very least, post a "How to" (possibly down in the "design" forums)

[Vuikag]

Time to show those cessna caravans whats what!

[akka]

Will consider posting in the design forum when everything is done. I found a CFS2 SAM upload which is very interesting. See if I can adapt it to FS9.

Though FS9 is not design for combat and true the AI planes will fly on and buildings in London will still be there after the explosions and smoke, it is nonetheless fun to be able to do something fun and different with the landscape and planes in an otherwise "run of the mill" routine from point A to point B. That is why we have so many military aircraft for FS9 and FSX.

Cessnas are just too slow and unexicting for me.  :o
I like to fly something big and preferably supersonic.