Using a different contrail...

[Groundbound1]

I've been working on a different contrail effect, and I've been wondering how to direct the planes to use it. It's easy enough to simply replace the old .fx file with my new one renamed, but is there any other way?

[Daube]

Yes there is, you need to edit the aircraft.cfg of each plane, there is a section in which the contrail effect is called if I remember well....
Now that I think about it... I wonder if this particular effect is not hardcoded... maybe overwritting the original file (after having made a backup, of course ) is the best and safer solution.

[microlight]

Hi GB1.

The default high-level contrails are controlled by two files in the 'effects' folder: fx_contrail_l.fx and fx_contrail_s.fx. Back up the originals and rename your new fx files as above, and all planes will then use that contrail. I did exactly this a couple of years ago to make the contrails 3D and rotating, instead of default flat 2D. Let me know if you want me to send you my files.

[Groundbound1]

Thanks for the replys. I was hoping to be able to the new effects unique to each aircraft, but I suppose the "generic" method will have to work.

Daube, I thought that was the case too. I figued they would have been mentioned in the effects section of the aircraft.cfg, but I see now that that isn't the case.

Oh well, even if they won't be unique to each aircraft, they still look better than the default ones.

Thanks again guys.

[Daube]

If you really want to make one effect per aircraft, I think a simple solution would be to add your effect to the plane, and completely delete the original effects.

In that way, an aircraft that you have not edited yet would not have any contrails, and those that you edited will have only the effect that you have chosen You just have to configure your effect so that it activates at a certain altitude, to reproduce the behavior of the original ones... would that be possible ?

[TigerAl]

The default high-level contrails are controlled by two files in the 'effects' folder: fx_contrail_l.fx and fx_contrail_s.fx. Back up the originals and rename your new fx files as above, and all planes will then use that contrail. I did exactly this a couple of years ago to make the contrails 3D and rotating, instead of default flat 2D. Let me know if you want me to send you my files.

3D rotating contrails???!!!???  :o Sounds cool.  Any chance of posting those files to SimV for the world to enjoy?

I'd definitely like to have that!

[microlight]

It's possible to put a 'Contrail=' line in the [Effects] section of the aircraft.cfg file, followed by the filename (no extension), which should over-ride the default: like this:

[EFFECTS]
wake=            fx_wake
water=            fx_spray
dirt=            fx_tchdrt
concrete=      fx_sparks
touchdown=      fx_tchdwn, 1
Contrail=      fx_youreffect


I haven't tried it but I can't see why it wouldn't work.



(EDIT: I just tried it with the default red smoke effect and it worked... although my DC10 looked very strange with red smoke pouring from the back end at 35,000 feet!)  ;D

[Groundbound1]

[quote]It's possible to put a 'Contrail=' line in the [Effects] section of the aircraft.cfg file, followed by the filename (no extension), which should over-ride the default: like this:

[EFFECTS]
wake=            fx_wake
water=            fx_spray
dirt=            fx_tchdrt
concrete=      fx_sparks
touchdown=      fx_tchdwn, 1
Contrail=      fx_youreffect


I haven't tried it but I can't see why it wouldn't work.



(EDIT: I just tried it with the default red smoke effect and it worked... although my DC10 looked very strange with red smoke pouring from the back end at 35,000 feet!)