[MOD] Coloured Engine Effects and Trails

Familiar · Post by **Familiar** » Wed, 5. May 10, 10:32

Algoran, I've noticed you started to make job already done by draffutt
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... sc&start=0

May be you should cooperate?
I mean he made a lot of vital fixes and I would like to use both fixes and your trails (which is really cool on screenshots)

Edit:
I've tryed your mod. It's not so simple to decide use it or not:
What I like - lens flares, fighter look (exept argon - why such a strange color, not blue ? Doesn't fit argon I think)
As for corvettes - telady osprey looks great, except exhaust bubble texture looks little bit ... worse.
Argon centaur - horrible thin purple trail comming from very cool yellow engines.
And TS - they have awfull engines now. Some static carrots.

My suggestion - 1) may be diffeence in colors should not be so great?
It looks kinda unnatural.
Just a tones of white - light blue - light yellow ?
2) reduse a bit size of lens flare effect and muzzle flash to be more accurate.
3) As for M6 or TS stick to collors in vanilla.

All this is my pure IMHO...

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Thu, 6. May 10, 08:50

I've found a problem with (I assume) the game engine and this mod - there is apparently a limit on how many particles may be onscreen at once. This means when lots of fighters are around the trails start cutting out a short distance from the ship.

In light of this I've reduced the trail lengths again (having made some of them mega long, partially to try and make them viewable from further away and partially cos it was cool), so that'll help. That's version 2b, linked in the OP.

However, the extra emitters which have been added to some ships will increase the particle count, so I'm wondering if I should remove them again..

It's quite ugly when the trails start cutting out.

Anyone have any thoughts on that? I could do a version with and without those extra emitters, even. Btw if you don't know what I'm talking about its the extra trails that for example the teladi fighters have. They all went from one trail to three or four (mostly) depending on the number of actual engines their model has.

Familiar wrote:Algoran, I've noticed you started to make job already done by draffutt
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... sc&start=0

May be you should cooperate?
I mean he made a lot of vital fixes and I would like to use both fixes and your trails (which is really cool on screenshots)

You mean the model file reference fixes I did? That was just a minor change in passing, to actually merge our mods would require a lot of work due to all the changes he makes to ship scene files - which I don't really have the time to do.

Familiar wrote: Edit:
I've tryed your mod. It's not so simple to decide use it or not:
What I like - lens flares, fighter look (exept argon - why such a strange color, not blue ? Doesn't fit argon I think)
As for corvettes - telady osprey looks great, except exhaust bubble texture looks little bit ... worse.
Argon centaur - horrible thin purple trail comming from very cool yellow engines.
And TS - they have awfull engines now. Some static carrots.

My suggestion - 1) may be diffeence in colors should not be so great?
It looks kinda unnatural.
Just a tones of white - light blue - light yellow ?
2) reduse a bit size of lens flare effect and muzzle flash to be more accurate.
3) As for M6 or TS stick to collors in vanilla.

All this is my pure IMHO...

Well, glad you like some of it anyway

Lets see..

Argon: I just found that trail and wanted to use it. Thought it looked alright! I admit it's not great on the centaur though. Too thin, you're right. I may do something about that.

Osprey: Not quite sure what you mean..?

TSes: Eh well I like em well enough, a matter of opinion I guess. They are fud's work, btw. Reason they're static is because its much more effort to make an animated one than a static one, and I'm buggered if I know how!

Colours: Opinion again, I like them lol. I'll keep it in mind though. I would just point out that killerog's mod has much stronger colours than mine - one of the reasons I didn't want to use his in the first place.

Familiar · Post by **Familiar** » Thu, 6. May 10, 09:12

I've found a problem with (I assume) the game engine and this mod - there is apparently a limit on how many particles may be onscreen at once. This means when lots of fighters are around the trails start cutting out a short distance from the ship.

This problem was mentioned by Killjaeden here http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 68#3259868

Osprey: Not quite sure what you mean..?

Seems like I need to make screen shot to explain. (language barrier I think ... ^) )

May the argon have color like terran (I liked it much...

)

As for killerog - yes, your mod is nicer

. Killerog has ships drived by exhausting color soap bubbles ^)

TS es look kinda breaking immersion as x3 is based on "photo-realistic" graphics, not cartooned...
I agree, it's matter of taste. But I'm too lazy to start modding. Instead of it I prefer to drive my harrier hauler from New Income to Ceo's Doubt and back

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Thu, 6. May 10, 11:14

Oh, thanks for the link. It's a known problem then

Familiar wrote: May the argon have color like terran (I liked it much... )

Argon ships should have the terran trail? I like it yea (made it myself

) but it's not blue!

Familiar wrote: As for killerog - yes, your mod is nicer . Killerog has ships drived by exhausting color soap bubbles ^)

I agree there, don't like his bubble trails either

Familiar wrote: TS es look kinda breaking immersion as x3 is based on "photo-realistic" graphics, not cartooned...

I could maybe do a version with the old TS drive colours, if you ask nice

Familiar · Post by **Familiar** » Thu, 6. May 10, 12:22

Argon ships should have the terran trail? I like it yea (made it myself ) but it's not blue!

But not purple

The best option for them I think white-blue
Argon's actually origin is from Terrans

So Argon, Terran and Xenon should have similar colors.

I'm asking nice

btw I've recommended your mod there
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 66#3259966
for better visuals, and you may get new fans

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Thu, 6. May 10, 13:22

Familiar wrote:
Argon ships should have the terran trail? I like it yea (made it myself ) but it's not blue!
But not purple
The best option for them I think white-blue
Argon's actually origin is from Terrans
So Argon, Terran and Xenon should have similar colors.

Well, xenon are blue! I may change the Argon trail in the next version.

Familiar wrote: I'm asking nice

I'll see what I can do...

Familiar wrote: btw I've recommended your mod there
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 66#3259966
for better visuals, and you may get new fans

So I see, thanks

Familiar · Post by **Familiar** » Thu, 6. May 10, 14:00

Algoran, I have an idea about this particle shortage problem.
Depend on game engine mechanics, may be it will help...

If this problem depend on quantity of particles to be drawn (not quantity of trails) may be it possible to make:
1) little bit shorter trails
2) even shorter trails from secondary engines? - is it possible?

StormMagi · Post by **StormMagi** » Thu, 6. May 10, 20:41

Are you planning to add trails to the TS/TM/TP class as well?

Urschleim · Post by **Urschleim** » Thu, 6. May 10, 21:09

always worth to look in the english scr/modding forum

thx for this nice mod!

StormMagi · Post by **StormMagi** » Thu, 6. May 10, 22:49

I am getting a broken file error for the regular 1.2b zip.

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Fri, 7. May 10, 12:06

Familiar wrote:Algoran, I have an idea about this particle shortage problem.
Depend on game engine mechanics, may be it will help...

If this problem depend on quantity of particles to be drawn (not quantity of trails) may be it possible to make:
1) little bit shorter trails
2) even shorter trails from secondary engines? - is it possible?

Trails can be shorter sure, but I don't think its possible to assign more than one type of trail to a single ship - so no, can't have some trails shorter than others.

I was thinking of reducing the particle density slightly though.. probably wouldn't be able to see much difference.

StormMagi wrote:Are you planning to add trails to the TS/TM/TP class as well?

Yep, that's a work in progress. It's done for all the Argon ones, but I might have to rethink the number of trails they've been given now.

StormMagi wrote:I am getting a broken file error for the regular 1.2b zip.

Sorry, don't know what happened there. Upload corrupted itself somehow. Fixed now!

cnecktor · Post by **cnecktor** » Fri, 7. May 10, 16:39

This looks cool I want to try it will I have to make a save in an empty sector to use this?

Never mind I got it to work but due to unexpected things happening in my game. I will stick to using Fud's engine mod.

VladSnakeDragon · Post by **VladSnakeDragon** » Fri, 7. May 10, 17:11

I know probably a stupid question, or I haven't noticed it while skimming through the thread.

But is there a possibility to make it into a .spk file to use with X Plugin Manager Lite? I have Cmod installed that way, and not too sure how this would work, if I have Cmod going through XPM.

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Sat, 8. May 10, 08:37

cnecktor wrote: Never mind I got it to work but due to unexpected things happening in my game. I will stick to using Fud's engine mod.

What do you mean by unexpected things?

VladSnakeDragon wrote:I know probably a stupid question, or I haven't noticed it while skimming through the thread.

But is there a possibility to make it into a .spk file to use with X Plugin Manager Lite? I have Cmod installed that way, and not too sure how this would work, if I have Cmod going through XPM.

I'm not too sure either myself, tbh. I think if you have engine effects loaded after the cat/dat files that XPM makes (with a higher number than them) then you should be right. It would certainly be fine if you put engine effects in your mods folder and activate it from there.

I've uploaded spk versions of 1.2b anyway, you can give it a go and see how it works if you like.

I don't think anything breaks if cmod and engine effects are loaded in the wrong order btw, just some effects won't show up properly.

Sorkvild · Post by **Sorkvild** » Sun, 9. May 10, 22:42

Susanowa prototype model file changed to variant 3

I just acquired this ship. Cockipt scene is messed up!

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Tue, 11. May 10, 08:13

Sorkvild wrote:
Susanowa prototype model file changed to variant 3
I just acquired this ship. Cockipt scene is messed up!

Ah, so it is. Turns out the models not used in the game were not set up quite right, something to do with their turrets I think. There were three unused models, all of which had the same issue. I didn't think to check the cockpit view when I changed them, but I'm surprised no-one has pointed the problem out before now! Thanks for doing so.

Fixed in new version, anyway. I basically copied draffut's changes to fix them - thinking I could maybe incorporate some of his other fixes in my mod actually.

I also dropped the trail density fractionally. Doesn't really look any different, but should help with the particle limit

Familiar · Post by **Familiar** » Tue, 11. May 10, 08:48

Algoran,

I played with your mod more time.
Now I totally addicted

Only 3 thing I think to be adjusted:

1) Argon trails should be more blue, to match engine color.
2) TS TP Engines . They are static and static race colors don't look great imho. The same for M8 (I asked you kindly, remember?)
Or may add some flares without trails? Or may be with thick short trails?
Engine must look like some high energy thing, energy that moves that hell of steel and nostrop oil

3) Some flare textures don't look great. I'll make screen shots and add links to this post in the evening to show what I mean.
Edit: http://picasaweb.google.ru/lh/photo/L5i ... directlink
http://picasaweb.google.ru/lh/photo/25D ... directlink
As you can see this orange circle (or sphere) seems like low res textured

All this is about version 1.2b I'll update to 1.3 today.

Anyway it is the best trails mod for X3 TC.

Algoran · Post by **Algoran** » Tue, 11. May 10, 14:46

Alright well here we go, just for you

:

Engine Effects 1.3 (No TS effects)

Engine Effects 1.3 (No TS effects, Cmod 1.03 compatible)

Removed the new engine textures for TS/TM/TP/M8.

I might have a look at the argon trails. The flare textures I very much doubt I can change whatever it is, they were made by egosoft and I don't know how to edit them - not for lack of trying.

And thankyou

Familiar · Post by **Familiar** » Tue, 11. May 10, 17:30

Algoran,

Oh! I appreciate that! I'll try it out ! Whooaah!

Martox29a · Post by **Martox29a** » Wed, 12. May 10, 04:51

SS_T wrote:they are the different particles, see this screenshot, the ship has three different colours in the trail. At least that is what I have worked out, but i'm not a 100% sure.

In this screenshot stars in the background seem particularly thick and bright, is that a mod? If so, where can i ged it?

By the way this trail mod is fantastic! Only problem: trails on fast ships (like the kestrel) look weird for me, and it's getting more noticeable with turbo booster form the bonus pack. Nothing serious anyway.
I would really love to see some glow and some flares (but no trails!) on capital ships.

Great work!