Want to see your tracers and smoke trails better?

[Winston DoRight]

Want to see your tracers and smoke trails better? This simple mod will allow you to better see the tracers and smoke trails fired AT or AROUND you and also quite often you can see your own smoke trails (sky and windscreen conditions permitting) from within your cockpit view, especially when you just can't resist taking that long range deflection shot to help one of your wingmen out. They are not overdone but a good bit more visible than original. Kinda reminds me of the "Flyboys" movie and if you don't like it you can always revert back.

 

Step 1: Download rabu's tracers here: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showt...4&hl=tracer

 

Step 2: After backing up your original files, place Rabu's tracer files in your folder \OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\effects\fxtextures

 

Step 3: Go to your folder: \OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\ and backup your effects.xml file. Now find these lines in your effects.xml file by opening it with notepad:

 

<Tracer_and_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="1.7" TracerWidth="1.7" TracerRorationSpeed="500" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="50" SmokeWidth="1.4" SmokeRorationSpeed="1200" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>

<Tracer_and_Smoke_L ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="2.5" TracerRorationSpeed="500" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="90" SmokeWidth="2" SmokeRorationSpeed="1200" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>

<Tracer_sans_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="1.7" TracerWidth="1.7" TracerRorationSpeed="500" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="0" SmokeWidth="0" SmokeRorationSpeed="0" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>

 

Replace that section of text with the following:

 

<Tracer_and_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="2.5" TracerRorationSpeed="500" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="1000" SmokeWidth="5" SmokeRorationSpeed="1200" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>

<Tracer_and_Smoke_L ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="3.5" TracerWidth="3.5" TracerRorationSpeed="500" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="1000" SmokeWidth="5" SmokeRorationSpeed="1200" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>

<Tracer_sans_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="2.5" TracerRorationSpeed="500" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="1000" SmokeWidth="5" SmokeRorationSpeed="1220" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>

 

Or if the text editor here doesn't get the spaces right, just manually change the TracerLength, TracerWidth, SmokeLength and SmokeWidth values from the original effects.xml file to my modified ones.

 

I hope I explained that well enough?

[UK_Widowmaker]

Sounds good!...but is it possible to see a screenie please, of the new tracer effects in action?

[+Olham]

Yes, come on up with some screenshots, please.

[Creaghorn]

i also would love to see some shots.

here are some pics i just made today in my own modified version with bullets, together with rabu's trailersmoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ingame it looks very good and you can see by far more than on those pics. unfortunately you can hardly see your own trails from VC. but from the others it looks awesome. i changed the bulletsize and colour to greyish and made the sideview a lot thinner and about 100 times longer. the frontview i made lot smaller and also grey, so there are no more tennisballs but some smokepuffs instead.

i would like to compare my version with winston's version.

[Winston DoRight]

Sorry I couldn't get a clear blue sky day where these look great. Every setting I made in QC for spring and summer gave me a grey sky and clouds. Is it really like that in Europe in the summer?

 

First shot is a headon pass at a DVa

Second is tracers and smoke from in the cockpit (look closely, shows better when the sky is clear blue)

Third a DV firing at me from behind, long range

Fourth a DV firing at me from behind at close range

[sitting_duck]

im willing to try anything once....

 

will let you know what i think

[UK_Widowmaker]

Does look pretty cool I must say!... I always liked the tracer effect in IL2..So I may well give it a go too!...well done m8!

[Madmatt]

Sorry I couldn't get a clear blue sky day where these look great. Every setting I made in QC for spring and summer gave me a grey sky and clouds. Is it really like that in Europe in the summer?

 

First shot is a headon pass at a DVa

Second is tracers and smoke from in the cockpit (look closely, shows better when the sky is clear blue)

Third a DV firing at me from behind, long range

Fourth a DV firing at me from behind at close range

 

By the way, what file did you edit to change the default HUD text color? I would like to do the same as I like the color you have much better than the harder to make out default dark blue.

 

Madmatt

[Winston DoRight]

By the way, what file did you edit to change the default HUD text color? I would like to do the same as I like the color you have much better than the harder to make out default dark blue.

 

Madmatt

 

 

Look in this path: C:\Documents and Settings\(your user name)\Application Data\Microsoft\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields

 

for the flie: ViewUI.xml

 

make a copy of it and then you can edit the original file to change colors. for example to change the HUD colors:

 

original dark blue value: <HUDText Color="0xFF0000FF"/>

modified neon blue value: <HUDText Color="0xFF00FFFF"/>

 

Look at this website for the HTML color chart: http://www.immigration-usa.com/html_colors.html

 

you must ignore the beginning 4 characters in the line, 0xFF , and change only the last 6 characters of a color code.

 

 

<HUDText Color="0xFF0000FF"/>

--------------------------->|_____|<------ change these values only

 

<HUDText Color="0xFF0000FF"/>

--------------------->|___|<-------------- ignore these values

[Winston DoRight]

Creaghorn, did you modify Rabu's tracersmoke4.dds file to a lighter grey? I'd love to have my smoke trails just a bit lighter but I have not enough knowledge to do this myself. I think Rabu's tracersmoke4.dds is excellent albeit a bit too dark for me.

[rabu]

Good work, Winston, looking forward to trying the Effects.xml file changes this weekend, I didn't even know there were entries there for the tracers and I can't believe we didn't think of that..

Excellent, and thanks for the effort!

[Winston DoRight]

Good work, Winston, looking forward to trying the Effects.xml file changes this weekend, I didn't even know there were entries there for the tracers and I can't believe we didn't think of that..

Excellent, and thanks for the effort!

 

Glad to be of help. .... and if you ever make your tracersmoke4.dds just a bit lighter in color, I'd like to try it. Now, with the grey color it's too much like the overcast sky color that always seems to be present.

[sitting_duck]

lol...that was absolutley great...

 

would put up a screen shot, but they dont even come close to representing how cool these smoke trails are

 

thanks alot

[rabu]

Glad to be of help. .... and if you ever make your tracersmoke4.dds just a bit lighter in color, I'd like to try it. Now, with the grey color it's too much like the overcast sky color that always seems to be present.

 

OK, see if this works... the attached, tracersmoke4.dds is lighter then the earlier ones. Please let me know if it is any better, but be sure to try it in cloudy/overcast as well as clear weather.

tracersmoke4.zip

[Winston DoRight]

BIG THANKS Rabu! That color is MUCH more visible in the grey overcast skies and I think it will also be better when I get some clear weather. I suggest everyone download your new tracersmoke4.dds file to go with my mods to the effects.xml file.

[Creaghorn]

Creaghorn, did you modify Rabu's tracersmoke4.dds file to a lighter grey? I'd love to have my smoke trails just a bit lighter but I have not enough knowledge to do this myself. I think Rabu's tracersmoke4.dds is excellent albeit a bit too dark for me.

 

i didn't modify tracersmoke at all. i only modified the tracerend and tracerside. tracerend to greyish and much smaller with a kind of puff effect. tracerside i changed to grey, 80% thinner and about 500% longer to get a stream. this stream i modified to be more smokelike and unregurlar with a bit serpentines, so i don't have a perfect straight trailerline when shooting, but more unpredictible lines, as smoke usually is.

 

i would like to see how it would look like when combining your mod with my mod. will try it later.

good job winston

[Winston DoRight]

Creaghorn, be sure to try Rabu's new tracersmoke4.dds file in post #14 above. It's a bit lighter grey color and looks just perfect now I think.

[Creaghorn]

Creaghorn, be sure to try Rabu's new tracersmoke4.dds file in post #14 above. It's a bit lighter grey color and looks just perfect now I think.

 

 

you can bet i will

[tttiger]

Wow!

 

Thanks to both of you!

 

BIG improvement!

 

 

ttt

[Madmatt]

Just letting you know that I really like this new mod. Makes seeing ground fire much easier as well! I am using the lighter color varient that rabu just posted and its easy to see in most weather conditions. A good way to test it is to fire off a long burst while using the FLYBY camera view. Very cool!

 

Madmatt

[Hiccup]

Here is a quick vid. It is easier to see the tracers if you play it in HQ. Now, one thing to note. It is late and I have had many a beers. I am lucky I stayed in the air as long as I did.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__JlT8q4fPU

[themightysrc]

Hiccup,

 

That's a splendid vid - I'm most impressed. Just as a matter of interest, what are your slider settings?

[Peeppu]

Will be your your tracersmoke4.dds in following offical patch please?

[+RAF_Louvert]

This looks like a very good improvement Winston, much better trails on those rounds. I am going to give it a go when I fly this evening. Thanks Sir.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Cameljockey]

Very cool guys, very cool!

 

CJ