Blackburn32 110 Posted February 22, 2016 I've looked but cannot find, is there a thicker and longer contrail effect out there that lasts longer? I personally think they are a little under par at the moment. I have tried testing new contrail effects but have been unsuccessful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fubar512 1,350 Posted February 22, 2016 The current stock contrail effect is essentially nothing more than a "ribbon" that's repeated every few moments, and dates back to the inception of the first series, prior to 2002 (I recall first seeing it in a preview article, circa Summer of 2001). I've tried creating a whispy, smokey effect, with limited success. It winds up unconvincingly short, due to a built-in limitation in the number of particles that can be rendered per effect. I have tried reducing the particle count as well, which then causes the effect to resemble disassociated puffs of smoke. I have a video of that somewhere on a backup drive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackburn32 110 Posted February 22, 2016 What happened to Lexx's Siberian Sky? Was that not transferable to SF2? Because he was able to create very convincing contrails that were visible at pretty impressive ranges. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fubar512 1,350 Posted February 22, 2016 What happened to Lexx's Siberian Sky? Was that not transferable to SF2? Because he was able to create very convincing contrails that were visible at pretty impressive ranges. IIRC, he gave up on that when he discovered that SF2 handled lighting and effects differently. You can always search for it try adapting the contrails, to SF2 but I doubt that they'll last more than a few hundred meters behind the aircraft, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackburn32 110 Posted February 22, 2016 I've already tried to adapt his contrails with no such luck. I've also attempted with his missile effects which I thought were more accurate than current SF2 effects IMHO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Stary 2,427 Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) Fubar and Lexx were both up to something as I recall, with Lexx contrails being very conviencing despite using stretched particle (ribbon), the particles limits can be extended but the engine can't handle much of particles spawned/displayed anyway Edited February 23, 2016 by Stary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stick 773 Posted June 20, 2016 I got Lexx's contrails to work in SF2. Will post them here if anybody cares to incorporate them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicholas Bell 117 Posted June 20, 2016 Yes, please! Gave up myself after an hour or so. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stick 773 Posted June 20, 2016 Naturally, what you have to do is first download the original files here: http://combatace.com/files/file/7046-siberian-sky-contrails-for-strategic-air-warfare/ Then we tweak. The relevant call out in the AIRCRAFTOBJECT.ini file under [Effects] is ContrailEmitter=ContrailEmitter. In my meagre experience changing this to Contrail-80 or any other entry porks the effect. Therefore, I make no change to ContrailEmitter=ContrailEmitter under [Effects] in the AIRCRAFTOBJECT.ini So what I did instead was rename sss-Exhaust Contrail.ini as provided by Lexx in the above link to ContrailEmitter. The contents of this file must be amended to the following with special emphasis on highlighted portions since these have been changed. [EmitterType001] Name=ContrailEmitter EmissionType=POINT_EMITTER UpdateType=NON_MOVING MaxVisibleDistance=20000 //edit to taste referring to appropriate Flightengine.ini settings// EmissionRate=0.5 ParticleUpdateType=RANDOM_MOVING ParticleRenderType=CONNECTED_SPRITE ParticleLifeTime=80 ParticleLifeTimeDeviation=0.3 ParticleRandomness=0.0 ParticleWindFactor=1 ParticleColorTableType=TABLE ParticleColor[01].Time=0 ParticleColor[01].Value=0,0,0,0 ParticleColor[02].Time=0.01 ParticleColor[02].Value=0.40,0.35,0.30,0 ParticleColor[03].Time=0.16 ParticleColor[03].Value=0.45,0.40,0.35,0 ParticleColor[04].Time=1 ParticleColor[04].Value=0,0,0,0 ParticleSizeTableType=TABLE ParticleSize[01].Time=0 ParticleSize[01].Value=0 ParticleSize[02].Time=0.005 ParticleSize[02].Value=2 ParticleSize[03].Time=0.02 ParticleSize[03].Value=10 ParticleSize[04].Time=0.48 ParticleSize[04].Value=90 ParticleSize[05].Time=1 ParticleSize[05].Value=20 BaseSizeDeviation=0 TextureMaterial=ContrailMaterial //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ContrailMaterial] EffectShaderName=effectLightLevel.fx DepthBufferCheck=TRUE DepthBufferWrite=FALSE IgnoreRenderOrder=FALSE AlphaTestEnabled=FALSE LightEnabled=FALSE UseLightLevel=TRUE SpecularEnabled=FALSE EmissiveEnabled=FALSE AmbientColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000 DiffuseColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000 ZBufferOffset=0.0000000 PriorityLevel=0 BlendOp=BLEND_INV_SRC_ALPHA_ADD_SRC NumTextureStages=1 TextureStage[01].TextureName=ss-Contrail.tga TextureStage[01].MipMap=FALSE TextureStage[01].FilterEnabled=TRUE TextureStage[01].StageColorOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE TextureStage[01].StageAlphaOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE Note, I eliminate extraneous entries, retaining only the entry of my choice being Contrail-80 since the ParticleLifeTime is purportedly 80 seconds, renaming it however to ContrailEmitter so that the call out matches the same in the AIRCRAFTOBJECT.ini under [Effects]. It would certainly help to read Lexx's instructions in order to familiarize oneself with the working of the mod. Hope this works for folks here. Good Hunting All! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+CrazyhorseB34 937 Posted June 20, 2016 HA! We do have a "Chem Trail Mod!" Ha! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeanba 1,920 Posted June 21, 2016 HA! We do have a "Chem Trail Mod!" Ha! It should be included as a weapon 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+EMCON360 215 Posted June 21, 2016 I Prefer Volumetric ContrailEmitter [EmitterType001]Name=ContrailEmitterEmissionType=POINT_EMITTERUpdateType=NON_MOVINGMaxVisibleDistance=18000.000000EmissionRate=0.060000ParticleUpdateType=RANDOM_MOVINGParticleRenderType=SPRITEParticleRandomOrientation=TRUEParticleLifeTime=10.000000ParticleLifeTimeDeviation=0.3ParticleWeight=0.00000ParticleWindFactor=0.5ParticleColorTableType=TABLEParticleColor[01].Time=0.000000ParticleColor[01].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.000000ParticleColor[02].Time=0.020000ParticleColor[02].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.100000ParticleColor[03].Time=0.160000ParticleColor[03].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.800000ParticleColor[04].Time=1.000000ParticleColor[04].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.200000ParticleSizeTableType=TABLEParticleSize[01].Time=0.000000ParticleSize[01].Value=0.000000ParticleSize[02].Time=0.005000ParticleSize[02].Value=0.500000ParticleSize[03].Time=0.040000ParticleSize[03].Value=4.000000ParticleSize[04].Time=0.300000ParticleSize[04].Value=9.000000BaseSizeDeviation=0TextureMaterial=SmokeTrailMaterial [smokeTrailMaterial]EffectShaderName=effectLightLevel.fxDepthBufferCheck=TRUEDepthBufferWrite=FALSEIgnoreRenderOrder=FALSEAlphaTestEnabled=FALSELightEnabled=FALSEUseLightLevel=TRUESpecularEnabled=FALSEEmissiveEnabled=FALSEAmbientColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000DiffuseColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000ZBufferOffset=0.000000PriorityLevel=0BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHANumTextureStages=1TextureStage[01].TextureName=SMOKETRAIL.tgaTextureStage[01].MipMap=FALSETextureStage[01].FilterEnabled=TRUETextureStage[01].StageColorOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSETextureStage[01].StageAlphaOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE ContrailEffect [EffectType001]Name=ContrailEffectElement[01].ElementType=HOLD_EMITTERElement[01].ElementName=ContrailEmitterElement[01].StartTime=0.000000Element[01].StartTimeDeviation=0.000000Element[01].EjectTime=-1.000000Element[01].EjectTimeDeviation=0.000000 [EmitterType001]Name=ContrailEmitterEmissionType=POINT_EMITTERUpdateType=NON_MOVINGMaxVisibleDistance=18000.000000EmissionRate=0.060000ParticleUpdateType=RANDOM_MOVINGParticleRenderType=SPRITEParticleRandomOrientation=TRUEParticleLifeTime=10.000000ParticleLifeTimeDeviation=0.3ParticleWeight=0.00000ParticleWindFactor=0.5ParticleColorTableType=TABLEParticleColor[01].Time=0.000000ParticleColor[01].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.000000ParticleColor[02].Time=0.020000ParticleColor[02].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.100000ParticleColor[03].Time=0.160000ParticleColor[03].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.800000ParticleColor[04].Time=1.000000ParticleColor[04].Value=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,0.200000ParticleSizeTableType=TABLEParticleSize[01].Time=0.000000ParticleSize[01].Value=0.000000ParticleSize[02].Time=0.005000ParticleSize[02].Value=0.500000ParticleSize[03].Time=0.040000ParticleSize[03].Value=4.000000ParticleSize[04].Time=0.300000ParticleSize[04].Value=9.000000BaseSizeDeviation=0TextureMaterial=SmokeTrailMaterial [smokeTrailMaterial]EffectShaderName=effectLightLevel.fxDepthBufferCheck=TRUEDepthBufferWrite=FALSEIgnoreRenderOrder=FALSEAlphaTestEnabled=FALSELightEnabled=FALSEUseLightLevel=TRUESpecularEnabled=FALSEEmissiveEnabled=FALSEAmbientColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000DiffuseColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000ZBufferOffset=0.000000PriorityLevel=0BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHANumTextureStages=1TextureStage[01].TextureName=SMOKETRAIL.tgaTextureStage[01].MipMap=FALSETextureStage[01].FilterEnabled=TRUETextureStage[01].StageColorOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSETextureStage[01].StageAlphaOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE And A Custom TGA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stick 773 Posted June 22, 2016 Ooh nice! Thanks for sharing. Aren't contrails technically ice particles? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+EMCON360 215 Posted June 22, 2016 The Thing That Always Bothered Me Was Options Use 32 Bit Buffer = True And Flightengine[GraphicsSettings]ZBufferDepth=24 Lead To Conflicts Progress Continues Share this post Link to post Share on other sites