EAWPRO's multicolored tracers

[VonBeerhofen]

With the added 5 gun calibres came the need to display their tracers differently and this is how they look now:

VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen]

Tracers are now set to app. 1 in 7 bullets and can be adjusted with a .LDR script.

VonBeerhofen

[MarkEAW]

Looks good. I'll say it again. the 3 colors per tracer looks cool.

(I know you answered this before) But VBH, its that 3 colors or do they fade into each other? (more colors than 3?)

[VonBeerhofen]

They're fading alright. but can also have smoke trails. It's a bit of a disputed issue for some players though as it may obscure the player's view of the target, and I don't know how it'll play out on FPS. With the optimised and changed code there's room for several options.

VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen]

I've programmed the tracer frequency under control of the EAW.INI entry LimitedAmmo= 1-15 max. The value 0 still is unlimited ammo.

SInce it's a bitwise logical operand the sensible values are 1 3 7 or 15, the values in between will work too but makes the behaviour more irregular.   Changing to a higher value will slightly improve framerate as well, because there will be more illuminated dots then tracers.

The default value of 1 (stock EAW) will probably be the best choice for most people and will allow backward compattabillity, the higher values are mainly meant to improve FPS when necessary since the EAW.INI EffectsDetail setting was replaced with this option which simply is faster then the stock routine. The higher the value the less tracers.

VonBeerhofen

[RIBob]

While visually pleasing, I'm not at all sure that tracers actually changed hue during flight, except perhaps during the last few seconds of their burning.  In my personal experience, they burn with a single, constant hue and intensity until burn-out.

There are some other aspects of tracers to perhaps consider.  For example, this vid shows what appear to be "Smoke tracers", as well as the later, more conventional to us moderns, "Visible tracers". 

 Note the "corkscrewing" of the bullets clearly visible in some of the smoke emitted.  This is a commonplace occurrence with most bullets, and the "corkscrewing" is referred-to as the point in time before the bullet "goes to sleep", and assumes a linear path, subject to the laws of ballistics.   The smoke effect would be relatively easy to reproduce compared to the diminishing-at-distance "corkscrew" effect.

Note also that with no information as to gun camera lens focal length, no reliable information can be drawn from the images as to distance between aircraft.

I believe the "Smoke-Tracer" bullets were used in early war until replaced by what we call conventional, visible tracers.  With that said, perhaps "Smoke Tracers" would be more historically correct for some aircraft during the early part of the war, with diminishing use after a certain point, that being when the improved visible tracers became available.  

While certainly appreciating the expertise devoted to creating this effect, I remain quite unsure of the historical accuracy of the "changing-hue" effect.  OTOH, if most people like it, then who am I to argue?

Allow me to assure all, that as resident newbie and rivet-counter, I do not insist on historical accuracy; I simply point out things as they happen to differ from historical accuracy.  I mean no ill-intent toward VBH or anyone else, certainly.

 

 

[VonBeerhofen]

Hi RiBob,

smokey tracers are very feasable in EAW and since they were appearently used more frequently at the beginning of the war I may be tempted to replace the colored tracers for the year 1940 only. I may even be able to add the corckscrew effect to the animation.

I can't say when it'll be done  but it's been added to my todo list.

VonBeerhofen

[RIBob]

Can't speak much as to smoke tracers, but I've found some range info on .50 cal tracers on this site: .50 Cal Info

 

Apparently, the trace range of .50 cal pure tracer rds was:  1,969 Yds/ 5907 Ft/1,800M  Muzzle velocity of std M2 bullet @ 78 ft  from muzzle was 2,810 fps (856 mps), and this initial velocity declined fairly quickly.  So the duration of the visible trace was approximately 2.1 seconds.

I will dig around for info on .30-'06 and .303 ctgs.  

Edited November 21, 2018 by RIBob

[RIBob]

.303 Tracer and ball bullet info.  30-'06 Tracer and ball bullet info

Edited November 21, 2018 by RIBob

[VonBeerhofen]

Interesting stuff RiBob, I just can't say if any of it is usable. EAW is very limited in it's capabillities and maintaining framerates is more important then accuracy. You may understand that the tracers are just a line on the screen which can only use the colors EAW has reserved for them. I've used what I possibly could use and made it look nice, I don't think I can do more then that. Within the available colors a rewrite of the code to have more is just not feasable or would take too much of my time.

There's another 1000 things I want to tackle, so it's time to move on to the next issue. Thx for your input, it was an eye opener for me since us Dutch have no knowledge on bullets in general, as we're not allowed to carry arms and the info I already acquired was not very extensive. I think you'll like what I've done, :)

VonBeerhofen

[RIBob]

4 hours ago, VonBeerhofen said:

Interesting stuff RiBob, I just can't say if any of it is usable. EAW is very limited in it's capabillities and maintaining framerates is more important then accuracy. You may understand that the tracers are just a line on the screen which can only use the colors EAW has reserved for them. I've used what I possibly could use and made it look nice, I don't think I can do more then that. Within the available colors a rewrite of the code to have more is just not feasable or would take too much of my time.

There's another 1000 things I want to tackle, so it's time to move on to the next issue. Thx for your input, it was an eye opener for me since us Dutch have no knowledge on bullets in general, as we're not allowed to carry arms and the info I already acquired was not very extensive. I think you'll like what I've done, :)

VonBeerhofen

I generally make comments when I believe I have possibly pertinent information to add.  whether or not it is actually useable is up to others who are more familiar with how such info is integrated into their creation.  The above comments were posted for your information, and if not entirely useful, that's fine.  No harm; no foul.