[1.8.x-1.10.x] SmokeScreen 2.8.14 - Extended FX plugin (18 April 2020)

[sarbian]

Ok, I most likely missed something obvious. I'll try to look into into it this weekend.

[sarbian]

Toadicus pushed me some code that may fix it. So feel free to test with https://ksp.sarbian.com/jenkins/job/SmokeScreen/19/artifact/jenkins-SmokeScreen-19/SmokeScreen-2.1.0.0.zip

[Drew Kerman]

hey sarbian do you have any suggestions for the launchpad smoke questions I responded to a few posts back? I had hoped just adding the effect to the engine would work but apparently not...

[sarbian]

Add a (or change) "collide = true" in the smoke effect of the engine. Experiment with "physical = true" too and have a look at egg post

If you don't know how each parameters of the effect model you use are set then you ll have a hard time getting something nice. You need to understand how the different param change the effect.

And getting a "nice" launchpad smoke effect involve a bit of cheating most of the time.

[Drew Kerman]

Thanks, I hadn't a clue where to begin. I'll do some messing around when I get a chance. Hopefully tho someone will still beat me to it

[KingPin]

Toadicus pushed me some code that may fix it. So feel free to test with https://ksp.sarbian.com/jenkins/job/SmokeScreen/19/artifact/jenkins-SmokeScreen-19/SmokeScreen-2.1.0.0.zip

While this fixes the continuous string of NRE's, it still generates several when destroying a craft that goes on rails. This also causes the "unable to revert" bug.

New output log for 2.1.0 with the same craft file as before: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f70keueoulg3ova/KSP%20Testing%202.1.0.rar

[Justin Kerbice]

@sarbian: it's quite bad there is no good comprehensive documentation with your plug-in, what I see looks like a brilliant work just abandoned on a rusty dusty rack inside a forgotten ruined warehouse. Only treasure finders can find it for what it is.

Not a surprise only a few people really use it (hotrockets, maybe coolrockets too), whereas it may be possible to achieve really nice effect with it.

[joke mode]

You're almost good to apply for a Squad job, but you provide too much documentation, as you give source, as opposite to Squad

[/joke mode]

[NathanKell]

Justin Kerbice: So let's see. Sarbian is maintaining four mods, this one of which was mostly created out of hacking obscure Unity FX code that no one really knows how it works, and you're upset because...he didn't tie it up in a ribbon?

Docs are great. That said, you might try (a) asking questions about how stuff works, then ( writing up the docs yourself (and, y'know, contributing to the discussion.

Or you could try option ©, biting sarcasm at a mod author because he hasn't done quite enough work for you.

Which do you *really* want to be picking?

[sarbian]

Here is the new version compiled for 0.24 and with less bug. No real new features this time, but I know modders are waiting to build amazing new FX

A big thanks to KingPin, whose really simple test ship made debugging far easier !

SmokeScreen-2.4.0.0.zip

A bunch of animated gif to explain the param will come, but atm I'm busy with all the .24 updates.

A bug stays but it's in stock KSP AFAIK : if the root part of the ship is an engine then when you revert to launch (and load a save) then the FX are not working.

[Drew Kerman]

Add a (or change) "collide = true" in the smoke effect of the engine. Experiment with "physical = true" too and have a look at egg post

If you don't know how each parameters of the effect model you use are set then you ll have a hard time getting something nice. You need to understand how the different param change the effect.

And getting a "nice" launchpad smoke effect involve a bit of cheating most of the time.

No luck with the suggested changes. Here's the code I pulled from the HorizonAeronautics thread:

        MODEL_MULTI_PARTICLE_PERSIST
        {
            name = launchSmoke
            modelName = HorizonAeronautics/FX/LaunchSmoke
            transformName = thrustTransform

            energy = 0.0 1.0
            energy = 1.0 0.8

            grow = 0.0 0.3 // Grow the particles at 0% per seconds ( 0.02 would be 2% )
            grow = 1.0 1.3 // Grow the particles at 0% per seconds ( 0.02 would be 2% )

            speed = 0.0 0.25
            speed = 1.0 11

            offset = 0.0 0.5  // Move the particle emitter away from its default position by x meters
            offset = 1.0 0.5  // Move the particle emitter away from its default position by x meters    

            renderMode = "Billboard" // Render mode : Billboard / SortedBillboard / HorizontalBillboard / VerticalBillboard / Stretch
            collide = true // Collision active or not
            collideRatio = 0 // how the particles react on collision. 1 is a mirror bounce, 0 is go parallel to the hit surface
            fixedScale = 1.0 // Fixed rescale of the particle emitter (for when you rescale the model)
            sizeClamp = 50 // Limits particle size. Default to 50

            // ***************
            // From here the value are not the default anymore.
            // ***************

            angle = 0.0 1.0 // Display if the angle between the emitter transform and camera is lower than 45° 
            angle = 45.0 1.0 // Display if the angle between the emitter transform and camera is lower than 45° 
            angle = 50.0 1.0 // Display if the angle between the emitter transform and camera is lower than 45° 
            distance = 0.0 1.0 // Display if the distance to camera is higher than 110
            distance = 100.0 1.0 // Display if the distance to camera is higher than 110
            distance = 110.0 1.0 // Display if the distance to camera is higher than 110

            emission  // Modulate emission from mach and density curve. You can add other section for size, energy, speed, grow, offset and scale
            {
                mach = 0.0 1.5
                mach = 0.01 0.0
                density = 1.0 1.0
                density = 0.1 0.0
            }
        }

I added physical = true as suggested and also tried combinations of true and false set to both physical and collide. The code is placed in the powersmoke section of the @PART[NP_lfe_125m_BearcatSingle] config in np_hotrockets.cfg

If no one has any other ideas I guess we'll have to hope Proot comes back

[Rofl47]

No pictures, no clictures. Sorry.

[Ruedii]

Love the plugin.

Could you get some pics up on the first post.

[sebi.zzr]

@Gaiiden:

If no one has any other ideas I guess we'll have to hope Proot comes back

Where you have: name = launchSmoke it should be: name = smokelaunch and if you using your own FX particles,make shure modelName = pointing in the rigt folder!

Look at this and compare it to stok.

Also the best way to figure out yourself is to open smoke screen on launch pad and edit particles ingame.I must point out it's not 1min work:confused:

Edited July 21, 2014 by sebi.zzr

[sarbian]

No pictures, no clictures. Sorry.

Love the plugin.

Could you get some pics up on the first post.

Of what ? The plugin does nothing by itself.

I'll add picture at one point but If you want to see what it does you'd better go and see the hotrocket thread or the other mods that uses it.

[Drew Kerman]

Where you have: name = launchSmoke it should be: name = smokelaunch and if you using your own FX particles,make shure modelName = pointing in the rigt folder!

Don't see why the name should matter but I gave it a try anyway. No luck. Also yes I'm using custom particles but they are included properly

Also the best way to figure out yourself is to open smoke screen on launch pad and edit particles ingame.I must point out it's not 1min work:confused:

I couldn't find any mention of an in-game editor in the OP

Still only getting this cloud of smoke sitting on the pad :/

[sebi.zzr]

this is from OP:

2.0 is out. Read this post for new features

Don't see why the name should matter but I gave it a try anyway. No luck. Also yes I'm using custom particles but they are included properly

Because everything needs to be in the right format to work,if it was not important you could write name = WorkAsIWhant and it will

Look here post #888 you'll need toolbar.

Edited July 30, 2014 by sebi.zzr

[Rhedd]

I'm in the process of updating my mods and swapping to 64bit KSP, and I've run into a problem with rocket exhausts. Not sure where the problem actually lies, but here it is...

Back in .23.5, using Hot Rockets including this mod, the launchpad exhaust on the stock SRB used to look like this:

Beautiful!!

Now, using either 32 or 64bit KSP, no mods except the newest version of Hot Rockets and Smokescreen, the exact same thing looks like this:

The screenshot doesn't accurately capture all the tiny little round puffs of smoke shooting off in all directions and mach speeds.

It's not only the particle collision/direction that's screwy, but also the lighting. I'm not entirely sure that's even the same particle sprite.

Is this a Hot Rockets bug, a Smokescreen bug, a KSP bug, or just a change in the way variables work?

What changed, and can I fix it?

[Nazari1382]

Is this a Hot Rockets bug, a Smokescreen bug, a KSP bug, or just a change in the way variables work?

What changed, and can I fix it?

The stock large srb was being used as a testbed for smoke with collision and other settings turned on. you can remove that by copying another engine's part of the squad hotrockets config, and replacing the name with the large srb's name.

[Rhedd]

The stock large srb was being used as a testbed for smoke with collision and other settings turned on. you can remove that by copying another engine's part of the squad hotrockets config, and replacing the name with the large srb's name.

I know. Unfortunately that's the LAST thing I want to do.

I love the launch smoke, and spent quite some time tweaking the FASA Saturn V rockets to look realistic using the testbed launch smoke as a base. I'm looking for guidance with how to get it back to the way it used to be. I definitely don't want to remove it.

[Drew Kerman]

Thanks, I have it in my toolbar now. Unfortunately playing with the sliders didn't change much and I still don't really understand how to change values to get what I want. I could spend hours just mucking around with numbers and maybe stumble upon it - or not. I'll just wait till someone who knows what they are doing gets around to putting out some good launch smoke. Or proot comes back...

Because everything needs to be in the right format to work,if it was not important you could write name = WorkAsIWhant and it will

The OP code example says name = myUniqueEffectName so I'm not sure what you're talking about. I think sarbian just copy/pasted a lot

[sarbian]

Rhedd : You need a tweak a few param to get it looking like it did. I'll have to test it before telling you what to change. Bug me in a few days if I did not reply.

Gaiiden : the id used by the engine need the be the same as the one used by the effect. When the engine config does not mention the id then they use default values. I don't really want to turn that thread into a FX tutorial, but I don't want to tell you to get lost either. Wait for a few days, I ll work on SmokeScreen doc saturday.

Edited July 31, 2014 by sarbian

[Drew Kerman]

Wait for a few days, I ll work on SmokeScreen doc saturday.

That would be sweet. I actually sorta got the hang of what things do but I still feel like I'm stumbling around mostly, and that's not very productive. Still I at least managed to get this

haven't yet been able to get the stream out of the vents to be longer without ballooning the entire effect. Also I realized I should be disabling the effect through the in-game editor on 2 of the engines that aren't oriented in the right direction. Hopefully with your docs I will be able to get it working better

[IPsoFreely]

Hello, firstly, this is a great mod.

Second, I have an issue with it. I have KW Rocketry mod installed. On the launch pad without igniting the engines (or start the launch stage) the KW rockets have the full engine effects like as if its full throttle. I know its this mod as Smokescreen was the last mod I had installed. It all had work perfectly before hand. There is also a stutter when active.

Im running on the 64bit version with a GTX Titan and 96gb of ram (yes 96, its a work thing)

If I remove Smokescreen I get no effects at all except for modded rocket engines and the stuttering has gone.

Will I have to modify the effects on all mods I have installed to work with this??

Edited July 31, 2014 by IPsoFreely

[sebi.zzr]

Hello, firstly, this is a great mod.

Second, I have an issue with it. I have KW Rocketry mod installed. On the launch pad without igniting the engines (or start the launch stage) the KW rockets have the full engine effects like as if its full throttle. I know its this mod as Smokescreen was the last mod I had installed. It all had work perfectly before hand. There is also a stutter when active.

Im running on the 64bit version with a GTX Titan and 96gb of ram (yes 96, its a work thing)

If I remove Smokescreen I get no effects at all except for modded rocket engines and the stuttering has gone.

Will I have to modify the effects on all mods I have installed to work with this??

The new version of KW using new particle FX so its not compatibile with kw_hotrockets.cfg look here for detail.

SmokeScreen and HotRockets work hand-in-hand where Smokescreen is plugin that allows change of particles and HotRockets is library with *.cfg and FX effects.

Edited July 31, 2014 by sebi.zzr

[IPsoFreely]

Ah, sorted. Thank you very much.