[WIP] Lighthouses mod

In fact, I don't think that spawning debris flying in the air is a good idea. When destroyed, the top part will only collapse, and create a cloud of smoke.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yes, I tried to add a foam effect, but I failed until now (tried to add water falls after waves crashed on the rock). I don't even know if that's possible. What kind of effect would you like to have ?

Just foam: little white bubbles on the sea surface, similar to the material that ship wakes are composed of

 

The screenshot above was taken in SH5. You can see the effect along the dock: the game generates it automatically where the sea surface interacts with the terrain or with any object linked to a StaticObject controller. Do you think we can achieve that for our lighthouses?
Water splashes, where waves hit walls and rocks, would be a nice addition too, but I don't ask for that much. Foam would be more than enough

Originally Posted by Kendras

No problem, very easy for me. Give me the debris 3D models (which should be non specific to La Plate beacon, so we can use the effect for all lighthouses)

Of course. Imo we need two effects, one with smaller and fewer debris particles for intermediate damage, and one with bigger debris for 100% damage. Those two effects should use different debris models and sounds, depending on the zone it is used for

ReinforcedTower/ConcreteTower: fragments of concrete falling down
StoneTower: squared stones and irregular stone pieces falling down
BrickTower: bricks, brick fragments and small portions of wall falling down
MetalTower: metal plates and pieces of metal frame falling down
SkeletalTower: pieces of metal frame falling down

Originally Posted by Kendras

...and I create the effect for you, with a cloud of grey smoke.

More a cloud of dust than real smoke, as most of the materials that lighthouses are built with are not flammable anyway

Originally Posted by Kendras

And we have to add a specific sound too !

Nice idea, those sound are okay, but we need to crop only the falling debris sound (no need for explosion sounds, as those are already in game)

Originally Posted by Kendras

In fact, I don't think that spawning debris flying in the air is a good idea. When destroyed, the top part will only collapse, and create a cloud of smoke.

Why not? physical debris collapsing and splashing in the water would be so cool

Originally Posted by gap

Just foam: little white bubbles on the sea surface, similar to the material that ship wakes are composed of

Water splashes, where waves hit walls and rocks, would be a nice addition too, but I don't ask for that much. Foam would be more than enough

OK. I will try to do that !

Originally Posted by gap

More a cloud of dust than real smoke, as most of the materials that lighthouses are built with are not flammable anyway

Yes, that's what I mean.

Originally Posted by gap

Nice idea, those sound are okay, but we need to crop only the falling debris sound (no need for explosion sounds, as those are already in game)

Of course.

Originally Posted by gap

Why not? physical debris collapsing and splashing in the water would be so cool

If so, the debris must be detachable parts of the main model.

Originally Posted by Kendras

OK. I will try to do that !

Well, it seems impossible to add a shipwake to an immobile unit.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

If so, the debris must be detachable parts of the main model.

Not only. I give you two examples:

when we hit the main tower, far from any detachable part, there will be a damage decal rendered on it. A fake hole. In RL there would debris detaching and falling down from the hole; in SHIII there wouldn't be any, unless we create the debris artificially as part of the damage effect.

When we destroy the tower top, in real life it would collapse, partly breaking in many pieces; in SHIII it will collapse in one piece, and it will take a damage effect to simulate the debris detaching from it and also collapsing in the water.

Did I make myself clear now?

Originally Posted by gap

Not only. I give you two examples:

when we hit the main tower, far from any detachable part, there will be a damage decal rendered on it. A fake hole. In RL there would debris detaching and falling down from the hole; in SHIII there wouldn't be any, unless we create the debris artificially as part of the damage effect.

When we destroy the tower top, in real life it would collapse, partly breaking in many pieces; in SHIII it will collapse in one piece, and it will take a damage effect to simulate the debris detaching from it and also collapsing in the water.

Did I make myself clear now?

Yes, but the damage effect will never simulate the falling debris as well as detachable parts thrown in the air (not necessarily far) after a direct hit. Moreover, when the fake debris will fall into water, there won't be any splash effect, whereas with detachable parts. And also it's not possible to control the direction of the debris which won't move in the same direction as the ennemy's fire.

All this will make debris effect very unrealistic.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Well, it seems impossible to add a shipwake to an immobile unit.

Well, that sounds logical: static objects have no wakes

Out of jokes, have you looked in ShipWake speed propeties? Maybe changing the ShipSpeed property of the second or third array item from 0.05/1 to 0, and removing the other two items?

I that doesn't work I wonder if, by using the same texture used as the wake effect and by taking inspiration from ShipWake controller's settings, you could create a ParticleGenerator FX which resembles it.

If nothing works, don't worry and scrap the idea, at least for the moment being: we still have a lot of work to do for this mod

Originally Posted by gap

Well, that sounds logical: static objects have no wakes

Yeah ... but this is the shipwake controller which spawns a foam effect floating on the waves.

Originally Posted by gap

Out of jokes, have you looked in ShipWake speed propeties? Maybe changing the ShipSpeed property of the second or third array item from 0.05/1 to 0, and removing the other two items?

Yes, sure. I've tried on a sea unit. First by removing the two items with speed different from 0 + changing the parameters of the remaining node to have same as those from nodes with speed different from 0, and then by setting all 3 nodes speed to 0.

Originally Posted by gap

I wonder if, by using the same texture used as the wake effect and by taking inspiration from ShipWake controller's settings, you could create a ParticleGenerator FX which resembles it.

Well, unfortunately both controllers have completly different parameters.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yes, but the damage effect will never simulate the falling debris as well as detachable parts thrown in the air (not necessarily far) after a direct hit.Moreover, when the fake debris will fall into water, there won't be any splash effect, whereas with detachable parts. And also it's not possible to control the direction of the debris which won't move in the same direction as the ennemy's fire.

All this will make debris effect very unrealistic.

Debris particles shouldn't follow the same direction as the impacting projectile but they should radiate (not necessarily far) from the impact area in random directions

Obtaining a realistic effect should be a matter of playing with initial/overlife X, Y and Z speeds and with particle mass parameters. decrease X/Z speeds and mass and particles shouldn't move too far away from the impact area before they start falling down; decrease the Y speed and/or increase the mass, and particles shouldn't jump too high in the air before they invert their vertical speed and they start falling down.

As for water splashes, I am pretty sure that debris featured in the SH5 version of FX-Updates have them, and they cause damage to nearby vessels too if they hit them lol. I think they have a StaticObject controller attached, but I will have a look into them to see how this particular effect was obtained

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yeah ... but this is the shipwake controller which spawns a foam effect floating on the waves.



Yes, sure. I've tried on a sea unit. First by removing the two items with speed different from 0 + changing the parameters of the remaining node to have same as those from nodes with speed different from 0, and then by setting all 3 nodes speed to 0.



Well, unfortunately both controllers have completly different parameters.

Okay, pity for our models, but I think we will live with it

Do you like this ?

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Do you like this ?

I like your stubborness.

Yes, I like it. Maybe a bit more transparent

Are splashes affected by wave height BTW?

[gap]

So, here is the new version:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/u8aai...Plate%20v12.7z

Sorry, lately I had not much time for modding so I couldn't finish the model splitting/damage tweaking that I had planned for this version, but I am at good point with it. Another missing feature is sounds triggered by waves. As for the rest, the list of changed features is like the one I had posted at post #444 with some small additions that you will notice probably.

During the next two weeks I won't be at home. I will take my laptop with me but I am not sure I will get enough free time for modding. In any case I will check the forum regularly and I will give you my feed-back on any update you might post.

As I said before, very little work is left before I can share the damage models. The tower top, part of the eaves and part of the railings are separate from the tower now. Here's a couple of examples:

As you can see, meshes odels are more or less ready. I might decide some put some rebars around the top edge of the tower to replace the missing eaves, I need to work on the textures (that's quick), I have to prepare the meshes for importing them in s3d (model flipping, edge splittting, neet to put vertices at the right height, etc.), and I need to setup the game files (adding damage boxes and pother controllers to the new parts, creating and tweaking new zones, etc.). With a bit of luck, I will be able to finish the work before I am back home

Originally Posted by gap

Are splashes affected by wave height BTW?

Yes, of course ! They will appear only with big waves.

Originally Posted by gap

Another missing feature is sounds triggered by waves.

Stop searching, I think I have the solution !

Originally Posted by gap

During the next two weeks I won't be at home.

Ok, thank you to inform me.

Originally Posted by gap

As I said before, very little work is left before I can share the damage models. The tower top, part of the eaves and part of the railings are separate from the tower now. Here's a couple of examples:

So, you finally decided to add some detachable parts ? Don't forget to add a collision sphere, in addition to the damage box.

Originally Posted by gap

So, here is the new version:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/u8aai...Plate%20v12.7z

I will test it next week, I won't have much time during the week-end.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yes, of course ! They will appear only with big waves.

If we can have water splashes only on high waves, why not simple foam during on the sea surface when waves are medium-low

Originally Posted by Kendras

Stop searching, I think I have the solution !

Sound triggered by particle effect?

[QUOTE=Kendras;2504780]
So, you finally decided to add some detachable parts ?

Sure, I think I had told you they were in my todo list, but they don't replace the debris effect: I can't add so many of them and I still think we need smaller debris triggered by damage. Install this mod and you will probably understand what I mean

Originally Posted by Kendras

Don't forget to add a collision sphere, in addition to the damage box.

Not sure, but I think we dont need it: I added the StaticObject controller to the lighthouse unit, and now all its parts and equipments are as hard as stones

Originally Posted by Kendras

I will test it next week, I won't have much time during the week-end.

No problem, take your time on it