I can understand :haha:

Ask whatever you need to know. I will be glad to help, if I can :salute:

Well, I looked at the .dat in S3D.. this is a bit complicated to me at the moment.. 3D-modelling :hmmm: I'm not ready.. yet.. maybe a bit later :)
So far I decided to remove this folder of my edition at all..

OK.. so, we can try to play with the MaxVisDim and MinVisDim..what do you think?

I can do this after we finish work on the current fix and at the same time with the testing our Reworked Guns :up:
I will need your help for this in creating a several custom missions..

:salute:

3D modellng? You don't need to touch the 3D model for adding a new node: you do it as you would foe any controller, and you move it around using x, y and z coordinates :yep:

Exactly! If water reflections still work as they did in SHIII/IV, there is not reason that we can't reduce them for distant units, though finding the "magic" settings can take a while :up:

Okay, no problem :up:

I opened similar .dat with this node and saw that shipname_cos node has a child node - 3D-model :06:
Could you post a few screens with explaining? if you have time for it, of course :oops:

Well, I'll certainly turn to it as soon as we finish with this project and prepare it for release :up:

---------------------------------

Do you agree that the work on the TorpExplosionGreat can be completed?
Are these values acceptable for release?

TDW Particles.dat/TorpExplosionGreat/ParticleGenerator
EmissionArea/Angle 11
GlobalScaleFar/Distanse 1000
GlobalScaleFar/DensityScale 0.15

TDW Materials.dat/Particula(01-04)/ParticleGenerator
EmissionArea/Angle 15
GlobalScaleFar/Distanse 1000
GlobalScaleFar/DensityScale 0.15

TDW Materials.dat/Particula(01, 03)/ParticleGenerator
BitmapParticles/Size/OverLife
[3] LifeTime 0.75; Scale 2.5
[4] LifeTime 1; Scale 0.5

new series -

TDW Particles.dat/TorpExplosionSplashRInitial and RDelay (other nodes were removed)
both ParticleGenerator/BitmapParticles uses PierreE and PierreE2 textures
Distance and DensityScale in GlobalScaleFar as in TorpExplosionGreat (1000/0.15), others values not changed yet..

03 (PierreE 03 in TDW Materials.dat)

http://s19.postimg.org/5xpbmwsfz/test03_1.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/z1djj5gjj/test03_2.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/vj1jmrfnj/test03_3.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/s0u54445b/test03_4.jpg

http://s19.postimg.org/z6lw6kd8f/test03_5.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/7xais2c5b/test03_6.jpg


I think, we can add another textures to the TDW Materials.dat for RInitial and RDelay effects :06:, and PierreE + PierreE2 will use for TorpExplosionGreat effect only..
What do you think?

In the next series will test TDW Particles.dat/TorpExplosionSplashLInitial and LDelay (uses SplashVert and SplashVertAdd textures)

PS: return to the question of outgoing smoke

http://s19.postimg.org/jq8bwa8lb/smoke.jpg

This is funnel's 3D model, but as our boat didn't get any funnel, a 3D model shouldn't be required for smoke to be rendered. :yep:

• Open NF_boat.dat in S3ditor;
  
  
• Expand the node called NF_Boat;
  
  
• Select the node called NF_Boat_B (this is the back part of the boat), right click on it and select Append new child chunk => Nodes(type: 4) => Node (type: 4/100);
  
  
• Expand the node NF_Boat_B, select the new child node you have just added (you will recognize it because it will be placed at the end of the list, and it will lack a name), right click on it and select Append new child chunk => Label (type 8/0);
  
  
• The new Label is called by default <New_label>; change its name to NF_Boat_cosh (this is done from the property editing window on the right, Name field.
  
  
• Now select again the new node which by now is called "NF_Boat_cosh" after the name of its label, and click on "model preview" (bottom section of the right window), a preview of the boat is rendered;
  
  
• Mimimize the Linked 3D model section (center section of the right window) for making the preview bigger; you do it by clicking on the "Linked 3D model" blue text;
  
  
• On top of the Model preview window there are many rendering option icons grouped in several groups; 1st group: 3D model rendering options (Solid, Wireframe, Vertices, Solid + Wireframe, Solid + Vertices) - 2nd group: zones editing enabler (only one icon) - 3rd group: textures rendering options (Enable diffuse map, Ambient Occlusion map, Specular map, Specular from diffuse map) - 4th group: various options (Toggle grid, Toggle Selected object's axis, Toggle Selected object's bounding box, Highlight selected object faces [only works with solid rendering mod enabled], Toggle origins visibility, Brightness/Contrast) - 5th group: 3D object's visibility (Selected object's visibility on/off, Unselected object's visibility on/off, and a third option that I don't understand) - 6th group: center view on the selected object (only one icon) - 7th group: toggle animations on/off (if any)
  
  
• Scroll the mouse wheel for zooming in and out, click and hold the mouse wheel and move the mouse for rotating the model, click and hold the right mouse button and move the mouse for moving the model;
  
  
• When you get accustomed with mouse controls and rendering options, make sure that the NF_Boat_cosh node is still selected, that you have a clear view of the 3D model, and that either the "Toggle axes icon" or "Toggle origins" (or, even better, both of them) are selected. If you did all of the above correctly, you should see the selected node as a red dot, with the 3 axes coming out fro its center.
  
  
• By default new nodes are placed at unit's origin (roughly amidships). You should move your node where smoke is expected to come out. For doing it , you need to modify Node positioning settings (top section of the right window, if a node is selected). Ignore roation settings and play with translation settings; X is width-aligned, Y is height-aligned and Z is lenght-aligned. Each unit is equal to 10 m. As soon as you enter a new setting, node's position will be updated accordingly in the preview window.
  
  
• when you finish, change the Id of the new node according to what is set as parent Id the obj_Funnel controller in NF_boat.sim, or conversely change the parent Id of the controller to the Id of the nwe node. :up:

Thank you for your work, I missed the splashes.

However, I wish these blocky, pixellated explosions were completely removed or reworked. They break the immersion for me.

WOW!.. just wow :up:

I feel like in kindergarten :D

Thanks :salute:

EDIT: Gabriele, what about the other questions? :03:

wow nice work guys i can't wait for the releas date :):Kaleun_Salivating:

When I write an "how to" for someone, I hope that someone else, a new comer, will read my instructions and will be lured into following them.
Once you start messing with SH object and controllers, no matter for which task, understanding their structure, and the logics behind them, is relatively easy. But future modders (which, by the way, we desperately need for) need for a good starting point; having a fresh memory of my first steps in SH modding, and of how hard was for me deciphering what I was reading on the forum, I try to make my instructions as detailed as possible :know:

Those particles look extremely blurred. What are their size (main and overlife) settings? Have you them by hand? :hmmm:

they are probably specular to RInitial and RDelay, and they will look as bad. But checking them won't hurt :03:

Have you taken the screenshot with sober's smoke screen mod enabled? If so, we should do the following:

1 - Retrieve the original smoke settings
2 - Duplicate the same particle generator (but with sober's settings) and linking it to some other particle generator which is played only when ships get alerted... TDW's flares. for instance.
3 - Modify the duplicated particle generator for making it to behave according to our liking.

What do you think? I hope that sober and TDW will be fine with it :)

:up: Thanks again

http://s19.postimg.org/5djhbpdz3/LInitial.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/ezd1s054v/LDelay.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/65m5awi67/RInitial.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/iya9attrz/RDelay.jpg

No, they are not specular (for some weird reason).. see next post..

Yes.. Sober's smoke is there..
Well.. I'll try it.. later :)
I think it's time (for me) to make a to do list.. too many projects at the same time.. :D

new series -
oops :).. temporary absence..

Something initially wrong in the principle of destination of textures for these effects :hmmm:

TorpExsplosionSplashRInitial - TDW_FXU_PierreE2
TorpExsplosionSplashRDelay - TDW_FXU_PierreE
TorpExsplosionSplashLInitial - TDW_FXU_SplashVert
TorpExsplosionSplashLDelay - TDW_FXU_SplashVert

When I appointed TDW_FXU_SplashVertAdd to TorpExsplosionSplashLInitial this happened -

http://s19.postimg.org/c01jr569r/test_X1.jpg . http://s19.postimg.org/wy7pp864f/test_X2.jpg

Maybe it's texture's error.. maybe something else..

yes, we missed this detail because you have tested SplashR and SplashL particle generators together.

Just had a look into stock particle generators, and they use the following textures:

• torpedo_splash_L:
  • BitmapParticle: splash_vert
  • BitmapParticle: smoke_add
  
  
• torpedo_splash_R:
  • BitmapParticle: splash_vert
  • BitmapParticle: smoke_add
  
  
• torpedo_splash_L01:
  • BitmapParticle: splash_vert
  
  
• torpedo_splash_R01:
  • BitmapParticle: splash_vert

smoke_add is embedded in TDW torp splash materials dat, but not used.

maybe we should override TDW's settings getting inspiration from stock generators, unless TDW can remember what his settings were meant for :hmm2:

Just had a look into FXU files, and I know now how TDW got ships to fire his flares. We can do the same with smoke screens, so don't need to link them to the flares. The advantage will be that we will be free to attach the effect to any node/bone (of funnel's top, for instance, or wherever we want).

I wish we could make smoke screens to be triggered randomly after detroyers getting alarmed, but I don't know if this is going to be possible :hmm2:

OK, what now? our next steps? any suggestions?

PS: have a look on this, please - http://rghost.ru/46026900
is everything right? if yes, could you make simple custom mission with this unit? I want to see how the smoke works and whether it suitable or not.. :hmmm:

Attacking Great Britain with ten armies from North Europe? :hmm2: :O:

...or better: :03:

Here it is (mission + fixes): :up:

http://www.mediafire.com/?adeudcd508c9kcu

It was a bit more complicated than I had initially thought; the obj_funnel controller was crashing the game. The fix was assigning a dummy 3d model and a dummy texture to the funnel node, and setting it as invisible. As I was at it, I have similarly created a second node, and I have moved the two of them close to two stack-like objects, on each side of the boat. This is the result:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3519/fishingboat.jpg

The boat was moving at 5 knots. Probably too much smoke for such a small vessel and low speed. Tweaking her smoke is now your task. :salute:

I have done it yesterday :O:
just removed TDW's ParticleGenerators from the R&L Initial and R&L Delay then copy/past stock ParticleGenerators to TDW's file.. then change the used textures in the new generators..
You can check it if you want (so I'll sleep peacefully :)) - http://rghost.ru/46035384

but probably you've missed something I post earlier, something wrong with the SplashVertAdd textures.. I can't check my changes in mission because of -

http://s19.postimg.org/ihu3liccf/texture_error.jpg


Thank you Gabriele :yeah:

But it was my lesson and my homework :hmph:
:O:

Thanks..
Anyway, I think there are more tasks for me for the study of the S3D in the future :haha:

EDIT: oops.. again new avatar http://s19.postimg.org/y3cr41qm7/facepalm.gif

a little explanation -

R&L Initial/ParticleGenerator/BitmapParticles/
Material - TDW_FXU_SplashVert.tga (01)
Material - TDW_FXU_SmokeAdd.tga

R&L Delay/ParticleGenerator/BitmapParticles/
Material - TDW_FXU_SplashVertAdd.tga (01)

NOTE: for some reason, witchcraft, we are no longer able to check TDW_Particles/RInitial+RDelay using Goblin.. as soon as I merge TDW_Materials, RInitial&Delay generators takes their initial parameters.. I mean TDW's parameters, one BitmapParticles entry in RInitial and old textures for both (PierreE and PierreE2) :hmmm:.. and all other values ​​accordingly..
:o but only for the view mode.. when I then open up file in S3D or in HEX, every values are as they should be :hmmm:..

TDW's mystery.. (Black Magic :D)

Does replacing the new texture with the old one, solve the problem? :hmm2:

Take it as an addition to my lesson; your homework will be looking into my changes and replicating them for any unit which might require it :O:

S3d is a neat tool. Pity that skwas decided not to support the new SH5 controllers...

PS, tip of the day: press Shift Ctrl C to copy a node with all its child nodes and controllers :03:

I am starting to think that your dat files might be corrupted. Try importing my splash vert texture in a fresh copy of TDW's material dat, enable together with a fresh copy of TDW's particles dat, and tell me what happens :hmmm:

I'll try that.. I'm pretty sure that in fresh files everything will work.. :-?
But I'm starting to think that we can't change anything in these ParticleGenerators: R&L Initial and R&L Delay.. all changes I've done in Hex not works so far :shifty:.. something else in TDW Particles.dat manages all nodes..
Two weeks of useless work.. I'm going to give up.. :nope: