OK,

I've started digging into the graphics a bit more here and will post any graphical improvements I'm able to make in this thread. Rather than bore non-modders with the details, I will be updating **EECH Central** with the technical discoveries so anyone else who wants to can have a crack at it.

Please keep in mind what I'm able to do is restricted mostly to artwork--which means I'm very constrained by what the game code allows. If I'm able to coordinate with our friendly EECH code-modders, I will attempt to go further.

[Correction: as noted in a later post below, Firebird's CSV data files allow much more control than merely replacing art files, so better effects can be achieved with some extra work.]

The goal is to make the graphical effects more true-to-life--not flashier ones, and not ones that bog down your FPS. Please contribute desired references to **this thread**.

Cheers,
Olds

Improvements I'd like to make (and the code might even allow):
*Improved cannon impact explosions
*Improve the all-purpose explosion animation (the expanding magma sphere)
*Better rocket trails
*More subtle dust puffs/trails

I'd like to do some random art improvements as well (e.g. cleaning up the robotic in-cockpit crew animations, various skin improvements, etc.) but we'll save that for other threads. This one is for (sprite) FX.

First on the list is the improved cannon explosions. Should have something very soon.

-Olds

A few tips:
For explosions correspond 3 effects: cannon_flare001.bmp missile_flare001.bmp and bomb_c001-c006.in general or animation directory.
If you want to disable the standard explosions just do-bmp texture 32x32 black and save as cannon_flare001.bmp missile_flare001.bmp and
bomb_c001-c006.(sample texture in Annex change jpeg to bmp)
BUT These two textures also have responsibility for other effects- cannon_flare for cannon impact explosions,missile_flare for missile fire ball.
If for a test want to disable the original cannon impact explosions just do this black texture cannon_flare.
And delete all lines except the first in the file #\animation\CANNON_FLARE.txt
bomb_c001-c006 responsible for the balls of fire after the explosion.
linked explosions cannon and missile are responsible for the effect of the explosion.
For cannon tracers are responsible CANNON_SHELL.bmp CANNON_SHELL_BLUE.bmp _green _orange _purple _red _white
as I understand do not you will need this information because you work in Lightwave, but writes:
In smokes.csv you can change all the graphics in-game effects such as flames, dust, smoke trails (such as size,
the display, speed).
In explos.csv you can change Everything that relates to the explosion - duration, delay,Initial time, final, and so on.
In metasmok.csv you have additional options regarding all smoke, smoke trails, and fires in the game.
A brief description file smokes.csv:


0;GREY_TRAIL;SMOKE_TRAIL; its missile smoke trail

2;ADDITIVE_TRAIL;ADDITIVE_SMOKE_TRAIL; its missile fire smoke trail

4;FIRE;SMOKE;its smoke plumes
8;SMALL_PARTICLE_TRAIL;SMOKE;trails before explosion

good luck

Fantastic information--thank you Banita!

Remember this,that the same files are not duplicated in different directories.
If you have any file in \general check to make sure he is not also in another.
Because the effect will be such that you do change, and you will not see the effects in the game.because the same file will interfere in another directory.All copies and catalogs with backup Transfer OUT directory of the game.
It caused me a lot of problems,so now it writes

OK, cannon impact update. This is less than satisfactory due to the heavy code constraints but here is a modestly more realistic cannon impact/explosion effect. At least it doesn't look like a starship laser welding torch anymore, right? (Little side bonus: this replacement shaves 5 MB off the original).

This'd be much better with less transparent smoke and big puffs of residual dust, but that's not possible yet.

[Actually some of this may be possible by working with Firebird's CSV's so stay tuned for further improvements]

***OLD***




***NEW***



-Olds

Look good, you can do dds files (Like to Smoke Plumes SMOKE001.dds-005)

Reference for this by the way (tho we're still a ways away from matching it):

Wow... now that I've started digging into the FX CSV's that Firebird exposed, the potential to do better and more realistic effects is really opening up. More later...

Seriously sweet work Firebird (as if it wasn't already obvious)!

Well be carefull with these Kind of Vids they are done at a range and probally plant explosives for Effect and not really realistic..so basically when it hits the target a small explosion might be set off for effect..

I been trying to Find Live action shots where the effect is Real and not manfactured..With my vids, I mean besides the Tank explosion most of them nothing much has happened just the initial Missile explosion then Poof, a Cloud of Smoke and dust Not Some HollyWood type explosion..

@Nephilim: you're totally right--there are plenty of promotional vids out there with doctored explosions, etc. No Hollywood explosions!

@all: OK, I'm finding so many goodies that this is going to take longer than I thought. The upside is that the effects will be better. I will do my best to make them as realistic as possible. And then I'll update EECH Central to explain how it all works. And now that I've promised all that...<--Olds

Progress report:

@FireBird: I'm logging the bugs that I find in the sprite system in the Mantis bug tracker site. There are 3 so far. They're not stopping me from experimenting, but I can't release a sprite effects update without at least one of them being fixed. We can discuss when you're back if you like.

@all: I'll try to post some video of test effects soon. These are not going particularly realistic initially, more of a proof of concept.

-Olds

Here's an example (again this is just testing work--not intended to be a finished or accurate effect):

It's a bit hard to see from these views, but there are diffuse clouds of dust that rise up from the impact site and float off on the wind. In real life these can get quite huge and hang for a long time in the air, but that would kill your FPS, so I'm just hinting at it.

Nice one olds !

It's looking better already, keep up the good work....

Andy

Fantastic Olds I see you adding successive frames of animation,how many frames it is now?I think that near 15?and you added SMALL_PARTICLE_TRAIL yes?

I doubt I have permissions in that system. Could you please send e-mails directly to me?
Also, crash dumps are not useful. I will give you debug version of executable, it's better for bug hunting.

Great effects!

FireBird

My pleasure. Done and done. I don't know if the debug exe will handle this, but it'd sure speed things up if I could reload the CSV's without restarting the game from scratch.
Updates trickling in to the Youtube channel.
-Olds

Updates on the YouTube channel.

V1 cannon & missile impacts. Moving on to flame & rocket impacts next. Comments welcome.

Imho EECH_cannon_test_03.wmv is the best the more smoke the better.It could be even more,but already it is great.
Explosions-nothing more and nothing less, perfect.At most you can add a big smoke,the same as the cannon_03.

Thanks Banita--I'm with you on that one.

Water-impact and rocket tests added to YouTube.

(The rockets were especially hard to do with our sprite system. Also keep in mind that I'm trying to keep things reasonable from a performance standpoint. All the FX could have twice as many sprites and last 3 times as long but the game would be unplayable. )

-Olds

Olds -If YOU do not find appropriate settings for the smoke trails, it means that nobody will do it well
It must be hard coded probably elsewhere.Impact rocets-EXCELLENT
In Apache Air Assault cannon explosions look great from afar,up close is just a single ugly rotating sprites.Your results look great from every distance.Respect

Flyboy please write what you think about these effects, EVEN if you do not play eech every comments are needed, because everything can be improved.

Yeah, the system is pretty flexible, but you certainly can't do everything. I promise to document what I figure out at EECH Central when I'm done with this batch and hopefully make other modders lives easier. I just want to hit the rest of the explosions and fires and then turn everything over to FireBird to be included in the next major update.

Olds-With your work everything will be a million times easier.
And this is a great platform for a start to do even better things.
Firebird did a great tool, but someone had this pre-configure.
I know how much work it would cost you, not to mention about a few hundred times you start the game.
For this thank you,and can not wait for see these effects in the game

Olds, your stuff looks REALLY good. I think I'm going to reinstall EECH and give it another whirl.

FYI, this is the kind of stuff I'll be adding to EECH Central. Here is a breakdown of the sprite effects by weapon impact type (from xp_wpn.c in the code):

(# refers to the entry in smokes.csv)

Phew, sorry about the delay. Schedule has prevented me putting the finishing touches on this. I'm going to try to hand it off to Banita or some other poor soul and let them finish up. With the work I've done so far and the spreadsheets, it should be a pretty easy project to finish up. Sadly I have too many irons in the fire to do so right now!

I will still be posting instructions on EECH Central, although the latest spreadsheets are pretty well documented (with comments). Those will get posted too.

-Olds

Any progress?