[Drok]

Hello.

I have some problems finding the suitable FireFX for a minigun of one airplane I've been trying to add to Zero Hour. The aircraft is the A-10, and I need its weapon to have similar firing effects as in real life; not some little muzzle flash from its nose and a few tracer bullets. The hell with those.

Here's an example of what the FireFX should look like (at 0:30 and some later parts as well):
YouTube - A-10 Warthog, Thunderbolt II

Of course, it's difficult finding similar FireFX in Generals to the real life counterpart, thus I was hoping if anyone could make (or already has) something like it. Or if anyone knows where to find effects among the original game files that would resemble the smoke of the GAU-8 (exactly what I've been trying to do).

Help would be much appreciated,

Drok

[beng]

Your youtube link won't play here. Check out the fire fx for the spectre gunship gattling gun.

[Drok]

It wasn't meant to be played here, it's just a link.
I've already checked out them, they don't really fit. But while I was searching for them, I found something better - the SCUD's ignition smoke effects, and they just might work for me, so thanks anyway.

[beng]

I meant it would not play at all. I now realise i was trying to open the link during the time when YouTube was being jammed by Pakistan on account of the Danish anti-Islam film. From watching it now it seems the main effect i can see if a lot of muzzle smoke that comes out of the front of the gun and then is flown through by the aircraft. I will make a particle effect that looks like that and get back to you when it's done.

[beng]

Try this: Put the following code in you FxList.ini, if particlesystem.ini is in your mod, put the particle system in it, otherwise put it in FXList.ini to save you having to include ParticleSystem.ini (a huge file) in your mod distribution. Particle systems will still work in FXList.ini as long as they are above the FX lists that refer to them in the file.

ParticleSystem A10MuzzleSmoke
  Priority = WEAPON_TRAIL
  IsOneShot = No
  Shader = ALPHA
  Type = PARTICLE
  ParticleName = exsmolderingflamesmoke.tga ;exsmokepuff.tga exsmokepuf04.tga
  AngleZ = -1.00 1.00
  AngularRateZ = -0.01 0.01
  AngularDamping = 1.00 1.00
  VelocityDamping = 0.85 0.95
  Gravity = 0.00
  Lifetime = 50.00 60.00
  SystemLifetime = 1
  Size = 2.00 4.00
  StartSizeRate = 0.00 0.00
  SizeRate = 1.80 2.00
  SizeRateDamping = 0.40 0.50
  Alpha1 = 0.75 0.75 0
  Alpha2 = 0.60 0.60 10
  Alpha3 = 0.00 0.00 60
  Alpha4 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha5 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha6 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha7 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha8 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Color1 = R:125 G:125 B:100  0
  Color2 = R:162 G:162 B:162 10
  Color3 = R:192 G:192 B:192 60
  Color4 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color5 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color6 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color7 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color8 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  ColorScale = 0.00 1.00
  BurstDelay = 2.00 2.00
  BurstCount = 1.00 3.00
  InitialDelay = 0.00 0.00
  DriftVelocity = X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00
  VelocityType = ORTHO
  VelOrthoX =  7.50 9.00
  VelOrthoY = -0.20 0.20
  VelOrthoZ = -0.20 0.20
  VolumeType = POINT
  IsHollow = No
  IsGroundAligned = No
  IsEmitAboveGroundOnly = No
  IsParticleUpTowardsEmitter = No
  WindMotion = Unused
  WindAngleChangeMin = 0.149924
  WindAngleChangeMax = 0.449946
  WindPingPongStartAngleMin = 0.000000
  WindPingPongStartAngleMax = 0.785398
  WindPingPongEndAngleMin = 5.497787
  WindPingPongEndAngleMax = 6.283185
End


FXList WeaponFX_GAU8_30mmCannonFire
  LightPulse
    Color = R:255 G:255 B:0
    Radius = 60
    IncreaseTime = 0
    DecreaseTime = 100
  End
  ParticleSystem
    Name = A10MuzzleSmoke
    OrientToObject = Yes
    Offset = X:-5.0 Y:0.0 Z:0.0
  End
  ParticleSystem
    Name = FallingShellsComanche
    OrientToObject = Yes
    Offset = X:-5.0 Y:0.0 Z:0.0
  End
  Tracer
    DecayAt = 1
    Length = 10
    Width = 0.4
    Color = R:255 G:190 B:0
    Speed = 600
  End
End

Then in Weapon.ini, change the FireFX for the A10ThunderboltVulcan to WeaponFX_GAU8_30mmCannonFire.

On how to create or edit particle systems, see my post on the subject at:
ini editing discoveries and tips for Generals & ZH - Cncmaps Map Editing Forums

[beng]

Here is an updated version of the particle system that has longer lasting particles so the smoke effect is stronger. Note that having a lot of particles will impact your frame rate.

ParticleSystem A10MuzzleSmoke
  Priority = WEAPON_TRAIL
  IsOneShot = No
  Shader = ALPHA
  Type = PARTICLE
  ParticleName = exsmolderingflamesmoke.tga ;exsmokepuff.tga exsmokepuf04.tga
  AngleZ = -1.00 1.00
  AngularRateZ = -0.01 0.01
  AngularDamping = 1.00 1.00
  VelocityDamping = 0.70 0.80
  Gravity = 0.00
  Lifetime = 60.00 90.00
  SystemLifetime = 1
  Size = 2.00 4.00
  StartSizeRate = 0.00 0.00
  SizeRate = 1.20 1.50
  SizeRateDamping = 0.70 0.80
  Alpha1 = 0.75 0.75 0
  Alpha2 = 0.60 0.60 10
  Alpha3 = 0.00 0.00 90
  Alpha4 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha5 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha6 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha7 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Alpha8 = 0.00 0.00 0
  Color1 = R:125 G:125 B:100  0
  Color2 = R:162 G:162 B:162 10
  Color3 = R:192 G:192 B:192 90
  Color4 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color5 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color6 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color7 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  Color8 = R:0 G:0 B:0 0
  ColorScale = 0.00 1.00
  BurstDelay = 2.00 2.00
  BurstCount = 1.00 3.00
  InitialDelay = 0.00 0.00
  DriftVelocity = X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00
  VelocityType = ORTHO
  VelOrthoX =  12.00 13.00
  VelOrthoY = -0.20 0.20
  VelOrthoZ = -0.20 0.20
  VolumeType = POINT
  IsHollow = No
  IsGroundAligned = No
  IsEmitAboveGroundOnly = No
  IsParticleUpTowardsEmitter = No
  WindMotion = Unused
  WindAngleChangeMin = 0.149924
  WindAngleChangeMax = 0.449946
  WindPingPongStartAngleMin = 0.000000
  WindPingPongStartAngleMax = 0.785398
  WindPingPongEndAngleMin = 5.497787
  WindPingPongEndAngleMax = 6.283185
End

[Drok]

I tried it. Very nice. Though the effect looks rather simple, I bet there's handful of coding required (I'm still a kind of a novice in modding ZH). I'm really grateful for your help. Thanks.