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Guest Tailspin

BGLCOMP and Wake Effect

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Guest Tailspin

Has anyone successfully added a wake to a library object, for instance a cargo ship? I have tried but the wake appears vertical and adding a pitch value makes the wake dissapear. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.I've had no trouble with adding a steam effect to the same ship but that effect is naturally vertical. See attached picture.Ted

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Hi Ted.The wake effect is for attachment to planes... it isn't of the type for stand alone effects. It depends on the Temp for the animation... and Temp in stand alone effects makes the effect rise ( which is why it's vertical ).You might be able to create a new shipwake effect by starting with the waves as a template... or using the cell animation of effects.Dick

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Guest Tailspin

Dick;Thanks for the information on my misinterpretation. Back to square one!Ted

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Hi Ted.I've been playing with effects, and came up with 'fx_cruisewake1.fx' ( to place in the effects folder ):[Library Effect]Lifetime=5Version=2.00Display Name=New Wake EffectsRadius=400Priority=0[Properties]Cockpit=1VirtualCockpit=1Spot=1Tower=1Map=1[Emitter.0]Lifetime=0.00, 0.00Delay=0.10, 0.11Bounce=0.00Rate=1.00, 1.00Pitch=0.00, 0.00Bank=0.00, 0.00Heading=0.00, 0.00[Particle.0]Lifetime=10.07, 10.07Type=19X Scale=11.00, 11.00Y Scale=145.00, 145.00Z Scale=0.00, 0.00X Scale Rate=0.10, 0.10Y Scale Rate=-0.10, 0.10Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00Drag=0.00, 0.00Color Rate=0.00, 0.00Fade In=0.05, 0.05Fade Out=0.70, 0.70Rotation=0.00, 0.00Ground Normal=1Shade=1Static=1Face=0, 0, 0[ParticleAttributes.0]Blend Mode=1Texture=fx_falls.bmpBounce=0.00Color Start=255, 255, 255, 180Color End=255, 255, 255, 0Jitter Distance=0.02Jitter Time=1.00TempK=0.00TempRate=0.00FPS=0.1TextureSize=256CellSize=64CellStart=1CellEnd=7==================================This can be used in an XML file like this:<?xml version="1.0"?>=====================That will place a cruise ship at N1 E1 and place the wake offset behind it.The effect is a bit crude, and I really don't know all the meanings of the settings ( this started out as part of niagara falls 'fx_Ngastatic_sml.fx' ). 'fx_Hvr1.fx' might have some interesting help as well.I keep hoping someone will come up with a good tutorial on creating effects, but it's all hit or miss for me. :(Dick

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Guest Tailspin

Dick;Thanks for your effort. It's certainly a good starting place. A bit wide and long for my cargoship, though. I think I'll wait for the FS9 Effects SDK to come out (if ever) and see if I can learn how to make effects.I really appreciate your efforts here.While I think of it. I had to remove the Bias statement to get the txt file to compile. How does one get around that?Thanks,Ted

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Hi Ted.bglcomp.xsd is missing a line and could use some re-ordering! ( first, SAVE your old 'bglcomp.xsd' as 'bglcomp.xsd.old' )It has this:It needs this:=====================I wouldn't count on an FS9_Effects_SDK... they are the same in FS9 as they were in FS2002. The only way we'll ever understand them is through experimentation.Dick

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Guest Tailspin

Dick;Thank you so much for the information. I will add the correct lines today and look up the FS2002 Special Effects SDK and begin learnng how to write them.You've been a great help!Ted

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Guest Tailspin

Dick;I have another question. After making the correction you suggested I am able to apply a Bias within a SceneryObject but am unsuccessful in applying one within an AttachedObject. Is there another error within the bglcomp.xsd file or do I simply not understand the format correctly?Thanks for any help,Ted

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Guest GerrishGray

Hi TedThe schema agrees with the documentation as far as BiasXYZ for an AttachedObject is concerned, so there doesn't appear to be an error there. But if you are going to attach an effect to a library object, then the library object has to have an appropriate attachment point. The only attachment point that we DO know about so far is for attaching a beacon to the control tower object used in the SDK example, and the chances are that it will only accept a , not an or another . Until we get the MakeMDL SDK there is no way of creating other attachment points on other objects, nor do we know the details of exactly how they work, so I think we'll have to be patient on this one!For the moment you'll have to stick to placing the effect independently, using a separate and to position it where wanted, relative to the object, using the syntaxas Dick has shown above.CheersGerrish

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Hi Ted.Gerrish is right that we need to wait for the MakeModel SDK.I can't bias an attached object either... maybe beacons can't be biased?I can bias the whole structure:=======================================<?xml version="1.0"?>======================There is a change I can make to the 'bglcomp.xsd' that allows beacons as a separate Scenery Object element... instead of a sub-element of Attached Object. I don't know if that has any value or not, but I'll zip an attachment to give the new 'bglcomp.xsd' and an XML file to XYZBias the beacon.The problem with offsetting the bias of the Attached Objects is a problem with the BGLCOMP.exe ( the compiler itself ), not with the 'bglcomp.xsd'. The compiler just doesn't work as indicated.=======================Other things are possible... Attached Objects should be a sub-element of Library Objects, and 'bglcomp.xsd' can be configured to do this, but there really is no advantage to change the file for that.Dick

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Guest Tailspin

Dick (and all);I really appreciate your efforts here. What I was trying to do was put a rotating beacon into a lighthouse I had made in GMax by hiding the base inside the lighthouse and biasing the beacon up about 10 ft. This way the beacon would show the light cone and rotate only at night. I wanted to use this solution rather than use a LibraryObject lighthouse because my GMax model is a fairly accurate rendition of the real thing.Maybe there is another solution. Is it possible to have a LibraryObject beacon rotate?Thanks again for all the help! You guys are a terrific source of information.And Dick, I will try your download today. Being retired I have lots of time.Ted

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Guest Tailspin

I tried your new .xsd file and successfully added the rotating beacon into my lighthouse (and also on several GMax towers and control towers I have made for my own scenery). These work much better as they can be seen from a farther distance.Attached is a screenshot of the beacon on the KHVN control tower.Thanks again for your help.Ted

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Guest robystar

Hi,We are almost 4 years later now and since I am still wrestling with the problem of adding a wake effect to a static carrier in FS8, I am wondering whether in the meantime someone found a solution for it.Thanks,Roby

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