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OMG It FLOATS!!... ::lol::

So you guys have -probably been wondering what i've been doing the last couple days since i've been so quiet.. Floundering would be the truth of it, though in that floundering, we've made some good headway.. Regardless of the sound, The engines are no longer turbine based, and the props are fixed.
The throtte works in conjunction with the F1 - F4 keys which provide your power band settings for low speed through emergency speed. The throttle itself divides the the joystck throttle in half with foward being from 50% throttle to 100% and reverse being 50% throttle to 0%, with 50% throttle being Idle.. Speeds range from complete stop, through the "oh my god if you dont slow down we're all gonna die anyway " range.. I still have to get it to back out of a slip, so thats next..
In the mean time.. I'm no videographer so i apologize for the bumps jiggles false start and abrupt ending, but none the less, I hope you enjoy..

 
Seahawk72s said:
I noticed with engine start-up there is a brief puff of smoke.
From what I can tell this is happening just about where the stbd. underwater exhaust is..?
How is this happening as I don't see any smoke or effect defined in the aircraft.cfg.
Click to expand...

Probably a fall back effect to compensate for the lack of effects that were defined in the aircraft.cfg.
Origin is the engine location, as defined in the aircraft.cfg (same for engine fires, btw).

From the drawing the two exhausts on the port side are under water with some form of water discharge,
above water line for each engine..?
Click to expand...

Looks about right. Exhaust under water -> no smoke -> less observability.

(A one way valve ensures water tightness when no exhaust gas pressure is present, in case you're wondering.)
 
There are actually several puffs of smoke happening.. Yes, there are the three smoke trails coming off the engines, but Steves bow wave effect also uses smoke as part of the effect.. in fact, all of the smoke generated is part of the various wake and bow effects that the boat currently uses.. That will change as I port this over to P3D . I havent had a lot of time to look at it, but something tells me that P3D is going to be a little bit more complex that just hanging floats under the boat and adding a special effect.

Last night, I found the original mesh for the boat. I'll need to tool up, but it means we can finish the boat and correct all the errors and animations, as well as do a complete UV map and bring you all new textures. It should also allow me to do a native port to P3D, where once its there, I can turn around and update the FSX FDE..
 
warchild said:
......Last night, I found the original mesh for the boat. I'll need to tool up, but it means we can finish the boat and correct all the errors and animations, as well as do a complete UV map and bring you all new textures. It should also allow me to do a native port to P3D, where once its there, I can turn around and update the FSX FDE..
Click to expand...

Congratulations..!
Very good news.......:wiggle:
 
Effects 2

Playing with more effects, strictly as proof of concept...
Mild engine smoke while running, all 3 weapons fire plus the engine water discharge..
 
warchild said:
There are actually several puffs of smoke happening.. Yes, there are the three smoke trails coming off the engines, but Steves bow wave effect also uses smoke as part of the effect.. in fact, all of the smoke generated is part of the various wake and bow effects that the boat currently uses.. That will change as I port this over to P3D . I havent had a lot of time to look at it, but something tells me that P3D is going to be a little bit more complex that just hanging floats under the boat and adding a special effect.

Last night, I found the original mesh for the boat. I'll need to tool up, but it means we can finish the boat and correct all the errors and animations, as well as do a complete UV map and bring you all new textures. It should also allow me to do a native port to P3D, where once its there, I can turn around and update the FSX FDE..
Click to expand...


Pam, really happy that you found the source. I appreciate the efforts to resuscitate this project. Very nice indeed! :applause:
 
Milton Shupe said:
Pam, really happy that you found the source. I appreciate the efforts to resuscitate this project. Very nice indeed! :applause:
Click to expand...

Thanks Milton.. It's a challenge, but i think i can do it.. Seriously.. With as much trouble as the engines alone are giving me, i'm glad it isnt more complicated :LOL: i took a look at max too.. its familiar and yet a lot of stuff i couldnt remember, so it'll be a challenge too, but thats ok.. :)
 
SH427 said:
As a lover of all things Schnellboote if you are in need of a P3D tester, please let me know!
Click to expand...

Consider yourself hired, but it'll be a while as P3D handles watercraft a whole lot differently than FSX does and I need to learn how to port it over..
 
Wake effects

I have "wake" effects based on smoke gauges with boat speed control but for some reason all "spray" effects tried
just run all the time ignoring the gauge control.
(Spray effect was commented out for two of the pics.

Any thoughts...?....:dizzy:
 
I'll be the first to admit that i am ignorant when it comes to effects.. But maybe someone here has some ideas..
 
Seahawk72s said:
I have "wake" effects based on smoke gauges with boat speed control but for some reason all "spray" effects tried
just run all the time ignoring the gauge control.
(Spray effect was commented out for two of the pics.

Any thoughts...?....:dizzy:
Click to expand...

Secondary problems using the "airspeed" based gauge.
I am hoping someone at FSDevelopers can help...
 
I am far, very far, from being an XML programmer.
Having said that, I did do some work on the FSX BA F-18 wing-tip vapor effects a while back. If I can be any help, just send me the gauges and effect files, and I can at least LOOK and see if I can figure out what's going on. At worst, I won't.
The FSDEv forum members are a whole lot better than I am by far. I would definately agree that they're the ones to ask. Sometimes they can be a triffle slow on the response time. Not that I'm any better, just commenting...

Pat☺
 
Untested. The "5" is the speed limit above (or below) which the smoke system is toggled.

Code: 
<Gauge>
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(A:SURFACE RELATIVE GROUND SPEED, knots) 5 > (A:SMOKE ENABLE, bool) ! and if{ (>K:SMOKE_TOGGLE) }
(A:SURFACE RELATIVE GROUND SPEED, knots) 5 < (A:SMOKE ENABLE, bool) and if{ (>K:SMOKE_TOGGLE) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
</Gauge>
 
I compared what you posted to what I have for the F-18 LEX Vapor effects. I can see a few glaring differences, that may or may not matter. I really think they do, though.
Here is the line from the Hornet's file:
(L:Vapor Calculator, number) 1 >
(A:SMOKE ENABLE:10, bool) ! and
(A:SMOKE ENABLE:11, bool) ! and
if{ 10 (>K:SMOKE_ON, enum) 11 (>K:SMOKE_ON, enum) } els{ }
and here is yours:
(A:SURFACE RELATIVE GROUND SPEED, knots) 5 > (A:SMOKE ENABLE, bool) ! and if{ (>K:SMOKE_TOGGLE) }

The L: var for the '18 is just the G force and ambient temperature requirements to enable the vapor. If the conditions are properly met, it returns a 1 to turn the smoke on. Then the section I posted turns on smoke entries 10 & 11. In yours, the surface relative ground speed is the triggering event, and turns on whichever smoke entry you're using. You don't specify which smoke entry in the aircraft.cfg [Smoke] Section is triggered, though: (A:SMOKE ENABLE:10, bool) vs (A:SMOKE ENABLE, bool). See the difference? You need to specify just what [smoke] section line entry you want to trigger, not just a [smoke] entry of some sort.
Then, the section triggered in yours isn't specified again in the K: Var entry.
if{ 10 (>K:SMOKE_ON, enum) vs if{ (>K:SMOKE_TOGGLE) }.
Also, I am not sure the K: var you're using is the right one. K:SMOKE_ON in the f-18 instead of K:SMOKE_TOGGLE in yours. Notice that in the F-18 one, the [Smoke] entry triggered is specified in the line, if{ 10 ... and in yours it's not, again.
Last, that I see, for what that's worth, in the F-18 line, the entry goes (>K:... but in yours it's just (>K:...

Do all these differences make a owl's hoot worth? I'm not, repeat NOT, an XML programmer, but all the things I pointed out, I believe, may be very significant.

No way will I even try to program your gauge, but maybe you can take a little look, and try making a few changes? Maybe see about making things match, or resemble would be a better word, a little more?

I hope all my babbling may be so some small assistance.
Pat☺

EDIT: I see now I am way too late in my post. I apologise if I insulted your gauge coding capabilities. I meant no disrespect. I was just trying to help, is all...



 
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