MSFS FS Active Fires

[cobras]

Hi all.

Is possible relaunch FS Active Fires for FS2020. Plisssss

Greethings

 

[=Hollywood=]

Hey Juan,

I've been looking at it, I've been rebuilding the code for FSX/P3D but the problem is there's no real good tutorials on building new visual effects in MSFS. The smoke looks simple enough to do, but recreating the fire effect which previously was an animated texture is no longer used in MSFS.

I'm trying to get up to speed with creating a menu module within MSFS that can temporarily let me generate proxy models in place of the visual effects until such time as I can figure out the new visual effects tools.

 

[cobras]

Very so much buddy

 

[=Hollywood=]

Very so much buddy

Right now I'm working on learning how to create a SimConnect module that can pull up a menu inside the aircraft. That's stage 1.
I already have code to pull the fire data and prep the xml file, just don't have the knowledge yet to:

1. Generate a new VFX file of the fires
2. Generate code to place the VFX in the simulator at runtime

The approach I'm planning to take is create an open source version of a SimConnect module that can input data from a variety of sources and inject them into the sim as objects or effects. It'll take me some time to learn, right now I'm at the very beginning of this journey.

Right now I'm trying to develop placing some static data and models programmatically which I can then compile to a BGL. but then the next step would be taking that static data and be able to place the static objects via simconnect. Once I have that process figured out I can then move on to using real time or near real time data to make those objects move in the sim.

I'm biting off a bunch of various things I've wanted to build for the sim for the last 20 years. So I'm quite swamped right now.

I wish I could share the other stuff I'm working on, for now I must remain quiet to protect the IP.

 

[cobras]

Many thanks. Greethings

 

[cobras]

Hey Juan,

I've been looking at it, I've been rebuilding the code for FSX/P3D but the problem is there's no real good tutorials on building new visual effects in MSFS. The smoke looks simple enough to do, but recreating the fire effect which previously was an animated texture is no longer used in MSFS.

I'm trying to get up to speed with creating a menu module within MSFS that can temporarily let me generate proxy models in place of the visual effects until such time as I can figure out the new visual effects tools.

Wonderfull. Greethings

 

[Lagaffe]

In order to animate the fire, it is possible to create surfaces where you can apply scales, rotations, displacements in order to give life !
I have create some fire effects animated on my Canso (exhausts) and they are realistics.

 

[=rk=]

Well that is something to look forward to, having fire once we purchase the Canso. Can'tso wait.

 

[Lagaffe]

The Canso is freeware and released since several months : https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...fsx-to-p3d-and-msfs.451373/page-2#post-897226
Take a glance on he second screens on the last link and you can see fire on exhaust tubes.

Others developers has done theses studies: Redwings on the L-1049 Super Constellation aircraft.

 

[=rk=]

Ok and thank you so much for all your fine work, Didier, but you are not referring to effect flames, you are referring to model object flames, correct?

And if that's the case, I am sorry to have misunderstood, many models have those, even mine. I tied a few AI exhaust "effect" models to engine rpm and I even tried an animated campfire, it's in my Columbia Gorge scenery. It looks pretty comical by day, but fairly convincing at night, imo.

 

[=Hollywood=]

Okay I've just looked at the SDK video on the Visual Effects System and creating the forest fire effect looks simple for the smoke. Will get that part done as soon as I can. Then I'll have to learn how to call that visual effect, from memory with the original FS Active Fires we had to place a piece of geometry that was invisible to the user to attach the effect to for FS Active Fires. Although at the same time before the app I was able to place the effects just via XML code. It's so long ago now

 

[mamu]

Okay I've just looked at the SDK video on the Visual Effects System and creating the forest fire effect looks simple for the smoke. Will get that part done as soon as I can. Then I'll have to learn how to call that visual effect, from memory with the original FS Active Fires we had to place a piece of geometry that was invisible to the user to attach the effect to for FS Active Fires. Although at the same time before the app I was able to place the effects just via XML code. It's so long ago now

You are lucky, since SU9 or something vfx can be placed via the scenery editor using the
(Before this innovation we had to attach the VFX to a Simboject to spawn it)

So you can easylly bulk place them with some basic script, all you need are coordinates


And more lucky, the VFX graph editor is now stable enough to make effects creation enjoyable



Inviato dal mio Mi 9 Lite utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[=rk=]

And more lucky, the VFX graph editor is now stable enough to make effects creation enjoyable

Scratching my head, because VFX editor crashes after about 15 minutes of working with it so either you are a very patient man, or my system sucks and probably both. "Enjoyable," in that it did not actually jump out of the screen and bite me, yes.

Also, that VFX tutorial with Simone is dated enough that it is impossible to complete the procedure she describes, without a fairly fundamental understanding of the VFX system and what has changed in the interim, imo.

 

[=Hollywood=]

You are lucky, since SU9 or something vfx can be placed via the scenery editor using the
(Before this innovation we had to attach the VFX to a Simboject to spawn it)

So you can easylly bulk place them with some basic script, all you need are coordinates


And more lucky, the VFX graph editor is now stable enough to make effects creation enjoyable



Inviato dal mio Mi 9 Lite utilizzando Tapatalk

Oh true. I’ve seen that in passing while working on YBAF and other projects. I’ll have to make a project and look at the xml code . Thanks!!!

EDIT:
Okay I woke up and have had a look, code is as simple as:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<FSData version="9.0">
    <SceneryObject lat="-26.80440680525610" lon="153.10567982808814" alt="-93.00373311070103" pitch="0.000000" bank="0.000000" heading="0.000000" imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" snapToGround="FALSE" snapToNormal="FALSE">
        <VisualEffectObject name="{7D2A14DB-D41B-426F-BC20-DFD1F8C93272}" scale="1.000000"/>
    </SceneryObject>
</FSData>

Now to start building some smoke

EDIT:

Okay I have to step this out one step at a time, this effect I need to make open source, because it's something that we had as default in FSX/P3D and I'm running into issues right from the start. The VFX editor also keeps crashing the sim

I am slowly figuring out how to re-build the VFX in MSFS, am running into a few snags, such as if I try and plug in a windDirection vector, it nukes the gravity (i.e. floating smoke), I haven't found a way to get it to get the X & Y from the wind and the Z from the gravity vector. Also I need to see about how to fade the effect in and out.

Here's how it looks so far, it's only the smoke emitter at this point, I'll plug in the fire and flames once I figure out how to create the material.

 

[mamu]

Oh true. I’ve seen that in passing while working on YBAF and other projects. I’ll have to make a project and look at the xml code . Thanks!!!

EDIT:
Okay I woke up and have had a look, code is as simple as:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<FSData version="9.0">
    <SceneryObject lat="-26.80440680525610" lon="153.10567982808814" alt="-93.00373311070103" pitch="0.000000" bank="0.000000" heading="0.000000" imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE" altitudeIsAgl="TRUE" snapToGround="FALSE" snapToNormal="FALSE">
        <VisualEffectObject name="{7D2A14DB-D41B-426F-BC20-DFD1F8C93272}" scale="1.000000"/>
    </SceneryObject>
</FSData>

Now to start building some smoke

EDIT:

Okay I have to step this out one step at a time, this effect I need to make open source, because it's something that we had as default in FSX/P3D and I'm running into issues right from the start. The VFX editor also keeps crashing the sim

I am slowly figuring out how to re-build the VFX in MSFS, am running into a few snags, such as if I try and plug in a windDirection vector, it nukes the gravity (i.e. floating smoke), I haven't found a way to get it to get the X & Y from the wind and the Z from the gravity vector. Also I need to see about how to fade the effect in and out.

Here's how it looks so far, it's only the smoke emitter at this point, I'll plug in the fire and flames once I figure out how to create the material.

The following is a very good tutorial with some basic info

Later I can share with you my chimney effect source files , with wind velocity components and fading smokes (basically following the tutorial above)

 

[=rk=]

Later I can share with you my chimney effect source files , with wind velocity components and fading smokes (basically following the tutorial above)

You have smoke that both rises and follows the wind? Can you say how?

 

[mamu]

You have smoke that both rises and follows the wind? Can you say how?

sure Rick,

I added the gravity vector to the wind vector and throw them in the update velocity property,
some quick dirty smoke

 

[=Hollywood=]

I added the gravity vector to the wind vector and throw them in the update velocity property,
some quick dirty smoke

Thank you so much, I was staring at the screen last night trying different things to the point I was crosseyed

Has anyone found the x, y, z rotations don't seem to work with the particles as yet? I was trying all night to get them to rotate on any of the axis' but nothing, it seems the spigot isn't connected yet or maybe it's an ID10T error.

 

[=rk=]

sure Rick,

I added the gravity vector to the wind vector and throw them in the update velocity property,
some quick dirty smoke

Wow, that is gold sir, thank you. I do enjoy the interactive style of the VFX editor, much like FSX, but this flow chart system is so intricate, I barely get a feel for it before everything freezes.

 

[=Hollywood=]

I added the gravity vector to the wind vector and throw them in the update velocity property,
some quick dirty smoke

That routine works super well for the wind vectors plugging in with the gravity vector...

I follow the logic for the gravity vector, hoping I can get to a place I understand what the arithmetic actually does. Time for me to dig into the SDK node graph docs again.