What Happened to My Tracers?

[dcb337]

Getting back into CFS3 after a few years off.

I've got a number of different CFS3 versions running, most with Fire Power and AvH aircraft. I naturally installed the AvH weapons pack, AvH preload, AvH effects and the rest of of AvH supplements. However, I get the muzzle flashes but no tracers for any of the AvH aircraft regardless of the CFS3 version (ETO, PTO Solomon, PTO Rising Sun, Battle of Britain, Dogpatch Korea and a few I've created myself: Luft '46 and Nacht Jager). All of my planes that use the MS standard weapons show tracers and muzzle flashes just as they are supposed to.

I know it's not the airplanes themselves as I've substituted the same MS weapon (eg: 20mm Hispano Mk 2) for the AvH weapon in the .xps file and that weapon shows tracers whereas the other weapons on the same aircraft don't show anything but the muzzle flashes.

Is there an easy fix? Did I miss something when I installed the AvH packs?

Thanks in advance for your heip.

[sixstrings5859]

Tricky using Firepower and AVHistory effects . Have a similar install with both and installed and added AVHistory's files after adding Firepower's. Have no problems with any aircraft. Maybe this could help.

[dcb337]

I typically add FP as part of my "base" 3.1a set-up and then AvH aircraft and effects, etc. over top of that. I'll try a fresh install on a new version and see if your idea works. Thanks!

[mongoose]

Probably not necessary yet. wait for an expert; ones sure to answer soon. Just an effect or xpd issue IMO.

[alcanallen]

Probably not necessary yet. wait for an expert; ones sure to answer soon. Just an effect or xpd issue IMO.

Iv`e used this "add to effects" and i like it,back up files before adding.

<fx_bltpln_l ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect1="TR_engFire_S_1" Effect2="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect3="Air_Explosion_MED_smoke2" Effect4="DebrisAir_cannon_Med" Effect5="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect6="A_shellSmoke_m"/>
<fx_bltpln_m ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect1="A_shellSmoke_m" Effect2="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect3="Air_Explosion_MED_smoke2" Effect4="DebrisAir_cannon_Med" Effect5="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect6="TR_fuelleak_S_1"/>
<fx_bltpln_s ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect1="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect2="G_Smoke_rising2" Effect3="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect4="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect5="A_shellSmoke_m"/>


<Tracer_and_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="1.7" TracerRorationSpeed="50" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="4000" SmokeWidth="6" SmokeRorationSpeed="50" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>
<Tracer_and_Smoke_L ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="2.5" TracerRorationSpeed="50" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="4000" SmokeWidth="6" SmokeRorationSpeed="50" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>
<Tracer_sans_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="1.7" TracerRorationSpeed="50" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="4000" SmokeWidth="6" SmokeRorationSpeed="50" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>
alcanallen.

[dcb337]

Iv`e used this "add to effects" and i like it,back up files before adding.

<fx_bltpln_l ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect1="TR_engFire_S_1" Effect2="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect3="Air_Explosion_MED_smoke2" Effect4="DebrisAir_cannon_Med" Effect5="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect6="A_shellSmoke_m"/>
<fx_bltpln_m ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect1="A_shellSmoke_m" Effect2="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect3="Air_Explosion_MED_smoke2" Effect4="DebrisAir_cannon_Med" Effect5="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect6="TR_fuelleak_S_1"/>
<fx_bltpln_s ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect1="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect2="G_Smoke_rising2" Effect3="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect4="Air_Bullet_sparks_M1" Effect5="A_shellSmoke_m"/>


<Tracer_and_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="1.7" TracerRorationSpeed="50" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="4000" SmokeWidth="6" SmokeRorationSpeed="50" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>
<Tracer_and_Smoke_L ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="2.5" TracerRorationSpeed="50" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="4000" SmokeWidth="6" SmokeRorationSpeed="50" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>
<Tracer_sans_Smoke ClassName="TracerEffect" TracerLength="2.5" TracerWidth="1.7" TracerRorationSpeed="50" TracerBlendMode="Add" TracerSideTexture="TracerSide5.dds" TracerEndTexture="tracerEnd5.dds" SmokeLength="4000" SmokeWidth="6" SmokeRorationSpeed="50" SmokeBlendMode="QuadSprite" SmokeSideTexture="tracerSmoke4.dds" SmokeEndTexture="black.DDS"/>
alcanallen.

Thanks for the post, alcanallen. Unfortunately, pinning these lines to my effects.xml file didn't fix the problem. Anything else I can try?

[NachtPiloten]

Post the text from the section for the gunstations from the offending airplane so we can have a look see.

[Daiwilletti]

Thanks for the post, alcanallen. Unfortunately, pinning these lines to my effects.xml file didn't fix the problem. Anything else I can try?

You need to start with your gun as specified in the aircraft xdp file.

That gun has a corresponding bullet, found in the Weapons folder. It is the bullet (or "round", or "shell") xdp that defines the tracer effect. Then finding out if you have the requisite texture as defined in the specified effect in the effects.xml should be straight forward. IIRC some stock bullets do not specify a tracer effect - presumably CFS3 uses some default tracer effects.

Just as an aside, I completed a combined ETO/MAW/AvHistory effects.xml last night, an exercise made easier by putting each effects.xml into alphabetical order (using xml Sorter per my post) and then using Winmerge to quickly transfer missing effects from one file to the other.

Bearing in mind that, even if you have the right effects line in your effects.xml, it will not work unless you have the necessary textures in your Effects/fxtextures folder.

HTH,

[Danoman812]

Everything else is fine but there aren't any tracers...

[Daiwilletti]

Everything else is fine but there aren't any tracers...

There is now a combined effects.xml file uploaded here at SOH http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...d=161&id=23722

Back up your effects.xml and try this one. If it is not the effects.xml, go back to specific weapons files, as I discuss above.