Tracer problem

[gosd]

Having trouble with the following cannon tracers, getting white squares :AvHistory_gr_gun_MG_FF, AvHistory_gr_gun_Mk108.
I think the problem is in the weapon folder, any ideas ?

[MajorMagee]

The problem is traceable to how the related texture files were created (alpha, versus no alpha), and the entry in the effects.xml file that tells it how to interpret the information in the dds.

The entry is:
TracerBlendMode="Add" or TracerBlendMode="QuadSprite"

The trouble comes in when you have an existing effect that uses this one way, and then a model package comes out that wants you to drop in their improved texture file, and it needs the parameter set the other way. It might work fine for the new effect they added, but breaks your old effects. Don't add the new texture, and the parameter will be set incorrectly for theirs.

[rocketred]

corrected mine by the the detialed changes to texture, magic ..... went away from instrutions ,,,,,,,,,,

[gosd]

Fixed it by replacing some .dds files with the original ones.
Thank you to all for your input

[FOO FIGHTER]

I have a similar problem but I don't think it is linked to just a texture. All I did was add some nav light effects to one aircraft (not the Yak) and this happened. It only occurs on some aircraft not all. I rechecked the Yak tracer effect (which I hadn't even touched prior to problem) and all textures are as they should be.

Example of new Nav light effect:

<fx_green_light ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="light_Green" Effect1="Light_flash_green" Effect2=""/>
<light_Green ClassName="MuzzleFlash" Lifetime="300" Length=".30" LengthVar="0" Width=".30" WidthVar="0" SideTexture="black.dds" EndTexture="green_light.dds" BlendMode="Add"/>
<Light_flash_green ClassName="Lighting" LightType="Point" Lifetime="300" InitialDelay="0" FadeInTime="0.0" FadeOutTime="0.0" StrobeInterval="1" StrobeRitm="5" PosX="0" PosY="0" PosZ="0.0" RotY="0.0" RotX="0.0" Diffuse0="0 0 0" Diffuse1="5 122 87" Specular0="0 0 0" Specular1="5 122 87" Ambient0="0 0 0" Ambient1="223 0 0" Range="10" FallOff="0.1" Attenuation0=".1" Attenuation1="2" Attenuation2="0" Theta="10" Phi="30"/>

[MajorMagee]

My DPC Korea install has the green tracers working okay with these entries in my effects.xml

<Light_flash_green ClassName="Lighting" LightType="Point" Lifetime="150" InitialDelay="0" FadeInTime="0.0" FadeOutTime="0.0" StrobeInterval="1" StrobeRitm="5" PosX="0" PosY="0" PosZ=".3" RotY="0.0" RotX="0.0" Diffuse0="0 0 0" Diffuse1="5 122 87" Specular0="0 0 0" Specular1="5 122 87" Ambient0="0 0 0" Ambient1="223 0 0" Range="10" FallOff="0.1" Attenuation0=".1" Attenuation1="2" Attenuation2="0" Theta="10" Phi="30"/>

<light_Green ClassName="MuzzleFlash" Lifetime="150" Length=".3" LengthVar=".1" Width=".3" WidthVar=".03" SideTexture="green_light.dds" EndTexture="" BlendMode="Add"/>

<fx_green_light ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="light_Green" Effect1="Light_flash_green" Effect2=""/>

My 256x256 green_light.dds texture is in DXT1 format and does not have an alpha layer. It is green on a black background, and the black portions display as transparent in game.

If you added something new to the effects.xml recently, I would check that for duplicate effects entries that might have conflicting parameter values. (e.g. once calls for BlendMode="Add" and the other uses BlendMode="QuadSprite")

[ndicki]

Might it not be a better idea to avoid touching existing file/effects names and use entirely new ones for any new effects? I've had something like this more than once, and it's an utter pig to trace back, especially when like me, you have no idea how these things work... Two pennyworth there.

[FOO FIGHTER]

Thanks for the replies.

There are no other effects or included group effects that have exactly the same name as other entries within the effects.xml.

I've recently installed the 4GB patch and then ran the cfs3config.exe with positive results for four consecutive startups of DPC's KTO. On the fifth, the anomalies returned.

I should have also mentioned in the original post that I had run the cfs3config.exe and had to delete the uisel file from the app data folder just to get it to startup.