CFS Effects - display text and sound related

[BorekS]

questions for effect experienced modders:

1. ist it possible to render (display) a text when some effect event instead of DDS image?

2. how to link a sound sample with user made effect event?

[gecko]

1. Not possible as far as I know.

2. Yes. Below is an example of a sound effect in the effects xml, which is then added to the group effect which contains all the parts of the effect involved in the event. The group effect is what is referenced in the xdp.

<snd_drop_tank_release ClassName="SoundEffect" Sound="drop_tank_release" InitialDelay="0.0" MinDistance="1" MaxDistance="50" Volume="100" Loop="0" OneShot="1"/>

<fx_DROPTANK_RELEASE ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="DROPTANK_RELEASE_SPRAY" Effect1="DROPTANK_RELEASE_1" Effect2="DROPTANK_RELEASE_2" Effect3="DROPTANK_RELEASE_SPRAY_DUMMY" Effect4="snd_drop_tank_release"/>

The red highlighted section refers to the section where the actual .wav file is called in the sounds.xml:

<drop_tank_release Random="no" MinDistance="3" Looping="no" InternalOnly="no" Stereo="Yes" Relative="No" Atten="1" No3D="Yes" Update="Yes">
<sound file="drop_tanks.wav" fileInt="drop_tanks.wav"/>
</drop_tank_release>

[Pat Pattle]

If the text was a dds image then it should be able to call it up just like a flak puff for example.

[BorekS]

Yes. Below is an example

thank you, youve described exactly my goal - I wish to hear a "click" sound when released the Blitz project RATO pods. from some reason they have no sound. the RATO pod is mountable loadout item (WeaponType="drop_tank").

the RATO pod related XDP have its own effect section, where is also defined the parachute feature as Effect Type="Track". this works well. the RATO pod is no M3D encoded emitter, it use the XDP virtual one.

I would gladly avoid of any sounds.xml file edits, so I took original bomb_drop sound definition from there and did a new RATO related effect.xml item:

<Ar234_RATO_release ClassName="SoundEffect" Sound="bomb_drop" InitialDelay="0.0" MinDistance="1" MaxDistance="50" Volume="100" Loop="0" OneShot="1"/>

No Effect group defined.

With the effect row, see below, added into the RATO pod XDP I am getting the wanted sound, but it is looped.

<Effect Type="Track" EffectName="Ar234_RATO_release" />

The sound loop problem is the Effect Type="Track" definition I would guess. Ive tried a few other ones, but it seems none of the other types could solve it - no sound then

List of known Effect types btw:

Track
JetExhaust
JetExhaust0
JetExhaust1
JetExhaust2
JetExhaust3
StartEngine
StartEngine0
StartEngine1
StartEngine2
StartEngine3
TouchDown
WheelTouchDown
WheelDirt
WheelConcrete
WheelWater
ScrapeTouchDown
ScrapeDirt
ScrapeConcrete
ScrapeWater
Shells0
Shells1
Shells2
Shells3
Shells4
Shells5
Shells6
Shells7
Shells8
Shells9
Shells10
Shells11
Shells12
Shells13
Shells14
Shells15

If the text was a dds image then it should be able to call it up just like a flak puff for example.

yes I did it that way, just asking for easier alternative

[gecko]

Putting it in a group effect will prevent it from sounding again until the last effect in the group is completed. If one of those effects has a very long lifetime, you will only hear the sound once. This effect doesn't have to be visible, it just controls how frequently the group effect repeats.

[BorekS]

thank you for another bit of explanation.

I see, sounds logical the effect group usage now to me however it doesnt seems to be too much practical. I dont know what means a very long lifetime, but what you described means the effect group "container" content actually loops since the game play end, right? so, lets say, afer a hour of game play I can hear the sound effect again.

anyway the effect group should look somehow as below, right?

<fx_RATO_release ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="Ar234_RATO_release_snd" Effect1="Ar234_RATO_very_long_lifetime_dummy" />

can you please put here some template (sample) for the second "dummy" Effect1 definition, which would cause the very long lifetime, to avoid of to hear the Effect0 ingame anymore?

note: I thought if the Effect1 would loop itself again and again, it would never allow to let run the Effect0 inthe group maybe.

still I think the main issue is my RATO pods (fuel tanks) use Effect Type="Track".