Starshell & Very Light Objects UT

[UncleTgt]

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Scenery - Library objects

Description: Starshell & Very Light objects for CFS2 by UncleTgt


This zip contains a range of signal flare & starshell objects for use as eye-candy when writing missions.


They are configured as vehicle objects, so can appear to be "mobile", & can be spawned using triggers & events in your missions.


verylight_UT
==================
The very light appears to launch from the ground & reaches an altitude of 300mtrs. It's flare effect lasts for approximately 40 seconds.




starshell_1050
starshell_1200
starshell_900
==================
The starshells use the offset in the DP file to set their initial altitude


1050 = 1050m
1200 = 1200m
900 = 900m


I used Fleet Air Arm illumination flare dropping instructions to arrive at these altitudes. The flare lasts for approximately 240-270 secs.


Unfortunately, these are not true lights, so I'm afraid no real illumination benefit can be seen - CFS 2's night is still as black as black can be!


The screengrabs were mostly taken at dusk, just after sunset.


But perhaps these effects are still useful as mission events to help with the immersion factor.


To install, unzip the download to a temporary location & move/ copy files to the matching folder names inside your chosen CFS 2 install.


Thanks to


Allen for his Making Exploding Objects using FS2002 Tools & Tutorial
Arno Gerretsen for ModelconverterX, such a clever & versatile tool


This is freeware and subject to the usual conditions


UncleTgt
JUN 2021

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit Starshell & Verey Light Objects UT
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[stuart277]

Hi UncleTgt
Let there be more Light.
Cheers
Stuart

[Shessi]

Another very interesting subject...my mind's thinking where can I use this....

Great stuff.

Cheers

Shessi

[kdriver]

I took the Corsair on the test flight and the effects look great.

Thanks very much UT!

[Captain Kurt]

That's an innovative idea.

[p14u2nv]

Thank you UncleTgt, this is really a unique addon. CFS2 continues to live on...

[UncleTgt]

Thanks for the kind comments guys.

My interest was sparked by reading of the BPF operations at Sakishima. At one point an Avenger pilot ditched close to one of the islands & stayed in his raft until dusk. Only then did he use his flare pistol to attract attention.

So I started to wonder how such a mission could be constructed. The existing work either had rafts as ships, or starshells as aircraft. Neither is optimal, & each one takes up a model slot, which gets us closer to the circa 100 model limits when people start having trouble.

Then I remembered that Talon had changed the Volcano effect into a vehicle, so it could move with damaged ships, so I started to play around with objects & effects configured as vehicles.

The starshell object followed on, mainly as I was reading about disembarked Fleet Air Arm squadrons operating in the Western Desert during '41-'42. Some Wellington night bomber squadrons were instructed not to bomb without FAA Albacores accompanying them for target illumination purposes.
Their SOP was to drop flares from 6-7000ft & these would ignite at about 3000ft to provide 4 mins of illumination. During this time the Wellingtons would find a suitable target point & drop on that point...

So again, I wondered how CFS 2 might be able to mimick such an activity, & the starshell vehicle object was the result.

Advantages

- not a SHIP or AIRCRAFT model, so doesn't contribute to the c.100 limit.
- can be spawned mid-mission, so with clever use of triggers & events, SAR missions become possible

Disadvantages

- because the effect is in the "EXTRAS" section of the DP file, it never switches off. This is OK for single cycle effects such as these, less useful for smokescreens & the like, as they never switch off.

Anyway, glad you like the concept, I hope they get some use.

[Ravenna]

Fascinating stuff. Thanks UT!

[Rami]

UncleTgt,

Very nice job on these, I'm looking forward to experimenting with these!