I don't know if it's related to this mod or part of the base game but some ships (Razorbill, for example) don't have any plume or that new cloud effect.
1. (hard) edit the material library and remove unrelated code, then create a DIFF from the remaining code
* If you search for SmoothPlume, I think there are only 3 code blocks that use it, everything else can be removed. I wasn't successful using the SELECT function to create a DIFF though so I won't try to detail that here.
2. (easy) open the other mod's content.xml and set this mod as an optional dependency. if this mod is installed it will load first
Example (2): If I was using the mod Stars, I would open the content.xml in the STARS mod and paste this above the closing /content tag:
The only drawback to not doing (1) is that this material_library.xml might contain old code which would also overwrite changes made by any official patches or expansions.
Thanks for reporting this, I've spent quite a while trying to get my head around making a diff patch since I saw your report, unfortunately all the guides I have read seem to be difficult for me to understand and I can't get the automated ones to work. I will endeavor for find a way though.
This seems to work (no errors in debug log), but it looks like a new effect has been added to travel mode (see screenshots below). I didn't try to find it in code.
Watch out for line wrap, each REPLACE should be a single line in the XML:
Thank you so much! Yes this looks like it should work based on what I have read and observed, much appreciated.
This seems to work (no errors in debug log), but it looks like a new effect has been added to travel mode
They added the new travel effect in the 7.50 update, I really like it; though did you mention it because you think there could be an issue with it and the mod?
You're welcome. I've been trying to get a better handle on the XML code so this was good practice.
I mentioned the travel effect for two reasons:
1. I didn't want users to think the mod was broken because it diesn't remove it 2. I actually don't like it and someday will look at the XML to remove it. I don't mind the elongated plumes but I don't like the "cloud" (not sure what to call it) near the engines.
Ah that's fair enough. I think at this point I am just so excited to see them do something to enhance the engine effects that I don't care what it is, lol.
I feel like adding an amazing and modern effect overhaul for engines would surely be on their roadmap eventually as it would be a simple task for them, but I worry I'm wrong and it'll be this same one in X5.
I would like to see a less intense, smoother engine glow. On the ship in my screenshots, when the glow is at it's maximum it's extremely bright and mostly white. Also the particles seem to form a strange "box" shape (3rd person camera, directly behind), almost as if they're using a rectangular texture instead of round one.
The other thing that bothers me about the travel effect is it's purple. My engine plumes are blue/white so it seems reasonable that the travel effect should also be some shade of blue.
Oh really? I haven't played in quite a while but plan to get back into it eventually; I'll try and figure out what might be causing this, thanks for the heads up!
I've just bought X4 + DLCs, but I can't quite figure out what's different when using your mod; could you please add some vanilla images for comparison?
20 comments
1. (hard) edit the material library and remove unrelated code, then create a DIFF from the remaining code
* If you search for SmoothPlume, I think there are only 3 code blocks that use it, everything else can be removed. I wasn't successful using the SELECT function to create a DIFF though so I won't try to detail that here.
2. (easy) open the other mod's content.xml and set this mod as an optional dependency. if this mod is installed it will load first
Example (2): If I was using the mod Stars, I would open the content.xml in the STARS mod and paste this above the closing /content tag:
<dependency id="SmoothPlume" optional="true" name="SmoothPlume" />
The only drawback to not doing (1) is that this material_library.xml might contain old code which would also overwrite changes made by any official patches or expansions.
Watch out for line wrap, each REPLACE should be a single line in the XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?>
<diff>
<replace sel="//material[@name='p1_fx_gas']/properties/property[@name='diffuse_map']/@value">extensions\SmoothPlume\assets\fx\textures\engine_fx_streak_01</replace>
<replace sel="//material[@name='engine_fx_arg_gas']/properties/property[@name='diffuse_map']/@value">extensions\SmoothPlume\assets\fx\textures\engine_fx_streak_01</replace>
<replace sel="//material[@name='engine_fx_arg_gas_sm']/properties/property[@name='diffuse_map']/@value">extensions\SmoothPlume\assets\fx\textures\engine_fx_streak_01</replace>
</diff>
Click for screenshots (IMGUR)
They added the new travel effect in the 7.50 update, I really like it; though did you mention it because you think there could be an issue with it and the mod?
I mentioned the travel effect for two reasons:
1. I didn't want users to think the mod was broken because it diesn't remove it
2. I actually don't like it and someday will look at the XML to remove it. I don't mind the elongated plumes but I don't like the "cloud" (not sure what to call it) near the engines.
I feel like adding an amazing and modern effect overhaul for engines would surely be on their roadmap eventually as it would be a simple task for them, but I worry I'm wrong and it'll be this same one in X5.
The other thing that bothers me about the travel effect is it's purple. My engine plumes are blue/white so it seems reasonable that the travel effect should also be some shade of blue.
It adds such a nice immersion when flying around larger ships in fighters, and makes the fleets look truly fantastic when moving in formation.
This really just needs to be absorbed into the base game by the devs in a future update and replace the lack luster vanilla ones once and for all.
I've just bought X4 + DLCs, but I can't quite figure out what's different when using your mod; could you please add some vanilla images for comparison?