Laser Tracer

[CrazyAce 0]

What I’m aiming for here is a laser effect when hand weapons are fired, but I can’t seem to get what I want. What I would like to have is a laser tracer that can be seen from the start of the projectile to the end, no matter how far or close the shot is.

Edited November 13, 2006 by CrazyAce

[[BF:A] Croupier 0]

Well what have you tried? I would try making a projectile that looks like a laser beam.

[CrazyAce 0]

Not quite sure what to make of this:

This is the particle mesh imported and I have no idea what to do here...

I have tried increasing the tracerScaler, made tracerInterval 1, even change the tracerTemplate (with stock 2142 particles) except nothing is working for what I want...

I'm trying to get a constant beam of light to simulate a laser... Imagine a laser pointer in smoke, you can see the entire beam. This is what I am going for, so when the weapon is fired this effect happens and disappears quickly, if its on a machine gun the effect will rapidly deploy.

Edited November 15, 2006 by CrazyAce

[BLITZ1976 0]

Do you have a pic of what you want to do? I may be able to help.

[CrazyAce 0]

Just try and image what a laser beam would look like in a room filled with smoke, you will see the beam coming out from the pointer to what ever it hits right... that is called a constant beam of light Now turn that pointer on and off very fast what happens..?

:Except blue:

http://movies.infinitecoolness.com/24/shortcircuit09.jpg

:Green is a good color:

http://oz.irtc.org/ftp/pub/stills/1997-06-30/gr-laser.jpg

:More like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm..._experiment.jpg

Off Topic, but this would be cool:

http://sorenworlds.netfirms.com/Laser/laser.jpg

Edited November 15, 2006 by CrazyAce

[[BFP]Bunnysnot 0]

I would recomend using the trailsytem particle emmiter. With the proper texture you can create a long uninturupted laer effect that trails the projectile. Look at effects/vehicles/misc/e_contrail to see what you can do with the effect.

[CrazyAce 0]

e_contrail is not there in effects_server or Client...

I think what I'm looking for is this, but can''t quite tell for sure...

ObjectTemplate.tracerScaler 500
&
ObjectTemplate.maxTracerScaler 500
ObjectTemplate.minTracerScaler 100

Edited November 16, 2006 by CrazyAce

[BLITZ1976 0]

Is this intended for a laser sight or an actual sci fi laser bolt coming from a gun?

[CrazyAce 0]

From firing a gun.

A laser sight would have been cool in BF2, but thats besides this point at the moment

[[BF:A] Croupier 0]

e_contrail is not there in effects_server or Client...

Look in bf2/Objects_server.zip\Effects\vehicles\MISC

[CrazyAce 0]

Sure for Bf2, this is 2142 we are talking about. The 2 don't mix together properly.

[[BF:A] Croupier 0]

Sure for Bf2, this is 2142 we are talking about. The 2 don't mix together properly.

Oh really? Then why is it that bf2\Objects_server.zip\Effects\impacts\explosions\mexp\claymore\e_mexp_claymore_wood.tweak and

2142\Objects\Effects_server.zip\impacts\explosions\mexp\claymore\e_mexp_claymore_wood.tweak are exactly the same files?

If you bothered to try you will most likely find that the all the bf2 effects port fine. Load any 2142 effect into the bf2 editor, look at the output window, do you see any errors?

[CrazyAce 0]

The BF2 effects editor is not 100% compatible with 2142. SatNav pointed this out to me and to my (testing) surprise he was right.

2142 will crash if I used any effects from BF2.

:edit:

Tell ya what man... I'm working on a somewhat apocalyptic mod as you are, except this is set in the 2142 universe, if you can prove to me other wise, help me out with this mod and make me a cool looking blue consistent laser tracer/projectile that can be seen from once it exits the gun to its impact point. Meaning a visible line of blue light that will simulate a military laser weapon Not a pulse.

I have been working on this darn thing for over a month now and hardly have gotten anywhere with this mod of mine, because of this problem. This effect is what will help make this mod complete.

Edited November 20, 2006 by CrazyAce

[BLITZ1976 0]

Our mod has a projectile mesh that shoots but its not a steady flow, u would have to have a really long bolt with high speed to make it seamless...not to sure its possible.

[CrazyAce 0]

I was able to get that long stream, except its only visible at very long range, like shot up in the sky. While up close you can't see any tracers at all...

[BLITZ1976 0]

If u are using a tracer for the laser then check the converge distance, u will notice that even in 2142, mechs for example dont have tracers until a certain distance, it all has to do with velocity, acceleration of the projectile. I also has to do with the projectile start position, try moving the start position back behind the gun and see what happens.

[CrazyAce 0]

ObjectTemplate.TracerConvergenceDistance

At what distance the tracers (which start from the gunbarrel) and the projectile, which start from the camera, converges. Only relevant if FireInCameraDof is checked.

All this does is merge the 2 tracers into one tracer at a given distance value... I think...

Now I did noticed as you said that tracers will start a little ways away from the gun... Now determining the correct distance is going to indulge a lot of trial and error without the new editor...

[BLITZ1976 0]

You dont need no stinking editor JK Seriously , everything u need to do is in the existing editor or just use tweaks.

[CrazyAce 0]

I've tried and got nothing but CTD using BF2 effects editor tweaks in the 2142 game...

[BLITZ1976 0]

You do have to use some code from 2142 I suggest doing a comparison with an existing weapon as well as make sure your files are zipped up and in the correct directories.

[Jey 0]

Croupier' date='Nov 20 2006, 10:50 PM' post='55996']

Oh really? Then why is it that bf2\Objects_server.zip\Effects\impacts\explosions\mexp\claymore\e_mexp_claymore_wood.tweak and

2142\Objects\Effects_server.zip\impacts\explosions\mexp\claymore\e_mexp_claymore_wood.tweak are exactly the same files?

If you bothered to try you will most likely find that the all the bf2 effects port fine. Load any 2142 effect into the bf2 editor, look at the output window, do you see any errors?

Ive been editing the effects in the bf2 editor, they show up alright, but dont expect them to save 100% corectly. What i do is save it then copy the new modified parts of the code manualy over into the old effect file.

[[BF:A] Croupier 0]

I have never had a problem with the effects editor, everything saves correctly, belive me I do alot of work in the effects editor and I have to say it's the best thing since sliced white bread.

[junk 0]

Who you callin white bread, snowflake?

The editor occasionally inserts duplicates is the only problem I've really seen and it's something I do when it happens. Not sure what yet. If you fully understand both the code and the editor, your preference WILL go to the editor. Before there was a visual effects editor, there was a miserable artist who suffered through code tweaks for 12 hours per day for longer than 3 solid days straight for ONE effect while he was screaming that there should be a visual effects editor.

[BF2C Cre8or_94 0]

maybe you have to create a trailsystem. just keep the default texture of it and set "timetolive 0.01". then add it to the projectile, change the "roundsperminute" from the weapon projectile to 1000 and it should work.

Edited May 7, 2007 by BF2C Cre8or_94