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There are currently 57 users playing Freelancer on 47 servers.
 June. 9, 2023

Browsing this Thread:   1 Anonymous Users



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Alucard
.Ale knowledge zone
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Here is where we can share what we know about Schmackbolzen's/Skotty"s .Ale editor. See this thread before you start:

https://the-starport.net/freelancer/fo ... t_id=65910#forumpost65910

Posted on: 2022/1/8 15:58
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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Must do's when you start:

.ale editor
UTF (I'm using version 3.0)

UTF:

for importing new textures (.dds or .tga)

.dds my save output from photoshop in these setting:

DXT5 ARGB 8 bpp | interpolated alpha

Seems to give me the best results. Must do square textures ie 256x256 pixel, 512x512 pixel etc.

Posted on: 2022/1/8 16:06
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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To make a new .ale from the start: (this the way I've done them so someone else might do it differently)

Make sure to name your nodes as you go: ie for my example will be generic particle emitter

Load Textures from FX file.
Select them all (textures will end in .txm)

Start new Appearance and Emitter. (mine will be puff)

Appearance-add-appearance-Basic (rename to puff.app)
Emitter-add-emitter-Sphere rename to puff.emt)

Nothing happens, well correct, we have to fill in the blanks. Double click on: New Basic Appearance in node Library.

Node Properties will open. It will be called New Basic Appearance (Basic Appearance)

Change Name to puff.app

Do same for emitter, but name it as puff.emt

There's a lot of values there, don't worry about them yet.

In the Effects node (just named Effect), create a new Effect. It won't let you rename it yet.

Double click on it, in the effects node (just named Nodes) you should see two lines saying Emitters/Miscellaneous.

Right click on Emitters add the puff.emt We are not done yet but you'll see in the Transform node new values.

[2] puff.emt
[1] <root>

In the Nodes where we created Emitter (puff.emt) Should look something like this

Emitter
v [2] puff.emt

Right click on puff.emt, now you can create the appearance. (puff.app)


Emitter
v [2] puff.emt
[3] puff.app


Now go back to the Effects node (just says Effect) rename it puff

Now everything is setup. Next section will get the effect to appear.

Posted on: 2022/1/8 16:52
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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Now, you hit play nothing happens. Well that's because we need a texture, if you don't you'll get white squares, but not just yet.

First in node properties under puff.app find texture name.

I'm just using freelancers stock textures, so I type in:

smokecard

Still nothing when you hit play. Well we got to give life.

In the Life span box, put in 1.0.

Still nothing, we have to give the emitter life now.

In the puff.emt (under node props) go to life span enter 1.0

Now hit the play button, you should see the effect now in the preview screen.


Posted on: 2022/1/8 17:07
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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This is a good read for understanding some values in the different nodes. Big thank you to Treewyrm for writing this.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fa ... DYr2sdvk/edit?usp=sharing

Posted on: 2022/1/8 17:15
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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Anyone want to see if they can get this ale/effect to work? I think I am coding the ini files wrong, thanks.

Attach file:

zip Sun.zip Size: 0.97 KB; Hits: 81

Posted on: 2022/3/15 1:38
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Cpt_Rei_Fukai
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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If I were Freelancer, I wouldn't understand what you want from me, hence nothing to do.
So I didn't even try bother with the ini coding.

    Sun_01.app wont display anything because
  • HtoVAspect is zero

  • and RectAppScale is zero

    • Sun_01.emt doesn't emit anything because minradius=maxradius resulting in an empty emission volume.
    Sun_01_starflare.app won't display anything, because
  • the size was set to zero in the node transform

  • Additonally it is set to be a tris and a quad at the same time

    • Sun_01_starflare.emt
  • also has its size set to zero in the node transform

  • and doesn't emit anything because minradius=maxradius again


If that sounded like a lot of gibberish then I recommend my wiki entry on ale effects.

Edit: Apparently the Emitters still produce particles even if min>maxradius

Posted on: 2022/3/18 19:32
FL Leuchtfeuer
The proclamation of absolute truths is always a business model.
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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I do understand what you are talking about a little and the entries are almost the exact as in the dyson Sphere ale, but with some tweaking. Here's how I see it in the ale editor:

https://ibb.co/nfp930h

https://ibb.co/nzMHnfH

The main tweaks I did:

Size of texture over life
Speed of texture appearing and disappearing
Lifetime of texture

I did go in and change some of the values you mentioned but still nothing.




Posted on: 2022/3/19 14:51
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Cpt_Rei_Fukai
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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Works on my machine(tm)

Frankly I'm shocked that your ale works despite the errors I found.

Attach file:


jpg  Sun_ale.jpg (35.78 KB)
46303_623647ae82f59.jpg 600X450 px

Posted on: 2022/3/19 21:14
FL Leuchtfeuer
The proclamation of absolute truths is always a business model.
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Alucard
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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Ha ha I'll take that with a grain of salt I kinda figured it would. I guess my coding of Freelancer is rusty as #$%%. The idea for it came from this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJEBAPRt8AA

The ale is meant to have a sphere model and texture inside. The way I have its setup is so the textures change just like the surface of a sun.

I do know some limitations though. Like at a certain point the flare will disappear, though the sphere will not. I do not how Schmackbolzen has it measure space in the editor. Like if its measured the same in FL, then it's 50k from the ale itself.

I've made quite a few new FX/ales for FL, maybe Ill release a Ale pack once I've made sure they all work in game

I am curious on the coding of how you got it to show compared to my coding. Care to share?

Posted on: 2022/3/20 13:20
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Cpt_Rei_Fukai
Re: .Ale knowledge zone
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Sure thing!

EQUIPMENT\select_equip.ini
Code:

[AttachedFX]
nickname = fx_sun_ale
particles = Sun_ale_eft


FX\SPACE\space_ale.ini:
Code:
[VisEffect]
nickname = Sun_ale
alchemy = fx\space\Sun.ale
; effect_crc = 3967695840 CRC is case sensitive!
effect_crc = 103825916
textures = fx\smoke.txm
textures = fx\missleeffect.txm


FX\effects.ini
Code:
[Effect]
nickname = Sun_ale_eft
effect_type = EFT_EQUIP_ATTACHED_INSANELY_LARGE
vis_effect = Sun_ale


SOLAR\loadouts.ini
Code:
[Loadout]
nickname = magmaeater_load
archetype = magmaeater
equip = scalar_howitzer, HpWeapon01
(...)
equip = fx_sun_ale, HpFx01


UNIVERSE\SYSTEMS\Iw07\iw07.ini
Code:
[Object]
nickname = Iw07_magmaeater
(...)
pos = 25050, -4300, 13250
Archetype = magmaeater
loadout = magmaeater_load


If you want to, you can add my 40 custom ales to your package.
They are all finished and open source

Posted on: 2022/3/20 21:55
FL Leuchtfeuer
The proclamation of absolute truths is always a business model.
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