[Release] Trails v1.11

[Norby]

[wiki]Trails[/wiki] make condensation trails after NPC ships.

Need good hardware but the built-in FPS check will reduce the length of trails if needed.
The idea is based on Zireael's Engine Trails but rewritten from scratch to fix the Universe is full error.

[QCS]

[wiki]Trails[/wiki] make condensation trails after NPC ships.

Need good hardware but the built-in FPS check will reduce the length of trails if needed.
The idea is based on Zireael's Engine Trails but rewritten from scratch to fix the Universe is full error.

This looks awesome. Will be tested very soon

Does it really "create" condensation trails (like: if a ship goes slower, the trails are thicker/bigger) or only a more or less blue line regardless the speed? Would it be possible to do the first? That would even increase awesomeness! And does the trail behave differently with the angle of the sun?

Edit: removed the images from the quote, sorry

[Norby]

if a ship goes slower, the trails are thicker/bigger?

Not yet, maybe in the next version.

does the trail behave differently with the angle of the sun?

No, and I think a cloud is equally bright regardless of the angle of the sun (except behind a planet).
Due to the technical solution this smoke has its own fluorescent light.

[QCS]

does the trail behave differently with the angle of the sun?

No, and I think a cloud is equally bright regardless of the angle of the sun (except behind a planet).

Hm I don't know about space (but I guess there will be some astrophysics cracks who will tell us soon ) but at least in the atmosphere of Earth, the clouds do reflect the sun. That's why sometimes you see lighter and darker areas in clouds; that's why when flying in a plane and looking on the clouds from above, they are mostly a bright shade of white.

[Vincentz]

The pictures looks amazing. Can't wait to try it out.

edit :
Tried it. Went from 100+ FPS to around 10-15 FPS.
Also the trails would sometimes disappear and then start again, while others would start a long way behind the ships.

Looks good though.

[Duggan]

Another great add on Norby.

I am particularly impressed with how splinters get their own vapour trails as it makes the blighters easier to see and therefore scoop.

[QCS]

Ok, tested.

Looks quite good, I have the same issues as others... trails appearing/disappearing without reason. Also, on my Laptop (Linux, Nvidia Optimus natively with modeswitching) it stutters, quite low fps, unfortunately I can't tell you a number, as I don't know how to find that number

Strangely it also has low fps even when no ships are visible. But it looks great, especially since the escorts also get those trails

[Norby]

the trails would sometimes disappear and then start again, while others would start a long way behind the ships.

Both happen when the number of nearby nearby ships step over the performance limit: the current code do a restart with halved trail length to reduce load and the gap caused by fast ships when FPS is below a level. My first attempt to fix these caused more problems than results so I decided to release in the current state and improve later.

Until then there is a $MaxLength variable in trails.js what you can reduce by hand. The default is 100 element (2km) and should be at least 10 to be longer than the engine plumes.

I am particularly impressed with how splinters get their own vapour trails as it makes the blighters easier to see and therefore scoop.

This is an unplanned side effect but interesting so I am inclined to leave in.

quite low fps, unfortunately I can't tell you a number, as I don't know how to find that number

Shift+F

[QCS]

quite low fps, unfortunately I can't tell you a number, as I don't know how to find that number

Shift+F

Mkay... external view from outside front to back, station in the background, half speed, 5 escorts behind me
Without trails: around 180fps
With trails: around 18fps

I don't know what the reason is, is the effect too complex? Would it be possible to have a less beautiful and less demanding but comparably useful version?

By the way, just noticed, one of the "trails disappearing" issues is when the Q-Charger kicks in.

[Vincentz]

quite low fps, unfortunately I can't tell you a number, as I don't know how to find that number

Shift+F

Mkay... external view from outside front to back, station in the background, half speed, 5 escorts behind me
Without trails: around 180fps
With trails: around 18fps

I don't know what the reason is, is the effect too complex? Would it be possible to have a less beautiful and less demanding but comparably useful version?

By the way, just noticed, one of the "trails disappearing" issues is when the Q-Charger kicks in.

Im working on finding a nice setting, so instead of long trail (though i really like the trail) it becomes "exhaust fumes".
Problem is, if i understand correcly, that its adding 8x100 light entities from each ship. Add a couple of ships+escorts it all adds up.

[Layne]

A very interesting take on this! I tried it last night when you first uploaded it and found the effect slightly 'fake' looking, more like a long ribbon trailing after the ship than an actual contrail. Probably not an easy thing to accomplish with the graphics engine, I grant you. While I did love the Engine Trails oxp this was inspired by, I'm not sure if my laptop can handle this sort of thing in the long run.

[Vincentz]

I'm loving this mod. No longer :"hey! on radar there is ship. But where is it???"
Did a few changes to make it less heavy on the resources and (imho) more "natural" looking.
Only problem is Trail not disappearing when ship is stopped. If it somehow could be connected to speed, that'd be great



Changes in trails.js :
this.$MaxLength = [b]10[/b]; //how many elements are in a trail

and all of effectdata.plist :

Code: Select all

{
	"trails" = {
		subentities = (
			{	type=flasher; position=(0,0,-50); frequency=0; phase=0; size=40; color="0.0 0.1 0.2 0.5"; },
		);
	};
	"trails-end" = {
		subentities = (
			{	type=flasher; position=(0,0,-50); frequency=0; phase=0; size=40; color="0.0 0.08 0.16 0.5"; },
			{	type=flasher; position=(0,0,-70); frequency=0; phase=0; size=50; color="0.0 0.06 0.12 0.5"; },
			{	type=flasher; position=(0,0,-95); frequency=0; phase=0; size=70; color="0.0 0.04 0.08 0.5"; },
			{	type=flasher; position=(0,0,-130); frequency=0; phase=0; size=100; color="0.0 0.02 0.04 0.5"; },
		);
	};
}

and... without FPS hit btw (147 fps with a couple of ships closeby and closeview of a viper

[Norby]

Thank you Vincentz, I included some of your ideas into the new v1.1. Now playable against a dozen ships at me on integrated graphics for a cost of somewhat shorter and wider trails as requested.

This version use different way of speedup: the low FPS will not shorten the trais but change all trails to thicker which use less light sources. The length will be reduced only when there are too many ships nearby.

You still can set shorter max. length or enable the previous thin but power consuming trail variation in the trails.js.

Moreover the visibility of trails is increased, sometimes up to 2x scanner range.

[QCS]

Hi Norby,
this version is much better, from the visual point of view (love this "foggy" design) as well as the demand on the hardware Now I am at around 60fps, which is playable.

Some nitpicks:

You seem to have fixed the Q-Charger issue, but with Injectors, the same issue applies

Also, I love that the docked escorts (and possibly, didn't test it, towed ships) exhaust those fumes as they create a great visual appearance. But this makes fighting (read: keeping those baddies away from my back) with the aft laser (and docked escorts because I simply do want to escape) extremely difficult I can't see nothing anymore except a nice blue shaded sky. So please, when docked, those escorts should not exhaust those fumes (I already regret this request...) I guess with the towed ships this would be no problem as there is no fighting with the aft laser anyway.

[Vincentz]

Looks nice and thanks for the credits

I have some suggestions, though not sure if all is possible (but you kinda did some with Escortdeck) :

1) Speed = Length.
The faster a ship flies the longer the trail. (Which means by 0 speed only finishing trail appears).
Could be either 1 Lenght = 1/10th speed or 1 Length=2% speed
2) Initial trail starts is positioned at engines...
... or atleast like escortdeck, at the end of the ship. I put -30 in my "fumes" above, but it didnt fit for all ships.