Request Atlantis Plume configs?

[Matuchkin]

This is, as far as I know, quite a simple task. As all of you know, the SSME plumes of Space Shuttle Atlantis look like 2d blocks, with a haze decal. I'd like it if someone fixes that, and does this:

1: Make the plume look like an actual plume.

2: Give the plume the correct shape, which expands as the Shuttle gains altitude.

3: MAKE THE PLUME BLUE

4: Perhaps add some heavy smoke effects on launch? I'd like to see the whole pad dissapear in smoke and steam, then see the space shuttle rise out of the cloud.

 

[Lmoy]

You have some good ideas here, but they'd require a lot of reworking the configuration and possibly the actual coding of the spacecraft. It's a lot of work for some relatively minor improvements. I do recommend checking out the Shuttle Fleet and SSU addons, which have some lovely visual improvements over the stock Atlantis, and there's texture packs available to make them even nicer.

 

[Loru]

Both stock Atlantis and AFAIK Shuttle fleet are dll vessels so in order to get the plume right you need recompile the add-on. Also keep in mind you;re limited to what graphics engine can do.

 

[Donamy]

Was working on this, but it didn't look good from other angles.

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

 

[boogabooga]

In the short term, check out this texture add-on:

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6108"]SSME Exhaust Hi-Res Texture Replacement (exhaust_atsme.dds)[/ame]

It should work for stock Atlantis, but will not vary with altitude.

Also, IIRC, the launch pad in this add-on:
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3737"]International Space Station v.3.2[/ame]
includes launch smoke effects for the Shuttle Fleet.

There are two ways to render "plumes" in Orbiter: textures and particle streams.

Generally, only one texture is used for each nozzle and doesn't change during the simulation. Particle streams on the other hand, can have an altitude dependant appearance. Particle streams that expand with altitude are a fairly new type of special effect in Orbiter added by fred18 in Jarvis dll and multistage2015.

You might be able to make a multistage2015 rendition of the STS that has expanding plume effects. Read the documentation.