Changing /editing Rocket flame effect?

[hypersonic]

Hi all,
I'm taking my first steps into making customisations / alterations etc.

Is it possible to use the flame effect from one space craft & swap/ add it to another..

For example, I have been trying out the Hius spacecraft recently, & really like it's extremely Loooong flame effect when using CNT as the main thrust type..

I'd like to transpose & use this same flame effect (colours as well) on the Vespucci D ... specifically the length the flame extends at full burn.

Is this possible, or is it encoded within the ship's DLL & thus can't be easily applied to another craft? (Or in the case of the Vespucci, impossible due to the source code being lost)

Look forward to you replies.

 

[Dig Gil]

If you're doing this with a DLL'ed spacecraft then you need to do it the annoying with (IMO). But's not hard: get the spacecraft's exhaust flame texture file and copy its filename, then get the exhaust texture you want the spacecraft to have erase its filename and paste the copied filename on it. Mind that windows hates files with the same name ; you'll have to rename the original file.
The problem with doing this is that now you have an obsolete texture or other spacecraft that may use that texture too will now use the other.

Alternatively you may duplicate the desired texture's file and overwrite it over the original texture, but then you lose a texture and you may not undo that.

 

[hypersonic]

Hi Dig.
Many thanks for this. I was kind of assuming having to do that.
But what about the characteristics of the flame... i.e. how far it extends behind the engine (length of flame) etc when on full thrust?
Cheers
Hype

 

[Dig Gil]

I don't know what you mean exactly because there's two things (or "ways" as you prefer): you edit the texture's file so to make a larger, therefore (if in an oval shape instead of circular) longer or (in the case of the you can edit the craft's source, which is something you don't seem able to do) change the particle stream properties (can't remember what the API calls it properly: please review Orbiter's "API reference" in the SDK's Documentation folder) in the source code whether it is not actually a code but an .ini (Vinka's spacecraft 1 or 2 or 3 and multistage), which is easier to do indeed, or a C++ code (both use the same API mechanics). Again to know what to look for find the "API Reference.pdf" in the SDK.

I would appreciate you to press the "> Thanks" Button if it isn't an inconvenience for you.

 

[Hielor]

The length of the flame is specified in the spacecraft .dll, and can't be changed without access to the source.

 

[hypersonic]

The length of the flame is specified in the spacecraft .dll, and can't be changed without access to the source.

Bugger, I had a feeling about that, - seems i'm out of luck then, seeing as it was the Vespucci D i was hoping to change.. :-/

Oh well.

Many thanks for all your help.