Smoke with everything?

[DaveB]

Hi Chaps..

While looking at DG's Hawg paint today, I noticed smoke coming of the wings as if it had jets. I then noticed everything suddenly has this effect..



Any ideas?
ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

Hmm.. whatever the problem is seems to be linked to the B29. As soon as I've loaded the B29.. the wingtip smoke appears and whichever aircraft I select keeps it. I didn't install the B29 to this load of FSX.. I dragged it from my last install. I wouldn't imagine it loads ini's or other odd bits anywhere Deleted it and the smoke has gone with it

ATB
DaveB

[Airspeed]

Hi-de-hi Dave
How odd, glad you fixed it.

How complex was the original install - just unzip and paste into FSX, or was it one of those self unwrapping, self installing mystery boxes?
If it was the latter, they could sneak anything in. The fact that you've dragged it across seems to indicate that it's in the .cfg, so you should be able to locate it in the EFFECTS section. (if it's in .air, you're going to have a job reading that.)
Did you have this cross-contamination happen in the other instance of FSX?
Did you have smoking tips on the B29 itself, in both instances?

Why anyone would want to insert smoking wingtips puzzles me, though. Smoking engine(s) for a battle-damaged version, maybe.

[Paul K]

Dave, I shall have a look myself this weekend. Can't do it today as I'm down in London - darn' the Smoke ( Smoke ! Geddit ? ) When I first saw the picture it reminded me of the phantom KC-97L jet exhausts, but you say it stems from the B-29. Hmm, I shall look myself.

[DaveB]

Thanks chaps

It's certainly an odd one. I didn't have the B29 installed so dragged it in to check if I was seeing the white areas Paul indicated on the wings. When I popped outside to have a look.. I noticed this strange smoke and presumed it was somehow missing effects or more to the point.. missing textures from the effects. All the B29's effects were found off the old install and dragged over but it didn't cure the problem. I say missing textures because the smoke is showing as squares albeit very light squares when viewed close to. I looked in the effects/texture folder but couldn't see anything there related to the B29. I then remade my Shaders folder but that didn't help. Everything was ok until I selected the B29 then everything after that dragged these effects with it. It's an odd one and no mistakin'
The only thing I've dragged into FSX recently was Rick's JP. I noted it didn't have any effects so I had to go looking for them on an old FS9 install. I'm wondering if one of these is the culprit

ATB
DaveB

[511Flyer]

Smoke in London? Not today. I live a few miles to the south, and it's a lovely sunny autumn day.

[Airspeed]

Dave,
I had a look at all the screen shots I could easily find, and saw no smoke on any.
When I mentioned the EFFECTS section, I meant within the B-29's aircraft.cfg file, not under FSX\Effects.
(That's also why I said that if it's in the .air file, it'll be hard to find, because most of that will be in "machine language")
To put you in the right direction, here's the bit from the Virtavia B-24
after [LIGHTS] etc etc.....
[SMOKESYSTEM]
smoke.0 = -2.60, -25.50, 0.00, fx_ALPHA_B24_Smoke
smoke.1 = -2.60, -11.25, 0.00, fx_ALPHA_B24_Smoke1
smoke.2 = -2.60, 11.25, 0.00, fx_ALPHA_B24_Smoke1
smoke.3 = -2.50, 25.50, 0.00, fx_ALPHA_B24_Smoke


[effects]
wake = fx_wake
water = fx_spray
dirt = fx_ALPHA_B24_Dust
concrete = fx_sparks
touchdown = fx_ALPHA_B24_Td
startup = fx_ALPHA_B24_engstrt
windshield_rain_effect_available = 1


[GeneralEngineData]
engine_type = 0
fuel_flow_scalar = 2.00
max_contrail_temperature = -25.00
master_ignition_switch = 1

engine.0 = 7.50, -25.50, 0.75
engine.1 = 8.50, -11.25, 0.00
engine.2 = 8.50, 11.25, 0.00
engine.3 = 7.50, 25.50, 0.75
max_contrail_temperature=-22

If you look at that area, you MAY find something out of the ordinary, but judging by those other pics, I don't expect anything to pop up.

[DaveB]

Hiya Mike

Although I had the FS9 B29, I did buy it again in Virtavia guise. No reason to believe there's any difference with the actual fx files but I imported the exact same files (with Virtavia names) from my old install.
TBH.. it doesn't make sense. I can't understand why (or how) one model could do this. Working a succession of lates at the mo so I don't have time to investigate further. I don't recall seeing this when it was installed in my last FSX install. Perhaps if I actually install it rather than drag it over, I may get a different result. It is also possible that something else is reacting with it. Lots of questions.. not enough time to dig around.

ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

Mike..

Here are the relevant sections from the B29's cfg..

[effects]
wake = fx_wake
water = fx_spray
dirt = fx_Virtav_B29_Dust
concrete = fx_sparks
touchdown = fx_Virtav_B29_Td
startup = fx_Virtav_B29_engstrt
windshield_rain_effect_available = 1
l_wingtipvortice=fx_dummy
r_wingtipvortice=fx_dummy
vaportrail_l=fx_dummy
vaportrail_r=fx_dummy

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Lights]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing
Lon. Lat. Vert.
I I I
light.0 = 3, -3.00, -70.20, 4.00, fx_navred // position light - right wing
light.1 = 3, -3.00, 70.10, 4.09, fx_navgre // position light - left wing
light.2 = 3, -60.0, 0.00, 1.15, fx_navwhi // position light - tail

light.3 = 2, 1.00, 0.00, -4.80, fx_Virtav_B29_rec_R.fx // identification light - under fuselage
light.4 = 2, -0.50, 0.00, -4.80, fx_Virtav_B29_rec_G.fx // identification light - under fuselage
light.5 = 2, -2.00, 0.00, -4.80, fx_Virtav_B29_rec_A.fx // identification light - under fuselage

light.6 = 7, 12.2, -0.20, 4.70, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - top of fuselage - foward
light.7 = 7, -3.95, -0.20, 4.70, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - top of fuselage - mid
light.8 = 7, -15.5, -0.20, 4.70, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - top of fuselage - rear

light.9 = 7, -5.90, 29.77, 1.40, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - right inner wing
light.10 = 7, -5.98, 42.50, 2.20, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - right mid wing
light.11 = 7, -6.00, 55.60, 3.10, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - right outer wing

light.12 = 7, -5.95, -29.79, 1.40, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - left inner wing
light.13 = 7, -5.98, -42.50, 2.20, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - left mid wing
light.14 = 7, -6.00, -55.60, 3.10, fx_Virtav_B29_navblu.fx // formation light - left outer wing

light.15= 10, 27.00, 0.00, 2.00, fx_vclighth //pilot / co-pilot / flt. engineer
light.16 = 10, 15.50, 0.00, 0.90, fx_vclight //bomb bay porthole
//light.17 = 10, -60.00, 0.00, 5.20, fx_vclight // tail gunner
light.18 = 10, 32.00, 0.00, 1.00, fx_vclight // bombardier's station
light.17 = 10, 3.0, -0.20, 4.70, fx_navwhi // position light - upper fuselage
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[SMOKESYSTEM]
smoke.0 = 0.0, -36.00, -1.0, fx_dummy
smoke.1 = 0.0, -26.00, -1.0, fx_dummy

smoke.2 = 0.0, -17.50, -1.8, fx_dummy
smoke.3 = 0.0, -8.80, -2.3, fx_dummy

smoke.4 = 0.0, 36.00, -1.0, fx_dummy
smoke.5= 0.0, 26.00, -1.0, fx_dummy

smoke.6= 0.0, 17.50, -1.8, fx_dummy
smoke.7 = 0.0, 8.80, -2.3, fx_dummy

The first thing I notice is a LOT of dummy fx files. BTW.. I've just installed it so this is a fresh, untouched cfg. Now.. you might be forgiven for assuming that the dummy files are attached to the mdl but looking at it in MCX, the only attached fx files are the landing lights.

This latest test proves nothing except that as before.. once the B29 has been loaded, the smoke appears and it stays with every subsequent model loaded.

Oooh.. a thought has just occurred. I've renamed the fx_dummy file and with it has gone the smoke. The date of my current fx_dummy file is 21.10.2012 so it's obviously not original. I checked my previous install and the dummy file there is dated 31.10.2012.. again, not original. I've gone back yet further to another install and the dummy file in that one is dated 12.5.2006. This one looks original. Work looms but I'll look at this again soon
ATB
DaveB

[Paul K]

Hi Dave,

I've tried every combo of loading and running the B-29 and then other models, and I can't replicate your problem. I hope your hunch concerning the dummy file is correct. Let us know.