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Effects

Started by Lowkee33, May 08, 2012, 04:09:43 PM

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Lowkee33

#40
The EffectDir follows a strict format.  You need to edit them by hex and then pray that Reader doesn't crash.  As a start, don't change anything marked as a "rep".  You can figure out which byte to change via the file position that Reader gives.

To make the smoke purple I think I increased the Green color adjustment.  The tough part was separating the smoke effect from SimCity Dat.

But I'm working on it:


The general idea of this program is that the right side will be a tab view (going to try to replicate the way Reader displays them).  Clicking on something in the left-side tree view will populate the tab with the values of that entry, plus the entries in all of the different sections that that original entry links to.

Then to try to put another tree on the right (though trying not to use too much horizontal space).  A button "Add-To-Patch" that takes the data from the tab view (the separated effect), and creates a new EffectDir from that.  Of course, every value would be editable.

I already have this in a console program, but the GUI is something I've never done before so it's a slow process.  Right now I can open a .eff, have it populate the tree-view, and then save an identical file.  (You can forget about resizing for now  :P )


HurricaneMod10

Brilliant, thanks.

So what programs did you get a working on the Ilive Reader with the version? So can I save my work with a new EffectDir? Of course, every value would be editable, if yes? I will looked forward to get a working on it.

Indiana Joe

Hey Lowkee I had a revelation.  So I've always been bothered by the stagnant, lifeless water in SimCity.  Well, you know the sparkling effect that occurs on the water?  Could that be replaced with a wave-like effect?

NCGAIO

#43

The point is that there are several mods with different textures for channels

An effect that would serve all of them would have to be plop in the game and here comes the problem is how to save it with the city

Below is a effect that I put over the channel mod SimGobber

Could do the same thing in the mod that you choose for your city.




NcGaio.

HurricaneMod10

I don't know where did you make the snow I think I increased the effects adjustment with the terraform on and off but I'm working on it and making new hurricane force winds, flash flood, storm damage like a shingle blown off etc. I think I increased the effects adjustment with a frame per second that it can causes problems with the animation.

xannepan

#45
Hello. I know this topic hasn't been posted in for a while, but I hope Lowkee will return now the days are getting colder again :). Much like myself I know he doesn't spend much time on his computer during summer. I already send a PM to lowkee and I hope he will respond some day. If not perhaps there are some other modders that can help me get started.

I am looking for some help on how to isolate an existing effect from the effect dir, and give it a new instance, and make a prop out of it. FYI: I want to try mod the fast blinking white light and make it blink faster with longer pause (in an attempt to create a flash light effect)

I have some experience wit hex editing from creating custom ambient sounds, but these files are much shorter and therefor easier to edit). Off course the best thing that can happen is of Lowkee will finish his works in progress some day  ;D

Another, project I could use some help on is my custom animal project. Basically I have a 3d model of a pig, with uvw unwrapped texture and multiple motion frames. I am trying to replace a horse with my pig model (lowkee has isolated the horse effect for me and given it a new instance). This works fine expect for importing multiple frames via the reader (exporting the multiple frames from the horse via reader works fine, by the way). The result is a static pig that moves similar as a horse would do, as you can see in the in game pcitures I posted before in this topic: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12565.msg425004#msg425004

I am really keen on seeing this finished, as I believes it opens up a whole new set of possibilities for the game :)

-alex





NCGAIO

#46

The last visit of Lowkee  was on August 14 but  before this he had stopped posting maybe due to RL very busy.


The effect Flash as the game could be achieved by a simple  plane  changing its texture during animation to match the number of frames as the flash range, similar to the helicopter light that you can find in the directory effects.


It is not necessary to export each frame to replace the horse in order to get your animation. You can export the entire animation at once and just delete unnecessary frames in Reader ....... continues

xannepan

Quote from: NCGAIO on October 26, 2012, 12:46:31 PM

The effect Flash as the game could be achieved by a simple  plane  changing its texture during animation to match the number of frames as the flash range, similar to the helicopter light that you can find in the directory effects.


It is not necessary to export each frame to replace the horse in order to get your animation. You can export the entire animation at once and just delete unnecessary frames in Reader ....... continues

I will try to use the helicopter light... However my real question is how I can copy and paste that effect from the original effect dir, similar to how lowkee did it for his pigeons and horses. I have no clue where to start...

As for the animals I know I can export the entire animation at once... But importing an animation doesn,t seem to work :( (i will post some screenshots later on to show the issue)

-alex

xannepan

#48
I thought it might be useful to upload my matlab (R2011a) script for reading the effect dir.
The input for the script is the effectdir, saved as decoded file in the reader. Rename the file as "eff.eff" and put it in c:\   (either that or tweak the script a bit).

Matlab now allows you to explore the effdir structure, and what's more edit it.

I have used a labeling of fields similar to ilive reader.

Now all of this doesn't make sence with an export script, which I am currently working on. What I actually hope to achieve is to be able to save only one isolated effect with a new instance_ID, in the same way as the tool Lowkee is working on (Sorry... couldn't wait for his return :S)

Nevertheless the script is already usefull because if contains some corrections wrt the effectdir structure posted on the simswiki (some nasty errors in there).

Edit: my file also contains some bugs.. will post a new one once done. In the mean time I did manage to write the effectdir and import it succesfully into the reader. I'm also making good progress in isolating a single effect.






xannepan

Allright I have managed to create working scripts for matlab to import the effectdir, isolate a single effect from it (which can than easily be edited in the standard matlab editors) and save the effect. I have managed to import the effect back into ilive reader, create a prop from it and put it on a lot in the game.

I am sure by the way that the scripts will fail for the more complex effects, e.g. with redirection indices in section 12 to section 13.  But for animals, smoke, foam, fountains, lights, even the helicopter take off it all seems to work fine.

The picture shows a few edited versions of the white blinking light. It was fairly easy to edit the color (orange) and intitial size, and blinking speed (obviously cannot be seen in a still frame :P).

I have attached the three matlab script to this post. I will create a readme in due time. for the more advanced modders with a bit of matlab knowledge these are fairly easy to understand. By the way: your starting point is the effectdir saved as decoded file in Ilive reader. Similarly the file created by the write script needs to be imported in the reader.

I am fairly sure that this will allow me to create additional animals, but also additional airplanes (so far I believe no new airplanes - except for props - have ever been added to the game, pls correct me if I am wrong).

-Alex

whatevermind

If you wanted to point out what parts of the EFFDIR spec you fixed, I'd be happy to update the Wiki article, it is definitely a bit of a mess. I looked through your files, but other than adding variable names to the sections of spec I didn't see any obvious additions to the chunks of format you commented into the script. I might go through again more carefully, but if you could write something up on what you found that would be even better.

xannepan

Quote from: whatevermind on November 10, 2012, 08:22:37 PM
If you wanted to point out what parts of the EFFDIR spec you fixed, I'd be happy to update the Wiki article, it is definitely a bit of a mess. I looked through your files, but other than adding variable names to the sections of spec I didn't see any obvious additions to the chunks of format you commented into the script. I might go through again more carefully, but if you could write something up on what you found that would be even better.

Actually in the mean time i have found some errors in my scripts too. So let me explore a bit more first.

I did find out the meaning of a few more parameters.I'll post in due time.

Lowkee33

Nice work figuring that stuff out Alex.

Yep, summer was nice and warm, fall busy.  Hopefully things slow down a little for the winter.  I've been doing a little work on the Effect Editor, but making a program that allows someone to edit many, many variables takes a long time.

Right now I have something which I imgaine is similar to your program.  It finds an effect's name from Section 13, figures out all of the connections, and then makes a new .eff.  I can add new sections, and edit any variable, but such things have to be hardcoded into the program right now.

Swordmaster

Welcome back, Carl!

Cheers
Willy

Lowkee33

Thanks, good to be back :)

I'll be trying to catch up with you all (and the way the board looks now).  I had forgotten how to import a file in Reader, so that's the state of things now. 

NCGAIO

Good to see him back ... with all stakeholders on board it looks like a real editor for effectDir is on the way to becoming a reality.

HurricaneMod10

I was just download to get the file with that Effect Edit Script Jenx.zip and is log onto http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2466/67054215.jpg like this one  but I can't be able to open the program with Ilive should be work as well. Please help me out, thanks.

NCGAIO


I notice that you did not understand the post where the image removed, it is not part of the iLive reader but a tool in developing by Lowkee33 and as far as I know she is not yet available.


The script that you mentioned is not for the iLive Reader is only  for MatLab  then it will not work, just re-read the post to find the words of the author.

HurricaneMod10

Ah, thank you very much for letting me know about this is offer to me for MatLab only. So where can i get a download from it?

Quote from: NCGAIO on January 29, 2013, 12:54:39 PM

I notice that you did not understand the post where the image removed, it is not part of the iLive reader but a tool in developing by Lowkee33 and as far as I know she is not yet available.


The script that you mentioned is not for the iLive Reader is only  for MatLab  then it will not work, just re-read the post to find the words of the author.

whatevermind

Quote from: HurricaneMod10 on January 29, 2013, 05:59:29 PM
So where can i get a download from it?

Here. I'd try for getting a student version if you can, or if you have access to a university, they may have it on their computers that you can use. Otherwise if you have to buy it full price, it can be very expensive.