FSX:SE Sound Effects Through Smoke Effects?

[lionheart]

Didnt someone about a year or 2 ago figure out a way to do sound effects via the Smoke Effects section (config file?) and a gauge in XML? You create a trigger to play it?

I seem to recall someone found out how to do this... Curious if anyone remembers this.



Bill
LHC

 

[Heretic]

Why would you want to tie sound output to the smoke effects section, apart from a poorly executed in-simulator fart joke?

Just use Doug's XMLSound gauge.

 

[tgibson]

You can play sounds via an effect, but it's a much more difficult and tricky process than just using a sound gauge. Most people use it to create sound for a scenery location (think of the chickens in the barn) or for FS2004 AI aircraft.

 

[n4gix]

The "major breakthrough" regarding the [SMOKE] was the ability to add up to 99 custom "lights" instead of "smoke".

 

[PhantomTweak]

Just as a quick example, check lines 12-17 in the following [Smoke] section, utilized in the FSXBA F/A-18. Thought it might be of interest as an example of using the [Smoke] portion of the aircraft.cfg to call sounds out:

[SMOKESYSTEM]
smoke.0= -14.00, 0.00, 0.00, fx_dummy
smoke.1= -18.40,-0.29,-2.95, fx_AOA_red
smoke.2= -18.40,-0.29,-2.71, fx_AOA_green
smoke.3= -18.40,-0.29,-2.83, fx_AOA_amber
smoke.4= -66.00,-1.80, 0, fx_fsxba_smoke_w
smoke.5= -68.50,-1.80, 0, fx_F18_EG_Smoke_L_NORM
smoke.6= -68.50, 1.80, 0, fx_F18_EG_Smoke_R_NORM
smoke.7= -63.00,-1.80, 0, fx_F18_HeatShimmer_L
smoke.8= -63.00, 1.80, 0, fx_F18_HeatShimmer_R
smoke.9= -18.00, -0.50, 1.00, fx_F18_FSXBA_MedG_LEXVapor_L
smoke.10= -18.00, 0.50, 1.00, fx_F18_FSXBA_MedG_LEXVapor_R
smoke.11= -13.80,  0.93, 1.28, fx_navwhi,
smoke.12= -45.00, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet1
smoke.13= -47.50, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet2
smoke.14= -50.00, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet3
smoke.15= -52.50, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet4
smoke.16= -55.00, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet5
smoke.17= -32.50, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet6
smoke.18= -14.00, 0.00, 0.75, fx_mzlflsh_s.fx
smoke.19= -53.00,-1.6, -0.30, fx_f18c_afterburner,
smoke.20= -53.00,1.6, -0.30, fx_f18c_afterburner,
smoke.21= -51.00, -5.51,  7.00, fx_fueldump,
smoke.22= -51.00, 5.51,  7.00, fx_fueldump,
smoke.23= -6.00, 0.00, 0.5, fx_FSXBA_gun_smoke.fx

Note that it's also good for calling various lights, and oddly enough, smoke effects
There are gauges in the Panel.cfg to call the various effect called for. It all works together very nicely, too.

Good fortune...
Pat☺

 

[lionheart]

Just as a quick example, check lines 12-17 in the following [Smoke] section, utilized in the FSXBA F/A-18. Thought it might be of interest as an example of using the [Smoke] portion of the aircraft.cfg to call sounds out:

[SMOKESYSTEM]
smoke.0= -14.00, 0.00, 0.00, fx_dummy
smoke.1= -18.40,-0.29,-2.95, fx_AOA_red
smoke.2= -18.40,-0.29,-2.71, fx_AOA_green
smoke.3= -18.40,-0.29,-2.83, fx_AOA_amber
smoke.4= -66.00,-1.80, 0, fx_fsxba_smoke_w
smoke.5= -68.50,-1.80, 0, fx_F18_EG_Smoke_L_NORM
smoke.6= -68.50, 1.80, 0, fx_F18_EG_Smoke_R_NORM
smoke.7= -63.00,-1.80, 0, fx_F18_HeatShimmer_L
smoke.8= -63.00, 1.80, 0, fx_F18_HeatShimmer_R
smoke.9= -18.00, -0.50, 1.00, fx_F18_FSXBA_MedG_LEXVapor_L
smoke.10= -18.00, 0.50, 1.00, fx_F18_FSXBA_MedG_LEXVapor_R
smoke.11= -13.80,  0.93, 1.28, fx_navwhi,
smoke.12= -45.00, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet1
smoke.13= -47.50, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet2
smoke.14= -50.00, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet3
smoke.15= -52.50, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet4
smoke.16= -55.00, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet5
smoke.17= -32.50, 0.00, 0.00, Sonic_boom_hornet6
smoke.18= -14.00, 0.00, 0.75, fx_mzlflsh_s.fx
smoke.19= -53.00,-1.6, -0.30, fx_f18c_afterburner,
smoke.20= -53.00,1.6, -0.30, fx_f18c_afterburner,
smoke.21= -51.00, -5.51,  7.00, fx_fueldump,
smoke.22= -51.00, 5.51,  7.00, fx_fueldump,
smoke.23= -6.00, 0.00, 0.5, fx_FSXBA_gun_smoke.fx

Note that it's also good for calling various lights, and oddly enough, smoke effects
There are gauges in the Panel.cfg to call the various effect called for. It all works together very nicely, too.

Good fortune...
Pat☺

Pat, you are awesome. God bless you man.



Bill

 

[PhantomTweak]

Glad I could help out!
Good luck to you
Pat☺

 

[terence jordan]

Bill, I have toyed with this idea and will gladly send you my work so far to assist but be warned, this approach will leave you with quite a few glitches in-sim. Key amongst them is that the sounds wont play until your engines are running.
Regards. TJ

 

[DragonflightDesign]

Sorry for the necropost guys but... does this apply to FSX as well as FSX:SE?

 

[Misho]

I'm probably wading into something that might be a bit beyond what was originally asked (as far as complexity), but if you're handy with coding and simConnect, all kinds of funky things are possible. While working on my project, I developed a way to attach a simple object to an aircraft and make it follow it (it can be as simple as reading the position of the aircraft and assigning that position to the simple object). The object I created is similar to the objects in FSX\SimObjects\Misc section, where you can find a few of the 3D objects that are used in missions as props (cargo pods, flour bombs, food pallets):

[General]
category=SimpleObject

Some of them have effects attached to them as well... so, as far as sounds, I've been able to "attach" SimpleObject to aircraft that emits nothing but sound, using following steps:

Create a "simple" object of type "SimpleObject" (the kind found in FSX\SimObjects\Misc folder) with invisible geometry which also has a sound fx attached (attached normally, via Studio 3D MAX functionality).
Using simConnect, create a function that will add and delete this simple object on demand
Using simConnect, create a function that will set object's position in the FSX world the same as user aircraft's position
Using simConnect, simply invoke adding and deleting of the object to turn sound off/on.

Pushing the code further, you can automate this by creating custom entries in your aircraft.cfg (which only your module would read) that specify which sound objects to load and what events trigger them, creating a function that reads these entries, loads sound objects and assigns them to whatever trigger events you want. These triggers would be used to load/destroy these objects, and accordingly play/stop the sound. All the pieces needed are in the samples provided with simConnect.

 

[Misho]

Sorry for the necropost guys but... does this apply to FSX as well as FSX:SE?

Yup. Not much changed in that area with FSX:SE.

 

[DragonflightDesign]

Hi Misho

Yes, I found the SimConnect stuff and stored it under 'interesting, but not for this project!'. I guess the follow-up question is: how would you call the individual smoke effects using execute_calculator_code? In my case the aircraft is using the smoke effects for interior lighting.

 

[Misho]

Hi Misho

Yes, I found the SimConnect stuff and stored it under 'interesting, but not for this project!'. I guess the follow-up question is: how would you call the individual smoke effects using execute_calculator_code? In my case the aircraft is using the smoke effects for interior lighting.

Hold on, back up... Interior lighting? I thought we were talking about sound From what I understand, interior lighting can only be accomplished through [lights] section of aircraft.cfg. In there, there are 10 "channels", and only two of them can be used for interior lighting, cockpit (4) and cabin (10). You can place as many as you want, but they will all be toggled using the same 2 variables... correct? Furthermore, the *.fx" files specified in this section only work when connected through [lights] section. Placing these effects as stand alone, or attaching them to aircraft via attach points won't produce "active" lighting. I tried doing this, unsuccessfully.

Smoke effects can be toggled on and off and yes, they can be used with other effects (not smoke) and controlled, but as far as I can see, interior lighting is a "special" special effect, only visible when used in [lights] section, which in itself is not controllable, except using the "usual" event for cabin on/off and cockpit on/off.

Did you get your interior lighting to work with smoke effects? That is, are you able to place 100 interior lights and control them individually?

 

[DragonflightDesign]

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/independent-multiple-smoke-fx.14592/#post-94271

 

[Misho]

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/independent-multiple-smoke-fx.14592/#post-94271

Right, I understand that, but have you confirmed that the "active" lighting works through this? Because, for example, fx_navred.fx consists of "flash" portion where a texture is rendered as a visual flash using a bitmap, and "active" lighting part, where a light is emitted which lights up surrounding geometry. The "flash" graphic shows up, but the lighting portion does not work (in my experience) unless it is used in [lights] block.

To answer your question, the SimConnect code for this would be very simple:

execute_calculator_code("2 (>K:SMOKE_OFF,bool)", NULL, NULL, NULL);

 

[DragonflightDesign]

You're probably best following this thread:

Calling multi-smoke entries

Given this in the aircraft.cfg file: [SMOKESYSTEM] smoke.0= -14.00, 0.00, 0.00, fx_dummy smoke.1= -18.40,-0.29,-2.95, fx_AOA_red smoke.2= -18.40,-0.29,-2.71, fx_AOA_green smoke.3= -18.40,-0.29,-2.83, fx_AOA_amber smoke.4= -66.00,-1.80, 0, fx_fsxba_smoke_w smoke.5= -68.50,-1.80, 0...

www.fsdeveloper.com

Any results etc. are going to get posted in that one.

 

[Misho]

You're probably best following this thread:

Calling multi-smoke entries

Given this in the aircraft.cfg file: [SMOKESYSTEM] smoke.0= -14.00, 0.00, 0.00, fx_dummy smoke.1= -18.40,-0.29,-2.95, fx_AOA_red smoke.2= -18.40,-0.29,-2.71, fx_AOA_green smoke.3= -18.40,-0.29,-2.83, fx_AOA_amber smoke.4= -66.00,-1.80, 0, fx_fsxba_smoke_w smoke.5= -68.50,-1.80, 0...

www.fsdeveloper.com

Any results etc. are going to get posted in that one.

Ok, I see, you're trying to figure out the proper char/string conversion. I've posted the solution (which works for me) in that thread. Please let me know if the cockpit lights, as described above, can be made to work through this...