cfgCloudlets

[canukausiuka 1]

I have been doing some effects editing lately, and I am confused by some parts of the code.

1. lifeTime as an array.<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">lifeTime[] = {0, 1};What are the two terms there?  Is it a min and max?  If so, what is the use of lifeTimeVar?

2. "interval" parameter.<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">interval[] = {"interval", 0.5, 0.5};I understand that interval controls how often a particle is spawned, and that it can be controlled in cfgCloudlets as well as in the effects class (eg: class GrenadeCrater).  Is this a way of converting the effects' interval to the cfgCloudlets'?  Again, what are the parameters following "interval"?

3. "intensity" parameter.<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">moveVelocity[] = {0, {"intensity", 1, 2}, 0};I assume that intensity is somehow related to the power of the impact (how?), and can also be manipulated in the effects class like interval.  But what are the parameters following it?

4. A few other random parameters that are less common.  I've seen "fireIntensity", "fireInterval", "speed", "speedX", "speedY", "speedZ", "damage", "positionX", "positionY", "positionZ", "density", "dustColor"

5. The "...Coef" parameters.  These do not even show up in class default, but show up in some of the classes (eg: impactSparks).  We have the "...var" parameters already.  How are the two combined, and what is the need for both?

I know that's a TON of questions.  I checked the biki and searched the forums.  Almost nothing comes up for cfgCloudlets or anything else related to effects.  I was hoping some of you may have come across these parameters before and figured them out... I'm not asking anyone to go experiment on my behalf.

Thanks,

Iuka

[Maddmatt 1]

There is a lack of info on particles in ArmA.

First of all, if looking at cfgCloudlets in ca.pbo, ignore everything listed above "class MissileManualEffects1: Default" because it's just old OFP code.

Quote[/b] ]1. lifeTime as an array.

Code Sample

lifeTime[] = {0, 1};

What are the two terms there?  Is it a min and max?  If so, what is the use of lifeTimeVar?

The game will randomly choose between those two values for an effect. The second value will occur more frequently than the first. So for a grenade you could make it so that the flash isn't always visible. I'm not sure the how ArmA chooses which value to use. It's not just a simple random choice as it picks the second value much more often.

You can change it to "lifeTime=1;" if you just want to use a single value.

Quote[/b] ]2. "interval" parameter.

Code Sample

interval[] = {"interval", 0.5, 0.5};

I understand that interval controls how often a particle is spawned, and that it can be controlled in cfgCloudlets as well as in the effects class (eg: class GrenadeCrater).  Is this a way of converting the effects' interval to the cfgCloudlets'?  Again, what are the parameters following "interval"?

I think in that case it is a simple maximum and minimum value chosen based on the interval value from the effects class.

Doesn't have to be an array, just like 'lifetime'.

Quote[/b] ]3. "intensity" parameter.

Code Sample

moveVelocity[] = {0, {"intensity", 1, 2}, 0};

I assume that intensity is somehow related to the power of the impact (how?), and can also be manipulated in the effects class like interval.  But what are the parameters following it?

Intensity seems to be based in the hit value of the ammo. Parameters following it are min and max based on intensity (I think).

Quote[/b] ]

4. A few other random parameters that are less common.  I've seen "fireIntensity", "fireInterval", "speed", "speedX", "speedY", "speedZ", "damage", "positionX", "positionY", "positionZ", "density", "dustColor"

I think there are special parameters passed to those effects by the engine, that would only work on those specific effects. I haven't experimented with them, they might have more uses.

Quote[/b] ]

5. The "...Coef" parameters.  These do not even show up in class default, but show up in some of the classes (eg: impactSparks).  We have the "...var" parameters already.  How are the two combined, and what is the need for both?

I have no clue

I'm not even sure if they are used. Maybe for changing dust colour based on terrain, but I haven't seen that working.

[canukausiuka 1]

Thanks for the quick response. I agree, there's not enough info available on ArmA's particles. I had been having problems w/ particle sizes going through the roof based on the "intensity" factor. For now, I've just set a fixed size + var, rather than fooling with intensity.

From my tests (brief though they were) its more than hit that determines intensity. My HE shells are much higher than my AP shells, even though the AP shells have a higher "hit" value. My AP shells have explosive=0 though, so I wonder if having an explosion increases it, or just having a bigger indirectHit and range.