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Thruster FX - Framework

By Mexpex

How to use "Thruster FX - Framework" when modding SE thrusters

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Created by

Mexpex
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Category: Modding or Configuration, Workshop

Posted

Updated

5 Aug, 2022 @ 10:02am

1 Oct, 2024 @ 8:22am

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Guide Index

Overview

Framework

Config Content

Tips

Comments

Framework

Introduction

This is a brief guide of how to use the Thruster FX framework in your own mods.
An example setup can be found here (git link[github.com]). You can use it as a base for your setup. It includes a working example block and a general config example.
When testing the example or your own mod, be sure to also add "Thruster FX - Framework" from the workshop since it dosn't add itself to local mods.

In your mods "Data" folder, add a text file and name it "DefinitionExtensions". This is required as it is in this file you add the path to where you keep your config file(s).

Configs can be made in two ways. Either put it in your block definition in you cubeblock.sbc file or put it separately in a xml file. In this example I will go with the xml.

Create a config, copy one from git or an existing config.
Add the config file to your project and add it's path to the "DefinitionExtensions.txt". The path should be relative to your mods Data folder. If it's directly in the Data folder you just add the config files name. Example: cubeblock/MyConfigFile.xml.

With this config added to your project you can now have a look at the variables

Notes

By having this setup in your mod you just have added the support for Thruster FX Framework. It's up to you if you want Thruster FX - Framework to be a required dependency or an optional feature

I hope this helps
This guide is still a work in progress so details might be missing

Config Content

General Settings

Variable Name

Description

Default value

SubTypeID of the thruster block

hideVanillaFlame

Hides the vanilla thruster flames

false

ThrustRateGain

Affects how quickly the thrust intensity will increase when thrusting

ThrustRateLoss

Affects how quickly the thrust intensity will decrease when not thrusting

UseEmissive

Toggle the use of emissive

false

EmissiveMaterial

Emissive material used for emissive

false

EmissiveRateGain

Affects how quickly the emissive intensity will increase when thrusting

false

EmissiveRateLoss

Affects how quickly the emissive intensity will decrease when not thrusting

false

EnableAdvMaterialSetup

Enable the use of configurations of multiple emissive materials using "AdvMaterialSetup".

Empty

EmitterSetup

Contains the configuration for particles and how they are used. Is in a custom text format (see config formats).

AdvMaterialSetup

Contains the configuration for the advanced material setup. Is in a custom text format (see config formats).

Emitter Configuration

Variable Name

Description

Default value

Type

Specifies which type of particle to be used in this config.
PARTICLE | Used for normal particle systems
SPRITE | Used for SPRITE based effects that require an offset to "stay in place". Example would be a flame sprite that starts near an edge. since the particle plane scale by its center it would move into the thruster while scaling.

PARTICLE

Offset

Moves the particle origin in the forward direction of the flame dummy

false

OffsetScaling

Scales the offset value (Only affects SPRITE)

false

Size

Particle Size

AtmoOnly

Prevent the particle to trigger in atmosphere

AtmoDensityLimitMin

Set the minimum atmophere density where the particle will trigger

AtmoDensityLimitMax

Set the maximum atmophere density where the particle will trigger

AltitudeLimitMin

Set the minimum altitude where the particle will trigger

AltitudeLimitMax

Set the maximum altitude where the particle will trigger

ThrustMin

Set the minimum thrust where the particle will trigger. Example: If thrust is under 0.5 the particle will not trigger.

ThrustMax

Set the maximum thrust where the particle will trigger. Example: If thrust is over 0.5 the particle will not trigger.

VelocityScalingFrom | VelocityScalingTo

The particle velocity will be multiplied with this value. A blend between "From" -> "To" based on thrust intensity. Enables you to have fewer particles instead of one per velocity step

From: -1 (disabled)

Dummies

Particle will use the dummy set in here. If you set several dummies, each dummy will use the same emitter setup. Dummies are separated by ','

"flame"

CullingTime

Time in ticks before unused particles will be removed in order to save on performance. 1s = 60t. Try to match it to max life of an emitter in your particle system.Particel Life + Life variance.

Advanced Emissive Configuration

Variable Name

Description

Default value

MaterialName

Material Name

heatup

EmissiveIntensity

Emissive Intensity

1.0

ColorOverride

Enable override color

false

EmissiveColor

Color used to override the emissive color

[0,1,0,0]

HeatIntensityStart

Start of this emissive setting relative to heat intensity

0.0

HeatIntensityEnd

End of this emissive setting relative to heat intensity

1.0

EmissiveMode

Define how the emissive will work.
Normal = aterial color or override color * intensity
Toggle = Material color or override color, always at max value;
Remapped = As normal but intensity is mapped as 0-1 within HeatIntensityStart/End ;

normal

Setup Text Format

Both "Emitter Configuration" and "Advanced Emissive Configuration" uses special formating to parse the config.

Symbol

Description

Used to separate sections in the configuration.

;

Used to separate variables within a section.

Format example of of a configuration with two sections:

Name: BlockMan; Size : 0.6; = Name: CylinderDude; Size : 0.0

Tips

Particles and Emitters
When creating your particles system you should try to use as few emitters as possible. Each emitter in view counts towards the hard coded limit, I think its ~1000 emitters in view.
Example, when your thuster is thrusting and you have a flame particle with 2 emitters and a smoke particle with 3 emitters, that will be 5 emitters per thruster. It will add up quickly.

More tips coming soon(tm)

1 Comments

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xXShadowNinjaXx 17 Nov, 2023 @ 1:26pm

hey, is there a video on how to do this? I'm a bit dumb.

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