[BasilP]

This may be a totally off the wall idea but I think it has merit.

The Smoke, steam, and exhaust effects look great in OR. And the effect of the wind is another great feature. I wonder if the basic concepts for this could be applied to a scenery object to give a more realistic view of smoke and steam in a factory such as a refinery. It would be great to have a variety of stack smoke effects and steam vents in an industrial setting.

I experimented with this with a steam effect .eng with MSTS. I added some buried track in a refinery complex and on some buildings in my Emporia Sub. When creating an activity I could place the steam effect invisible locomotive on those tracks and it looked pretty good. The problem was that these effects only worked in the activity. I had to place an "engine" where I really wanted a scenery object.

While there are some animated smoke effects for MSTS they don't compare to the realism of the exhaust, steam, and smoke effects from the locomotives in OR. It would be nice if scenery effects could match that quality.

Thanks
Basil

[SVRy_Steve]

Yes! That would add so much to mills and other factories! Of course, this is assuming it's possible!

Steve

[captain_bazza]

Hi Basil,

I like your 'lateral thinking' solution to the lack of smoke problem.

Cheers Bazza.

[drgw 3rd division]

Particles Sprites? Grass and Tree Branches that Gently Sway in the Wind. Leaves in the Autumn Swirling by. A Bellow of Dust Swirling up from a Long Freight after it Passes and the Slight Vertigo Effect one feels from Watching a Long Train in Motion? Fog Layers, Smoke, Snow Accumulation. There is a Laundry List of Effects I've Seen in Many Sims Since I Started Gaming in Windows 95. A lot is Eye Candy Graphics Intensive, But Many Realism Effects Immerse The End User Into The Sim Especially Since Railroading is Intensive Work. A Factory, Steel Mill, Refinery, Busy at Work. With Smoke, Flames, Dust, Using The Commodities Delivered by Rail this would be an Addition Needed since 2002 in My Book, but just not possible in MSTS. ( Due to the CPU Demands on Rendering 3D 360* even if the Camera was not Facing that Direction and Not Supporting Dual CPUs FPS would Die if the Smoke was in the same Direction as the Camera ) A Particle Generator is just a Loop and in the instance of Single Blades of Grass in Multiple Instances are very Low Poly. Smoke Generation would Need to be in a Dialog Box Enabling its Production and Coordinates, Volume and Duration.