Change Color of Weapon Effect

Avenger

This I can help you with. The section of the .ANL file you are looking for is ‘ku_capgun_01_proj.app’, which is the section of the ALE file you are referencing to through various references in weapon_equip.ini, effects.ini etc.

The actual section of the file you want to be editing is BasicApp_Color in the ku_capgun_01_proj.app section of the .ANL file. That controls the colour of the projectile.

But my best advice is to just change one value at a time, encode it to an .ale file, put it in the relevant folder in FX, test it in-game and note what section of the projectile it changes. Rinse and repeat.
I usually change the colour of one section to a really obvious colour compared to the rest of the effect, EG: gf_nomadwormholeopening_horizbeam.app, and I noted that the normally blue beam coming out of the top and bottom of the effect had changed to blood-red, and hence I confirmed that gf_nomadwormholeopening_horizbeam.app was that particular part of the effect.

It’s tedious, but you can pick it up fairly easily once you get into the groove.

As for FLDev, I just remembered that there is only a link in a post that link’s to another site. Here’s the link. http://www.eredivine.net/FLDev_1.001b01.zip

That should help set you on the right path.

aden

OK, sorry to but in here but just want to help, the weaon_equip.ini references everything, just read the names of the FX_Type = FxBasicAppearance and FX_Type = FxRectAppearance in the anl. Some effects also use a FX_Type = FLBeamAppearance. They will have _flash, _proj, _impact and other extras attached to the names. These are pretty simple to figure what part of the weapons effects they are used for and these are all used by the weapon in the ini.

As FF said, node_color under Node_Name = ku_capgun_01_proj.app (_proj for projectile ;)) is what you want to change.

The appearence sections are what you want to change for things like opacity (or varying levels thereof), color (once again varying levels if you want) and size. (also if you want to be flashy and create animated textures you would specify how the animation plays under the appearence section but leave that for now).

So if you want it to be say green then you would change it to this:

SubEntry = 0.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000
SubEntry = 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000

So now it will be green from start to finish, but you could have a rainbow effect too:

SubEntry = 0.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000
SubEntry = 0.2000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000
SubEntry = 0.4000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000
SubEntry = 0.6000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000
SubEntry = 0.8000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000
SubEntry = 1.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000

Just my 5cents, hope it helps a bit more.

Hunt21

Okay, I’ve found the releavant part of the file - thanks for the guidance!

Now I’m looking at the daunting task of knowing which of those decimal values to edit, IE:

SubEntry = 0.0000000000000000, 1.0000000000000000, 0.5019608139991760, 0.2509804069995880
SubEntry = 0.5517241358757019, 0.9529412388801575, 0.7372549176216126, 0.0784313753247261

Since the FLDev program doesn’t seem to give RGP values from decimal values it’s tough to know what is what. Are these gradients? Is one SubEntry all one color? What’s the method to the madness?

EDIT: I’ve tried changing the values to see what happens but unfortunately I can’t figure out how to properly re-encode the files ><. When I use ALE editor it just gives me my_effect.tale. My kingdom for a Readme.

FriendlyFire

.tale is just like .ale. Replace the old ALE file with the new one and it’ll do the trick.

FLDev actually does swap through between RGB and Decimal in the Math Tools. As long as the syntax is correct, it should work. Remember however that the first value in the SubEntry is timing and should NOT be put in FLDev.

Hunt21

@FriendlyFire:

.tale is just like .ale. Replace the old ALE file with the new one and it’ll do the trick.

FLDev actually does swap through between RGB and Decimal in the Math Tools. As long as the syntax is correct, it should work. Remember however that the first value in the SubEntry is timing and should NOT be put in FLDev.

Ah, of course :P. I made the changes, fixed a few FUBARs I made, and BAM It works! Thanks so much to all of you! I would never have figured that out without your assistance!

Unfortunately I’ve still got one last problem. The effect that I originally was copying from, is now mimicing the same colors (even though I put this in a totally seperate file. Here’s my references

WEAPONS_ALE.INI

[VisEffect]
nickname = ku_capgun_01_proj
alchemy = fx\weapons\ku_capgun_01.ale
effect_crc = 147112183
textures = fx\standardeffects.txm
textures = fx\photon.txm
textures = fx\sarma.txm

[VisEffect]
nickname = dw_pulsephasers_fx
alchemy = fx\weapons\dw_pulsephasers_fx.ale
effect_crc = 147112183
textures = fx\standardeffects.txm
textures = fx\photon.txm
textures = fx\sarma.txm

EFFECTS.INI

[Effect]
nickname = ku_capgun_01_proj
effect_type = EFT_WEAPON_PROJ
vis_effect = ku_capgun_01_proj
vis_generic = ku_capgun_01_proj

[Effect]
nickname = dw_pulsephasers_fx
effect_type = EFT_WEAPON_PROJ
vis_effect = dw_pulsephasers_fx
vis_generic = dw_pulsephasers_fx

I have a feeling it is the effect_crc number being the same since the two are in different fx files - but how do I generate a new one? Google yields no help yet again.

FriendlyFire

You should find a CRC calculator on digitalbrillance.com in the downloads section, made by our one and only Lancer Solurus (look for DB software).

Hunt21

But which number do I use? All the ones I tried made the effect not display (invisible firing)

FriendlyFire

You take the effect’s name in the AEL file and plug it into the calculator, then get the CRC out of it.

Mini_Me

removed

FF’s Pic should be more than enough

FriendlyFire

Both are the same…

Remember Freelancer uses unsigned integers for CRCs. this means there are always two possible ways to represent a CRC in decimal, one positive and one negative.

0xFFFFFFFF = 4 294 967 295 (maximum value of any integer)

Say I take “test” as a CRC, it gives me either -4192492930 or 102474366…

-4 192 492 930 + 4 294 967 295 = 10 2474 366

Mini_Me

Well that’s certainly easier lol, thx FF
Guess they use different ones when they get bored to mix things up a bit?

Hunt21: you did also rename that part of the effect in the decoded .anl and .ael files as well? That plus the correct CRC should have you up and running.

Hunt21

I’m a bit confused. So do I just use any variable off DB’s CRC? Or do I have to go through that lines with zero’s procedure Mini_Me mentioned? All this talk of hexes makes me miss a GUI

FriendlyFire

;D

LancerSolurus

**Use my CRC/ Hash Calculator, it calculates the effect CRC for you. All you do is copy and paste the nickname of the FX in the .AEL file into the top edit box in the calculator. Then press enter or click on calculate.

As far as it not showing up, you might want to check FLSpew.txt for an ALE related error.**