V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

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obinder
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:43 am

V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by obinder »

Hello @ll,

initial tests in P3D V5 showed colored artifacts over our fire effects.

So we checked out the default effects, and they show the same problems. This is a screenshot of the default fx_ForestFireMedium effect:

Image

Is this something that is cosidered a bug, to be changed in a hotfix, or should we start rewriting all our effects? Can you please advise as to a possible cause and solution?

Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
obinder
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:43 am

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by obinder »

Hello @ll,

unfortunately this issue has not been fixed in 5.0 HF1. Changing the default effects parameters may partially mask it, but we are not using those. Besides, you can still see it happening in the default effects too.

The issue is, that the color cycling from "Color Start" to "Color End" does not work as expected (=not as it used to work)

These are the default parameters:

Code: Select all

Texture=fx_2.bmp
Color Start=220, 250, 250, 200
Color End=50, 50, 50, 0
The "Color End" is dark grey. But instead of shifting the coloration more or less linearly towards dark grey, the color of the particle cycles through all kinds of intense colors, blue, red, violet, green, you name it. As if the R-G-B values are no longer adjusted together, but one after the other.

This also happens with other particles, that are supposed to produce smoke - they dissipate to dark green artifacts, instead of black or grey.

If this feature remains as it is, the V5 platforms usability for any kind of wildfire simulation or visualization is severly limited.

Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
obinder
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:43 am

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by obinder »

Also, black smoke particles become fully transparent when "Enhanced Atmospherics" is turned on:

Image

Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
corbu1
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:38 pm

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by corbu1 »

[quote=obinder post_id=216383 time=1588431656 user_id=55282

.....
This also happens with other particles, that are supposed to produce smoke - they dissipate to dark green artifacts, instead of black or grey.

If this feature remains as it is, the V5 platforms usability for any kind of wildfire simulation or visualization is severly limited.

Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
[/quote]

That be a shame......Your Lorby-Si FirefighterX wildfiresimulation is a great addition to P3D. It should be avaible also in v5......please make it possible. Thank you!
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Beau Hollis
Lockheed Martin
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Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:25 pm

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by Beau Hollis »

Thanks for reporting. We'll look into it.
Beau Hollis
Prepar3D Software Architect
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Rob McCarthy
Lockheed Martin
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Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:37 pm

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by Rob McCarthy »

Hello,

We'll have improvements for some cloud/transparent sorting issues with Enhanced Atmospherics in the next hotfix. What specific effects are still showing color issues?

Edit: Clarified Enhanced Atmospherics fixes.

Regards,
Rob McCarthy
Rob McCarthy
Prepar3D® Core Lead
obinder
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:43 am

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by obinder »

Rob McCarthy wrote: Wed May 27, 2020 2:27 pm Hello,

We'll have improvements for some cloud/transparent sorting issues with Enhanced Atmospherics in the next hotfix. What specific effects are still showing color issues?

Regards,
Rob McCarthy
Hello Beau, Rob,

many thanks for your consideration and efforts!

All of our own fire effects are showing this. I only posted the default effects file as an example to highlight the issue, we are not actually using those for our products. From my perspective, color progressions in the effects particles are no longer working like they did in V4. I can mask the issue, like you did with the default effect in the HF1, but IMHO that doesn't really solve the underlying problem.

It would be good to know if you even consider this to be an "issue", or if it is simply inherent to the new graphics processing in V5. We can always try and work around it (which I already did with the end user product) - and/or just stick to V4 (with the pro solutions).

Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
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Rob McCarthy
Lockheed Martin
Posts: 3703
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:37 pm

Re: V5: (Default) Fire and Smoke effects broken

Post by Rob McCarthy »

Hi Oliver,

Effects will need to be updated to correct for the discoloration. In most cases only RGB values will need to be slightly adjusted. This is due to the lighting system update in v5.

Regards,
Rob McCarthy
Rob McCarthy
Prepar3D® Core Lead
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