VFX Questions

[Legacy_Failed.Bard]

                  Is it possible to specify the object the VFX is effecting within the mdl file?
   
  From the little bit I could figure out looking at a few of them, it looks like either an object or an emitter is created when the VFX is run, and those are then applied to the object or location specified in the script calling it.

  What I was thinking of trying with them, requires that I can specify the script targetted is also the vfx object being used within the mdl file.  Does anyone know if that's possible to set?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <quite willing...>

AFAIK, VFX can only be applied to target nodes on the object put in for that purpose. For players that means the Impact node and the Head node. The engine also uses the left forearm node (for shields), the hand nodes (to place items) and the wing & tail nodes (for those). Some creatures also have Monster nodes (beholders - great research by OTR, BTW) that can act as the source of spell effects.

Weapons, if they are built that way, also have effects, but the effects models are constructed before hand and applied as a whole. That is, if the kama has a flame effects model then when a flame is applied to the weapon, the *kama-specific* flame effect model is overlaid on the kama.

I have not found anyway to target sub-objects of a model, other than those legal effect nodes. That is, you can not apply a flame effect to the hands or a  tiny-flapping-wings effect to the feet :-P

Am I understanding the question?

<...to be proved wrong>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Failed.Bard]

                 The reason I'd wondered if you could affect the target model directly, is because I was wondering if VFX might have been a possible way to add more animations into the game.

 Since you can create animated objects withing them, I was hoping for a way to simply animate the target object instead.  If the game just gets the location of the node to use as the source of the VFX, I guess it's likely not possible then.

  I'd initially thought stoneskin and the like worked by a retexture to the model, but it looks like those don't really target the base character model either.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rubies]

               Stone/ice/shadow skin VFX are hardcoded but you can override them by editing the associated textures. You can add new nodes to the base PC models and apply VFX to it, but be aware that it's a real headache (and that you'll go through lots of crashes before you get it working)!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Rubies, 02 mai 2012 - 03:08 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Leurnid]

               I was going to post a couple of VFX questions, and spotted this thread...  It looks like the OPQ got answered, so I am just going to pony on here and start in with my VFX Q's, a few at a time:

I have noticed that there is no VFX_EYES_YEL_HALFELF_MALE (or FEMALE), but  there are half-elf eye effects in colors besides yellow...  
I assume this was a mistake on the Devs part, but maybe a deliberate consideration was made there?

I have noticed that the human male vfx eye effects ride about 4-6 inches off the face of the human male I tested it on, but the human female eye effects fit right in *his* sockets....
Do all race/gender correct eye effects hover off the face like that?
Is that a consideration for helmets,hoods, or worst case fat-head models?
If it was for helmets, the Stag Helm still hides the vfx eye effects...
On that note, is there a good VFX eye effect that will show while wearing the Stag Helm?

I have read about and seen screens of VFX headgear that shows the original model's face. I haven't messed with that yet... any good suggestions on what/where to get started with that?

I will stop for now and hope for some answers...
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Leurnid, 06 mai 2012 - 12:11 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_henesua]

               Half-elf and Human use the exact same model, so you can use the human VFX's for halfelves.

I haven't set up openfaced helmet models for head aligned VFX in my module. But they are available on the vault.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Failed.Bard]

                 CEP 2.3 and up also include a few of the open faced helm VFX and horns, lines 4300 - 4716.  There's a couple extra glowing eyes options in there as well.

  It's not nearly as many as the newer specific haks for it, but theyd be already available if you're already using CEP anyways.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <settling back in his favorite chair...>

Also check out the discussion on Cestus' grumping about vfx equipment.

The primary problem with open-faced helms is they can not go in the helm slot. (edit: *any* model in the helm slot *replaces* the head part. Period.) You have to carry them in inventory and invoke them or slot them in somewhere else. *Very* kludgey :-P

Leurnid: Was the human male you used an NPC? They do not seem to carry the nodes in *exactly* the same place as the PC supermodels... ran into that myself.

Edit 2: There are separate vfx effects for each of the base race/gender combinations (with, as H said, half-elf sharing the human effects). So any vfx you create has to be adjusted slightly for 12 effects to align properly.
At least.
That doesn't even count custom races, eh? :-P

Edit 3: Now, does anyone feel like re-doing all the player races so that they have nodes in a consistently relative position so one set of vfx would fit them all? That would give us the opportunity to re-purpose "monster" nodes as well to add specific vfx targets... Maybe... But then there is scaling... Heh. Nevermind.

<...and enjoying the fire>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Rolo Kipp, 06 mai 2012 - 03:01 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Leurnid]

               twas a PC model.  I as adapting my conceal and cover triggers to play nicely with turning on and off dynamic lighting for various effect, and I recalled the other vfx effects, and started turning my test mode dummy toon into a ghost etc with glowing eyes and so forth