Alternative tracer colours

Battle of Britain "Wings of Victory"
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ShadowShooter
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Alternative tracer colours

Post by ShadowShooter »

I've managed to identify the source file that provides the texture for the tracer bullets effect: redflash2_add.dds, in the TextureMap folder.
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As a result I've been able to try out different colours (as were used in real life for various purposes) instead of the default white/yellow. Changing the file has varied results-

Red: The tracers are red against any surface, although against the sky they are a bit more towards the pinkish end, and against the ground and water towards the orange.

Blue: A colour used by the Luftwaffe, but oddly in BoB2 a blue texture results in the tracers being invisible against all surfaces

Green: Greenish-white was a standard British .303 tracer colour up until the war, but here even a dark shade of green is just about overpowered by the original white against the sky. Against the ground/water there is some difference from yellow, but not that much.

So it seems that the only strong alternative in the standard game is red, at least without rewriting the code.
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Here is the modified file I'm using:
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I've left yellow around the edge since I think it gives a nice touch of ignition to the image, and brings to mind the incendiary rounds that were included in the bullet load. (But of course anyone who prefers one solid colour is free to change it.) It can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?b6nmezb4dbxel9o

Usual warning: Don't forget to back up the original first!

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stickman
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by stickman »

Interesting. I learned something today. :D

SupermarineSpit
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by SupermarineSpit »

Looks incredible ShadowShooter! I'll be sure to try it out soon.

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DHenriques_
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by DHenriques_ »

stickman wrote:Interesting. I learned something today. :D
Just a passing note on tracer;

It's a lighter load in the belt thus replacing a ball or an AP bullet that packs a much heavier punch in the killing mil cone on the target. The Brits did try a few variations including the deWilde slug in 1940 and they did help a little by showing the hit but denying the bullet stream path to the bandit.
Many of the top fighter pilots on each side opted not to use tracer. The advantage it gave walking into the target air to air was offset by telling the target pilot where the stream was coming from giving a break advantage to the target as the shooter closed. And when Fighter Command finally got rid of the Dowding spread and started using better formation section and flight tactics the situation got even better for the Brits.
Just rambling here passing through.
Enjoy the sim!

Bader
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by Bader »

stickman wrote:Interesting. I learned something today. :D

Me too. good find, ShadowShooter.
"Ah yes, Michael (Parkinson)," Bader replied, "But these particular Fockers were Messerschmitts..."

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PieceOfCake
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by PieceOfCake »

Nice! But do you know what the file for the smoke that comes after the tracer is called?
I am trying to play without tracers. Or maybe just tone down the smoke file a bit.

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ShadowShooter
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by ShadowShooter »

Hi, PieceOfCake.

According to my old notes I used to use "contrail.dds", located in the TextureMap folder, to modify my own tracer smoke seen from the cockpit. [Hope that's correct! :)] If so, then perhaps the next file, "contrailside0", is used for other views?

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PieceOfCake
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by PieceOfCake »

PieceOfCake wrote:Nice! But do you know what the file for the smoke that comes after the tracer is called?
I am trying to play without tracers. Or maybe just tone down the smoke file a bit.
Thanks! I will try that. Also if you want to remove the yellow tracer (or the colored part) just pain the whole file black.
I used Gimp to open the ddr file. You need a ddr plugin though for Gimp.

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ShadowShooter
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by ShadowShooter »

Might be a combination of files.

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PieceOfCake
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Re: Alternative tracer colours

Post by PieceOfCake »

ShadowShooter wrote:Might be a combination of files.
Yeah, and it was really genius of you to find what color was used for tracers. Because it doesn't look like it would be used for that when you open the image.
Seeing all this also reminds me how long time it must have been to create this sim.

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