More realistic smoke and fire effects mod by Stonehouse.

[Stonehouse]

1 hour ago, Mysticpuma said:

Is there a way of lengthening the Ju-52 trail of smoke

If you mean the exhaust effect when using boost or full power, it is the same effect across all aircraft. I did notice that it looked like only the middle engine on the Ju52 produces the "full" power dark exhaust trails. Have to check stock when I get a chance - it may be a bug.

 

53 minutes ago, Mysticpuma said:

maybe an evening longer smoke trail but the fire looks perfect?

I don't seem to be able to change the shape of the fire or smoke trail for the tank fire. It looks like it is embedded in the 3d model of the animation. Even when I use a full transparent texture I get a semi transparent white "missing' texture shape. I can change the colour of the smoke some and probably the length which may influence the width although based on what I have seen so far I doubt it. 

Maybe someone who actually knows what they are doing with graphics art could figure it out. I'll keep fiddling with the effects - at least it seems like you liked this one better than the prior one.

Edited February 17 by Stonehouse

[Mysticpuma]

1 hour ago, Stonehouse said:

If you mean the exhaust effect when using boost or full power, it is the same effect across all aircraft. I did notice that it looked like only the middle engine on the Ju52 produces the "full" power dark exhaust trails. Have to check stock when I get a chance - it may be a bug.

 

I don't seem to be able to change the shape of the fire or smoke trail for the tank fire. It looks like it is embedded in the 3d model of the animation. Even when I use a full transparent texture I get a semi transparent white "missing' texture shape. I can change the colour of the smoke some and probably the length which may influence the width although based on what I have seen so far I doubt it. 

Maybe someone who actually knows what they are doing with graphics art could figure it out. I'll keep fiddling with the effects - at least it seems like you liked this one better than the prior one.

I do, certainly like it more than the previous one and the smoke is more consistent and fire looks more interesting. It's a shame the fuel tank fire can't be swapped out with the engine fire effects.

The only request I would make, if at all possible, is the smoke trail behind the fuel tank fire, that it isn't as wide but was longer....if at all possible.

As before though, thank you for your continued efforts, they really are very much appreciated.

[Stonehouse]

Maybe closer? Second fuel tank fire initial smoke looks a bit sausage like, have to tweak some more.

 

 

Edited February 18 by Stonehouse

[Stonehouse]

Another attempt, I think I moved closer to what you asked for but I think probably it is getting to the point where it won't progress much further. 

https://www.mediafire.com/file/kxaavqr5jdak3q3/mp_effects_-_WIP.zip/file

 

If the consensus is that it is good enough then I will clean up the zip and get rid of all the WIP and temp bits and pieces and maintain the mod over in my smoke and fire mods thread, otherwise I will just leave it here as an interesting but failed attempt.

Edited February 19 by Stonehouse

[Mysticpuma]

16 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

Another attempt, I think I moved closer to what you asked for but I think probably it is getting to the point where it won't progress much further. 

https://www.mediafire.com/file/kxaavqr5jdak3q3/mp_effects_-_WIP.zip/file

 

If the consensus is that it is good enough then I will clean up the zip and get rid of all the WIP and temp bits and pieces and maintain the mod over in my smoke and fire mods thread, otherwise I will just leave it here as an interesting but failed attempt.

Can check tomorrow, looking forward to it. Thank you.

[Redeye]

I have been trying the latest and loving it. Great work @Stonehouse.

[Mysticpuma]

Hi @Stonehouse thanks for your work on this. The fires seem more realistic now, rather than that huge glowing bloom, they now (while still large) appear to have some texture and interest about them now.

Smoke trail length, I guess that's coded somewhere else. I have seen that the game can generate a more realistic smoke strail, but it's the 'glitch/bug' workaround I have used before. Simply put, speed the game up, wait for the smoke trail to be created, pause it, great smoke trail length, looks just about right, but for some reason, can't be generated at x1 speed 😞

So these are x1 speed

These are x 8/16 (whatever is maximum fast forward speed in a trk file)

To me, that is the 'Nirvana' I dream of, but sadly it appears that even though the game can generate those effects over a distance, in'game, it's stuck to the first two images.

Either way, it's improved and I thank you for your efforts in getting where you are today.

Cheers, Mysticpuma

[Redeye]

There is an old mod that lengthened the smoke trails. Do you guys know this one? I haven’t tried it with this mod so do not know how wel it works. It also has the issue that if you looked away then back there would be a hiatus in the trail. I have it still so if you guys wan’t it I’ll post it.

[Stonehouse]

16 hours ago, Redeye said:

There is an old mod that lengthened the smoke trails. Do you guys know this one? I haven’t tried it with this mod so do not know how wel it works. It also has the issue that if you looked away then back there would be a hiatus in the trail. I have it still so if you guys wan’t it I’ll post it.

Yeah Mysticpuma linked to it higher - it was an old Lizlemon mod. Shame they aren't around anymore or at least don't seem to be. It was for different effects. The one it covered was n_smokedarktrail.txt and as the name implies it is a trail. It is used by the engine fires and is one of the 3 smoke effects involved in the fuel tank fire. The effects for the fuel tank fire are:

• n-smokedarkspeed.txt
• smokedistortion-n.txt
• n_flamepetrol_01.txt
• n_flamepetrol_02.txt
• n-smokedarktrail.txt

All these are invoked by firepetroltank.epl.

The one that causes the wide smoke "trail" is n-smokedarkspeed.txt and it isn't set up as a trail. I will put in a bit more time but I think the width of the smoke is baked into the animation somehow as opposed to trail effects where you can specify a traillife and width and I think breadth. If you look very closely at what I have given you then you should see a very thin black smoke trail in the middle of the wider trail as the animation progresses, this is n_smokedarktrail.txt. My attempt last year gave n-smokedarkspeed.txt (the wider "trail") a completely invisible texture but this still resulted in a faint whitish trail. There may be something at work I can't get to.

I may be able to give the wide "trail" n-smokedarkspeed more length but not sure. 

Edited February 22 by Stonehouse

[Stonehouse]

another attempt - tried to get the main smoke longer - not sure if I succeeded enough. Darkened the smoke some more to get to a grey look. Note on colour changes due to sunlight and direction of viewing. Based on a NASA report on JP4, JP5 and avgas fire characteristics this is correct and what happens. Notes on avgas fires were that it was the lightest colour smoke but more grey than white hence the colour shift. JP4 and 5 are dark, oily smoke which I guess since jet fuel is similar to kerosene is what you would expect. So good thing I never bothered to change the jet fuel tank fires.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/97gxkrs7ylf7oq6/mp_effects_-_WIP_24_feb.zip/file

I think this might be the last for a while as I still have work to do on an EMG Tunisia mod, AQMB_QMB and career AAA attack range mod plus trying to focus on Korea beta testing so I honour that commitment fairly.

 

As before if you guys give it the thumbs up, I will tidy the zip and support it in the other fire and smoke thread. @Mysticpuma I am still using your track but suggest you follow it to the end as the smoke trail changes over time. At the very least be sure to allow the engine fire to go out as it's very dark smoke mixes with the first fuel tank fire.

Edited February 24 by Stonehouse

[Stonehouse]

Sorry - forgot a file in the last upload. Try this one please

https://www.mediafire.com/file/qk0nfk6h6jvswa6/mp_effects_-_WIP_24_febv2.zip/file

 

[Mysticpuma]

Will give it a try today.

Honestly, from the video, I think you may well have it the sweet spot 👍🤞

[Mysticpuma]

Had a play today. I think the colours are about right now, the only 'issue' I see is a really obviosu smoke texture pattern, more noticeable when sped up, but it can be seen in your video, especially when the aircraft explodes.

It looks like a little bundle of clouds in the smoke emmissions, which before (maybe it's there), but it really wasn't as obvious? 

Apart from that, it's really good (and very much appreciated).

Crack on with your other work, this is just a drag for you now, I think we have to consider that Box's smoke and fore effects have always been one of it's failings, and no amount of polishing by yo will get us to perfection.

 

Seriously though, thank you for your efforts on this. Cheers, Mysticpuma

[Stonehouse]

@Mysticpuma This is where my lack of graphics art skills sabotage my efforts. Things like getting the texture right is like climbing Mt Everest with my hands tied because I really don't know what I am doing and just poke around. 

Last attempt for a bit, think the smoke looks less "obvious" and more blended but I could just be seeing things from running your track so many times today lol.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/a7p4pje474ilis7/mp_effects_-_WIP_24_febv3.zip/file

[Stonehouse]

On 2/24/2026 at 11:33 PM, Stonehouse said:

@Mysticpuma This is where my lack of graphics art skills sabotage my efforts. Things like getting the texture right is like climbing Mt Everest with my hands tied because I really don't know what I am doing and just poke around. 

Last attempt for a bit, think the smoke looks less "obvious" and more blended but I could just be seeing things from running your track so many times today lol.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/a7p4pje474ilis7/mp_effects_-_WIP_24_febv3.zip/file

Did any of the people who gave the last version a try decide whether it was good enough to be treated as a mod to keep maintained or was it an interesting experiment best left here?

[AcesDarthBubu]

20 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

Did any of the people who gave the last version a try decide whether it was good enough to be treated as a mod to keep maintained or was it an interesting experiment best left here?

yes please. the effects look nicer than current vanilla. 

Edited March 1 by AcesDarthBubu

[Redeye]

Haven’t had the time yet @Stonehouse.

[Redeye]

Just tried the latest version. I am quiet happy with it @Stonehouse. Bag it and tag it as far as I am concerned. Great job. 

[Mysticpuma]

Will give it a try tomorrow. Sorry, been away working but should have a chance in the morning. Sounds promising from the above, cheers, Mysticpuma.

[Mysticpuma]

That's it.....don't touch anything...absolutely awesome work! Wow! Wow! Wow!

 

 

You have found the final version. LOVE IT!

[Stonehouse]

Ok that's good news. I will tidy up the folders to get rid of file backups and what have you and add the mod to here so it is maintained going forward (it seems the most appropriate of my threads although I may adjust the title):

 

[Stonehouse]

Ok done cleaned up version of the mod is over in my Smoke and Fire mods thread. Thread has been retitled and the new mod called Smoke and Fire Combat Effects.

[Hopper64]

I just tried this new mod and it works great for me. Superb job!! Thank you for your efforts!