Steam improvement discovery!

LAST EDITED ON Nov-11-04 AT 05:23 PM (EST)

I am so thrilled about this little "tweak" that I discovered almost by accident in my attempt to get more smoke out my steam locomotives!
Here's what will really make smoke belch out of any steam engine;

1. Open your steam locomotive engine file.
2. Scrool down to the "steam special effects" section.
3. StackFX
(
0 5.05 0.648
0 1 0
0.08 = This last set of numbers set to this 0.08(or close to my numbers) and save this change!

I,m sure a lot of you know about this "MOD" but I,m also sure a few of you don,t!


I noticed most of the default last digits are usually in the 0.28 thru 0.3something!

P.S. Its a good idea of course to make a backup before making any changes!

I hope this helps a few people because I really like the added smoke!!!
Please let me know!
RickB

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RE: Steam improvement discovery!, CMO, Nov-12-04, 00:00 AM, (1) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, niknak, Nov-12-04, 01:58 PM, (2) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Derby415, Nov-12-04, 03:46 PM, (3) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Steam, Nov-12-04, 04:12 PM, (5) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, whleighton, Nov-26-04, 10:10 AM, (12) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Steam, Nov-12-04, 03:59 PM, (4) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Busdriver, Nov-12-04, 08:36 PM, (6) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Steam, Nov-12-04, 10:18 PM, (7) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Busdriver, Nov-13-04, 00:41 AM, (8) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, Steam, Nov-13-04, 06:27 AM, (9) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, BourdonBoy, Nov-25-04, 09:46 PM, (10) RE: Steam improvement discovery!, steam4me, Nov-25-04, 10:19 PM, (11)

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YOur method really makes a ton of smoke. I think I like about 0.2 better.

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Nice one Rick! Many thanks for the tip. Personally I like the setting around 0.05 as I remember steam locos putting out plenty of smoke!Regards, Nick (UK)

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Can some of you post some pix?

Thanks,
Jim

President Of BLLW
email us at: BLLW@aemail4u.com
or visit our webiste:
www.bllw.100freemb.com

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Hi Jim,
I would post a pic but I don,t have a clue of how to do that!(Straight up)!
Honestly, just try it on your favorite loco and "you will not be sorry"!!!
Hope this helps!
RickB
P.S. Jim, try it on a BigBoy at the setting of 0.08 and it will "blow your mind"!(PROMISE!)

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Here's a couple of pixBill

Attachments

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/41a7472731ade171.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/41a7473831d68295.jpg

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Hi Nick!
I,m happy you enjoy this mod! I have to be honest, I got really thrilled when I first "discovered" this simple little alteration that I think greatly enhances steam locomotives!
Look really "close" at the stack and I think it looks like CINDERS coming out!(It does,little tiny specks or something!)LOL

By the way,I tried this mod on the diesels but it looks "awful"!

Also, do you have the steam texture upgrade because thats what I,m useing?( From the library!) Bottom line is, I just wanted to give something back to the community that has given so much to me thru the years in the form of tips and information!( 99% from this forum!)

I seldom post because posting intimidates the heck out of me, but I just wanted to share this!
Take care,
RickB
P.S. Most of my steamers look great at 0.05 also!

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Thanks for this tip, but both before and after trying this, my smoke does not come evenly when under load and going slow. It blasts out in spurts, then there can be long periods of no smoke......does not look very real.What are the settings that effect this? I do have the smokemain.ace upgrade from the library.The engine I am running is the 3DTS cabforward.Thanks.Bryce

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Hi Bryce,
I really can,t help you with your smoke problem since you mention this accured even before this modification. I can suggest though to do a re-install with your cabforward and see if that corrects it?
Do you have this problem with other steam locos or just your cabforward? If its affecting all your steam locos I would consider possibly a problem with your smoke upgrade installation! Did this problem exist before the smokeman.ace upgrade?
But, if its just your cabforward that certanly isolates the problem!

Also Bryce, I'm wondering about your computers horsepower? Maybe its over taxing your computer somehow?(AKA stutters!)

In all honesty I just tinker, but I would suspect the smokeman.ace upgrade or your cabforward engine file! I don,t know if my info is of any help, but I do know if your like me I,m sure you will get it squared away!!! Let me know and good luck!
RickB

P.S. Setting below are only location settings for smoke!(ENG.file)
StackFX
(
0 4.78 3.9
0 1 0
0.19


=0 is center of engine, 4.78 is up/down,& 3.9 is forward/backward
I believe the 0 1 0 just activates the smoke!
And of course the 0.19 is smoke diameter!

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Rick,I found the cause. I was running a consist that had 4 of these beasts in the train. Because of that, the smoking required to make 4 engines smoke at the same time must have been pretty taxing for the "smoke driver". Even the whistle steam was weak. Anyway, I tried just running the engine by itself, and there was more smoke than I new what to do with.Thanks again for the tip.Bryce

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LAST EDITED ON Nov-13-04 AT 06:31 AM (EST)

Hi Bryce,
I,m so glad to hear you resolved the smoke issue!

I forgot to mention also that I had tried the smoke mod with two locos also and it looked "off"! I guess its just good for single units!
Take care,
RickB

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This looks really interesting. As one who has never done anything like this before. How do I open my ENG file. A window pops up stating that Windows needs to know the program which created this file in order to open it. Am I even in the right place??
BB

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> How do I open my ENG file. A
>window pops up stating that Windows needs to know the
>program which created this file in order to open it. Am I
>even in the right place??
>Yes, you're in the right place. In WinXP - Notepad or Wordpad.
In Win98SE - Wordpad only.A better Unicode-aware editor is ConTEXT - see
http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim/tutorials/context.htmlHTH.
RegardsYuri.
(steam4me)
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