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(TRX) EDITOR TIPS #1: EXPLOSIONS

 
  To add explosions and other events to user-created maps, you can experiment with some of the effects and sounds provided by the Ptero-Editor. To make this easier, the list below includes some of the most useful examples of these.  
  From the Editor Panel 'Database' tab, under 'special objects', add an 'event' on the ground at the place where you want the explosion to occur. If the event marker isn't on the ground, the explosion will become an 'air-burst' (i.e. it will look like it is happening in the air, above the ground).
  Some explosions have their own sound already encoded, whilst others need to have a sound associated with them manually. The table below provides more details.

Using the 'Properties' tab in the Editor Panel, in the 'Event' sub-section, select either a sound, an effect, or a sound plus an effect to produce the explosion that you want. Click the 'Select' button next to the 'Sound' entry box, and look under 'Lifeless Unlooped' sounds. The example shown here is a fiery red explosion with black smoke, plus an added random 'heavy' explosion sound.

Use the 'Event impulse' properties to specify how often the effect is to occur. A fixed frequency can be specified, or a 'Random (sec)' interval, as shown in the example here. A spread of explosion events can be used in combination, each with a different random interval, to introduce variability into the sequence and timing of effects in each restarted game. This technique works well with odd numbers of seconds specified (in the example, 133 seconds is 2 mins 13 seconds). Try out different settings to achieve the best game effects balance, i.e. not too often / not too infrequent.


Effect 1 Small fire (no sound)
Effect 17 Fiery red explosion, thick black smoke (no sound)
Effect 172 Smoke
Effect 177 Large fire (no sound)
Effect 198 Heavy explosion, bright flash, flying dirt; random sound plus visual effect
Effect 199 Simple explosion, bright flash; visual effect, no sound
Sound 598 Falling bomb whistle (sound only)
Sound 10068 Random weapons firing (sound only)
Sound 10069 Helicopter fly-by (sound only)
Sound 10073 Mortar (sound only)
Sound 10074 Heavy explosion, random type (sound only)
Sound 10075 Grenade (sound only)
Sound 10120 Ricochet, random type (sound only)
Sound 10421 Dull explosion, distant (B52 bombs? - sound only)

Last updated 05.12.07