Diesel Smoke is bogus

[lvlender]

I have the BLZ/ZT E8A Amtrak #245 that has a very irritating unrealistic smoke. The A and B units belch (in exact sync) a smoke cloud that just hangs in the air. The cloud is expelled about once a second. Where can I get a better engine exhaust effect?

[eric]

BLW's are.... not exactly green when it come to emissions....

The settings in the ENG file worked fine for MSTS, but need to be toned down for ORTS.

This is what works for me:

Old

DieselSmokeEffectInitialMagnitude ( 3 )
DieselSmokeEffectMaxMagnitude ( 5.0 )
DieselSmokeEffectInitialSmokeRate ( 3 )
DieselSmokeEffectMaxSmokeRate ( 6.0 )

New

DieselSmokeEffectInitialMagnitude( 0.85 )
DieselSmokeEffectMaxMagnitude( 1.55 )
DieselSmokeEffectInitialSmokeRate( 0.95 )
DieselSmokeEffectMaxSmokeRate( 2.55 )​

[R. Steele]

For Open Rails the diameter of the stack should be adjusted also...somewhere in the range of 0.25 -- it will vary according to individual specs.

Engine ( BLW_E8A_AMTK245
Effects
(
DieselSpecialEffects
(
comment
(
the format of these little blocks is as follow:

offset.x offset.y offset.z
normal.x normal.y normal.z
width in metres

defining the offset from the shape pivot point
where steam / smoke should appear, the direction
it should go and the width of the nozzle
)

Exhaust1
(
0 4.7 1.00
0 1 0
0.25
)
Exhaust2
(
0 4.7 -1.4
0 1 0
0.25
)
)
)

Wagon ( BLW_E8A_AMTK245 )​

[wmuzeke]

In addition to the above, adding Open Rails physics to the .eng file will also improve the exhaust and the way it reacts to throttle changes. Install the Open Rails Standard Engine Files (File ID 84649) - you may already have it. Then place the include line between the Name and Description like this:

Name ( "BLW/ZT E8A Amtrak 245" )
Include ( "..\\Common.inc\\Locomotives\\Std_Eng_E8A.inc" )
Description (

Another thing that has dramatically improved the exhaust is the updated smoke textures that come with the recently updated TS BNSF Scenic Sub. dieselsmoke.ace, etc. These go in your Global/Textures folder.

[lvlender]

Thank you Eric,

I made the changes you recommended. It helped quite a bit. Please read the post I am adding below....

[lvlender]

Hello wmuzeke,

Your suggestions may just be the cure for my diesel's puff-puff exhaust. See the screen capture of the exhaust. It reminds me of when I was a toddler. My grandfather would entertain us kids by blowing smoke rings in the air,.. puff~puff~puff !

The train is accelerating at 60mph...

Open Rails 2024-05-28 12-53-53.jpg

[lvlender]

Hi R. Steele,

I made the adjustment to the diameter of the stack. I also adjusted the Deiselsmokeeffect as Eric suggested above and swapped the TS dieselsmoke.ace as wmuzeke suggested. After testing, I increased the Deiselsmokeeffect files to put back a little more smoke.

DieselSmokeEffectInitialMagnitude( 1.85 )
DieselSmokeEffectMaxMagnitude( 2.55 )
DieselSmokeEffectInitialSmokeRate( 1.95 )
DieselSmokeEffectMaxSmokeRate( 3.55 )

See below for the result...

5% power at 20 mph
Open Rails 2024-05-28 02-09-13.png

[R. Steele]

I made the adjustment to the diameter of the stack

Open Rails will support multiple exhausts...and the stack diameter can vary to make the exhaust more complex.
Here's and example of an include.eng file that would be used in an OpenRails sub Folder placed in the parent locomotive folder -- with multiple exhausts.

include ( "..\\BLW_E6A_B&O57.eng" )
Wagon (
Mass ( 141.203t )
include ( "..\\..\\Common.inc\\Locomotives\\Couplers\\Std_Type-E_Coupler.inc" )
include ( "..\\..\\Common.inc\\Locomotives\\Brakes\\Std_Loco_Brakes.inc" )
ORTSAdhesion ( ORTSCurtius_Kniffler ( 7.5 44 0.161 0.7 ) )
ORTSAdhesion ( ORTSSlipWarningThreshold ( 70 ) )
ORTSNumberAxles ( 2 )
ORTSBearingType ( Roller )
ORTSDavis_A ( 1673.98 )
ORTSDavis_B ( 46.4619 )
ORTSDavis_C ( 7.475130 )
Comment( == Assumptions -Locomotive diesel/electric - speed - 65mph (105km/h), Roller Bearing, 6 axles, frontal area - 13.0m2, Wagon Weight - 141.2 ton (metric), Drag 1.00 == )
)
Engine (
Effects (
DieselSpecialEffects (
Exhaust1 (
0 4.5 2.60
0 1 0
0.25
)
Exhaust2 (
0 4.5 2.10
0 1 0
0.23
)
Exhaust3 (
0 4.5 1.33
0 1 0
0.21
)
Exhaust4 (
0 4.5 0.89
0 1 0
0.27
)
Exhaust5 (
0 4.5 -3.50
0 1 0
0.22
)
Exhaust6 (
0 4.5 -3.95
0 1 0
0.25
)
Exhaust7 (
0 4.5 -4.70
0 1 0
0.24
)
Exhaust8 (
0 4.5 -5.20
0 1 0
0.23
)
)
)
ORTSDriveWheelWeight ( 94.135t )
ORTSNumberDriveAxles ( 4 )
include ( "..\\..\\Common.inc\\Locomotives\\Std_Eng_E6A. inc" )
)​

[eric]

5% power at 20 mph
Open Rails 2024-05-28 02-09-13.png

Looks great.

[Kist]

I have some ''environmentally friendly'' locomotives here haha. I already did fixed it all that smoke.

[R. Steele]

Yeah, some of the those old msts settings can create some atomic smog in OR

[Whatever2006]

I have some ''environmentally friendly'' locomotives here haha. I already did fixed it all that smoke.

Totally environmentally friendly there, I admit, I find those two images funny there.

[geepster775]

One solution is to stop buying content that was long ago built for MSTS from vendors who refuse to pivot over to OR-only content.

[lvlender]

Hi geepster775,

I think you have a valid point. To my disappointment, there is very little available in payware routes, period.

The freeware routes are the lion's share of my collection. Most are good, some border on great but, all are MSTS routes. I don't think I can name one freeware route that is promoted as purely an ORTS design. I am freely willing to pay for superior routes (just ask my wife, 😄) I only retreat to freeware beacuse, 1. there are so few payware routes that interest me and, 2. the payware routes are not that much more bug-free than the freeware.

[R. Steele]

2. the payware routes are not that much more bug-free than the freeware.

Try TrainSimulations new OR only routes -- they come with equipment made to run in Open Rails --- SP Shasta route for example. Follow the install instructions to the letter.