Bigger Black Holes

Creating The Milky Way - Saggitarius A*

from GalCiv3 Forums
  • Hi all, I'm currently working on creating a ludicrously large map of our own Milky Way, that's as scientifically accurate as possible in terms of star systems and their respective names.

The supermassive black hole in game is too small to represent Saggitarius A* at the centre of the Milky Way. I've edited the XML files and have managed to add more black hole varieties and radius of effect. However with these changes the black holes don't show on the map at all and all the graphics are gone.

Does anyone know of a way to increase the size of the black holes?

11,385 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Show me the money! No thats not right, show me the code! :grin:  

Sounds like you have not defined an Art asset to your new blackhole's. (BlackholeArtDefs.xml)

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hey thanks for the response, I think I've isolated the problem. I've defined the art assets with new values for the different black holes:

<ArtDefine>

<InternalName>SuperBlackHole1Art</InternalName>

<Radius>23</Radius>

<ModelFile>Gfx/Models/MiscAssets/Meshes/Blackhole_Mesh_01.sdf</ModelFile>

<EffectFile>gfx/fx/sm4/compiled/ModelNode4.fxo</EffectFile>

<SurfaceTextureFile>gfx/PlanetGfx/BlackHole.dds</SurfaceTextureFile>

<InnerHaloBias>0</InnerHaloBias>

<InnerHaloColor>

<Red>0</Red>

<Green>0</Green>

<Blue>0</Blue>

<Alpha>0</Alpha>

</InnerHaloColor>

<StrategicIcon>LargeBlackHole</StrategicIcon>

<StrategicIconColorDefine>UIDefault</StrategicIconColorDefine>

<ParticleEffectScript>BlackHoleJetEffect</ParticleEffectScript>

<UnderFogParticleEffectScript>SuperBlackHole1DiskEffect</UnderFogParticleEffectScript>

</ArtDefine>

So I'm pretty sure I need to edit the BlackholeDiskEffect.xml files in Particle Script Defs folder. So... now I need help and to work out what all these other values in the particle emitters mean... bit daunting haha

As for showing you the money, there seems to be a fully functioning black hole in my bank account at the moment so I don't think that's possible ^_^  

Edit: I've played around with the particle values, but nothing seems to be taking effect, I'm definitely missing something 

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

From what I can see the only difference in the 2 default particle scripts is the ScaleMod, the couple hundred lines in each script that I checked are identical. If you want to scale this too, copy the Large script into a new xml (Append Method) or bottom of the original (Replace Method). Then replace the word Large with MilkyA or some such. Save. Hook it into your art via UnderFogParticleEffectScript.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks,

I've tried that but still no joy. When I change the name of the ParticleScriptDef the particle animation disappears, it only seems to work with the two references "BlackHoleDiskEffect" and "LargeBlackHoleDiskEffect". I've also tried changing the ScaleMod on a black hole that I can see is working, but changing that value isn't doing anything :(  

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Okay I figured it out, I was editing the ParticleScriptDefs file in My Documents/Mods - tried it in the games folder and it worked! Now another hurdle... The BlackHoleLowDetailEffect.xml. I can't seem to add more variants of that, and can't see a reference to it in any other XMLs...

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Hit another roadblock. Started a new post because I'm now further into the rabbit hole and asking something completely different now...

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

My apologies for necro-ing this thread. However, I am curious, was the goal here (multiple size black holes) accomplished?