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Custom fx geometry is a mesh meant for use in the creation of an effect that will take the shape of that mesh.

1. Creating the geometry in XSI
FX geometry does not require collision, lowrez, shadowvolumes or even a dummyroot.
They are simply geometry, though the point to which you want to attach the geometry to a hard point on another model for example a flyer's hp_exhaust, should be at the center of the grid located at 0,0,0.

Create the geometry in the shape that you need for a custom effect, then apply your texture to it, then flag all of the polygons for transparency, freeze all transforms then click on the object and export, giving it a name.


2. Preparing your msh for Particle Editor
I won't go into how to setup or even use the Particle Editor because there are other threads containing this information in the Modding forum, but before you can load your fx geometry into PE you must pre-munge the msh.

Just place the msh and texture into one of your custom sides and then munge that side.
After munging your side go to:

• data_ABC/_BUILD/sides/[your side]

and copy these files from the Munged folder:

• YourEffectMsh.model
  YourEffectMsh.model.req

Then paste the 2 files above into your PE's "Munged" folder
(for more information about PE's Munged folder please search the Modding forum)

*If you try to load a *.msh into PE without the pre-munged files in the Munged folder then PE will crash.*


3. Loading your new msh into Particle Editor
Launch PE and create or open your effect and browse to and load your msh into PE and do whatever you need to.

• Example for how to incorporate a msh into your effect:
  Hidden/Spoiler:

  

(if you don't know how to use PE then just play around with it until you do, it isn't hard to figure out!)


4. Adding your new effect to your custom side
Once you're satisfied with your new effect save it to the appropriate location, lets say it's a new exhaust effect for a ship in a custom side you've made, save it to your custom side's effects folder and make sure that your custom fx msh is also in your custom side's effects folder along with whatever texture it requires, unless your using common textures.

Then do whatever ODF work that you need to in order to call for the custom effect, munge your custom side and go play, and look at your new effect ingame.


5. Conclusion & result
I was determined to make an exhaust that would fit the Millennium Falcon which is what led me to do this, i'll post a pic of the Falcon's exhaust later.

This is still a work in progress because i'm still experimenting with various things, so this might be updated in the future.

Test effect msh in XSI Ingame test pics of exhaust effect using the custom effects msh

O.o Nice, tho I would make the round part a bit more round.

JabbaLovesLava wrote:I would make the round part a bit more round.

I will later, this was only a test mesh to see if it would work with a custom shaped mesh rather than a primitive shape like the ones you find in:
data_ABC/common/effects

Wow - amazing

I've been bugging a few people some time ago about this subject... they all claimed it wasn't possible at all

Great and easy to understand! *thumbs up*

I added it to the list of tutorials and topics

Awesome find. Shame there's not much use for it except for vehicle exhausts though. Ah well, at least we can finally get an awesome Falcon.

looks cool but you can still tell its a piece of geometry. maybe fading the alpha at the very end of the effect out more and maybe just making the polies that loop around the back edge fully transparent.