Realistic Smoke FX

Hi everyone,

First off, I just want to say how incredible it’s been to see the graphics in FWSim evolve over time. The level of detail and the sheer beauty of the displays now are amazing! It really feels like the sim has come a long way in capturing the magic of real-life fireworks.

That said, I had an idea that I think could take things even further: realistic smoke effects.

Here are some details on what I’m thinking:

  • Smoke trails: Adding trails that follow the shell as it ascends into the sky would make launches look more lifelike.

  • Explosion smoke: When a firework bursts, having realistic smoke from the burning stars would add another level of immersion.

  • Dissipation: The way smoke naturally disperses over time could help replicate the atmosphere of a real show, especially in wind or calm conditions.

To make this feature flexible, I’d like to suggest an option when exporting videos:

Add a checkbox for “Realistic Smoke” alongside the existing “Smoke” option. This would allow users to toggle between simpler smoke effects or more detailed, realistic simulations, depending on their preference or system performance.

I think this would be a fantastic addition for those who want to push the realism of their exported videos.

What does everyone think? And if any of the devs are reading, is this something that could be considered for a future update?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Cheers,

Hi, and welcome to the FWsim community forum.

Thanks for your kind words and ideas for improvement! We don’t have plans for smoke improvement at this time, but it could come in a future update.

Best Regards,
Lukas