The Aerobatic Smoke Mod replaces the smoke of DCS World with volumetric smoke: it widens, drifts in the wake of the aircraft and fades out like real airshow smoke. This website lets you preview the smoke, tune it for your aircraft and export the settings files for DCS.
OvGME (recommended, free mod manager): https://wiki.hoggitworld.com/view/OVGME. It installs and removes the mod cleanly and restores the original DCS files.
The mod works in 1080p, 4K and VR with no extra setting.
In this guide, Saved Games\DCS means C:\Users\<you>\Saved Games\DCS. On older installs the folder is called DCS.openbeta. Tip: press Win + R, type %USERPROFILE%\Saved Games and press Enter.
2. Install with OvGME (recommended)
Start OvGME and create a profile (Configuration → Profiles). Set its Destination to your DCS World install folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World) and its Mods folder to any empty folder (e.g. D:\DCS Mods).
Unzip the download into that mods folder. You must get exactly: D:\DCS Mods\Aerobatic Smoke Mod\Bazar\... and D:\DCS Mods\Aerobatic Smoke Mod\Config\.... No extra folder level in between.
In OvGME, disable any older version of this mod and any other smoke texture or smoke shader mod.
Select Aerobatic Smoke Mod and click Enable. OvGME backs up the original DCS files and copies the mod.
Clear the shader cache (next sections), then start DCS.
Copy the Bazar and Config folders of the mod into your DCS World install folder and accept to overwrite. The two new files smokeTrail_as_params.hlsl and smokeTrail_as_volume.hlsl are added next to the others.
Clear the shader cache, then start DCS.
A manual install is overwritten by every DCS update or repair. You will have to copy the files again. OvGME makes this much easier.
4. Clear the shader cache (after every change)
DCS keeps compiled shaders in a cache. If you do not clear it, DCS keeps showing the old smoke.
Close DCS.
Delete the folders Saved Games\DCS\fxo and Saved Games\DCS\metashaders2. DCS rebuilds them by itself.
Start DCS. The first launch (and the first time smoke appears) is slower: the shaders are being compiled.
5. First check in DCS
Fly any aircraft with a smoke system (or smoke pods) and turn the smoke on with the aircraft's usual smoke command.
You should see thick white smoke that widens and fades after 20 to 30 seconds.
Not sure the mod is active? Open smokeTrail_as_params.hlsl with a text editor, set #define AS_DEBUG 1, clear the cache, start DCS: the smoke turns red. Set it back to 0 afterwards.
6. Choose a preset for your aircraft
Open the preview and pick the type closest to your aircraft in the preset list (top of the settings panel). Each preset sets the smoke diameter, the jet exhaust speed, the propeller swirl, the wake of the wings and the preview flight speed.
Preset
Typical DCS aircraft
Aerobatic piston
Christen Eagle II, Extra-type aerobatic mods
Piston propeller
Yak-52, TF-51D / P-51D, warbirds
Turboprop trainer
PC-7, PC-9, PC-21 and other turboprop mods
Jet trainer
L-39, C-101, MB-339, Hawk
Light fighter
F-5E, Mirage F1, Mirage 2000
Heavy fighter
F/A-18C, F-16C, F-15
The presets are starting points. Compare with a video or photo of your team and fine-tune.
7. Tune the smoke in the preview
Manoeuvre, Speed, g: the aircraft flies a loop, a turn, a level pass or a barrel roll. Use your real display speed and g-load.
Camera: Follow aircraft (drag to rotate, wheel to zoom), Overview (the whole figure), Crowd (ground) (what spectators see; the wheel or FOV zooms like a camera lens).
The ground grid is 10 m / 100 m: use it with the aircraft to judge the smoke diameter.
Smoke ON/OFF starts and stops the trail. Pause freezes time so you can look at the trail from all sides.
Sun: elevation and direction. Res.: lower it if the preview is slow on your computer.
Each slider shows the name of the setting in the file (e.g. AS_EVAP). A red dot marks a value changed from the selected preset; click it to go back to the preset value.
Settings tagged DCS only cannot be shown here but are exported.
Save stores your preset in this browser.
8. Export your settings to DCS
Click Export .hlsl: you get smokeTrail_as_params.hlsl.
Click Export .lua: you get smokeTrail.lua.
With OvGME: in OvGME, disable the mod. Replace the files inside the mod folder:
Manual install: copy the two files to the same paths inside your DCS World install folder.
Clear the shader cache (fxo and metashaders2) and start DCS.
If your browser renames a download (e.g. smokeTrail_as_params (1).hlsl), rename it back to the exact name before copying it.
9. Several teams or aircraft
DCS uses one set of smoke settings for all aircraft. To switch between teams, make one copy of the mod per team in your OvGME mods folder (e.g. Aerobatic Smoke Mod - PC-7, Aerobatic Smoke Mod - F-5), put each team's exported files in its copy, and enable only the one you fly with. Clear the cache after switching.
10. Share with your team
Share link copies a web address that contains every setting. Whoever opens it gets exactly your preset and can export it.
Preset .json saves your preset as a file; Import loads one.
For a display team, everybody must use the same files to see the same smoke.
11. After a DCS update
OvGME: ideally disable the mod before updating DCS, then enable it again after the update. If you forgot, re-enable it: OvGME tells you if files changed.
Manual install: the update restores the original files. Copy the mod again.
Always clear the shader cache after an update.
Multiplayer servers that enforce the integrity check may reject modified shader files. Disable the mod for those servers.
12. Uninstall
OvGME: disable the mod. The original files are restored.
Manual: put back your backed-up files and delete smokeTrail_as_params.hlsl and smokeTrail_as_volume.hlsl, or run a DCS repair.
Clear the shader cache.
13. Troubleshooting
The smoke did not change: the shader cache was not cleared, or the files were copied to the wrong place (check the paths above, no extra folder level).
No smoke at all: open Saved Games\DCS\Logs\dcs.log and search for smokeTrail. A shader error is written there. Re-download the mod, or send the log to the mod author.
Black smoke in shadows: set #define AS_SHADOW_CASCADE 0 in smokeTrail_as_params.hlsl.
Low fps: Quality 0, Puff spacing 0.35, shorter Trail length. The fps shown in this preview is only a hint: DCS has its own load on your GPU.
Beads or double lines in old smoke: keep DCS random spreading at 0.
Smoke too thick or too thin: see the cheat sheet below.
The preview uses the same plume physics and rendering as the mod. Lighting is approximated (the DCS sky light and shadows are not available in a web page): always check the final colour and brightness in DCS.