Wingtip Vortex

A lightweight Kerbal Space Program mod that adds dynamic, physics-inspired wingtip vortices using a hybrid ribbon-based system instead of traditional particle effects.

Overview

This mod generates visual wingtip vortices that respond to real flight conditions such as:

• G-force
• Airspeed
• Altitude

It uses a combination of TrailRenderer and LineRenderer to maintain smooth visuals at low speeds while staying stable at high speeds.

The goal is to keep vortices looking clean and continuous without the performance cost or instability of particle systems.

Features

• Dynamic vortex behavior based on:
• G-force
• Airspeed

• Altitude

• Dual rendering system:

• TrailRenderer at low speed / low altitude

• LineRenderer at high speed / high altitude

• Curved high-speed vortices that react to pitch and roll

• Smooth intensity scaling (no popping)
• Automatic detection of wingtip locations
• Natural dissipation at low speeds
• Always maintains exactly 4 vortices
• Low performance overhead compared to particle systems

How It Works

The mod:

• Finds the most relevant lifting surfaces on the aircraft
• Determines front and rear vortex points
• Attaches vortex emitters at those locations
• Scales intensity based on G-force
• Aligns vortices with airflow (velocity direction)
• Switches rendering methods based on speed and altitude

Behavior

Vortices appear dynamically during flight:

• Increase with higher G’s
• Stronger during turns and aggressive maneuvers
• Fade out naturally when conditions settle

Rendering Modes

Trail Mode (Low Speed / Low Altitude)
- Below ~165 m/s and ~4,000 m
- Produces smooth, dissipating airflow trails

Line Mode (High Speed / High Altitude)
- Above ~180 m/s or ~8,000 m
- Produces stable, curved vortex streaks

Switching is latched to prevent flickering or instability.

Installation

Drop into GameData/

Usage

Fully automatic — no controls required.

You’ll see vortices when: - You’re moving fast enough
- You’re pulling G’s
- You’re within atmospheric flight conditions

Known Limitations

• Vortex behavior is visual (not a true aerodynamic simulation)
• Placement is based on detected lifting surfaces, not exact CFD
• Some edge cases during extreme maneuvers may still cause minor artifacts

Roadmap

Planned improvements:

• Stronger vortex curl / spiral behavior
• Better dissipation visuals
• Improved edge case handling
• Additional tuning for different aircraft sizes

Compatibility

• Kerbal Space Program 1.x
• No dependencies
• Works alongside most visual mods (Scatterer, EVE, etc.)

License

MIT License

Author

PogKai