RUM Assets

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

RUM Assets beta 3



Advanced Combat Environment 2 OA - Core

MP Compatible Fast Rope addon

PS:

I was not sure if this requires the old ACE for A2 or the new one for OA (cause that makes this OA dependant as well than if you want to use the fastrope). If you could let me know I would appreciate that :)

[DaveP 66]

Sounds great draper, we've been using your system for a couple months now and it's definitely a keeper, these additions should hopefully fill in some of the gaps of reservations I had in the system, especially when it comes to transport helis (the joys of calling in a chopper, hopping in, watching it fly over to the lz then hover there because there's an erroneous shrubbery too close by)

[kremator 1064]

Yeah Draper I pressed the map ROE button. That may have caused the mapclick problem.

For confused pilots where they have difficulty in landing with your squad, you almost need a visible Helipad to be spawned that you can move around (from outside view in the chopper) then place with mapclick .... the helo LANDS on that placed Helipad.

Goliath's medevac module does the landing very well but then again the smoke is placed exactly where you want it.

I'll be trying these scripts more this evening when I get home from work.

[Draper 10]

Thinking out loud, it should be feasible to do an object check around the marked LZ and have it assign real LZ, with an invisible helipad, somewhere away from brush and rocks. I'll have to work on that. Because with this version it will put the helipad where you click so if you click on rocks, there are probably many scenarios that could happen and all of them end very badly.

[DaveP 66]

Thinking out loud, it should be feasible to do an object check around the marked LZ and have it assign real LZ, with an invisible helipad, somewhere away from brush and rocks. I'll have to work on that. Because with this version it will put the helipad where you click so if you click on rocks, there are probably many scenarios that could happen and all of them end very badly.

Another option would be to look at every object present within a 20m radius of the LZ and remove it, although that could cause client/server/jip sync issues (rock deleted, player joins server, sees a rock that everyone else walks through)

Just downloaded it from armaholic (not available on M.U), installed.. Apart from no fire zone entry and different bomb names I'm seeing no entries for smoke, also the ability to set a different flying height for paradrop would be fantastisch!

While on the subject of paradrops, another option in config could be to set up for an ace paradrop, whereby the heli just hovers or loiters at your chosen spot until it's action commanded to move on back home (so people can manually jump out)

Another idea to help with the obstructed landings could be to offer an option to change lz if the heli loiters for more than 30 seconds or so

Here's some issues I've found:

-Combat insertion seems to throw you out at such a height that it hurts you quite severely more often than not

-When fast roping out, it appears the first unit that comes out doesn't play the animation > is this it just not loading in time?

-After fast roping I find myself not able to re-open the RUM dialogue in some cases; this is a pretty big issue

-When calling in CAP/CAS, you still need to select a payload for the aircraft, it doesn't quite explain how to use these features well enough in my mind

-Some of the messages for calling in CAP refer to CAS

-Not seeing the smoke on landing option

-The documentation annotations could do with an update to explain how to config some of the new features

-Sometimes when fast roping, the player and rope both get spawned at 0,0 and stay there indefinitely

Great promise, could do with a dash of polish and it'd make a great tool greater

Edited March 19, 2011 by DaveP

[Gator69 10]

I added all the folders and files into my mission, and I even copy and pasted units and other stuff from example mission into mission. However I get a RESOURCE RUM_THEL not found when trying to call for trans. Why is this?

[Draper 10]

@DaveP

Thanks for the testing you did, it definitely helps to have some testing done so I can focus in on the problems. Somethings I've noticed with smoke is that it smokes right away and by the time the bird gets there the smoke is all gone, so I'll work on timing. CAS basically = CAP from the scripting standpoint of a search and destroy waypoint but I'll have to tweak any radiochats, for that and the new helo options. A Beta3b is in the works to address these issues.

As for fastroping I was very interested in what people would get, for me using ACE the animations never seems to work, yet with Norrins they do. ACE actually just folded Norrins scripts into itself so everything is almost exactly the same except missing rope animations. For the time being I think Norrins works better for fastroping but I think when it came to ACE some of my conversion process removing CBA references got flawed so I'll continue to work on that.

@Gator69

RUM_THEL is the name for the dialog, so it sounds like its not defined in the description.ext. But then again it wouldn't be just the Transport Helo options but all the dialogs. When does it give the error when you hit transmit or when you try to pull up the dialog and it never comes up?

[Tankbuster 1733]

Draper, you might have just saved me hours of coding. :)

Is it possible to use this in a TvT environment? IE OPFOR use it to call SU-25, but BLUFOR use it to call a Harrier?

As it's script based, I assume that I can control when it's available to the players too? For example, they have to complete am objective to get CAS?

Tanky

[Draper 10]

I think I'm past hours now, may have saved you days, lol.

I haven't tried a TvT, but in theory I think you could run RUM_settings.sqf locally to have different settings for each client, so in the init.sqf put..

if(side player == WEST) then {[] execVM "RUM_Settings_west.sqf"}else{[] execVM "RUM_Settings_east.sqf"};

...then the code will just all be the same.

I should have put all the creategroups in the scripts dependent on the player's side, (Grimfist brought up that earlier, and I fixed it in the latest release) so it should work, but if spawned east units attack east units then they were created as a west group and that would have to be fixed.

For the second question yes, you can. Someone previously tried to get the communication menu to work only locally to just one person but failed. But you can always use these as action menus and have complete control over who gets what. The init.sqf should describe either method. I'd have the RUM_settings run at the beginning but have the script access run only when the task is complete and it should work. Once again in theory, so maybe some details have to be worked out.

@DaveP

Which helos were you using when you got 0,0 spawned?

Edited March 22, 2011 by Draper

[Tankbuster 1733]

Draper,

That's excellent. What you suggest is exactly how I had planned to modify this, but just wanted to check you hadn't already (or planned to) include this functionality.

Many thanks,

Tanky

[DaveP 66]

I think I'm past hours now, may have saved you days, lol.

I haven't tried a TvT, but in theory I think you could run RUM_settings.sqf locally to have different settings for each client, so in the init.sqf put..

if(side player == WEST) then {[] execVM "RUM_Settings_west.sqf"}else{[] execVM "RUM_Settings_east.sqf"};

...then the code will just all be the same.

I should have put all the creategroups in the scripts dependent on the player's side, (Grimfist brought up that earlier, and I fixed it in the latest release) so it should work, but if spawned east units attack east units then they were created as a west group and that would have to be fixed.

For the second question yes, you can. Someone previously tried to get the communication menu to work only locally to just one person but failed. But you can always use these as action menus and have complete control over who gets what. The init.sqf should describe either method. I'd have the RUM_settings run at the beginning but have the script access run only when the task is complete and it should work. Once again in theory, so maybe some details have to be worked out.

@DaveP

Which helos were you using when you got 0,0 spawned?

Some RKSL'uns (Puma and lynx), it had just occured to me the same that it could have something to do with classnames somewhere, however it's odd as I do remember it working at one point, however now it occurs every time I try

My experience with the fast roping when it does work is that me as the first person out doesn't have the anim, but then my AI Crewmates following on do have the anim. I'm curious as to whether this applies to player team-mates as well, but the 0,0 issue means it's not really ready to have a shot on

My (somewhat, lol) pleasure to do the testing, we all rather enjoy this system and just can't wait to use more and more of it, but of course need to make sure it's reliable and won't break the immersion when we have to restart the mission because a helicopter decided not to land today and that sort; had a quite funny outcome on a heli extract on sunday where the pilot decided 20m out to sea was a good LZ, got our boots wet :P

One option on the smoke would be to get the helicopter to move to a holding pattern or hover over the area, and then once a player/whoever has thrown a smoke within a whatever radius (something to the effect of a nearestObject check I 'spose) it either lands at the predetermined point or uses that smoke shell's location as the LZ, having a smoke appear to mark the LZ is a bit odd sounding if nobody's around to throw it

Edited March 22, 2011 by DaveP

[Draper 10]

Ok here might be one problem, in ACE fastroping, it requires a variable be set to the vehicle which determines where the ropes go, so some 3rd party addons may not have them defined. (with norrin it is also class based but I was able to put a default in, i'll try making a default for ACE as well)

http://ace.dev-heaven.net/search/ace_sys_fastroping

ace_sys_fastroping >> Fast roping >> notes should give you an example of the variable that is needed. I think you don't have to edit the addon itself as it says but instead do a this setVariable [ACE_RopeAttachment,[[coordinates in model space],[plus a second rope]],true]; in its init field and it should (cross your fingers) work. (Something to add to the novella of a readme later)

RUM_THel_invisibleH = true; is that variable I forgot to leave out and will be sure to fix next round. That will make the landing exact. The smoke system is an interesting idea. I'll have to try that out.

As for your game, sorry it spoiled it but on the bright side you were extracting so if you lost your weapons swimming its no big deal :)

[DaveP 66]

Ok here might be one problem, in ACE fastroping, it requires a variable be set to the vehicle which determines where the ropes go, so some 3rd party addons may not have them defined. (with norrin it is also class based but I was able to put a default in, i'll try making a default for ACE as well)

http://ace.dev-heaven.net/search/ace_sys_fastroping

ace_sys_fastroping >> Fast roping >> notes should give you an example of the variable that is needed. I think you don't have to edit the addon itself as it says but instead do a this setVariable [ACE_RopeAttachment,[[coordinates in model space],[plus a second rope]],true]; in its init field and it should (cross your fingers) work. (Something to add to the novella of a readme later)

RUM_THel_invisibleH = true; is that variable I forgot to leave out and will be sure to fix next round. That will make the landing exact. The smoke system is an interesting idea. I'll have to try that out.

As for your game, sorry it spoiled it but on the bright side you were extracting so if you lost your weapons swimming its no big deal :)

Nice one on the fast roping, will check that out and probably put in a wagn request to get a default value for it

Haha, it was no thing, we've had much much worse experiences with AI and human pilots alike, this is one of the first systems we've had where we can count on the pilot not nose diving in to the ground at the first sign of a hill; it was a laugh all round and led to a good few jibes at the army air corps for being hopeless

Edited March 22, 2011 by DaveP

[Gator69 10]

@Draper

Yeah I get the dialog for all support commands, and secondly I can pull up the RUM in the radio and then I get all the support commands but when I click on one of them then I get that dialog.

@Draper

Thanks for the info on the description.ext. That was my problem, tinkered with some changes and got it :) Thanks. I'm not an expert on this stuff but I do a lot of trial an error.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Gator69

[DaveP 66]

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/18401

Fastrope problem will be fixed as of the weekend update coming up!

[Draper 10]

Thx DaveP for getting that update, also let me know if you come up with good rope positions for those addons and then I can include them in the scripts to help out people in the future.

[DaveP 66]

Hey Draper,

Gave it a try earlier and the prognosis isn't good: Same bug occured. Really strange.

[Draper 10]

I'm not sure what Sickboy end up doing but maybe the script still needs to change some.

currently it does this...

_ap1 = (getArray(configFile >> "CfgVehicles" >> typeOf _heli >> "ACE_RopeAttachment")) select 0;

so if that doesn't work then a...

if (isNil ("_ap1")) then {_ap1 = (_heli getVariable "ACE_RopeAttachment") select 0};

after the first line of code might rectify it. Give that a try in the RUM\THel\fastropes\ACE_draw_fastropes.sqf if your up to it. I'll d/l RKSL helos and give it some testing too.

[guttersnipe 1]

@Draper - continuing to enjoy your script mate, had many's a nights entertainment out of missions based on it.

**posted this on the AH64d mod's thread too, so apologies to those who've already read**

Realise you're up to you're ears in scripts & configs etc but just wanted to make a sugguestion - or even a general question - would it be possible, based on your attack helo script to add an action to a playavle gunner's seat which enabled an ai pilot to fly in a loop/figure of 8 over a target area ? - much like the option in RUM assests (open a map with clcikable target/intial/exit points)

Main reason I ask is for single player mode - I've always found it very frustrating that in a playable pilot/gunner helo, when switched into gunner (to enjoy all the fun of FLIR/guided Hellfires etc), the ai pilot tends just to grind to a halt unless following a (very fixed) pre-defined way point.

I've tried using RUM assets's call CAS strike from within the gunner's seat from the assigned helo & it works ok-ish, but very long winded to call in combat, but just wondered if a precoded unit might have the ability to fly a figure of 8/combat search over a given grid ref.

Understand if this isn't your bag, but just curious as to what's possible . .

Good luck with your release & thanks for the continual improvements!

[Draper 10]

So the RUM Assets gives the pilot and crew a search & destroy waypoint, so I think it shouldn't be to hard to write a script where via action menu and a map click (or maybe where ever the pilot is looking at through the sights, maybe?) it creates a waypoint at that location.

From an addon perspective you may be able to write a FSM which changes the pilots actions while a player is in the gunner seat.

[DaveP 66]

Another option if you wanted finer control would be a script that detects when player is in gunner slot, then creates a fig.8 pattern of waypoints and a cycle waypoint before any subsequent wp's, with the cycle synced to a created trigger that activates when the player goes back to the pilot slot.

Or for more direct control, when in gunner seat the pilot joins a new group that you can then control using the higher command module

Many ways to skin a cat, many of them over-engineered and inefficient :P

Edited March 28, 2011 by DaveP

[Dark SudoNix 1]

BUG: CH47 crashed. 1 crew member survived and ran alllllll the way to the Extraction marker after waiting for 30 minutes and jumping all over the map to try and figure out what was wrong, a "Move On" option came up... teleported back, one crew standing there.... Helo did not respawn after this...

P.S. Helo's are having significant trouble respawning... Period.

Another thing, if they see a target, they will engage it until it is destroyed... Disreguarding waypoints... is there anyway that the gunners can engage targets, while the pilot never strays from waypoint?

if a pilot locks onto an enemy rifleman, and the rifleman is lying behind a bush, the gunners wont shoot at it, and the helo jus flies around in circles over the enemy...?

[Draper 10]

That can be a problem and I don't think I've attempted anything yet to deal with that so I'l get on that.

As for respawn is it just helos or is it all aircraft? Would help me narrow down the issue, hoepfully.

Targeting can be manipulated by having the gunners be in a separate group with pilots in safe mod and gunners on alert, but I did that so something isn't working. From what I gather these are transport helos trying to engage infantry and not going on their predetermined flight path, right? This may be fixed by setting the pilots to the lowest setting of regard for danger, I'll have to double check if I did that. The AI aren't all that smart and all I've done so far was work with their waypoint danger modes, but some FSM would have to be made to make them react differently in battle.

[Grimfist 0]

Been playing with this a lot more recently, but still I cant get aircraft that are 'on station' to RTB.

for example, in the provided example mission on takistan there is an a10 called 'dragon' that starts in the air on station,

if a command it to move its area it does,

if i tell it to drop JDAMS, it does,

but when i tell it to RTB, the marker disaperers, it disaperes from the radio menu, no dialoge is displayed but it continues circling its area and you cannot use it.

but the Apache that is on station does return when you tell it to and works fine.

please fix this, and then everything will be working to a good standard, when fully complete and bug free this will be my no.1 support script. keep up the good work.

[Draper 10]

Thx Grimfist I will try to keep working on this. I might have just messed up the library array for the aircraft there since I thought it worked when I had an aircraft go from start to finish for a whole mission. (I dont have it in front of me) Hopefully, I'll try to get an update out this weekend.

I was slightly delayed by trying to add in a whole new feature and it was behaving badly, but I think I get it just functional for a release. I'm adding a supply function so that helos can drop ammo crates, vehicles, etc. via paradrop or sling load (using ACE OA Core or RAV Lifter). I was hoping to also have it work for C-130s but that will have to wait bit longer.