AH-64 Pack

[nodunit 397]

For the record, despite all the extra's like turn and slip indicators, this is still OA, not TKOH Rearmed.

Oh it probably won't be a pdf but rather a web page on the web site with a manual, much like previous aircraft..naturally this one is going to be a bit larger.

[islesfan186 83]

Lol love the longbow 2 music. I loved that game.

[gatordev 214]

For the record, despite all the extra's like turn and slip indicators, this is still OA, not TKOH Rearmed.

Eh, you have airspeed in actual knots! I'll give you a pass on the OA vs TKOH.

Looks great guys. Thanks for continuing the work.

[nodunit 397]

Eh, you have airspeed in actual knots! I'll give you a pass on the OA vs TKOH.

Looks great guys. Thanks for continuing the work.

As much as we'd like to capitalize on the features of TKOH, we both want to achieve OA's version first. Sorry about the lack of updates, Franze has a very busy job that often eats up his weekends (the time he works most) , I decided to scrap my original exterior UV's and remake them along with several model tweaks to lower polycount (you shouldn't notice a change though with any luck).

Also the huge island Franze was working on had to be cancelled for now due to soaking up so much time and taking away from the project, so with any luck with that shelved for now, we should have more time to work on the actual project.

[gatordev 214]

As much as we'd like to capitalize on the features of TKOH, we both want to achieve OA's version first.

I think either way, we all benefit. I've debated getting TKOH and running OA in it (I think that's possible, correct?), but I'm not sure it's worth the $50.

So what gets released first? Your OA Apache or Flexman's CH?

Yes, I'm joking (I know you hang out over at SHQ).

[Feint 137]

You guys are making great progress. Keep up the good work. The new shadows on switches looks like it makes a huge difference. If you can show the shadows working in your next video update, that would be something cool to highlight.

I also like the idea of a web-based Read Me/instruction manual. I think I will do that on my various projects too for ease of updating.

[noubernou 77]

Looking at those MFDs, how much of that is custom user animations controlled by script? I am concerned about the performance of this in multiplayer if it relies heavily on the animate command.

[nodunit 397]

I think either way, we all benefit. I've debated getting TKOH and running OA in it (I think that's possible, correct?), but I'm not sure it's worth the $50.

So what gets released first? Your OA Apache or Flexman's CH?

Yes, I'm joking (I know you hang out over at SHQ).

That sounds like a great bet for a drink! Though honestly I will laugh so much if we complete our projects around the same time.

You guys are making great progress. Keep up the good work. The new shadows on switches looks like it makes a huge difference. If you can show the shadows working in your next video update, that would be something cool to highlight.

Also I also like the idea of a web-based Read Me/instruction manual. I think I will do that on my various projects too for ease of updating.

Ah yes the shadow...should probably get back to that. As for the manual, you should! You do have quite a few projects afterall and despite tinkering with things ingame, I'm not sure that we all understand the extend of each others addons, and as good as a readme may be, a visual illustration of some sort is always quicker to learn and understand.

Looking at those MFDs, how much of that is custom user animations controlled by script? I am concerned about the performance of this in multiplayer if it relies heavily on the animate command.

Some pages are fully customized, others are 80%, at the very least 50% customized scripts. No need for concern however, when a page is inactive so are the scripts to run it. So if I switch from one to another, the previous one becomes fully inactive, not just hidden. Thus far we have tested with a total of 4 people on Chernarus and ran into no problems.

I don't know why Franze didn't mention it but in that video you can also see the FUEL page which displays the total amount of fuel between the forward and aft tanks in realtime as well as the total time you can fly with. Every 5-10 seconds a LB is ticked down in one of the tanks, this is the only way to track your total fuel and the numbers are rather panic enducing when you watch them drop so fast the last the digits are barely readable.

Edited May 17, 2012 by NodUnit

[noubernou 77]

I just wanted to make aware though that using the animate command adds network traffic when the model is global, and it actually attempts to sync itself on the local caller as well, so if you are using animation commands in a very granular fashion then be aware of that. With 4 players I'd not expect to see an issue, but at 40 to 60 players I'd be more worried.

Also apparently we have run into times where the animate command fails to reach all players, leaving a model in different animation states on different clients, despite the fact that the animate command is global and works in a first in, first out order (or should work that way). This seems to only occur in very high stress multiplayer environments, with 40+ players.

Just a heads up! :)

[nodunit 397]

I will be surprised if this bird is used in a 40+ match sometime. Not to worry however, we've planned on performance from the get go, Franze is making the code more focused so that it only calls from one source as opposed to four of it's own variables, he will add options to enable and disable things such as the rotor dynamics, and we also plan on releasing both a normal and low resolution pbo (under the same name so that two people may play together with the different packs) that will take the largest textures and half them for the sake of better performance for those with less powerful hardware.

Unfortunately it looks like further updates will be a bit slow, Franze job is VERY demanding and often allows literally no free time even on the weekend, which is bad news for us since he is the one that does all of the coding on our part, so until I feel comfortable with the textures (and I'll be gone this whole upcoming week)so until then, or he gets some free time, we're going to let the thread fall into obscurity once more. However if anyone has any questions we will answer them, till then best of luck with your addons everyone!

Edited May 18, 2012 by NodUnit

[khaki 10]

I'm not if it's been mentioned before but will the gunner's helmet/ HUD be able to control the gun without the use of it's optics?

And I hope everyone hasn't forgotten about this awesome mod :D

Edited July 1, 2012 by Khaki

[nodunit 397]

Can't really say what Franze is planning, gotta keep some things secret afterall.

We're taking just a short break from the mod, doing a few things to relax and rebuild you might say. That said, there has been progress and I guess I can show it..better something than nothing I suppose. Keep in mind the goal right now is a "Fresh" bird, not one that has gone off to see battle other than trials to test capabilities so you won't see much in the way of weathering and shine. I'm fairly new at texturing so I'm learning the ins and outs while trying to mix that and the rvmat to get the bird to look as much like the real one as possible.

Real thing comparison.

[TXcc 10]

Impressive, but could you upload some higher res screenshots? Can't really make out all the details with these.

[Matosh 34]

Will there be any plans for porting this Apache to ArmA 3 ?

[nodunit 397]

Impressive, but could you upload some higher res screenshots? Can't really make out all the details with these.

Once I get the rivets and whatnot configured to show without being overly obvious I sure will.

Will there be any plans for porting this Apache to ArmA 3 ?

We'll just have to see, but it is certainly an interest with RTT capabilities and the TKOH flight model, I'm curious to see what other functions from TKOH will make their way in, it would be awesome to hand controls between pilot and co pilot.

[islesfan186 83]

Looks phenominal. I love that your doing non FCR birds too. Is this gonna be ACE compatible?

[b00ce 160]

I'm pretty sure they'll have all their own functions (And more) for what is offered in ACE. I know the missile guidance is getting an overhaul as well as PINVS and IHADS. MFDs and the works. Even the Longbow works as it should.

[nodunit 397]

Hum..well I can't say about ACE compatability at this moment, as for our own functions yes we're trying to make it an all in one rather than need reliance on other mods

As for the functions..well I guess I can give a small list..

Firstly yes the longbow does indeed function more like the real thing, with air and ground modes (requires switching to detect units above or below certain ranges), it has a 10km scan range BUT cannot detect units blocked by obstructions be they natural or artificial, so if you hide behind a building the radar can't pick you up, if you hide behind a hill the radar cannot detect you until it gets the right angle, and it won't quickly detect you in a forest. It requires 10 seconds to scan and identify targets and can alert passive radar AA units. Having the radar is also the only way to have the "Tab" lock effect, otherwise you have to use TADS to lase a target if you want to hit it with a missile.

PNVS is an independant pilot sensor in that it rotates where the pilot looks but can also be used in an optical fashion, with a camera at the nose of the aircraft, able to rotate side to side and pan up and down a little bit. (I'm hoping to replace the camera with a fixed RTT overlay in Arma3, if RTT also allows for transparency then I'm going to make it so that you see some of the cockpit while the view still remains at the nose of the aircraft and enjoy the primer disorientating)

Every weapon is tweaked in some way, these include burst modes that require a cooldown pending fire count, different types of rockets loaded into one pod along with having trajectory altered via elevated pylons and of course hellfire modes.

The HUD is disabled which forces the player to rely fully on the instruments in the aircraft, all of the information the HUD displays is there unless it is not supposed to be, for example AH-64A, outside of the pilot rocket inventry and TADS optics, (maybe IHADSS) you won't be able to see how much of what weapon you have, unlike the D model which as the WPN page and a more "focused" clean cockpit that, due to the removal of the HUD and other features, gains a few enhancements as opposed to being the same thing just digital.

Tactical Situation Display page is one of those trumps. it allows the creation of digital waypoints with ease, displaying each one and a number above to indicated the present waypoint. In attack mode it displays vehicles both friend and foe. Information is fed through either Longbow or TADS. The screen can be zoomedto get a wider view or better spread.

Another feature of this is more of a team dynamic one, two deltas can be located in different parts of the map, one may detect a group of targets that the other is unaware of, however the two can share data so that apache B doesn't even have to be near to see that they are there. Likewise this method can also be used to assign fire zones, a lead helicopter will group up a set of targets and then transfer them, with this method a flight of apaches can engage their own set of targets with no wasted munition...this feature has been multiplayer proven.

Edited July 1, 2012 by NodUnit

[Archosaurusrev 12]

So this, along with that one other AH-64 sim in the making, will be the successor to Jane's Longbow?

[franze 196]

To clarify a few things Nod touched on:

ACE compatibility - not at this time.

FCR/Longbow - Nodunit exaggerates a bit as we have to balance scripting performance with the FCR as it is an entirely scripted system. Currently it can only take limited terrain features into account when scanning for targets; buildings, trees, etc. do not obstruct FCR scanning at this time. The basics such as radar direction and angle are implemented so you can't detect a target on your 6 unless in air target mode and you can't detect targets that are obscured by a terrain feature such as a mountain. There is a time limit for the FCR to detect new targets as it has to process them and categorize them so it's not a fool proof system. This is still in development at the moment.

TADS - Operates using the same old tab-lock system you're used to with the BI system but laser guided HELLFIRE missiles will only be able to track the current acquired target depending on missile mode (remote engagement mode enables the missile to search for a laser target without requiring one at launch). Only Longbow HELLFIREs are true fire and forget missiles

[noubernou 77]

If you guys need any info on the laser Hellfire let me know. I did a significant amount of research for reimplementing them for ACE, including a few interviews with people that have used them in real life.

[gatordev 214]

There might just be one or two people here that have used them, too.

[franze 196]

Have you got transcripts for your interviews? Most of what we've got has been from technical sources.

[noubernou 77]

Have you got transcripts for your interviews? Most of what we've got has been from technical sources.

Yea, they are skype text conversations. And yes gatordev, there are a number of people here that have used Hellfires in real life. :)

Anyways a lot of it clears up some things that are sort of confusing in the technical sources. Sensor FOV on the K model (as well as the newer models), scan range (how far the seeker can tilt), LOAL-HI and LOAL-LOW/DIR pop up technical things.

[gatordev 214]

@Franze,

I'm pretty sure NouberNou got what I was saying, but if you're interested, I'm happy to help to try and explain some stuff within the realm of the UNCLASS pubs. I'm sure there's some other guys who have more operational experience (ie, Army guys) with HF than I do, but I'm happy to help where I can.