Aircraft Loadouts and weapon proxy issues

[[aps]gnat 28]

Open discussion on a subject that bugs a few of us.

Examples;

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=95921

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1604003&postcount=2317

http://forums.bistudio.com/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=243

http://forums.bistudio.com/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=197

Plus a HEAP of people wanting to know how to do custom loadouts.

Mykes Concept-X looks promising.

I thought I had something better again.

I had it so anyone could add any weapon (or dumby pylons, fuel tanks etc) to any bomb-bay or any pylon anywhere on the aircraft.

It worked well;

- There were 20+ proxies to use. You dont have to use all of them

- You could addweapon and addmagazine in any order.

- Each weapon would become visible

- Each proxy starts in the center of the plane

- Each proxy could then be moved anywhere on the plane with just a simple XYZ coordinate. Great accuracy in position could be acheived.

---* ie series of script commands like > plane1 animate ["proxy5x", 2.2] < which move proxy #5 in the X direction 2.2m

BUT, the BIG annoying %$#^%$# BUT ..... when you drop/fire the weapons, for some extraordinary friggin reason the flying proxy spawns where the proxy use to be not where it was moved to !! :(

So, hours of perfect concept inception ..... flushed.

Unless you guys can think of a fix.

Obvious the old OFP and ArmA1 way of setpos'ing the weapon after launch would work, but I don't want a "fired" script solution.

I suspect though its a hard code thing. BIS has it when a model is first commited to game memory, it looks at the modeled position of the proxy, and never checks again or updates the "fired" position based on the new proxy position.

In the slim hope of a fix, posted as a Bug;

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16260

[[frl]myke 14]

Not sure what exactly try to achieve so sorry if this now is a complete miss.

At the end, what you have in mind could look like this?

kSzsTN4Pcac

:EDITH:

just noted: the center fuel tank can also be switched, either left aside completely or loaded with a weapon aswell (i.e. a AGM-154 JSOW). Just noticed i kept it within all variants so far.

And the loadouts are defined within the config, not the script:

private ["_plane", "_text", "_selection", "_weapons", "_magazines"];
_plane = _this select 0;
_selection = _this select 1;
_text = getText (configFile >> "cfgVehicles" >> (typeof _plane) >> "GLT_customLoadouts" >> _selection >> "name");
_weapons = getarray (configFile >> "cfgVehicles" >> (typeof _plane) >> "GLT_customLoadouts" >> _selection >> "weapons");
_magazines = getarray (configFile >> "cfgVehicles" >> (typeof _plane) >> "GLT_customLoadouts" >> _selection >> "magazines");
_plane setVehicleAmmo 0;
{_plane removeWeapon _x} foreach (weapons _plane);
{_plane removeMagazine _x} foreach (magazines _plane);
waituntil {(count (magazines _plane) == 0) && (count (weapons _plane) == 0)};
{_plane addMagazine _x} foreach _magazines;
{_plane addWeapon _x} foreach _weapons;
Hintsilent format ["Selected loadout:\n\n%1", _text];

This system will probably be delivered with the F-16 until the IAWS is finished. I know i talked a lot about IAWS but still nothing worthy delivered yet. Problem is, IAWS would need a proper dialogue system which i can't write actually. So either i find someone to assist me with this or i have to learn it which surely will take it's time.

Edited December 27, 2010 by [FRL]Myke

[[aps]gnat 28]

Thanks Myke, but seems that method / solution isnt likely going to suit. With a bomber like the Tu22M3 I'm going to have to model at least 6 types of munitions and they arent simply strung out along the wing.

The munitions all have different sizes and lengths, they have to be stacked on top and behind each other and shoehorned into the bombbay.

VSaki40Tez8

The basic setup in the model.cfg and config is pretty simple, as are the scripts to move each proxy (examples below).

Its just sooooo bloody unfortunately that it all works great ..... except for the last bit ! :(

First move seen in video

_plane = _this select 0;

_plane Animate ["prox1x", 0.5];
_plane Animate ["prox1y", 0];
_plane Animate ["prox1z", 0];

_plane Animate ["prox2x", -0.5];
_plane Animate ["prox2y", 0];
_plane Animate ["prox2z", 0];

_plane Animate ["prox3x", 0.5];
_plane Animate ["prox3y", -0.5];
_plane Animate ["prox3z", 0.0];

_plane Animate ["prox4x", -0.5];
_plane Animate ["prox4y", -0.5];
_plane Animate ["prox4z", 0.0];

Second move in video

_plane Animate ["prox1x", 4.82];
_plane Animate ["prox1y", -1.234];
_plane Animate ["prox1z", -1.628];

_plane Animate ["prox2x", -4.82];
_plane Animate ["prox2y", -1.234];
_plane Animate ["prox2z", -1.628];

_plane Animate ["prox3x", 4.82];
_plane Animate ["prox3y", -1.234];
_plane Animate ["prox3z", 0.8];

_plane Animate ["prox4x", -4.82];
_plane Animate ["prox4y", -1.234];
_plane Animate ["prox4z", 0.8];

[[frl]myke 14]

What proxyshape have you defined in O2?

[[aps]gnat 28]

Just "\CA\air\mk82" ... which can be loaded with anything.

For now the config has;

			weapons[] = {"GLT_FAB500_Launcher"};
		magazines[] = {"GLT_4Rnd_FAB500"};

[[frl]myke 14]

That should fit. At first it looked like the issue when not using BIS weapons as proxyshape in O2. I use usually the sidewinder as proxyshape.

Maybe runnin a script by the fired Eventhandler which setpos the dropped bomb to the actual position of the proxy. The command selectionPosition should return it's position even after a animation.

So, you would need a scripts that keeps track of the already fired bombs, determinates the correct proxy for the actual bomb, retrieve the actual position and then setpos the bomb to this position.

Btw, i use a script to place the MOAB behind the C-130 when fired. Normally the bomb spawned right below the plane which looks silly as it should be at the ramps position.

[[aps]gnat 28]

Thanks Myke, thats certainly an extra step or 2 up from the old ArmA1 solutions, but I'm looking for the near "scriptless" solution.

Yeh, might be impossible, but thats never stopped me before ;)

[[frl]myke 14]

If you want, tell me the selectionnames of the proxies and i can try to write a script that maybe does the job.

[[aps]gnat 28]

prox1, prox2, prox3 etc

But dont spend too much time on it.

I'm now looking at how I can load a proxy with a "blank" un-fireable object so I can maybe "disable" selective proxies and use others.

i.e.

- A rack has 4 proxies in a line forward to aft.

- With FAB250 bombs, all 4 proxies can be loaded, 4 bombs sit neatly on the rack so its OK.

- With FAB500 bombs only the #1 and #3 proxies can be used because the bombs are bigger

- Load proxies #2 and #4 with an "invisible blank" so its not used ingame / can't be fired

Have you experimented with un-fireable blanks or "fake ammo" like this ?

[[frl]myke 14]

Have you experimented with un-fireable blanks or "fake ammo" like this ?

Not only experimented, the F-16 will definately use it. One problem is there in general with proxy weapons and multiple magazines: say you have loaded 2 magazines of the same type, each with 2 rounds. As soon you fired 2 rounds and the weapon reloads, the 2 remaining weapons switch places where the first 2 rounds was. To avoid this, you have to use always only 1 magazine of each type.

As you say, with fab500 you would have to load #1 & #3, this would mean you have to load 2 magazines with a single round and a blank inbetween. As soon the first bomb is dropped, the second will reload from proxy #1 to proxy #3.

Look if you can switch numbering so FAB500 will take 2 following proxies, #1 & #2 or #2 & #3. You don't need to fill empty proxies at the end, just if they are at the beginning or inbetween.

Remember, when loading magazines, proxies will be loaded ascending 1,2,3 and so on, while when firing, they're remove descending, 4,3,2,1.

:EDITH:

Btw, you can have magazines without related weapon. What is shown on the plane depends on magazines, not weapons. Looking at my vid, the FFAR pods, the centerline fueltank and the multiracks are ammo/magazines without weapon.

Edited December 29, 2010 by [FRL]Myke