SHK_searchlight

[shuko 59]

I was making a night raid mission and wasn't happy with static searchlights. Here is my try to improve them. This was done in a couple of hours, so I'm looking for brave people to test it out and report bugs etc.

You can specify a sector for a light to scan. It's also possible to define if the light should focus on specific target(s), the default is all players. It will follow the target until the target dies or light operator can't see it anymore. Either way, it will continue scanning the sector after that.

SHK_searchlight.rar

Parameters:

0: Object or Array   SearchLight to be used. If operator unit doesn't start
                    in the light, give the searchlight and the user in array.

1: Number or Array   Sector to scan can be given as width of the sector,
                    middle of the sector is the direction to which the
                    searchlight is facing at the start. Or the sector can be
                    given as an array containing the left and right borders
                    of the sector in compass directions.

2: Number            Optional. Knowsabout value. Stop scan when a target is
                    spotted, focus on the target. Default is 1. 0 is no focusing.

3: Array             Optional. Array of units the searchlight will focus
                    on once it detects them. Default is all playableunits.

Searchlight variables:

SHK_Searchlight_Knowsabout    Level of detection required for target focusing.
SHK_Searchlight_Sector        Scan sector. Use array only.
SHK_Searchlight_Targets       Array of units the light will focus on.

Read-only:
SHK_Searchlight_LightDamage   Level of damage done to the actual light.
SHK_Searchlight_Status        What is the light doing?
                               0: nothing, fsm stopped
                               1: fsm started
                               2: scanning sector
                               3: focusing on a target

Starting examples:

nul = [sl,180] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm"
nul = [sl,[90,180]] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm"
nul = [[sl,slOp],180] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm"
nul = [[sl,slOp],[90,180]] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm"
nul = [sl,180,0] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm"
nul = [sl,180,1,[trg1,trg2,trg3]] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm"

OUejsRRMUws

Edited March 7, 2011 by Shuko

[buliwyf 4]

Sweeet! Nice job man!

[Lonestar 11]

Good job shk, as usual. :)

[Dwarden 1125]

well done, i can forsee usage with Invasion 44 and similar (even on AntiAir searchlights tracking for planes, locking on it then flaks and mgs focus :) yay

and ofc area guarding ;)

[AnimalMother92 10]

Very cool

[mia389 10]

Very nice!

[shuko 59]

Updated

Changed so that you can change parameters with setvariable while a light is scanning, instead of living with the parameters given once at the start.

Changed the 3rd parameter so that with it you define the knowsabout value, which determines level of detection/identification required for focusing.

[kremator 1065]

This is lovely! Thanks shk!

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

SHK_searchlight v0.2

[lolipoyi 10]

Indeed very nice script mate!! i´ve got a question though, does the fact that the AI in the video is using NVG´s affects the way it recognizes the threads? by threads i mean the guys standing on the other side of the searchlight. Lookinf forward to test this script. Cheers

[mosh 0]

Another very useful script, thanks! :)

[lightspeed_aust 681]

very good shk - very bloody good

[shuko 59]

Indeed very nice script mate!! i´ve got a question though, does the fact that the AI in the video is using NVG´s affects the way it recognizes the threads? by threads i mean the guys standing on the other side of the searchlight. Lookinf forward to test this script. Cheers

NVGs improve detection ability a lot. The detection is based on knowsAbout.

[Kolmain 6]

Is there anyway to either integrate this with BIN_taskdefend and/or run it by detecting if theres a searchlight? im trying to spawn a random composition, in a random location then detect if that composition has a searchlight, and if it does add a guy and execut this script on it?

[shuko 59]

After creating comp.

1. Find searchlight (nearobjects etc commands for example)

2. Create a unit to operate it

3. Start the FSM

[Kolmain 6]

i know nothing about nearobjects command, any way you can help me out with it, i can do the rest jsut not detect the searchlight :(

[shuko 59]

Well, didn't bother testing this (have to leave something for you to do :P).

_pos = getmarkerpos "compCenter";
_objs = nearestObjects [_pos, ["Searchlight"], 200];
if (count _objs > 0) then {
 _o = (creategroup WEST) createunit ["USMC_Soldier",_pos,[],0,"none"];
 _sl = _objs select 0;
 _o moveingunner _sl;
 [_sl,[123,234]] execfsm "shk_searchlight.fsm";
};

Edited March 6, 2011 by Shuko

[Kolmain 6]

will do, but arent there different kinds of searchlights? Like _RU and _USMC?

[shuko 59]

There sure are, but the command works with the whole CfgVehicles tree.

[Kolmain 6]

Ah, so it will auto-jamatically grab all base searchlights, brilliant :)

[Uziyahu--IDF 0]

Yeah, the searchlight A.I. is completely retarded. You have to turn the skill level up all of the way to get anything approaching normal behavior, but they still don't scan that much. If, however, you move into their cone they will then aim the light at you and follow you with it.

The problem with turning their skill level up enough to get somewhat normal searchlight behavior is that if they dismount, you now have a super-human trooper to contend with.

[shuko 59]

Updated

Added a variable to check what the light is currently doing.

SHK_Searchlight_Status

0: nothing, fsm stopped

1: fsm started

2: scanning sector

3: focusing on a target

[Guest]

New version frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

SHK_searchlight v0.21

[sxp2high 23]

Great work Shuko!

Exactly what i need for my current mission...

Working very well. Thank you! :cool:

[foxsch 3]

well done, i can forsee usage with Invasion 44 and similar (even on AntiAir searchlights tracking for planes, locking on it then flaks and mgs focus :) yay

and ofc area guarding ;)

Did this ever happen? (The AntiAir searchlight I mean} I've been searching for a long while but never came up with anything that could throw out a powerful enough beam to simulate the'Blitz' WWII type cones of light? I don't have the know-how to put it together but I'd still like to see one - is it possible? If not A2 - A3?