Diving Under Water

[dialektiikka 10]

Forgot to ask my more important question earlier, Feint. How well do the AI divers follow the player currently? And how well do they do by themselves if in the mission editor you give them a route to follow. Say, with three waypoints of variable depths, then surface and move to a boat or beach?

Just asking as it will affect a couple of missions I'm planning <rubs hands>

[Feint 137]

Forgot to ask my more important question earlier, Feint. How well do the AI divers follow the player currently? And how well do they do by themselves if in the mission editor you give them a route to follow. Say, with three waypoints of variable depths, then surface and move to a boat or beach?

Just asking as it will affect a couple of missions I'm planning <rubs hands>

You can give the AI divers waypoints to follow, and they swim as well as the AI can swim on their own normally. You can't set depths for them though via waypoints. Really, they need to be kept after like small children. That means that you dive with them, you tell them when to dive, you tell them what depth to dive to, etc. If they get too close to land and are submerged, they WILL surface to avoid getting stuck on the sea floor. I've built that in as a safety precaution.

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating because I think some people missed it. The way to get the AI to dive is to order them to dive the same way you order them to open their gear menu. I.e.:

select AI > 6 > Dive to 3 meters (or 6 meters) (or surface)

Hope this helps. Thanks for the good question.

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UPDATE:

One of my intentions with the RQ-11 Raven addon was to force myself to learn how to make displays (dialogs) and implement them so they work. For the longest time, I've been using the hint and structured text as the dive computer. This works fine, but whenever you want a hint in the game, it would appear then be replaced by the dive computer a half second later as it refreshed.

Well, no more! :) Here's the new display I created for the dive computer. I found an interesting looking ruggedized PDA online and photoshopped it for my needs with a larger screen, removed the buttons, made the screen 3d, added a highlight and other details, etc.

I'm pretty happy with how it looks and I am very happy that I FINALLY got the background image to show up. I struggled with that for a while and am really not sure how I fixed it. I'm still tweaking the positioning of the dive computer image relative to the display, but I think it's looking pretty good so far. It also seems to adapt well for different screen resolutions and widescreen vs 4:3 aspect ratios. I just need to tweak a few things so that everything shows up on resolutions from 1280x1024 to 1920x1200.

Baraka made a pretty cool mine model for this project based on the Mila 6c mine. I've got it in game and working now.

Edited May 15, 2012 by Feint

[J-Guid 10]

Feint, im incoming too with some stuff in gift ;)

[Feint 137]

Actually, disregard my statement about not being able to set a depth for an AI diver at a waypoint. I haven't tested it yet, but theoretically it can be done.

[kremator 1065]

Awesome update Feint! I'd say that you now know how to use dialogs :)

[mememe12 1]

@Feint, will death have a new animation under water?

[eaglezero6205 10]

Damn fine work feint! Cant wait till you get this out. Did you guys ever find out if you were gonna have that Sdv or not? I really am hoping for one as I have the Submarine for my Launch in an SDV but no SDV as of yet. I think when all is said and done thanks to your great work the opening part of my Campaign is just going to be GOLDEN. Also I appreciate your help with the Paints my friend was doing. We pulled it off after a little tweaking of the lines.

[Feint 137]

@Feint, will death have a new animation under water?

Negative. Please see previous comments regarding animations. It's a common request, but I've no way of making new animations.

Damn fine work feint! Cant wait till you get this out. Did you guys ever find out if you were gonna have that Sdv or not? I really am hoping for one as I have the Submarine for my Launch in an SDV but no SDV as of yet. I think when all is said and done thanks to your great work the opening part of my Campaign is just going to be GOLDEN. Also I appreciate your help with the Paints my friend was doing. We pulled it off after a little tweaking of the lines.

SDV is progressing, but still requires a bit of work.

-textures need to be created (semi-easy)

-scripts for the turret (periscope) needs to be written (not sure - I've never done this - could be difficult, could be stupendously simpleish or a major PITA)

-navigation system (or displays for navigation) need to be written (difficultish due to length of time it takes to test and change something and test and change and test)

-get-in and get-out scripts need to be conceptualized and written so that ingress and egress while submerged can take place (difficultish due to stuff)

-UDM needs to be altered so that breathing underwater will continue while inside this vehicle (easy)

Mini-update:

I think it would be best to release this stuff in a modular fashion similar to the components of a rifle (i.e. base rifle, scope, LAM, light, silencer). That way, I can release the ability to dive underwater first. Then I can release the underwater mines as a separate download (which can be used on land or underwater). Then I can release the SDV. Then I can release the exploding underwater death ray. Just kidding. I'm not working on that. But you get the idea.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Feint

[mememe12 1]

@feint, does the diving computer require a piece of equipment?

[J-Guid 10]

@feint, does the diving computer require a piece of equipment?

Feint here is good idea! :)

[John1000 10]

no, there isn't any.

Well,search for the ability to change the speed for the diver ,if that helps.

Here is something I dug up:Use NeoArmageddons`add on Advanced Satchel Replacement if you want to find some nifty solutions for Timer in action menu or Fuzes,Cannel,Delay ,Timer .This may be exactly what you have been looking for!

A tip:You may want to search the AddOns Section for Cameras and how to add them,

there is at least one Youtube movie that explains how to add a camera position at a Fixed Position that seems to be what you are to find intersting.

I will try to find it for you.To make the Periscope,try to fix a camera inside a Box in Space,and make it follow it to another Fixed Point in Space when the Down Button is pressed.

Edited May 19, 2012 by John1000

[mememe12 1]

update please

[W0lle 1050]

We don't allow thread bumping asking for updates.

Common sense would tell you that if there would be updates, Feint surely would have posted them here.

[John1000 10]

It`s in the Tutorial videos about Arma Basic skills how to add a camera movments in arma game.Search Youtube.

I came to think of something:Maybe it`s we can add things to the Community Alpha,testing new Mods(or at least part of it)in it to find out what works with Java.Perhaps we can add new UW things like a hidden base Inside of a shipwreck.Perhaps we get some new stuff,like hidden doors that opens up a room inside of shipwrecks to hide a minisub,or the ability to make a missile tube inside a container and put it inside a wreck with "Snap_to_Surface" command.

What if they can add the ability to add stuff by Template.A 3D model of a A 26 Submarine perhaps?It could be tweaked into any length and any number of rooms.Then you just replace it with someone else`s sub if you want

an add-on with new stuff.Use the Community Alpha "as a Mod-Building Tool".

Then we could use it for some tweaking before release of new content.

I would like to see us be able to make "cut-out" doors in wrecks that get activated by laser light beams and then close making it look like before to hide the base from divers.

[Feint 137]

I have started testing the function CBA_fnc_realHeight instead of the BIS command "visiblePosition" to dive and submerge and now when attempting to dive in lakes and ponds, it's not a total failure like it was before. Sometimes you can dive now. It doesn't really work well still, but at least you don't end up standing on the floor of the lake like you did before. For the most part, you just can't dive at all, which is better than it setPos-ing you somewhere bad. So that's an improvement in some ways. So...CBA will be required now for this addon.

The GREAT!!! news is that when using this CBA function, you almost never have to calibrate the BCD before diving anymore. Now you can just get into the water and start diving. Nice! One more strange inconvenience seems to have been removed (still testing, so grains of salt should be thrown over the shoulder still).

I've also been working on the dive computer making sure it's functional on all maps and changing the layout to work with widescreen or 4:3 monitors and at different resolutions. Right now, the only problem I am having is with 1280x1024 resolutions where the battery level of the dive computer is getting cut off on the bottom. So I need to work on that or tweak the way of text is scaling for different resolutions.

I also added an "indiglo"-style backlight to the dive computer and changed the addActions so it's just "MODE" to change from one mode to another instead of selecting a specific mode such as Depth or Air, etc. Hopefully it will be more user friendly and streamlined for users.

I'm also doing the unfun task of trying to make sure scripts end quickly when you die, testing that, and making sure that things are as optimized as possible. I'm also testing the functionality of the battery script for the dive computer so that the thing actually stops working with the battery runs out.

I've also recently created a new facebook page for "Feint".

If you like it, you can keep up to date with the latest developments from anything I get involved in including recent changes to the Underwater Diving Module. It's also a great place to see screenshots and videos all together in one place and some facebook-exclusive content.

So to celebrate, I am running a little contest. The first 10 people who "Like" the page and post a comment for the screenie below (the one with the four different displays on it), I will send you a little something special from the Underwater Diving Module Team!

Edited June 8, 2012 by Feint

[ew3ca3 1]

I gotta say amazing job with this mod man! Keep up the great work and I'm sure I'm not the only one that can't wait til it's released.

[dialektiikka 10]

Ahh, nice :) BTW, for future use, does anyone know how to cut down visibility underwater, preferably scripted? Diving in that clear water will be fun, but I'm hoping to put together a mission with hideously bad visibility (ie, the usual Baltic coast conditions).

[kremator 1065]

Nice one Feint. Just used my missus's avatar but it is really me honest :) Yay one of the chosen 10 :)

regards

Kremator

[DeltaForce96 1]

YAY me too! BTW nice to see an update. It was time I was constantly watching the thread ahah.

BTW, Indiglo style is awesome, that cyan color is stunning on the dive computer. Also, what's up with the SDV? Have you added anything to it?

[Rough Knight 9]

Nice work Feint,

The Backlight is a great idea. Your attention to detail is briliant, as always i am realy looking forward to playing this addon. It would somewhat distract me from finishing my new mission though : P

As posted on your facebook page I seriously do "like" your work..I would love to find out where you learnt about creating Dialogues, I thought I remember early in this thread you mentioned they where new to you, so I have to commend you as you seem to have mastered them.

Cheers mate

[mememe12 1]

one of the 10 :) (As Mohammad Bakheet)

[Feint 137]

Thanks to everyone who participated in my facebook contest. It's just for fun so I hope you all like the little prize I've put together. If you haven't posted your BI Forum screenname with your comment or PM'd it to me through facebook yet, please do so and I'll send you your prize!

Ahh, nice :) BTW, for future use, does anyone know how to cut down visibility underwater, preferably scripted? Diving in that clear water will be fun, but I'm hoping to put together a mission with hideously bad visibility (ie, the usual Baltic coast conditions).

You can cut down on underwater visibility by just increasing the fog level on the map. If you set it high enough, objects are very difficult to see underwater until you are basically on top of them. But even setting "no fog" levels, there's still a pretty limited level of visibility depending on the time of day and weather. If you set a night mission, it will be pretty hard to find your way around without careful compass work. There aren't many landmarks underwater (depending on the map).

YAY me too! BTW nice to see an update. It was time I was constantly watching the thread ahah.

BTW, Indiglo style is awesome, that cyan color is stunning on the dive computer. Also, what's up with the SDV? Have you added anything to it?

SDV needs a little work and is still a WIP, obviously. It has a few really cool features so far though. Even if I were to release it as-is, I think most would be happy with it. I'm hoping we can kick it up a notch though and get it to a level that everyone will be happy with (i.e. adding textures, finishing the periscope, fixing the retractable doors in the front, fixing the get-in and get-out commands so they work while submerged).

Nice work Feint,

The Backlight is a great idea. Your attention to detail is briliant, as always i am realy looking forward to playing this addon. It would somewhat distract me from finishing my new mission though : P

As posted on your facebook page I seriously do "like" your work..I would love to find out where you learnt about creating Dialogues, I thought I remember early in this thread you mentioned they where new to you, so I have to commend you as you seem to have mastered them.

I think once I decided that it didn't have to make sense, I was more comfortable with displays. I kept trying to learn how to do them, but it became easier to just start writing and seeing what worked and what didn't. There are a few addons out there from Armed Assault days and Arma2 that can point you in the right direction as well as some scripts that Bohemia Interactive created for the games which gave me some ideas. I just did my research, studied the Biki and got a few things working. I'm definitely not a master. Like I still don't know how to make a mini-map. I spent a lot of time looking for a really good tutorial, but the ones I found didn't help me too much as I was writing a display and they were written for dialogs, which are slightly different. Also, a lot of the tutorials out there are extensively written, but are a little old. So I kept second guessing them when something didn't work the way I expected. Hopefully displays will be easier to make in Arma3.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Feint

[scarecrow398 43]

So will your facebook page be for more common minute updates, major ones or used in the same way as the forums?

love that back lighting too

Oh, i was 5/10 (Paul) too. :)

[Feint 137]

So will your facebook page be for more common minute updates, major ones or used in the same way as the forums?

love that back lighting too

Oh, i was 5/10 (Paul) too. :)

Thanks. With the fb page, I just wanted a place to put everything visual. So I'll probably put small updates on there, and the larger updates here so I don't spam the forum too much. Hopefully, I'll get the mod wrapped up soon though so you all can stop waiting on me to finish it. :)

[Rough Knight 9]

Hi Feint,

Thanks for the present, some great shots there. When I saw the size of the archive I thought..whoohoo...a preview version of your diving module: P

I must say, those divers look awesome on 1080p. great details on the Marsoc diver, so compliments to all involved.