Take On Sample Missions!

[royaltyinexile 175]

Hello, fellow editeers, I come bearing gifts!

We've created a text-based, step-by-step guide to creating a simple but fun sample mission, which introduces the core concepts of mission editing.

This guide is accompanied by a video walkthrough:

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We've also just released a blog post on the subject of the editor, where three of the team discuss the ongoing improvements and the sample mission on offer.

If you just want to play the mission, you can download it here. Enjoy, and please post any feedback you may have in this thread.

Once you've mastered the first guide, you can find another, more advanced version here. If you prefer, you can download the complete mission here!

Best,

RiE

Edited December 9, 2011 by RoyaltyinExile

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

mission making !

now I know what it's like to be God!

xos2MnVxe-c

[AS350 10]

Wow great:)

thanks BIS, thats very very nice :cool:

[mjr.hassle 13]

Excellent! Thanks for this. :) Its helped me out a bundle already! I can get on with my mission now. :cool:

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

the sample mission does little to help with say, advanced mission editing.

it is simply a SQM file with no other supporting elements.

how appropriate would it be (for me) to provide a link here to the Official missions extracted with Eliteness?

ok?

not ok?

I assume it is not allowed...

Edited November 8, 2011 by [DirTyDeeDs]-Ziggy-

[jedra 11]

The official missions contain all kinds of embedded FSM code, which I don't think would be useful to anyone who couldn't de-pbo the mission themselves.

I think it would be good if they could expand on the simple mission they have by adding an example description.ext, init.sqf and some standalone sqf scripts.

This is good stuff though - more than we had for Arma etc already!!

Hey, Dwarden could do it - after all he has nothing to do now the Steam foums are down ;-)

Edited November 8, 2011 by Jedra

[royaltyinexile 175]

I appreciate the feedback, but you should bear in mind this is the first resource people may come across.

We could have gone even moaaarrr basic, with just some simple move command, etc, but, instead, we've tried to strike a compromise between actually making some proper 'gameplay' and easing in people who are completely unfamiliar with the whole shabam.

Best,

RiE

[lNTRUDER 26]

Great initiative BIS :)

[NMLcollective 10]

Ok it is helpful and fun to mess around with. But now that we got the absolute basics out of the way, I'd really like to turn this into an actual playable mission.

Right now, as cargo is damaged it is just disconnected and the second waypoint remains active, effectively breaking the mission. It would be more fun if you had to go back and pick it up again, so the mission would reset to the first waypoint after damaging the cargo. Or if the cargo got lost in the sea, you'd have to go back and pick up the next object or even better, have the cargo respawn at the original location and reset to the first waypoint.

[royaltyinexile 175]

I've updated the OP with a Video Guide and posted a link to a blog, where three of the team discuss the ongoing improvements in the editor.

Best,

RiE

[royaltyinexile 175]

Our short poll asks you: "What Editing Feature would you like to see explained in more detail?"

Things to bear in mind:

• a future guide will try to build up from the first sample mission
  
• things will still be basic, but will now assume basic knowledge
  
• specific ideas are less useful then general principles/ concepts
  

Thanks, and please continue leave any feedback or notes in this thread.

Best,

RiE

Edited November 12, 2011 by RoyaltyinExile

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

-Ziggy-;2053594']

how appropriate would it be (for me) to provide a link here to the Official missions extracted with Eliteness?

what better examples then the official missions?

I voted Multiplayer.

JIP is a real bitch ;) (for me)

[maddogx 13]

-Ziggy-;2055971']I voted Multiplayer.

JIP is a real bitch ;) (for me)

Same here. All the MP complexities are the main thing keeping me from making missions. :)

[Derbysieger 11]

Definately MP ;)

[royaltyinexile 175]

I knew I shouldn't have included that option ;)

[jedra 11]

I voted 'other'. I am interested in seeing how to build on the heliport to enable us to build missions that will allow users to buy/sell/maintain their helecopter collection in a mission structure as well as the campaign. Once new models start being made this could really extend the campaign theory in a variety of community made missions.

[jeywhy 10]

Well as a complete newb I am finding anything helpful. Steep learning curve? Oh yeah, as I have never scripted before I am trying to wade through the Arma info but I feel a total numpty.

I have replicated the tutorial and it works so thank you for a kick in the right direction. :)

[royaltyinexile 175]

Hello, all!

It's the Bohemia Christmas party tonight, so we're in the mood for handing out some presents! ;)

We've updated the community wiki with another sample mission guide. This one builds directly on top of the original mission, adding some more advanced scripting techniques, and showing you how to make the mission feel more 'complete' with tasks and briefings.

You can download a complete version here, and find the written step-by-step guide here.

Have fun, and let us know here if you run into any problems!

Best,

RiE

[BobcatBob 10]

I for one LOVE the idea of having soft relxing music play whist im busy fuming over scripting commands in the editor;)!

[Slapstick 10]

I noticed a wee problem with the first sample mission. The instructions for creating the waypoint to attach the slingload said to set the "Completion Radius" to 6. However, when I did this the load would not attach. I noticed that the associated screen shot showed the "Placement radius" set to 6 with the completion radius left at 0 (zero). When I did this the load attached and I was able to complete the mission.

I have already updated the instructions on the wiki to match the screenshot, but thought I should mention it here in case I'm missing something else. To a complete noob it sounds like the completion radius is the field that should be changed...

[Zipper5 74]

I noticed a wee problem with the first sample mission. The instructions for creating the waypoint to attach the slingload said to set the "Completion Radius" to 6. However, when I did this the load would not attach. I noticed that the associated screen shot showed the "Placement radius" set to 6 with the completion radius left at 0 (zero). When I did this the load attached and I was able to complete the mission.

I have already updated the instructions on the wiki to match the screenshot, but thought I should mention it here in case I'm missing something else. To a complete noob it sounds like the completion radius is the field that should be changed...

You got us, it was a simple mistake of putting 6 into the Placement radius line and not the Completion radius line for that screenshot. Easy mistake to make when one's just above the other. Apologies. The issue is not present in the downloadable mission.

However, having the Completion radius set to 6 does still work on my end. You just need to fly low enough and close enough for the attaching sequence to initiate. Then you need to wait for it to finish before taking off again. Setting the Completion radius to 0 meant you could pick it up from higher and further away. The 6 in this case means 6 meters from the crate to the center of your helicopter. Hope that helps! :cool:

[Slapstick 10]

Oops, I guess I wasn't hovering low enough... :o

Perhaps the tutorial could be updated to say what exactly the "6" means when entered in the completion radius field (I'll ask first before updating now :rolleyes:).

Also, what does the [5] in the Arguments field do? It apparently passes an array containing a single value (5) as the argument to something...

[Zipper5 74]

The purpose of the [5] Argument is explained in this section of the wiki article,

Enter '6' in the "Completion Radius" field, and '[5]' in the Arguments field, and click OK.

note, here we're changing some basic conditions of a slingload task, which are explained in better detail here

Basically, all that the [5] is doing is making it so the cargo does not attach to the helicopter instantly, which is the default setting of the so-called "posLimit". Rather, it will take 5 seconds.

Edited January 4, 2012 by Zipper5

[[evo] dan 79]

I would like to know how to attach and detach cargo without having to use waypoints, maybe using a trigger perhaps? Would make it much more MP freindly. (if someone can explain how to do it, please tell me)

[Zipper5 74]

Each of the new Scripted - Helicopters waypoints are a function that is simply called by the waypoint when it is completed, and the parameters of the waypoint are passed to the function. In the case of attaching and detaching slingloads, the functions involved are: BIS_fnc_wpSlingLoadAttach and BIS_fnc_wpSlingLoadDetach. You can also call all functions in a MP compatible format through use of the BIS_fnc_MP function.

Unfortunately, rope simulation is currently not MP compatible. If it is a hosted server, the host will be the only one the system will work on. The rope and cargo will be invisible for the clients. It won't work at all on dedicated servers.