Mission Editor

[monotone 3]

Since 2001,this franchise of the game is developed for more than 10 years.

But the only thing remains itself as it was in ARMA:CWA is 2D mission editor.

Although this vestigiality is very central factor of the simulator and most of players spend hundreds of hours with this,I haven't seen almost no progress for editor in ARMA3.

As devs occasionally says,we can agree that current style of the editor in ARMA is quite sophisticated when we compare it with editor in other games.

Yet nothing in our world is ideal and so there is some room for progress,from minor things (for example,I'd like to operate multiple units at once in group mode) to radical reform(just like integration with 3D editor which is mentioned in ARMA3).

And the editor is implemented in .exe file of game,community can't make improvement for the editor and devs need to improve the editor on their hands.

Have you seen any improvement for the editor in Arma3?

Or post your idea for editor improvement.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Monotone

[Timnos 1]

Or post your idea for editor improvement.

Steel Beasts Pro PE has a scenario editor where complex routes, waypoints, formations, spacing, speed, tactics and so forth can be planned pre-game and you can continue commanding your units via a map screen in real time during missions. It would be heaven to have this in ArmA3.

Example -

FVks1RLZQuU

[RedneckNerd 1]

Cant wait to try the new editor, Alpha's comin soon.

---------- Post added at 00:33 ---------- Previous post was at 00:19 ----------

Had lots of fun with the Arma 2 Editor

[Tonci87 163]

I really hope we get a proper working 3D Editor this time...

[sgtsn1per 1]

Dont get your hopes up guys

[EricM 0]

a scenario editor where complex routes, waypoints, formations, spacing, speed, tactics and so forth can be planned pre-game and you can continue commanding your units via a map screen in real time during missions. It would be heaven to have this in ArmA3.

I'm not following you... How is that different from what we have already in A2 ? I can plan waypoints, complex routes, with different behaviours (including formations and such) at each stop and continue to command all the rest via High Command module...

Dont get your hopes up guys

We already have a hidden 3D editor in A2 and it's been more or less confirmed for A3,hasn't it already ?

[Gilson 10]

3D Editor is /confirmed/, the 2D editor is being shipped with the community alpha.

[Hodgeasaurus 1]

(for example,I'd like to operate multiple units at once in grope mode)

I don't know what game you're playing, but I think you should keep it to private time.

Anyway, what Gilson said -

3D Editor is /confirmed/, the 2D editor is being shipped with the community alpha.

[Timnos 1]

I'm not following you... How is that different from what we have already in A2 ? I can plan waypoints, complex routes, with different behaviours (including formations and such) at each stop and continue to command all the rest via High Command module...

In Steel Beasts Pro PE you can attach conditions to routes. What this means is that multiple paths can branch from multiple waypoints, the units will embark, retreat, or take alternate routes or actions depending upon which conditions are satisfied. For example a units movement instructions will take into account factors such as damage, fuel levels, suppression, taking fire, losses, etc. and then select the appropriate course of action.

[Praelium 0]

I'd like to have templates for basic gameplay scenarios, such as an AI ambush on an AI convey. Programming the AI to do that type of stuff can be difficult so it'd be nice if BIS included these within the editor.

[De_little_Bubi 1]

I'd like to have templates for basic gameplay scenarios, such as an AI ambush on an AI convey. Programming the AI to do that type of stuff can be difficult so it'd be nice if BIS included these within the editor.

This could be easily done with just providing missions as templates (saved in the editor format not as ready compiled mission - so that you can load them in the editor).

There is a mission merge function in the editor since ofp. You could just merge this scenarious in your mission and move it at the position you want.

[monotone 3]

I picked up some from DH.

Copy/paste of playable units forgets "playable" status, defaults to None.

https://dev-heaven.net/issues/4458

Placing Playable Units

https://dev-heaven.net/issues/16963

These seems easy to fix but crucial for convenience.

I suggest that instead of extend function of copy&paste,enable to operate multiple unit is better solution for wider scene.

Weapon Loadout Tab in Editor

https://dev-heaven.net/issues/10729

This is what most people want.

But annoying of weapon loadout can be solved partially with using gear script such as shk_gear.

So,direction that makes comprehensive improvement is not adding more pull down tab but integration with script editor.

The script editor should have emphasis and complement like ArmA Edit.

I think unfriendly "init" line in unit or trigger should be refurnished to decent text editor.

The mission editor should link to the BIKI.

https://dev-heaven.net/issues/22118

The text editor also should have full script help as kju argues.

If in-game editor has function of hyperlink and search for script commands,we can be free from time loss and frustration!

Edited August 7, 2012 by Monotone

[ziiip 1]

I don't know what game you're playing, but I think you should keep it to private time.

Anyway, what Gilson said -

Ahahah. :D

[EBass 0]

I'd really really like a few things added to the editor just to simplify some things. Don't whine at me, I know the Arma editor is way way simpler to use than most other editors but there are some things that really should be doable without scripting. Just for a couple of examples.

A) Spawning: Would love some functionality to add this as a trigger function. I.e make is so you can group a group to a trigger and have them spawn in (with waypoints and all) on the trigger firing.

B) Adjusting heights of things, should be able to just do it by maybe clicking the entity and pressing shift+up incrementally or something rather than doing it with numbers in the init.

Things like that

[mr burns 132]

Or post your idea for editor improvement.

• layers, like in Photoshop - if you ever made a too big mission you know why it´s needed
  
• integrated text editor and browser shell - for no more alt+tab, writing description.ext & .sqf´s on the fly
  
• integrated briefing editor - because you know only the hardest learn to actually write one right now, and that´s too few
  
• integrated gear selection - no more removallweapons this; this addmagazine "xyz"; this addweapon "xyz"; this addmagazi.... etc.
  
• (re)enable -showscripterrors by default!
  
• how about a snap-to feature? or better 2d icons for easier placement..

Must´ve forgotten something, but this it is, plus of course everything else mentioned in this thread until now :)

[Sniperwolf572 758]

• (re)enable -showscripterrors by default!
  

This would be so much better as an option somewhere ingame instead of a commandline switch.

[bgivenb 10]

There is some really good discussion going on here :D I hope the devs read this.

One suggestion that I like the most, is the introduction of an ingame wiki. This would be sooooo nice

oh, having photoshop like layers would be cool

[monotone 3]

I've managed to find the sketch of improved editor which Karlgustaffa drawn 2 years ago.

And I found that there is already a ticket for what I really need to improve.

https://dev-heaven.net/issues/20086

Editor improvements

Description:

Remove the hassle of alt+tabbing by handling all script and folder editing, creation, deletion and organization in the editor would be a major asset to the people making missions.

Just a simple in-game hierarchy/folder view of the mission you are working on.

Create NEW scripts from within the game, have syntax highlighting and a tab-auto-complete like eclipse along with function descriptions with custom functions also being loaded with descriptions that you specify.

[igneous01 19]

Something that would be great for the editor would be waypoint objects that hold collections of waypoints. The convenience in this is that with a trigger I can easily change a groups current patrol area (maybe random patrols in a circle) and then assign them to take a path down a road to signify them being alerted and checking it out. With this you can also have triggers to take multiple pathways for multiple units. Because they are objects and are independent to any unit, more than one group of units can patrol the same collection of waypoints.

A show/hide waypoint layer would be needed, seeing this could get very complex, but overall it would simplify adding dynamic choices for groups.

[Tonci87 163]

I've managed to find the sketch of improved editor which Karlgustaffa drawn 2 years ago.

https://dev-heaven.net/attachments/5933/4624044651_8536c529ab_o.jpg

And I found that there is already a ticket for what I really need to improve.

https://dev-heaven.net/issues/20086

Editor improvements

Description:

Remove the hassle of alt+tabbing by handling all script and folder editing, creation, deletion and organization in the editor would be a major asset to the people making missions.

Just a simple in-game hierarchy/folder view of the mission you are working on.

Create NEW scripts from within the game, have syntax highlighting and a tab-auto-complete like eclipse along with function descriptions with custom functions also being loaded with descriptions that you specify.

That looks awesome, the only thing missing is a button to set a custom loadout

[gossamersolid 155]

• layers, like in Photoshop - if you ever made a too big mission you know why it´s needed
  
• integrated text editor and browser shell - for no more alt+tab, writing description.ext & .sqf´s on the fly
  
• integrated briefing editor - because you know only the hardest learn to actually write one right now, and that´s too few
  
• integrated gear selection - no more removallweapons this; this addmagazine "xyz"; this addweapon "xyz"; this addmagazi.... etc.
  
• (re)enable -showscripterrors by default!
  
• how about a snap-to feature? or better 2d icons for easier placement..

Must´ve forgotten something, but this it is, plus of course everything else mentioned in this thread until now :)

Those are awesome suggestions, I'd love to see those in A3 as well.

I'm sick of alt-tabbing, it's really annoying.

I have one more thing to add to the list:

[*] Catch description.ext errors and display error message in editor rather than causing CTD...

I don't know how many times that has happened to me.

[monotone 3]

Something that would be great for the editor would be waypoint objects that hold collections of waypoints.

Your idea proposes to create "waypoint objects" that represent places to go,get in or destroy for not only single group but multiple groups,doesn't it?

If so,the "waypoint objects" should have priority to determine which is next point.

This is not just a matter of mission editor but designing AI because making preference is exactly making subject,not object!

Oh,it comes realm of ARMAVERSUM.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Monotone
My typo again :)

[monotone 3]

In the interview of Gamestar.de,

Q: How do you enhance the editor?

Dan: We've had to cut short our more ambitious plans regarding the editor recently. Due to missing resources, our goal in this area is currently to focus on improving the usability and experience of the classic mission editor from A2OA.

Devs said that they suspended their 3D editor for a while but polishing 2D editor.

I think this is large advance from the time just before released OA,when they had thought simply there is nothing to improve in 2D Editor.

I hope forthcoming improvement includes both community request and devs' their own creative and leading idea.

[mr burns 132]

Must´ve forgotten something...

I remember now!

please add the following to my list:

• undo function - there are many possibilites to accidentially unalign, roatate or pull an object out of placement which you fiddled around with for quite some time.
  Our own stupidness fills our hearts with rage when we do so, but theres no way to revert it.
  A simple one step undo would be great, up that to a 2-5 step undo and it would be ArmAmazing !!!
  
• autosave function - pretty please. Make it optionable, like yes/no, ammount of time for autosave, save it as seperate -autosave-mymissionname.island folder, etc.
  If you love your beers like i do and tend to stay up late, you might have found yourself in the position already when you alt+f4´ed out for whatever reason only to get back ingame a minute later, realizing you haven´t saved the goddamn mission you´ve just spent an hour or two editing on *wraghargha*

[dmarkwick 261]

I'd like it so that when I "save-as", all the files are copied not just the BIS created ones.