Austin's Work in Progress Thread

[austina1986 14]

Alright guys, well let's see, so far I've only released one addon (my ACH helmets) however now that new tutorials are popping up and new examples are being posted, I'm going to make a thread here in discussions that will stay open as long as I am releasing new work in progress add-ons. Once an addon has reached release, a new dedicated release thread will be opened over in the Complete area of the forums.

Without further ado, I present my latest WIP addon, the M16A4 rifle's which I intend to create a few different variations in the near future. This work in progress is based on ToadBall's M16A4 example that he has released here.

There are a few things I am working on with regards to his release therefore have made my own thread, as there will be other add-ons I will be working on and it's best to consolidate everything to one thread.

Status:

- Thus far I've created a missing texture from ToadBall's release (the texture for a combination of Side and Top accessories was missing)

- I've modeled and UV Mapped a very basic rifle fore-grip model into the M16A4 model (I am looking into using different animations on different variations of the M16A4 as I go along)

- I've removed two config entries for custom accessories of ToadBall's that were present in his config.cpp

Screenshots:

Credits:

Bohemia Interactive - Arma 1 and Arma 2 MLOD Samples

Original Model Edits: ToadBall

Original Config: ToadBall

Planned Changes:

- Correct the eye proxy position if possible

- Create multiple variations of the M16A4 (if possible using different rifle animations and different grip types, custom rifle stocks, more types of iron-sights) <- will depend on my learning ability.

- Work on the model details (hand-guard locations are clipping at the moment, visible clearly in the above screenshots, unsure if repairable)

Release Plan:

- To be determined

Thanks and regards,

Austin.

[spectrersg 9]

Hey Austin, I was in the middle of working on setting up the config with an M16 ammo box; but may as well ask - do you plan to do an ammo box with these guys?

[austina1986 14]

I haven't created one before, but do want to learn how for future reference so yes I will be creating an ammo box that will "hopefully" contain each variant of the rifles, one of each attachment and at least 10 magazines of each compatible type.

In the meantime though, by all means feel free to make an ammo crate for the original's, I've modified the classnames already so it won't be compatible with my release, however post it up if you want to as a reference for the future.

Regards,

Austin.

[spectrersg 9]

I've just been dabbling in this and it works... I've created a little template for ya to use as a base and to help ya out (pay attention to the stuff in full caps).

class CfgPatches {
class YOURMODCLASSNAME {
	units[] = {"YOURAMMOBOXNAME"};
	weapons[] = {"WEAPONCLASSNAME"};
	magazines[] = {"MAGAZINECLASSNAME"};
	requiredaddons[] = {"A3_Weapons_F"};
	requiredversion = 0.100000;
};
};

class CfgFactionClasses {
class YOURMODCLASSNAME {
	side = 4;
};
};

class CfgVehicles {
/*extern*/ class ReammoBox;
/*extern*/ class Box_NATO_Wps_F;

class box_BOXCLASSNAME: Box_NATO_Wps_F {
	scope = 2;
	vehicleClass = "Ammo";
	displayName = "YOURAMMOBOXNAME";
	model = "\A3\weapons_F\AmmoBoxes\WpnsBox_F";
	icon = "iconCrateWpns";
	maximumLoad = 99999;
	transportMaxWeapons = 5000;
	transportMaxMagazines = 20000;
	transportMaxBackpacks = 200;
	class TransportWeapons {
		class _xx_WEAPONCLASSNAME {
			weapon = "WEAPONCLASSNAME";
			count = 50;
		};
	};
	class TransportMagazines {
		class _xx_MAGAZINECLASSNAME {
			magazine = "MAGAZINECLASSNAME";
			count = 200;
		};
	};
};
};

Obviously you'll have to define your weapons, mags and such. This is just for the box itself. Hope it helps.

[austina1986 14]

Thank you Spectre, that will come in very handy indeed.

Update:

Hand position fixed, the config was using a different hand animation, I've done testing and found that the best hand animation for the M16A4 (almost perfect hand positioning) is the M200 Machine Gun.

Shots:

Status:

- Due to new hand anim, eye proxy is off by a few centimeters, correcting that right now.

- Tweaking fore-grip model size and length

- Crate created for the M16A4 pack

Regards,

Austin.

Edited March 25, 2013 by AustinA1986

[Foxtrop 10]

I want to ask you if you made a new proyectile for the 5.56 bullet or it would have the same properties than the 6.8? or it was already in the alpha?

[austina1986 14]

It's using the existing 5.56 rounds that are in the Alpha release already. The only difference is a custom class-name to ensure forward compatibility (no class-name conflicts).

Regards,

Austin.

[Foxtrop 10]

Awesome didnt know that there was already in there the 5.56! Any intentions of making some drum magazine since the Alpha lacks of good machineguns?

[spectrersg 9]

Do we know for sure if the existing 5.56 round in game is a proper 5.56 and not a subsonic/special underwater round?

[austina1986 14]

@SpectreRSG Seems to work like a regular 5.56 like in Arma 2, takes out troops at 400+ in-game, just tested it out.

@Foxtrop I'm actually wondering if it would be worth attempting to bring across a few more of the sample models from ArmA, will see what I can do as I won't have their textures unless I reinstall Arma and extract them out of the pbo's, which I can do happily, but I'd rather not. Will see how I go.

Regards,

Austin.

[austina1986 14]

Update:

I cannot think of anything else that is worth adding apart from adding the M203 version (which at this time I won't be adding), I was going to add custom rifle stocks, magazine types, hand-guards and other aesthetic items however cannot find any high resolution shots of real world M16A4's with customised parts, only M4's or Airsoft weapons.

As such if nobody has issues with the screenshots below (showing the close up of the weapon with the attached ARCO) I will likely put out a version on here and move onto my next project (which I am already working on). That said, I do not know how to make custom hand animations and the M200 LMG animation is the best I could personally find, as you can see there is minor clipping at the trigger guard. Please also note that I will be releasing both the binarized version (addon form) as well as the MLOD format as the only thing that I actually did was the foregrip and modified configs and a few other minor details. Paying it forward so to speak.

Shots:

Status:

- Tweaked fore-grip model size and length

- Crate created for the M16A4 pack

Regards,

Austin.

P.S. My next project (very much trial and error and a long way to go):

[austina1986 14]

Update:

Thedog88 has asked me if I can work on an M4A1 pack, so along with the helmets, vest and M16's, I am also undertaking bringing the M4's from Arma 1 forward to Arma 3. So far I haven't got any screenshots, however I am actively working my way through custom hand animations (so far very promising and not as hard as I thought it would be). If the hand animations work out, I will be making more variants of the M16A4 with different grips and perhaps one with no foregrip and one holding the magazine well.

Will update this post once I have some screenshots and not just words,

Austin.

[austina1986 14]

M4A1 Update:

Made large strides in my knowledge levels with Oxygen 2 and model.cfg/config.cpp's overnight. I was having a lot of issues with my M4A1 base model (barebone M4A1 with the proxies for the accessories), namely with animations not working, constant muzzle flash (zasleh) and a few other things. Not anymore, I had a deep look at my configs after reviewing a few addons I've downloaded to try and find the problem, it turned out that right at the end of my config, I was defining a class that didn't exist, but BinPBO wasn't picking it up so I was none the wiser. Anyway, I've now got mostly everything working, a few issues still outstanding however I am finally at the screenshot stage. The M4A1 pictured is WIP, it's only the barebone minimum so far. Anyone that is familiar with the Arma 1 MLOD Samples will likely know that there was no ejection port on the rifle, it was just a texture, so I had to actually learn on the fly how to remove a physical portion of the model and then enclose it to ensure no "holes" appeared in game, that was the hardest thing I've ever done on a model, maybe due to the limitations of Oxygen 2, not sure.

I am going to be adding AFG/VFG's, multiple stock variants (depending on how well I can model them in Oxygen 2 of course), alternate hand-guards, possibly even magazines for that little touch of something unique. Now that I have grasped the basics of Oxygen 2's rtm construction (for customised weapon holding animations) I will be able to make custom animations for each of the AFG/VFG variants that I make.

Anyway, TL:DR? Just look at the screenshots of the basic M4A1 model with working accessories.

Shots:

Status:

- Muzzle flash working as intended, still an issue with the muzzle flash when a suppressor is equipped (appears under the weapon instead of at the tip of the suppressor)

- Custom hand animation created by me

- Ejection port modeled into the rifle

- Bolt modeled into the rifle and animated

- Magazine animates when reloading (very basic hiding of the magazine at the moment, reappears toward the end of the soldier hand reload animation)

Current Planned Versions:

M4A1 with 2 different VFG models (I may make versions on top of this with the foregrip at different lengths on the rifle to give a bit more variation)

M4A1 with AFG model (again will likely have this positioned at multiple positions on the bottom rail)

M4A1 with holding the magazine well (think that's what it's called, not a military person)

M4A1 with the M203 (if I can do it, not making any promises as I am unsure at this time)

M16A4 Update:

Thanks to my new found knowledge of making hand animations, I will be working through more variants of the M16A4 rifle. At this point I may even attempt to get the M203 variant across from the old MLOD's, this is unconfirmed, I have to see if I can do it myself. At this point, planning to create a better model of the VFG on the rifle and place it at different positions on the rail, the same with an AFG at different intervals on the rail for variation. Not really too much more to add with regards to the M16A4's, no new screenshots due to my time being taken up by my M4A1 troubleshooting.

Helmets Update

No new developments with the helmets, they are on the back-burner due to my concentrating on the weapons. I've not heard about any game-breaking issues with them so I'm not too worried about it. The vest is the same story, I'd rather get the weapons finished to a point of release instead of starting on 6 projects and never getting them out the door.

Suggestions are welcome, ideas and feedback also a bonus for me as I am learning as I go,

Austin.

[fluttershy 2]

Great work so far Austin,

dang i wish i could model well -_-. Maybee take a look at Alwarrens FHQ M4 or ask him for the fire selector animation he build in.

On a side note: thats a 16 inch Barrel isnt it? - picky milsim roflcopters will tell you it shall be 14,5 inch instead of 16 but dont worry, i like em as they are ^^

[austina1986 14]

Personally, that is quite literally the weapon directly out of the MLOD's from Arma 1 (other than the ejection port and bolt), I'm going to be changing things as I learn more about the editor and configs etc. I actually PM'd Alwarren about possibly taking a peek at his M4A1 MLOD's but never heard back so didn't bother him again. If it's a 16" barrel that's what Arma 1 had, which was also an M4, not the M4A1 I believe, I've got a fair bit to work on to get these bad-boys ready for release but aiming within the next two weeks to release at least something.

Thanks for the post,

Austin.

[austina1986 14]

M4A1 Update:

Been working my backside off with the M4A1 base model, however have run into a snag that I am hoping Alwarren or another seasoned Oxygen 2 user can help me with. The issue I'm having is that I am trying to get the newly modeled backup iron-sights to flip down when there is an optic equipped on the weapon. I've got the config working, however the issue I am having is that the optic isn't flipping down on the placed BackSight_Axis, it appears to be flipping down on a centre axis and due to that is flipping down, 90 degrees but isn't staying on the rifle. If anyone can help me with this please let me know so that I can resolve the issue and continue my work.

Screenshot (3d rails):

Screenshot (work in progress texture):

Screenshot (the flip down sight issue (zoom in to see the sights behind me):

Status:

- 3d rails modeled

- Backup iron sights modeled

- Improving textures in progress

- Correcting flip up and down of backup sights in progress

- Texture of backup iron sights in progress

- Shortening the barrel from 16" to 14.5" in progress

Again if anyone can help me with my (what I believe to be) axis problem, please post or PM me, it's quite literally holding up progress of me modeling the next parts, variants etc as I don't want to compound problems with the weapon.

Regards,

Austin.

[austina1986 14]

My brain is frying.. viewing the flipsight model.cfg animation in Buldozer rotates it on the correct axes, but in-game it's not on the correct axes. Guess something is breaking between O2 and A3 :/

Oh well,

Austin.

[fluttershy 2]

The best person i can name that would be able to help ya out with that is RavenDK. The Danish Military Advisors addon uses a flip-sight for the C8.

[Alwarren 2767]

The issue I'm having is that I am trying to get the newly modeled backup iron-sights to flip down when there is an optic equipped on the weapon. I've got the config working, however the issue I am having is that the optic isn't flipping down on the placed BackSight_Axis, it appears to be flipping down on a centre axis and due to that is flipping down, 90 degrees but isn't staying on the rifle. If anyone can help me with this please let me know so that I can resolve the issue and continue my work.

Have you set the autocenter named property to 0? I once forgot that and saw my anims go haywire.

EDIT: autocenter 0 needs be set on the first LOD and geometry LOD, but I usually set it on all of them.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Alwarren

[austina1986 14]

I will try that and hope it works, do you just add that as a named selection on those LOD resolutions? I will try it now regardless, thank you Alwarren.

EDIT: Thank you so much Al, I did a quick google search, found out that it's not a named selection, but a named property. My flip sights are working as intended now so thank you, now to progress with the rest of the model variants.

Austin.

Edited April 2, 2013 by AustinA1986

[Alwarren 2767]

I will try that and hope it works, do you just add that as a named selection on those LOD resolutions? I will try it now regardless, thank you Alwarren.

EDIT: Thank you so much Al, I did a quick google search, found out that it's not a named selection, but a named property. My flip sights are working as intended now so thank you, now to progress with the rest of the model variants.

Austin.

Glad I could help. Yes, as I said, it's a named property. Without it, my ACR's flip-up sights would also do all the weirdest stuff. I had never had to use it prior to Arma 3 myself since my trigger had always been a translation, and that works without the autocenter, but rotations require it or you see the weird stuff you just witnessed :)