Switching weapons on the move

[Sniperwolf572 758]

Haven't been an author of one of these threads since forever. ^_^

Anyway, I've mashed up a proof of concept for the "Moving and switching weapons at the same time" feature. While it's kinda hacky and my config skills are rusty, hopefully someone with better knowledge of the animation system and the engine might find this useful (hint, hint).

It implements gesture versions of the default BI switching animations and relies on using the "User Action 17" and "User Action 18" controls to function. Action menu actions and keybinds for "Switch to handgun/launcher" will still use the default "stop and switch" method.

In this version, the weapon IK works so it looks nicer than in earlier videos I've shown.

There are some known issues that I haven't tried or been able to solve:

• You can fire the launcher while it's selected and transitioning (first part of the "from launcher" transitions and the last part of "to launcher" transitions). I haven't been able to figure this out, as the primary/handgun will correctly not fire if you try, the launcher seems to disregard the config parameters. I'm probably doing something wrong here. Don't blow yourself up now. (Thanks zGuba!)
  
• The action menu actions, "Switch to handgun" and "Switch to launcher" controls still use the "stop and switch" method, as mentioned. I haven't tried to replace this yet. This remains a safeguard for me in case the addon messes up so you can still switch weapons.
  
• Midway through the transition, the unit will reset it's weapon and camera orientation. This is due to cancelling of the default switch animation that's caused by switchWeapon. Removing the default animations would cause the action menu switching to be instant, which is kinda bad.
  
• If you switch stances (crouch/stand) in the first part of the animation, you can sometimes cause some additional weapon transitions. I'm not quite sure why this happens yet.
  
• I've not bothered to test it in MP, I've no clue how it behaves there. (Should be ok now)
  
• Binding the switch actions to mouse buttons will not work, mouse clicks are not handled, but requires a change/fix to work correctly (http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=10766) (Using a different method now)
  

You can find the source code on GitHub. I'd welcome a review of the code and especially the config, as I might have messed up the inheritance in some way as I'm not up to speed on it.

It requires keybinds for the following entries:

I've used TAB+1/2 for myself as you can see, not perfect but also not conflicting with my other keybinds. You should be able to bind it to any combination you like. I suggest unbinding the default "Switch to handgun" and "Switch to launcher" keybinds as a precaution.

Here's a little preview of it as it is right now:

TLDR; instructions:

• Install the addon
  
• Bind "Custom controls > User Action 17" to whatever you want to be your "Switch to handgun" key
  
• Bind "Custom controls > User Action 18" to whatever you want to be your "Switch to launcher" key
  
• (Optional, precaution) Unbind your "Weapons > Switch gun / launcher" and "Weapons > Switch gun / handgun" from your controls, you won't be needing them anymore
  
• Be a badass
  

Download (version 1.4.5):

Dropbox

Steam Workshop

Source code on GitHub

Changelog:

Version 1.4.5:

• Made to be compatible with FFV.
  

Version 1.4.4:

• Made the switch to and from the launcher safer by disabling it via script until the switch is done
  
• Signed the addon
  

Version 1.4.3:

• Reduced the sliding, animation repeating and other shenanigans that happen in MP
  

Version 1.4.2:

• Switched to using functions library => removed dependency on XEH.
  
• Replaced spawns with calls to remove the need for checking whether we're switching - logic is now blocking so no need for that.
  
• Cleaned up config and fixed inheritance issue.
  

Version 1.4.1:

• Fixed an error that occurred while trying to switch from binocular slot weapons
  

Version 1.4:

• Fixed the inability to switch weapons with the keybinds we handle after team switch
  
• Result of "player" call is cached for the duration of a switch and passed along the function chain
  

Version 1.3:

• Added the emulating of the default switch action while prone, was lost due to controls being switched to custom ones
  
• Implemented lazy evaluation where applicable for unnoticeably faster decision making
  

Version 1.2:

• Refactored the control listening logic, making the stationary weapon switching more responsive.
  

Version 1.1:

• Added the $PBOPREFIX$
  
• Added support for the mouse buttons
  
• Removed the potential movement interruption resulting from handling the movement event
  
• Changed the key bind actions from "handgun/switchWeapon" to "User17/User18" to prevent the default action stopping the player
  
• Code refactoring
  

Version 1.0:

• Initial release
  

Special thanks:

Deadfast - Code changes, fixing up my shoddy config work, teaching me about quirks of the scripting scheduling

Drxi, Alejandro, Aseliot, ImClarky - Being awesome test subjects during the MP testing

Edited March 4, 2015 by Sniperwolf572
Version 1.4.5 released - Armaholic mirror

[bad benson 1733]

very nice! i actually was going to make something like this myself but this seems to be perfect. i assume you set up the default switching anims as gestures with a proper skeleton mask?

anyways. good job! will try this out and give some feedback as soon as i get home.

[Sniperwolf572 758]

very nice! i actually was going to make something like this myself but this seems to be perfect. i assume you set up the default switching anims as gestures with a proper skeleton mask?

anyways. good job! will try this out and give some feedback as soon as i get home.

Thanks! Actually I've created new gestures that point to the default switch files, as not to modify anything existing. But yeah, masks combined with weapon IK curves seem like really powerful tools. Wasn't aware it was that flexible. :)

[bad benson 1733]

Actually I've created new gestures that point to the default switch files

that's what i meant. good job man. can't wait to try it. seems like it's well executed.

[froggyluv 2136]

Very nice! Just curious how you press Tab+1 while holding 'W' to move forward? I tried binding it to my side mouse buttons but for some reason the soldier will revert and stop as before

[Sniperwolf572 758]

Very nice! Just curious how you press Tab+1 while holding 'W' to move forward? I tried binding it to my side mouse buttons but for some reason the soldier will revert and stop as before

Sorry about that, I'll have to look into the mouse buttons, it's probably due to the event handler's keyDown event. Keyboard keys should work.

My Tab+1 can be pressed with 1 finger as 1 is right next to it and tab+2 requires ring finger on the tab and a slight slide up of the middle finger to reach 2. :p

Edited June 29, 2013 by Sniperwolf572

[ck-claw 1]

Nice work- followed your 'Proof of concept' in the other thread! :cool:

[Sniperwolf572 758]

Very nice! Just curious how you press Tab+1 while holding 'W' to move forward? I tried binding it to my side mouse buttons but for some reason the soldier will revert and stop as before

Some bad news here, apparently MouseButtonDown/Up events can't be "handled", which means I can't "deny" the event which is generated by the keybind itself by returning "true" from the event itself.

[down8 30]

Thank you very much!!!

[ghostnineone 10]

Awesome! do you know if the fast transitions mod would mess this up?

[froggyluv 2136]

Some bad news here, apparently MouseButtonDown/Up events can't be "handled", which means I can't "deny" the event which is generated by the keybind itself by returning "true" from the event itself.

It's cool - time for me to learn some new OFP muscle memory anyways :p

[ghostnineone 10]

This isn't working for me :(

[Sniperwolf572 758]

This isn't working for me :(

Are you running it with latest CBA_A3 and have correctly defined the keys from the first post?

[ghostnineone 10]

Are you running it with latest CBA_A3 and have correctly defined the keys from the first post?

I'm pretty sure I am. I'm not using tab 1 and tab 2. I had them assigned to ctrl R and Ctrl T, but I tried other key combinations too.

Also, you said mouse clicks don't work, does it work if you assign a key to a mouse button, instead of mouse button 2,3,4, etc?

[Sniperwolf572 758]

I'm pretty sure I am. I'm not using tab 1 and tab 2. I had them assigned to ctrl R and Ctrl T, but I tried other key combinations too.

Just tried, looks like some keys in combos don't correctly interrupt, stop movement or conflict. For example, CTRL being tied to stance adjust, R being reload, etc. It seems to be related to multiple things with the same modifier and that I'm listening for the weapon switch action. Shift+1 seems to work ok, but Shift+R doesn't, etc.

Apparently I've hit a combo with Tab+1/2 that works really well for myself. :p I'll see if I can find some workaround for this tomorrow. Try Tab+1/2 anyway, just to make sure.

Also, you said mouse clicks don't work, does it work if you assign a key to a mouse button, instead of mouse button 2,3,4, etc?

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Any combo that relies on the mouse buttons probably won't work as there's nothing listening for mouse buttons right now.

[ghostnineone 10]

Just tried, looks like some keys in combos don't correctly interrupt, stop movement or conflict. For example, CTRL being tied to stance adjust, R being reload, etc. It seems to be related to multiple things with the same modifier and that I'm listening for the weapon switch action. Shift+1 seems to work ok, but Shift+R doesn't, etc.

Apparently I've hit a combo with Tab+1/2 that works really well for myself. :p I'll see if I can find some workaround for this tomorrow. Try Tab+1/2 anyway, just to make sure.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Any combo that relies on the mouse buttons probably won't work as there's nothing listening for mouse buttons right now.

I mean if I bound my mouse button to something like Shift, does that not work?

and I will try that, I am also using the dev build. I forgot to mention that.

[Sniperwolf572 758]

I mean if I bound my mouse button to something like Shift, does that not work?

and I will try that, I am also using the dev build. I forgot to mention that.

Dev build is ok, stable is for babies. :)

I'm not sure really if remaping the mouse buttons to other keys will work. As long as the button doesn't have conflicting actions and the game detects it as key press instead of a mouse click it might work. Try it out and let me know. :)

[ghostnineone 10]

I tried tab one and two and it doesn't work. I definitely have the newest version of CBA, it could be a conflict but I don't know with what...

edit. i fixed it.

edit: if i use tab 1 it works, if i assign tab to one of my mouse buttons it works :D

I have a logitech g500

Edited June 29, 2013 by ghostnineone

[toiletguy 1]

You should try to put it up on Armaholic. :rolleyes:

[.kju 3244]

Maybe some day BI fixes it..

displayAddEventHandler 'MouseButtonDown' with return true, still executes mouse action

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Very nice work there!

[Sniperwolf572 758]

I tried tab one and two and it doesn't work. I definitely have the newest version of CBA, it could be a conflict but I don't know with what...

edit. i fixed it.

edit: if i use tab 1 it works, if i assign tab to one of my mouse buttons it works :D

I have a logitech g500

Excellent! Can you share what made the TAB+1 work in case other people run into that same issue?

;2428823']Maybe some day BI fixes it..

displayAddEventHandler 'MouseButtonDown' with return true' date=' still executes mouse action[/url']

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Very nice work there!

Thank you. :) I wasn't aware it was yet another age old issue. :( I've also reported it last night to the BI feedback tracker here, fingers crossed that we'll get it solved this time around.

Edited June 30, 2013 by Sniperwolf572

[enex 11]

Big thanks for release!You are my hero.

Also upvoted.

[Dwarden 1125]

nice one, once again :p

[ghostnineone 10]

Excellent! Can you share what made the TAB+1 work in case other people run into that same issue

I thought I copied and pasted the addon but I didn't :blush:

Also is there any work around to using other keys? I have tab now instead of ctrl on my mouse button, i had a lot of things attached to the ctrl key, so something like ctrl r or ctrl middle mouse or something would be really nice

[Codeine 1]

Where do i put the file?

And what is "CBA_A3 and keybinds" mean?