U.C.S.V. Cargo & Support Drone

[mp5gosu 10]

U.C.S.V.

Unmanned Cargo & Support Vehicle (1.5)

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Description:

The ultimate lightweight transport solution. The U.C.S.V. (Unmanned Cargo and Support Vehicle). The purpose of this unity is simple: Transporting.

It is designed as a very flexible, lightweight and fast aerial unit to provide strong and efficient logistics support.

This is my very first addon for ARMA ever. So if there are any bugs, let me know.

Any feedback and critics are welcome and appreciated.

With v1.5, the lifting module became obsolete and should not be used anymore. However, it is still possible to use it - in case BIS plans to add the ability to disable Sling Loading on particular vehicles.

If you use both Lifting functions, they may behave wrong and/or funny. Yes, you can use them at the same time.

However, this is not recommended. Module support will be completely dropped in the future, if Sling Loading will not be disableable.

Features (updated):

• UAV Unit, controllable via Terminal (FACTION >> Autonomous >> UCSV)
  
• Usable with BluFor, OpFor and Independent Units
  
• Thermal Image Texture included
  
• 4 Resolution LODs
  
• Lashing models
  
• Easy-to-configure Lifting module (Mission Editor >> Modules >> Misc >> U.C.S.V. Lifting module) (OBSOLETE)
  
• Paradrop
  
• Customizable Textures
  
• Signature Key included
  
• Server Key included
  
• Low Polycount
  
• Tilt-Rotor
  

Changes 1.50:

• added A3 Sling Load compatibility (Lifting module is now obsolete)
  
• adjusted fuel consumption rate
  
• added winch hitpoint
  

Changelog:

1.42

• fixed supply crate offset again (hopefully, BIS doesn't break it again)
  
• fixed lifting module visibility for Zeus (will need more tweaking for upcoming releases)
  
• pbo cleanup
  

1.41

• fixed supply crate offsets (thanks BIS! :icon_twisted:)
  
• added center of mass hard limit
  

1.4

• fixed certain options (Whitelist/BlackList, etc.)
  
• default Go-Kart lifting added
  

1.3

• improved Lashings (model/texture)
  
• Parameters moved to module (init.sqf obsolete now!)
  
• added new parameter "Allow Crew"
  
• First, slight script optimization
  
• Fixed tilt rotor (inconsitent update rate when VSync enabled)
  
• adjusted tilt rotor behaviour
  
• fixed Lift-Script
  
• changed/finalized flight model
  
• adjusted engine sounds (interior/exterior)
  
• updated manual
  
• minor fixes/improvements
  

1.2

• Added lashings models
  
• general cleanup
  
• sound adjustments
  
• flight model adjustments
  
• mass corrected
  
• wreck physics improved
  
• wreck shadow fixed
  
• detail textures added
  
• Exhaust effects adjusted
  
• scripts have been rewritten
  
• Tilt Rotor functionality added
  
• PiP Camera for Cargo Bay added
  
• damage resistance adjusted
  
• Lifting capability added
  
• paradrop system added
  
• marker options for paradrop added
  
• removed flare launcher
  
• quick start manual added (ucsv_manual.pdf)
  

1.1

• fixed Shading
  
• enhanced/reworked textures
  
• additional texture added
  
• more details added
  
• flight model changed to helicopter behavior due the lack of an appropriate flight model
  
• config has been completeley rewritten
  
• Field Manual entry added
  
• Mod-Descriptions & Graphics added
  
• highly optimized all LODs
  
• added flare launcher
  
• added PiP functionality
  
• adjusted pilot and optics view
  
• adjusted general behavior to act more natural (fuel consumption, fuel amount, handling, etc.)
  
• Wreck LOD added
  
• Shadowcasting improved
  
• size adjustments (now actually 2.90m in height)
  
• clanlogo support added (in case BIS supports them sometime and removes UAV AI drivers - not functional right now)
  
• removed hooking ability (please refer to available scripts like "LIFTER" or "Helicopter Transportation" until an update with hooking support gets released)
  
• optimized performance
  
• unnecessary nametags removed
  

Known issues:

• Lights do not work for UAVs due to a bug in A3
  
• Clanlogos not working
  

TODO:

• More script optimization
  
• various improvements
  
• add POD support
  

Download:

Unmanned Cargo & Support Vehicle U.C.S.V. v1.42

Alternative: j4p_ucsv_v150.zip (~19MB)

And the included readme.txt (latest)

Steam: Go to Steam Workshop

Activate Lifting:

Place module in the editor.

Mission Editor >> Modules >> Misc >> U.C.S.V. Lifting module

Classnames:

B_UCSV_01: BLUFOR >> Autonomous >> U.C.S.V

B_UCSV_02: BLUFOR >> Autonomous >> U.C.S.V. Silver

O_UCSV_01: OPFOR >> Autonomous >> U.C.S.V.

I_UCSV_01: Independant >> Autonomous >> U.C.S.V. Bumblebee

I_UCSV_02: Independant >> Autonomous >> U.C.S.V.

Bonus:

And as a compensation for the long time waiting for an update, here's a little gift.

Many people in the Arma Community doing a lot of reskins and stuff - which is amazing! The diversity of skins has grown extremely, so here's a little contribution, if some wants to reskin this mod.

You can download a small texture kit (Photoshop CS5 document), which holds all selections, the UV Set, AO/Cavitiy Maps, Dirt Layer, base texture etc. here:

ucsv_texture_kit.rar (~30MB).

And this is what you will find inside:

Edited December 26, 2014 by mp5gosu
New version

[Kumeda 6]

Looks awsome. How many poly does it has? To be honest im not sure if your drone concept would work in reality so :D. Even as you kind of strech the wings through the hole model your engins might not have enough output power to reach the nessecary speed for upward forces, but thats just a guess. Secondly with only 2 engins your drone might be bend to be instable while in hovering mode (as well as in flying mode), especially with a load connected to it. So basically what i try to say is. As your drone shall be used for transport/lift the concept should be built arround it (stronger engins, stabel platform in combination with load attached to it ..free hanging load is bad!)

... but well screw that..its a game and your design and the idea are awesome :D

By the way some kind of reference for the size would be nice ;)

Edited August 29, 2013 by Kumeda

[mp5gosu 10]

Thanks for your input. :)

The Highpoly has about 4Mio Polys. :D I know, this wouldn't be neccessary but I modelled every detail and smoothed it out. For some sections you simply need that high Polycount. (I'm working in the 3D industry and believe me - 4 Mio Polys for this is a joke).

And I strongly agree with you. I wasn't sure if this would work in reality. But somehow it could, even though the transport capacity and weight would be very limited (because of the small wings and so on - like you said). Maybe I could tweak this - ideas welcome.

Hovering - another good point. Since we're in the year 2038, we can assume that there's a highly advanced gyro/computing system for compensating those issues. :D

But seriously, I could add some flaps behind the rotors, to achieve more stability.

[Kumeda 6]

Flaps are a good idea but initally i thought your engins are tunable around the x axis what would make flaps less needed. Through tilting your wing around the axis in combination with the main flap and maby even the possibility to angle your rotors individually you can achive similar behavior i think. Like with the Ospery . This also will make quick turning possible but needs some animation ingame. 4 mi polys is alot! But you want to put that ingame.. i dont know what the limit is for one model.. but less might be good.

For stability i would suggest to put some kind of standard aerodynamic container under your main body where you store your goods. This would be good for the aerodynamic of your whole vehicle and to contain your center of mass in a specifc range. Also that container could be dockable to make loading quicker.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Kumeda

[mp5gosu 10]

The tilting of the wings is a basic function, yes. It's supposed to work similiar to the Osprey system. :)

The ingame animation is a part that will definitively come - O2 has everything aboard to achieve this rig. Proper Scripting does the rest. Like the MV22 in Arma2.

And don't get me wrong about the polycount. The game model now has 11600 Tri's (~5,9k Polys, 6,1k Vertices) - that's more than adequate and O2 as well as the engine can handle this with ease.

Since A3 cannot calculate Aerodynamics (unless BIS decides to create some mad CUDA GPU crunching algorithms to to so) it won't need an fixed attached aerodynamic container. Besides that, it is not part of the concept. Basic idea is: Carry anything. I know, it helps to bring more realism, but this is not planend on my side. Maybe later, if anything works as aspected. For now, I just want to get this working plausible. :)

Here are some pictures that show the different approaches for this concept:

http://www.aviationtoday.com/Assets/Image/Image-Transformer-1.png

http://www.darpa.mil/uploadedImages/Content/Our_Work/TTO/Programs/Transformer/TX_Lockheed_Martin.jpg

http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/1/5/a1ac8005-436b-484a-95e6-024c586881ec.Full.jpg

http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/9/0eb46c99-2c3c-4573-89f3-6a1326d1cec2.Full.jpg

http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/5/1/e5e0370d-aae6-48d6-a1b0-557e0f6175f9.Full.jpg

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3081789/2013_Transformer_02A_outpost_1267828237_6436.jpg

http://www.aviationtoday.com/Assets/Image/Image-Transformer-1.png

http://stiintasitehnica.com/stiri/transformer-tx-o-drona-pentru-transportul-greu/index.html

[skelig 27]

4 million polys? average vehicle in arma is around 20k..

[mp5gosu 10]

4 million polys? average vehicle in arma is around 20k..

The high poly (for baking) has 4m, game model now has around 5k. :)

[Kumeda 6]

That explains alot thanks. :D

Some of these concepts like http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3081789/2013_Transformer_02A_outpost_1267828237_6436.jpg do the container thing but as you said .. its a game after all :D. It will be awesome to see your ingame later.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Kumeda

[kremator 1064]

I like the idea of this. Now if you can make anautomatic 'find vehicle, lift vehicle, deliver vehicle' script with this thing it will be great!

Can you imagine this UAV delivering the UGV to an area !!

[SavageCDN 230]

Anything involving battlefield logistics is sexy :)

[ravenholme 50]

Anything involving battlefield logistics is sexy :)

This man knows what he is talking about.

[mp5gosu 10]

*deleted*

Edited September 1, 2013 by mp5gosu
Double Post

[mp5gosu 10]

I like the idea of this. Now if you can make anautomatic 'find vehicle, lift vehicle, deliver vehicle' script with this thing it will be great!

Can you imagine this UAV delivering the UGV to an area !!

That's a relly good idea!

Here's the final LowPoly. I left the Statistics on, so you can see the Polycount.

Hope, you like it for now.

Next Task: Texturing.

[3instein 10]

Very neat idea, will keep an eye on this project, good work,

Mick. :)

[GranolaBar 10]

Edit : oups ( was posted already but with preview)

For models from reals projects

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/Transformer_TX.html

More info : http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/TTO/Programs/Transformer_(TX).aspx

[mp5gosu 10]

Alright, Normalmap + Diffuse completed, Specular in progress. :)

The texture is used by the WEST faction. I will release the UV-Templates if anybody want them.

Here's my progress so far:

Hope, you guys like the texture.

Cheers!

[HitmanTwoActual 188]

Jaw is on the ground. Dear lord that looks amazing!

[bravom5 2]

This drone looks really cool! Nice work, I hope to fly it in game soon.:cool:

[kremator 1064]

Looking really sweet mp5gosu!!

[Brainbug 10]

Hope, you guys like the texture.

Quality is great, but the basic question: Would one use sky camo, ground camo or night camo colors on this type of Drone (i.e. grey, brown/green or black)? After all, this drones are different than the usual ones that fly high and stay up as long as possible, these thing would rather stay low and land more often, even stay on ground in the AO for some time while being (un)loaded. I personally would tend to ground camo on the top side, so it is easier to hide when parked on the ground. Maybe you consider making different versions of it in different colors.

[sgt_savage 586]

Looking good!!

Also personally love to see these in Arma 3 one day:

http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_bigdog.html

Sav

[mp5gosu 10]

Quality is great, but the basic question: Would one use sky camo, ground camo or night camo colors on this type of Drone (i.e. grey, brown/green or black)? After all, this drones are different than the usual ones that fly high and stay up as long as possible, these thing would rather stay low and land more often, even stay on ground in the AO for some time while being (un)loaded. I personally would tend to ground camo on the top side, so it is easier to hide when parked on the ground. Maybe you consider making different versions of it in different colors.

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, it is definitely planned that there will be more than this version. Different Camos (at least Digi Camo + Night Camo) will come.

[germanfragger 1]

OK about the Unit size currently it looks like it is as big as a Littebird am i right?

[mp5gosu 10]

Quite, yes. Current Dimensions: LOA is about 5.7m, Height: 3,87, Total Width: 10.6m. Carryport width is now at about 2.50m.

Maybe the size will need some adjustments. Currently I'm working on the model.cfg to test it ingame. If it's too big, some adjustments will take place.

[mp5gosu 10]

A quick update:

The model is almost finished - currently I'm tweaking the shadow LOD to be more consistent and look better. Next will be wiring the controllers.

I added some screenshots of the model ingame. I placed some vehicles and a unit for size comparison.

edit: At this point it seems that the model is quite big compared to the proportions of the other ones. This will be fixed.