When will Wiki be updated with Module updates, such as site module, Intel Modules etc

[thdman1511 4]

I would like to know whether descriptions of the modules in the Arma 3 editor will be explained on Wiki, As I would like to know what each section of the modules do. Some I managed to learn from using them. But other seem a little overwhelming. I have tried to look for most of the module in wiki, but to no avail. I did come across the Arma 3 Module Framework, however not much useful informations was found there.

Is there any where else that I can get the updated information from, if wiki is not going to be updated or do I have to keep asking about each module as I come across it. The lack of informations has holted my creativity, and I would love to have my creativity back again.

[mantls 2]

Check the Functions Viewer ingame, also a lot of stuff has been updated already.

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Category:Arma_3:_New_Scripting_Commands_List

[kylania 567]

Each module has a Show Info button on it when you place it which shows how it's used.

[spudly 10]

Except it doesn't. There are a couple of fairly cryptic lines which hint at the utility of the module.

The wiki itself looks like it has been written by the Microsoft technical documentation team. Technically correct, but almost entirely useless as a source of useable information.

That's a mild exaggeration, but it's fairly close to the mark. For someone new to Arma mission design, I'm alternately filled with love and cursing with frustration at the sketchiness of the documentation for the editor. What's the difference between the description.ext and the init.sqf? How do you actually use a custom texture? What about custom music?

Please, BIS, some useful documentation. Please.

[kylania 567]

Description.ext is run before the mission is loaded. It includes things like overview and server browser settings and multiplayer settings and intro options. It's exhaustively documented on the wiki.

init.sqf is a file that runs before the game starts but after description.ext has run.

Custom sounds are added via the cfgSounds entry in description.ext as it's considered a mission resource. The wiki shows how to add it and how to use it.

Custom textures are added to objects via the setObjectTexture command. You'd know about that command by reading the COMREF and familiarizing yourself with the available commands or seeing someone else use it.

[thdman1511 4]

I will admit things like the description is very well documented, Respawns documentation is written well enough to have a basic knowledge on what to do, but when it comes to the Modules, they tell you what its is used for, but it doesnt tell you how to use it in the editor, and Wiki has nothing on each of the modules, alot of things have changed in the modules, and with alot of thing that worked in the Alpha and the Beta no longer see, to work in full release of Arma 3.

I will admit alot of the knowledge that I have accummulated has been from the Community, and knowing which scripts to look at does at time become a nightmare because there are no description on what the coding is supposed to do and some of that knowledge has been passed onto by Kylania, But with the modules, i want to know exactly how to use it, I do read the function descriptions, and I do have some difficulties reading the coding and not all functions have descriptions on how to use them correctly, this is where I look for a simple detailed description on how to use it, correctly, how to place the modules on the map, or implement them through scripting, But alas I cannot find this out through wiki. I would search Sites Module, Module Site and I find no results. Arma 3 Module Framework, is there, but that only shows you how to create an addon for Arma 3, and nothing more. I more descriptive documentation would be appreciated, the Respawn Documentation explains it quite well, as does the Descriptions.ext documentation, and that is whats needed for the modules, unless someone is prepared to produce a Manual for the Arma 3 Editor Modules.

Not many tutorials on the use of the modules, are available, because the ones that are available no longer work the way they did because BI has either removed them, or updated them, but failed to update or introduce documentation on how to use them correctly. There is alot of object that are not included in the editor, and I am learning to use a script called GID- Object Placement Sytem, to add objects that are in the CfgVehicle which are not included in editor. I have so far logged over 800 objects. and which only a third of them may appear in the editor. So in someway I am learning some new scripting. But it would be easier if they were included in the editor. As I have run the script position the objects, then copy the coding to a script, then preview the script to see if that is the right object I want.

Sorry got a bit side tracked, but in regards, to the modules, there is no documentation on wiki explaining these modules and how to use them, what information is need to for it parameters etc. One tutorial on Patrol Module, lists parameters, what information do we have to place in those parameters, a Tutorial on it in youtube said it only works if we place civilians on the map and give them waypoints/Markers to follow, and then link the patrol module to it and then delete the civilians. As you can see, can be quite confusing. But I will keep looking and hopefully a community member know who to use these modules.

I downloaded a scenerio from Steam Workshop and it uses the Set AI Mode module, and Set Mode module in there mission, and I was confused and how it was used. And I dont want to frustrate the mission designers by constantly asking them how the coding works in the scripts they have written as it would take time away from Designing mission to explain the coding.

Sorry if this is a bit long, but it something I would love to do properly, and I thank those community members who have taken the time out to assist me with my enquiries over the past months. I am still learning even though it has been slow.

[kylania 567]

Well, the modules themselves were mostly broken or being developed basically till release and still onward. BI, Moricky especially, has been going a lot of work with documenting things for us on the wiki and in game, but hasn't had time to finish all the documents.

Many of the modules are just on-map fill-in-the-field replacements for normal scripting. Take the Set mode modules and all of the group modifier modules. All it goes is let you place a module, set some settings and synchronize it with a group instead of typing the setCombatMode command in the group leader's init field. It's supposedly making things easier, but it's letting people do things without understanding why they work is kind of how I view it. :)

As for the patrol module you're right, the video sounds confusing since it's not describing it properly. What you do is place down your patrol group(s). Then place down multiple civilians with waypoints. It'll pick a random synchronized group, give that group a random waypoint and delete everything else. This is explained on the Show Info page which was probably added after that tutorial I bet since those pages were a recent addition late in beta.

The fields of the module will have tool tips explaining what each field needs. For example the Groups Pool is an array (since it defaults to [] ) of config entries for groups. The waypoints pool is also an array of units to copy waypoints from. Basically a way to manually pick instead of synchronizing, you'll normally leave these as the default.

Tool tips on each field and the updated Show Info pages are basically "in game documentation" for the modules. I think BI tried to put it there before adding it to the wiki itself.

Also never be afraid to ask as many questions as you have here. Someone's probably done what you want to do and has a trick or best practice for getting it done. :)

[spudly 10]

Description.ext is run before the mission is loaded. It includes things like overview and server browser settings and multiplayer settings and intro options. It's exhaustively documented on the wiki.

init.sqf is a file that runs before the game starts but after description.ext has run.

Custom sounds are added via the cfgSounds entry in description.ext as it's considered a mission resource. The wiki shows how to add it and how to use it.

Custom textures are added to objects via the setObjectTexture command. You'd know about that command by reading the COMREF and familiarizing yourself with the available commands or seeing someone else use it.

With respect kylania, I think you missed my point.

Have a look at the COMREF you linked to. It's a list of links.

Lets say I want to add a streetlamp to the map. I can go to the third party class listing provided by SIX and find a classname which is "Land_LampStreet_F". It's in CfgVehicles. What? Vehicles? Never mind, work through it.

We have our streetlamp. That's great.

How do I place it? Once I've found out that you can place it with an object called a Game Logic - I invite you to read the "Show Info" on that, by the way - or you can place an invisible helipad where you want the lamp, then mess around in the init field of the helipad to turn it into a lamp, then delete the helipad. Again, that's great. How do I turn it on? Which command in that list - which I freely admit is very useful - turns it on?

I use a mod which exposes a lot of the previously hidden objects in the editor to enable me to place things like lamp posts and so on. Problem is, I can't find any light switches. There is no way to turn those lamps on.

Now I'm not looking for you to tell me how to do it, I've figured out some work-arounds, or I've dispensed with the need to use the object, which is a real shame.

What I would really really love is for BIS to release some documentation about the editor. Not just a couple of lines, but the comments which are no doubt embedded in the code. What does it do? What is it supposed to do? Proper documentation which is kept up to date. Try figuring out how to get some form of dynamic spawn happening, stumble across something called the "Skirmish" module, look in the editor and you'll just find a lonely leftover called the "Skirmish: Trigger", which seemingly does nothing.

I'm not hating on BIS, far from it. I know those guys are incredibly busy, but there is a clear need for some decent documentation. Also kylania, I really appreciate that you are willing to jump in and explain how this stuff works. But I shouldn't need to do that. I'm happy to dig through documentation and find the answer myself. I enjoy doing that, it's one of the reasons I code. But it shouldn't be necessary to need to write a forum post after two days of searching simply to turn a street light on.

[euly 0]

Unless they allow user additions to the wiki, the module information will probably not be documented. They didn't document the modules for ArmA, ArmA 2, or Operation Arrowhead (at least not well), so that record speaks for itself. Kylania is correct, in that the modules are simplified methods of automated scripting which used to be done manually in OFP. I wish BIS will take the time to finish the documentation, but I'm not getting my hopes up. BIS's reliance on the community irritates me when people point to either third-party documentation on random often-outdated websites (some trying to recruit me into their clan) or worse, to SIX's awful mess of overly complex listings.

[Vigil Vindex 64]

An actual proper, open wiki for the community to contribute to would be a good step towards solving the problems with documentation. I already raised this idea with Dwarden and it was not considered a priority. I hope this idea gets reconsidered, as for a wiki to be effective it needs to be open to get as many contributors as possible.

[kupcho 19]

I agree with Spudly. The editor is nice, but most of the modules are pretty cryptic. It seems like they're written for folks that already understand scripting. And the same applies to a lot of BIs wiki pages. It may explain what a command (?) is, but it doesn't necessarily tell you HOW to implement it. Do I put this in the description sqm? Is it something that has to be in a specific sequence? Maybe it should go into the init field of the unit I'm trying to change...I don't know since it's not fully explained.

My knowledge of scripting is poor, and the only way I've been able to accomplish anything worthwhile, is to snag a mission (written by somebody else) that I can open via the editor, and perform a layman's attempt at reverse engineering it. Usually, although I can get some things to work for me, I still have no idea WHY it worked.

It would be nice to have something to reference when I need to use one of the modules.

Maybe some of the people that DO understand them could post a user guide on the individual modules. Explain if it needs to be NAMED. What is the INITIALIZATION field do or need? Nothing should be considered too basic for the end reader. Maybe even give a few examples of how changing the data (or whatever it's called) within these fields would affect its use.

As I stated at the beginning, I'm FAR from an expert but, I'll even try to post one as soon as I'm absolutely sure about what I'm posting (and I figure out how to produce a guide).

The thing that makes ARMA special to me, is that new missions can be written by anyone. And if we could make a guide so that even people brand new to the game (like me), could better understand the tools to make the missions...then we all would have more people writing them. And they'd be better missions too.

[smacker909 3]

Is there any wiki (or other) documentation on the modules from BIS? I haven't found any , but thought I'd ask in case I missed something.

[pipyn1970 19]

I would love to learn how to use modules like radio's, tracers (how to turn them off via triggers), base alarms but there is a lack of tutorials for them.

[cobra4v320 27]

I might try and put something together, but tracers is pretty easy.

Place the tracer module and select what color tracer you want. Select the min and max time the tracers will fire. You can do random placement, probability of presence or even make your own condition like player distance modulename > 500.

In order to stop the tracer module you should name it, something like tracerMod1. Then in a radio trigger for testing purposes put:

_null = [] spawn {
    _veh = tracerMod1 getvariable ["bis_fnc_moduleTracers_veh",objnull];
    {deleteVehicle _x} forEach (crew _veh) + [_veh];
    deleteVehicle tracerMod1;
};

The above code will delete the boat, the gunner, and the module.

Note: The tracers module is actually a hidden MG boat about 10 meters off the ground. If you place one and notice the red and green lights those are the collision lights of the boat. If you shoot at the boat and damage it enough the soldier in the boat will jump out and will become visible.

Edited March 27, 2014 by cobra4v320