Dead Simple Helo Lifting Script

[profcupcake 11]

Sling-loading has been added as a default feature now. Why are you looking at this?

A simple, lightweight script that enables helicopters to carry ground/sea vehicles around. Works for all helicopters and ground/sea vehicles, no matter what, and also includes optional blacklists if you want to restrict certain vehicles. I once again lack a third sentence.

KNOWN ISSUES

• The lifted vehicle has neither physics nor collisions. I don't think there's a way for me to fix this simply.
  
• There is no performance impact on the helicopter when lifting. I've basically given up on this for now.
  

Download link

Armaholic page

Edited December 4, 2014 by ProfCupcake

[SOFTACT 10]

For your issue of performance impact, just add "setdamage 1" that should make some impact ;]

Good Script!

[Grumpy Old Man 3540]

To fix missing collision/physX for lifted vehicles you could have a look into using setVelocity.

I recall someone doing a towing script with setVelocity instead of attachTo back in Arma2, was looking very authentic, you can see the video here:

From what I know this script had some serious issues with possible desync in multiplayer making lifted vehicles wobble into the chopper, no idea if it is in any way fixable.

For the performance impact you could use the setMass command, don't know if it has any impact on vehicle PhysX other than a higher fuel consumption maybe.

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMass

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

Dead Simple Helo Lifting

================================================

We have also "connected" these pages to your account on Armaholic.

This means in the future you will be able to maintain these pages yourself if you wish to do so. Once this new feature is ready we will contact you about it and explain how things work and what options you have.

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[tinter 184]

For the action issues, you should be able to add the action to the vehicle that's towing and having a requirement for using the action be that you're in the pilot seat of the helicopter.

[profcupcake 11]

Update coming soon. Adding the ability to lift boats and the aforementioned 'blacklist'. Brace for impact at about 1400 GMT tomorrow.

*words*

Thanks for the tip - I'll experiment with these and see if they work for my purposes.

---------- Post added at 12:10 ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 ----------

For the action issues, you should be able to add the action to the vehicle that's towing and having a requirement for using the action be that you're in the pilot seat of the helicopter.

But is there a way to do that which will make it work for all helicopters no matter what, and without manually adding the command?

[Qbz 10]

Can AI aswell do this ? If the script is added.

Say i have a Chopper (BLUEFOR AI) on ground, then have a empty Hunter on ground next to it. Have the Chopper LOAD UP waypoint, and then LOAD OUT at another loacation, where my squad will recieve the empty vehicles... ?

Is this possible, of so.. how shall i do it in editor ? :)

THanks

[profcupcake 11]

UPDATE

• You can now lift boats.
  
• Added 2 blacklist parameters (one for ground/sea vehicles, one for helicopters). These are explained in the USAGE.txt.
  

---------- Post added at 10:35 ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 ----------

Can AI aswell do this ? If the script is added.

Say i have a Chopper (BLUEFOR AI) on ground, then have a empty Hunter on ground next to it. Have the Chopper LOAD UP waypoint, and then LOAD OUT at another loacation, where my squad will recieve the empty vehicles... ?

Is this possible, of so.. how shall i do it in editor ? :)

THanks

That isn't really possible with this script, but shouldn't be too hard to achieve if you use the "ON ACT" field in the waypoints, and the commands attachTo and detach. Those are the commands which I use for the actual lifting part of this script (the rest of it is just action handling and detecting nearby vehicles).

It's not a dynamic solution, though; it will only work for the waypoints and vehicles you assign to it (obviously). I might look into doing this sort of thing in proper script form when I understand the AI and waypoint handling a bit better.

[Grumpy Old Man 3540]

But is there a way to do that which will make it work for all helicopters no matter what, and without manually adding the command?

this could probably work with the nearEntities command, you can filter for certain vehicle types and it only returns alive units.

[profcupcake 11]

this could probably work with the nearEntities command, you can filter for certain vehicle types and it only returns alive units.

Possibly, but with that method I'd have to keep checking for ones that have been spawned after mission start.

There is a method that I'm kind of working on, but there are a few details for me to iron out.

[Guest]

New version frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

Dead Simple Helo Lifting

================================================

We have also "connected" these pages to your account on Armaholic.

This means in the future you will be able to maintain these pages yourself if you wish to do so. Once this new feature is ready we will contact you about it and explain how things work and what options you have.

When you have any questions already feel free to PM or email me!

[fight9 14]

Dead simple... I like your style. This scripts is so much easier and more reliable than some other lift scripts around. Thank you for sharing it.

I did want to show you one issue. Some vehicles leave tread marks on the ground while you lift them around. I am not sure if you know this or not. I'll test as many vehicles as I can and report back to you.

Screenshot:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17023300/2013-12-14_00003.jpg (160 kB)

EDIT: It seems that all vehicles do this. They even have particle driving effects depending on what surface you are driving over. I guess that's where the "dead simple" part comes in. Either way, good work. Enjoying the simple script.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Fight9

[profcupcake 11]

Dead simple... I like your style. This scripts is so much easier and more reliable than some other lift scripts around. Thank you for sharing it.

I did want to show you one issue. Some vehicles leave tread marks on the ground while you lift them around. I am not sure if you know this or not. I'll test as many vehicles as I can and report back to you.

Screenshot:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17023300/2013-12-14_00003.jpg (160 kB)

EDIT: It seems that all vehicles do this. They even have particle driving effects depending on what surface you are driving over. I guess that's where the "dead simple" part comes in. Either way, good work. Enjoying the simple script.

Wow, I did not notice that. I think I have an idea of how I *could* fix that. I'll add that to my todo list.

EDIT: Fixed it already. The solution was exactly as simple as I hoped. Expect that in the next update. Not actually releasing it yet, as I have a couple of other changes to make.

Edited December 15, 2013 by ProfCupcake

[tinter 184]

Isn't it possible to add the action to helicopter when a vehicle is picked up?

Once the attach option is used that is.

[profcupcake 11]

Isn't it possible to add the action to helicopter when a vehicle is picked up?

Once the attach option is used that is.

Not really. 2 problems with that: It doesn't do anything for the attach action (which it needs to, otherwise you could just keep attaching things), and actions are local, therefore it'd still be only accessible by the client who attached the vehicle in the first place.

[tinter 184]

Use bis_fnc_mp? And I don't see what you mean by the first point.

[profcupcake 11]

Ah, screw it have an update anyway. This next one is going to take a while.

UPDATE

• Fixed: Vehicles make tyre tracks (etc.) across ground they are carried over.
  

---------- Post added at 15:25 ---------- Previous post was at 15:23 ----------

Use bis_fnc_mp? And I don't see what you mean by the first point.

Well huh, that's a useful function. Still doesn't solve my problems, but it will help.

[fight9 14]

Wow, I did not notice that. I think I have an idea of how I *could* fix that. I'll add that to my todo list.

EDIT: Fixed it already. The solution was exactly as simple as I hoped. Expect that in the next update. Not actually releasing it yet, as I have a couple of other changes to make.

That's cool. Thanks for the quick update.

Do you want to know another issue I noticed? I'm sure you do.

You can attach and detach vehicles at any negative speed. -n < 10

Edited December 16, 2013 by Fight9

[profcupcake 11]

That's cool. Thanks for the quick update.

Do you want to know another issue I noticed? I'm sure you do.

You can attach and detach vehicles at any negative speed. -n < 10

Gah, really? I guess that means it also fails to count sideways speed. So, basically, the 'speed' command actually returns velocity, not speed. Serves me right for expecting Arma scripting to make sense.

I'll test/fix this when I get back home today, which will probably be pretty late. Expect another small update by about 2130 GMT.

Edited December 16, 2013 by ProfCupcake

[Johnson11B2P 3]

Gah, really? I guess that means it also fails to count sideways speed. So, basically, the 'speed' command actually returns velocity, not speed. Serves me right for expecting Arma scripting to make sense.

The scripting makes sense but you have to put in conditions yourself to make sure it is logical. It only did what you programmed it to do.

 n < 11 && n > -11

This will allow the vehicle to be dropped with a speed of 10 or less.

[profcupcake 11]

UPDATE

• Fixed: Reverse speeds are counted as below the limit.
  

The scripting makes sense but you have to put in conditions yourself to make sure it is logical. It only did what you programmed it to do.

 n < 11 && n > -11

This will allow the vehicle to be dropped with a speed of 10 or less.

The syntax is arbritrary, the commands are misleading, some commands simply don't exist and the documentation is a mess.

Gah.

Also, just taking the absolute value makes it easier.

Edited December 17, 2013 by ProfCupcake

[Qbz 10]

UPDATE

• You can now lift boats.
  
• Added 2 blacklist parameters (one for ground/sea vehicles, one for helicopters). These are explained in the USAGE.txt.
  

---------- Post added at 10:35 ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 ----------

That isn't really possible with this script, but shouldn't be too hard to achieve if you use the "ON ACT" field in the waypoints, and the commands attachTo and detach. Those are the commands which I use for the actual lifting part of this script (the rest of it is just action handling and detecting nearby vehicles).

It's not a dynamic solution, though; it will only work for the waypoints and vehicles you assign to it (obviously). I might look into doing this sort of thing in proper script form when I understand the AI and waypoint handling a bit better.

Alright. Ty.

Yeah would be great to have that working.. Id like the AI to move ina chopper.. and set it down on the ground.. then leave.. for us to use the vehicles ;)

Oh well.. =)

[profcupcake 11]

UPDATE

• Changed how the actions are handled. It is now dependant on the helicopter you are in, not the player who activated it.
  
• Made the actions yellow.
  

A lot of frustration went into something which really should have been simple. Gah.

[profcupcake 11]

UPDATE

• Fixed: Sideways speeds count as less than the speed limit.
  

Note that vertical speed is not counted for the speed limit. This is intentional. Why? I don't know, ask a psychiatrist.

[Guest]

Updated version frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

Dead Simple Helo Lifting

================================================

We have also "connected" these pages to your account on Armaholic.

This means in the future you will be able to maintain these pages yourself if you wish to do so. Once this new feature is ready we will contact you about it and explain how things work and what options you have.

When you have any questions already feel free to PM or email me!

Edited December 22, 2013 by Guest
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