ArmA 2 C-130J and MV-22 Redux

[LCpl Aaron 11]

rotorlib is an XML file which is referenced in the config file for a helicopter, im not really sure what it is but i put it into one of my projects to see what happens when they activate it.

ex.

		class RotorLibHelicopterProperties
	{
		RTDconfig = "\CH-46\data\Heavy-GenHeli600-DesktopSim.xml";
		hasAPU = 1;
		APUOn = 5;
		APUOff = 5;
		starterTime = 6;
		throttleOffToIdle = 15;
		throttleIdleToOff = 18;
		throttleIdleToFull = 12;
		throttleFullToIdle = 20;
		autoHoverCorrection[] = {5,4,0};
		retreatBladeStallWarningSpeed = 92.583;
		maxhorizontalstabilizerleftstress = 8000;
		maxhorizontalstabilizerrightstress = 8000;
		maxmainrotorstress = 100000;
		maxtailrotorstress = 8000;
		maxtorque = 800;
		maxverticalstabilizerstress = 8000;
		rtd_center = "rtd_center";
		stressdamagepersec = 0.01;	
	};

some of the options inside that class work except the XML pretty much work and there could be arbitrary things in there from my copy/paste from the ghost hawk i believe is where i got this from. There is probably more to this but we will see when they put out documentation for us to use this or someone does alot of testing.

[BlackViperGaming 3]

Well i've been trying to get myself motivated to release this but what is really holding me back is the body aft of the wing. The original model is based on the prototype v-22 and somewhere between there and the mv-22b they changed the whole contour of the body behind the wing leading up to the tail. Fixing this up to mv-22b spec will require editing all three layers of textures, the model and the uv maps. Another hurdle is my use of transparent decals for all the markings, which i later learned cannot recieve shadows :( making it look stupid because all the decals will be glowing in the shade. I may have to settle for having all the features work and fix these annoying problems in a later update. As far as I know the detail level is acceptable, the instuments work and the animations and lights are complete. All i really need to do is fix up the copilot seat and instruments and do some cleanup here and there.

Now, Im not posting this trying to be naggy or anything and I will probably get a strike for posting this but I am just genuinely concerned about this mod. I fully realize that you Sakura have a "real life" aside from modding and I respect that. But we haven't really gotten any progress updates in about a month. Last post (as seen above) was posted on May 11th. From reading this post again it doesn't sound like you had to do a whole lot to get it to a releasable "Alpha" state. I hope you have been working on this, (because the "other" MV-22 port pretty much sucks compared to this) but I fully respect if you have had to put it off for a while to deal with "Real Life". Again I realize this is technically "asking for updates" but I just genuinely want to figure out where the state of this mod is at, and if we can be expecting for this to be finished, it would be a massive shame if this goes on like that "in vehicle radio player" that pretty much has been abandoned since December. Admins I fully understand the consequences for posting this but I just wanted to get my thought "out there". If this is taken down I take fully responsibility.

[sakura_chan 9]

I haven't worked on it recently, but I've not abandoned it by any means. During the spring and summer I spend most of my days outside. I really only do some modding if it is cold and rainy.

[mistyronin 1181]

I'll have to practice my secret rain dance movements... :p

[LykosMactire 298]

if he lived in the central US he would have a lot of time recently (radar shows storm after storm after storm)

[hitman538 10]

When is it coming!!!!!! i need it badly.!!

[LykosMactire 298]

When is it coming!!!!!! i need it badly.!!

dont ask for updates

[sakura_chan 9]

I made some significant progress on this today. I managed to convert the body to b-spec, which involved some major changes to the curves and body lines. In the end it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I didn't have to butcher the textures. The only thing holding me up at this point is figuring out how to set up the co-pilot's seat. This is a new feature for A3 and there isn't a working example of how to set it up. I can get the controls to work but the co-pilot won't appear in the cockpit for some reason.

[PVT Watt.J 14]

I made some significant progress on this today. I managed to convert the body to b-spec, which involved some major changes to the curves and body lines. In the end it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I didn't have to butcher the textures. The only thing holding me up at this point is figuring out how to set up the co-pilot's seat. This is a new feature for A3 and there isn't a working example of how to set it up. I can get the controls to work but the co-pilot won't appear in the cockpit for some reason.

Looking through the transport heli configs for possible answers, I'm thinking the issues is that the Pilot and Co-Pilot are showing up in different interior LODs. A fix to that would be to specify in the turret config that co-pilot uses gunner's LOD:

lodturnedin = 1100;

lodturnedout = 1100;

[{TCG}SandMan 10]

These look amazing, I will certainly be watching for your release! Really nice work!

[handicap 19]

In regards to the co-pilot seat; would it be possible to have it set up somewhat similar to the Hellcat? I can't remember if your V-22 is going to have a FLIR pod on it or not but, like the Hellcat/Konyo's Chinook/Yura's Blackhawk/Seahawk packs, the co-pilot has access to a FLIR pod and can fire/lock weapons on equipped vehicles. On the Hellcat, the flir pod also doubles as the search light, changing the angle of the main forward light to wherever the copilot is looking. It'd be neat, pending anyone actually using the V-22 for SAR purposes or things along those lines.

Just an idea from an inexperienced modder. :P

Can't wait to use both of these aircraft bossman. No doubt they're going to be gorgeous.

[deltagamer 612]

The only thing holding me up at this point is figuring out how to set up the co-pilot's seat. This is a new feature for A3 and there isn't a working example of how to set it up. I can get the controls to work but the co-pilot won't appear in the cockpit for some reason.

@Sakura_Chan did you figure out what to do with the co-pilot issues or are you still having problems with it?

- Great work on both of the aircraft, can't wait to fly them! :D

[BlackViperGaming 3]

I made some significant progress on this today. I managed to convert the body to b-spec, which involved some major changes to the curves and body lines. In the end it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I didn't have to butcher the textures. The only thing holding me up at this point is figuring out how to set up the co-pilot's seat. This is a new feature for A3 and there isn't a working example of how to set it up. I can get the controls to work but the co-pilot won't appear in the cockpit for some reason.

Figured out the copilot seat issue yet? If not I have a friend who might be able to help. Just let me know

---------- Post added at 16:05 ---------- Previous post was at 16:04 ----------

@Sakura_Chan did you figure out what to do with the co-pilot issues or are you still having problems with it?

- Great work on both of the aircraft, can't wait to fly them! :D

I can't wait as well. Im putting a modpack together for my new community and it's a really tough decision weather to have them download a 7-8 gb folder with all the mods and the "other" mv-22 or wait till this is finished before I release it to my community.

[LCpl Aaron 11]

i have a working example of the way a copilot seat works in a transport helicopter(atleast i think its correct), what are you having issues with? the config set up or the proxy?

[handicap 19]

Sakura, if you need any photos of anything ( I know I'm a bit late to the game here ) I work in one of the repair/refit depots for the V-22 and can get you a pretty detailed shot of anything you may need pending that it's not a classified item.

Can't wait to begin ferrying people around and dropping them out the back of this thing when you're finished.

[handicap 19]

The integrated m134's in the windows and ramp would be supremely awesome for the mv22!

A gun in the front door isn't possible and wouldn't even be implemented in RL as the tip of the rotor blade is 9" from the door in airplane mode (IE: Nacelles forward). The door also automatically locks shut once the nacelles pass a certain degree in downward rotation or once the wheels are off the ground. Rear ramp mounted M134's, 240's, M2's and the underbelly option, which folds down from the interior, are the accepted crew weapons at the moment.

Sakura: There are two (potentially three) things missing from the physical model if you're shooting for the Block B (Or C, judging by the second satcom array), very important items, actually.

Flare dispensers. :P

The reason you don't see them on many pictures of the V-22 is because they are often removed and covered when there is no threat of AA fire (Here in the states, for example), which is where about 90% of our pictures come from. Here's an image of a CV-22 (For this purpose they are identical in dispenser placement) where you can see the dispenser magazine (Sort of) just in front of the rear missile warning system sensors. http://www.1000pictures.com/aircraft/helos/cv22_flares.jpg (Another CV-22: http://img.over-blog-kiwi.com/0/54/74/56/201305/ob_34c838_bell-boeing-v-22-osprey-tiltrotor-aircraft-photo-.jpg) (Finally! An MV-22: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Marine_V-22_Osprey.jpg) All hard to see, unfortunately.

A technical thing and not needed, for sure, but if you were going for brutal accuracy of the model there are 3 total dispensers. 2 aft on the port and starboard sides just in front of the sensors and one on the belly just behind the front landing gear, angled forward a bit.

The pilot also generally sits on the right hand side of the aircraft. This is because it's much easier for the pilot to remove his left hand from his throttle to punch buttons on the MFD/CDU while sitting on the right side than it is to remove his right hand from the cyclic (or joystick) to manipulate the CDU/MFD's while in a hover or just general flight. There are also no rear view mirrors in the cockpit, that's a BIS addon.

(I showed your video to some guys from Bell/Boeing last week. They were thrilled. :P )

Small things of little importance though and really of no concern. Can't wait for you to put the final layer of polish on this baby so we can start running proper small team HALO's and troop ferrying.

[sakura_chan 9]

Thanks for the excellent help Handicap. The MV and CV seem to use different dispensers, it looks like the mv has two side by side and the cv has two vertically. It also looks like the CV has a taller/different panel behind the sensors. I assumed they are using standard 5x6 cartridge type dispensers, so it should look something like this for the MV, right?

and for the CV

one thing I don't have any good shots of is this thing (I don't know what it is):

as well as any real reference for the bottom.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Sakura_Chan

[handicap 19]

I only pointed them out because, while in the Marine Corps I only rode in them a handful of times in the states, so I never noticed the dispensers as they're usually removed while CONUS. My current job just put me through the V-22 Staff Trainer's course though so when they pointed them out it occured to me that I had never looked for them before and also never seen them in person.

I mention the in-person part because, according to the 800 page manual we were given, the MV's only mount one single dispenser. However, with pictures of two side by side dispensers I can't say it would be wrong to mount two. All I know for sure on the dispensers themselves is that the CV carries about 3 times the load of the MV due to it's primary role as a special ops bird for the Air Force.

As for that hook/arm/whatever that is on the belly, if it's on the starboard side I would imagine it's the tube where the fuel exits when they do a fuel dump. I know it exits aft/starboard and triggering it automatically disables the flare dispensers due to proximity/safety. I'll see if I can't get a more definitive answer from someone at the depot level.

Edit: Yeah, it's the line for the fuel dump or "Fuel Jettison" system.

How did you get those pictures? Haha. I googled for like 20 minutes trying to find a decent pic of the dispensers and could only grab what I linked above.

As for the belly: There's a second white floodlight just aft of the rear landing gear, in the center of the body, for spotlighting cargo pickups or the ground in general beneath the aircraft. There are also 2 more communication arrays located further up towards the nose of the aircraft that I'm trying to find good pictures of.

Are you planning on implementing formation lights? I can get you a diagram of their location as well.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Handicap

[sakura_chan 9]

Cool beans. Actually those were just photoshopped. Thanks to you I see the MV uses one dispenser per slot, and it uses the same dispenser as the UH-1Y which has tons of pictures of its dispensers. They are a lot bigger than I though as well and use round tubes instead of squares.

http://www.defense.gov/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2009-03/hires_090311-M-6770H-040a.jpg

I could definitely use the formation lights diagram, I have working ones already but I just pulled the position from the textures so they are probably inaccurate.

[handicap 19]

Cool beans. Actually those were just photoshopped. Thanks to you I see the MV uses one dispenser per slot, and it uses the same dispenser as the UH-1Y which has tons of pictures of its dispensers. They are a lot bigger than I though as well and use round tubes instead of squares.

http://www.defense.gov/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2009-03/hires_090311-M-6770H-040a.jpg

I could definitely use the formation lights diagram, I have working ones already but I just pulled the position from the textures so they are probably inaccurate.

I'll get that to you tonight. Textures may be partially accurate on the existing bird, I haven't looked at them myself but there are only 6 lights called out in the diagram. Two midwing, two nacelle, one on the outboard side of each tail wing.

Nice Photoshop work. Fooled me without even a second thought.

[gatordev 219]

Don't forget the rotor tip form lights.

FWIW, those ALE magazine boxes are a fairly standard item. 30 round boxes are the normal NAVAIR container and the ALE-49 system seems to have replaced the older ALE-39 launchers on the non-legacy aircraft.

[handicap 19]

Don't forget the rotor tip form lights.

FWIW, those ALE magazine boxes are a fairly standard item. 30 round boxes are the normal NAVAIR container and the ALE-49 system seems to have replaced the older ALE-39 launchers on the non-legacy aircraft.

Truth.

Do you hate NAVAIR as much as I do? :P

Rotor tip lights might be hard.. I was thinking about them the other day and how one would go about animating them between the stopped/low rpm/high rpm animation states of the rotors. They would be nice though, a neat touch for an ARMA 3 aircraft.

[Higher 10]

Good work.

[gatordev 219]

NAVAIR...the people that tell me we can't integrate a HUD into our aircraft unless it's paid for, despite there already being a system available that just needs a software update...but they won't return my emails telling me how much money they need (which we have waiting) to make it happen. But I digress...

I guess if the tip lights came on only at 100% RPM, it's a decent compromise, assuming the engine can handle it.

[Sullivan 10]

looks like an APU (Auxilary Power Unit) exhaust pipe.