Arma Connect (Android Application for Arma 3)

[firefly2442 6]

Arma Connect (Android Application)

Arma Connect is an Android application that connects with Arma 3. It is a client-side mod and plugin that connects to your Android phone or tablet through a local wireless connection.

Benefits

• Relatively easy installation (copy two mods and install the .apk application on your Android device).
• Low local network bandwidth usage.
• No messing with figuring out what IP address to connect to, Arma and the application can find one another.
• No Internet access or login required
• Fast live-updating of information

Additional details, feature set, and installation instructions here:

https://github.com/firefly2442/ArmaConnect

 

Current version: v0.03 alpha (I need testers!)

 

Download a compiled version of the mods, application, and everything you need here:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u6s6u9rjrkrabsk/AABHegbwkS0RMYHH2aV4sSe7a?dl=0

 

FAQ

• "I'm getting an error about a missing .dll file."
  Try installing the Visual Studio 2013 Redistributable.
• "Does it work for my Android device (tablet, version, etc.)?"
  I'm not sure, I really need testers! I believe any Android 3.0 and higher should work but I only have my phone to test on. If it works for you, please post your device details.
• "The application crashed!"
  Uh oh, please provide detailed instructions as to your device and what exactly you did and I'll try to check it out. You can also look at and post the log files to see more details.
• "This is kinda neat, can I use this or improve it?"
  Yes! All the code for the application, Arma2NET plugin, and Arma 3 mod are released under the GPLv3 on Github. Just fork the code and submit a pull request when you're done.
• "Why isn't this on the Google Play store?"
  The application uses map images from Arma 3 itself, thus I don't think it would be fair to BIS.
• "I installed everything but when I launch the application, it just says waiting for connection."
  Make sure your firewall isn't blocking anything and the Android device is connected to your local wireless. If that's all good, provide details as to your network setup and post ALL log files.
• "Are you going to do an iPhone or Windows Phone version?"
  No sorry. See Athena for a similar project on Windows Phones.

Edited May 28, 2017 by firefly2442
new testing release

[disco.modder 116]

wow looks really cool.. :D

just wondering if we put game-mode to Veteran (hardest gamemode) will players still be shown on Android device?

[firefly2442 6]

wow looks really cool.. :D

just wondering if we put game-mode to Veteran (hardest gamemode) will players still be shown on Android device?

Yes, right now it checks to see if you have a watch (date/time info) or GPS (map view and player location) as the only limitation for whether information is displayed or not.

[teeha 22]

This is REALLY cool!

Trying it out right now :D

[MrUnSavory 10]

Does anyone have exact instructions for installing this. This app is exactly what I have been looking for.

[scimitar 221]

I've been thinking that something like this would be really cool ever since I bought a tablet early this year. I can't wait to try this out!

***edit***

Wow! I just gave this a quick try. Installation was easy. I transferred the apk file to my tablet and installed it. After that adding the two @*** folders to my mod folder and then launching the game with them activated was all it took to get it working. I only had time to try one single player mission but unfortunately I didn't have a GPS so I couldn't try the map feature yet. All the other functions worked perfectly and appear to be in real time with no lag. The time display was synced perfectly to the exact second with the in game time. I'm really looking forward to trying this out more in game. The map feature should come in real handy while driving and it should be extremely useful while flying where checking the in game map at low altitudes can be disastrous.

I noticed that Gear/Inventory, Altitude and a Chat Log are possible future features. An Objective/Task screen with completed and uncompleted tasks listed would be helpful too if that's possible. This is an awesome mod and I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes. Well done firefly2442!

***edit again*** :)

I forgot to mention something. I don't know if it helps as far as information concerning compatible devices is concerned but I'm running the app using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 running Android version 4.4.2.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Scimitar

[firefly2442 6]

Does anyone have exact instructions for installing this. This app is exactly what I have been looking for.

https://github.com/firefly2442/ArmaConnect#installation

Glad people like it, I hope more people try it. I haven't had much time to work on it lately but there is definitely more stuff on my to-do list. :)

[Tankbuster 1744]

Eeek. Something isn't working for me. I'm getting 4 frames per minute! lol.

I followed the install instructions as best I could.. I put arma2connect in and that loads as a mod, but arma2net is not a mod? It's got dlls in it plus a folder called addins so it's not a mod. I just put arma2net folder in the game root, but am getting the super low framerate.

I have both the x64 and x86 versions of Visual Studio as confirmed by the fact my PC suggests doing an uninstall/repair when I run the installer.

The Android apps just sits, waiting for arma connection

edit1: Firewall confirmed open and framerate appears to be normal now but still no other progress.

arma2.net makes a small logfile with no errors,

11/22/2014 14:05:42 Arma2NET initializing on CLR 4.0.30319.18444
11/22/2014 14:05:42 Loading addins
11/22/2014 14:05:42 Loading addin assembly from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 3\@Arma2NET\Addins\Arma2NETConnect\Arma2NETConnectPlugin.dll
11/22/2014 14:05:42 Resolving assembly Arma2Net
11/22/2014 14:05:42 Loading assembly Arma2Net from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 3\@Arma2NET\Arma2Net.dll
11/22/2014 14:05:42 Found addin type Arma2NETConnectPlugin.Arma2NETConnectPlugin
11/22/2014 14:05:42 Loading addin Arma2NETConnect version 0.1.0.0 by firefly2442 (Passes information from Arma to Droid.)

but arma2netconnect doesnt make any log file at all.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Tankbuster

[scruffy 22]

Hi Firefly :)

A neat idea and working fine, I just tried your app and it worked on first try. My tablet is an old version 7" Nexus with Android 5.

Is it correct that the map view only works on Stratis so far?

My wishlist, adding to Scimitar: The option to show map markers would be nice.

So far it only checks if the player has a GPS device in his inventory. If you have got one of the UAV terminals, which include GPS functionalty, it doesn't work or when sitting inside a vehicle which provides a GPS.

@Tankbuster: I tested around a bit. The game hangs if I start without the @Arma2NET folder in my -mod= startup list. When using a shortcut with modline it works, but my Modmanager doesn't recognize the folder. Just creating an empty folder @Arma2NET\Addons allowed me to select it with my mod manager and it works again when I can start with both mod folders active. No idea what the integrated A3 menu or other launchers do, just use your own shortcut to Arma3.exe

[Tankbuster 1744]

Oh, some progress, thanks scruffy.

I'm a habitual user of ArmA3Sync launcher. I don't use to get mods, just as a launcher and server quick-joiner (damn you, steam browser). My findings below

Using your trick of putting an Addons folcer into the @Arma2Net folder tricks the launcher into loading and the Arma Connect shows both the weather and the time although it took a minute or so to get it. But, it never shows the map. In fact, I'm getting identical results using a shortcut modline too.

---------- Post added at 16:11 ---------- Previous post was at 16:04 ----------

Also, we're going to need bisigns and a key if we're are to use this on servers with sig checking turn on, which mine has.

---------- Post added at 16:13 ---------- Previous post was at 16:11 ----------

Hi Firefly :)

Is it correct that the map view only works on Stratis so far?

Aha! LOL, yes it works. :)

[firefly2442 6]

Thank you for testing, this input is extremely helpful. Yes, it only works with Stratis at the moment.

[theevancat 277]

I'll go see if this works with my Nexus 4 with Lollipop on it. I'll report back when it's tested.

[Tankbuster 1744]

Thank you for testing, this input is extremely helpful. Yes, it only works with Stratis at the moment.

No problem. Absolutely would love this to work and so am keen to help. I forgot to add, I'm using a Jellybean Galaxy S3.

[gimpymoo 10]

Great work.

Is there anything similar to this for dual screen PC setups?

Or, can anyone confirm if this works with Bluestacks?

I have tried and it did not work although am unsure if Bluestacks has any LAN return capabilities.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Gimpymoo

[firefly2442 6]

I have no experience with Bluestacks so I can't comment on that. The only other program/app that has similar functionality that I know of is Athena. http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?181928-Athena

Great work.

Is there anything similar to this for dual screen PC setups?

Or, can anyone confirm if this works with Bluestacks?

I have tried and it did not work although am unsure if Bluestacks has any LAN return capabilities.

[A.Cyprus 16]

Hello firefly2442

Thanks for your efforts in providing us with this innovative and useful addon/app.

I finally got my hands on a newer Android phone and thus have been able to give this a try. Been a long time coming, and I'm impressed.

Tested successfully on 4.4.4, (cm11 if that matters to you). It's simple to set up, the automatic scan-and-connect is a great mechanism and, as others have already said, the location updates on the app are seemingly instant and lag free. Having said that, I've only tried this in the editor so I'm not sure if a busy server would affect performance (I know it's clientside).

If the world was my oyster, I'd have this as a fully blown BLUFOR tracker, a la cTab but given that my interest is purely focused on the gps/map perspective and I don't really like seafood, my potential wishlist would "simply" include the following:

• live scrolling of the map and automatic centering on the player marker as it moves*
  
• contour only map view, without textures
  
• grid markings
  
• display of map markers added in game by players (nice to have)
  

*This would need a mechanism that allowed you to drag around the map too. Perhaps implement the scrolling/center-on feature as a toggle. Dragging manually would disable the toggle, you'd just need to tap a button again to re-activate.

Many thanks once again. Good stuff!

[totiselles 10]

Any chance of arma 2 version?

[firefly2442 6]

Any chance of arma 2 version?

Well, actually yes. I don't think there's anything there that would prevent you from using it with Arma 2. It would of course need the maps saved over but all the basic SQF code should work. I don't have much chance to work on this at the moment so Arma 2 support is pretty low on the list. I need to fix up the Android part currently. If anyone wants to help contribute, that would be awesome.

[Tankbuster 1744]

If anyone wants to help contribute, that would be awesome.

What sort of contributions are you looking for?

[firefly2442 6]

What sort of contributions are you looking for?

Well, my experience with Android apps is fairly limited. At the moment I'm having some trouble with synchronization between threads and crashing issues.

[Tankbuster 1744]

I that case, I can offer only encouragement. :) Or the occasional click on a donate button.

[firefly2442 6]

Well, I'm trying to get back into development of this application and mod (before I forget everything I did, hehe). I've made a couple changes on Github this evening but I'm still struggling with Android activities and threading. I think I'm running into some concurrency and/or race conditions. If anyone is an Android developer and could offer assistance I would sure appreciate it. :)

[firefly2442 6]

I've updated the compiled binaries and test version on Dropbox.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u6s6u9rjrkrabsk/AABHegbwkS0RMYHH2aV4sSe7a?dl=0

 

* New map download system (smaller APK binary)
* Bug fixes around threading and UI display
* New altitude display feature
* Updated upstream TileView library
* Added a low resolution version of Tanoa
* Altis and Stratis supported at fairly high resolution

 

Please give it a try and let me know what you think.  I'm curious to hear if people report any network issues with it.

[sammael 366]

I can`t download ArmaConnect app. when I press link  -page just reloaded and nothing  - so I download amaConnect-debug.apk from dropbox

Not working. Just sat 0% downloading maps

 

win 10x64

Galaxy S4

[firefly2442 6]

59 minutes ago, sammael said:

I can`t download ArmaConnect app. when I press link  -page just reloaded and nothing  - so I download amaConnect-debug.apk from dropbox

Not working. Just sat 0% downloading maps

 

win 10x64

Galaxy S4

 

Did you also install and run the two mods from the .7z?  Those are needed.  Arma 3 needs to be running with those mods in order to download the maps images.