Helicopter hover drop off

[Karlos 0]

Guys,

What I would like to do is have a Littlebird fly into a town, hover just above the roof of a building and a sniper get off the chopper onto the roof then the ickle bird fly off, in a "Black Hawk Down" stylee,

Does anyone know how I could go about doing this?

Karlos

[BOPMatt 0]

A basic problem with your idea is the fact that (as far as I have experienced it) choppers in ofp have a very "far" prediction while moving making them change waypoints before they actually reach them (in order to make a smooth transition when going high speed  i think).

So you will need lots of waypoints in order to

A) make the chopper go slow enough

and

B) be able to somehow guarantee the insertion point

A) is not really a problem:

You can use a set of waypoints close together all set to "limited" and additionally define short (1s will do) timeouts to slow down the chopper (or lock the WP via script until insertions are complete)

B) imho _is_ a problem:

Since you will have to make the units who should be inserted eject from the chopper, you will have to make sure, the eject position for the desired chopper is above the spot you want to make the insertion and not the chopper itself (usually that would be close enough together but depending on the building below it might be too far already ).

Short Version:

Use a set of waypoints to slow down the chopper or lock the insertion point (WP). Then make your infantry eject from the chopper. The problem is precission ... depending on the insertion zone. IMHO that script will need a lot of testing and finetuning waypoints and timings and might in the end still be sort of instable...

[BOPMatt 0]

In order to illustrate the described problems I've just put a little example together:

Example SQM-File

Done with 1.85

Required AddOns: MH6v2 (Capt.Moore), EditorAddOn102

I suggest you preview the mission in the editor first before you take a closer look at the waypoints and the trigger.

I can't even guarantee that it will work fine on other machines than mine (the behaviour of especially helicopters in OFP is really tricky sometimes) but eventually you should see the MH6 drop off a soldier on a roof-top-like spot.

That was the good news...

The major problem is that most vehicles will never reach the exact location of a waypoint. So the most important waypoint in this case is not the one next to the trigger but the one next in line. If you change that waypoint you will most probably end up with the MH6 crashing into one of the buildings, going way too fast at the desired drop-off point or never reaching it at all.

Furthermore these waypoints only work with the MH6 since it is the only one small enough and with its' eject-coordinates on the right hand. Any Blackhawk or Huey for example will either crash or drop the soldier to his death.

You see it is possible but not in any way comfortable to handle since any changes in the mission might force you to redo the whole procedure and require a lot of testing runs (as most things in ofp do ).

The buildings with that flat roof-top from Resistance would be more easy to handle or at least would require less modifications if you for example decide to change the type of chopper but if I got you right that's not what you were after

[bwenke75 0]

I think it can be done.  If you are a good enough pilot, just fly toward the building slow down and hover over the building.  If you are no higher then 10 feet off the top of the building your guys can jump out and be just fine.  I've done it before its pretty fun.  Fast stop and drop.....

[Karlos 0]

BOPMatt,

I pretty much worked out how to get it working, but like you say it's difficult for the choppers to do it everytime. Just when i think I've got it right, the next time I load the game up and the mission, the choppers are falling short.

Getting the delta guys out of the choppers is fairly easy with a paradrop script and a trigger on top of the building. when it works it works well.

Tell me, could another way of doing it be by place an invisible H on top of the building, and then simply giving the chopper a transport unload waypoint? Problem is, I how do you make the H so that it's on top of the building? getpos commands?

Thanks for your help,

Karlos

[{HoD}Ferocious 0]

There is a Rapell script. Chopper gets to a position and your men jump out of the chopper no matter what hieght and land OK. NO parachute or anything...I found it kinda weak for what i wanted but perhaps a 5-10ft drop wont look bad at all.

Grizzly

[Karlos 0]

Grizzly,

I found the paradrop.sqs I have is more than adequate for getting the guys out of the chopper. The problem I'm having now though is getting the littlebirds to consisently stop above the building. 8 out of 10 times they will, and it works well, however the results are not consistent. Does anyone know if it's possible in some way to put an invisible H on top of a building? This would surely mean the chopper would stop in the same place everytime if I changed it's waypoint to a "transport unload" one

Thanks for all your help,

Karlos

[{HoD}Ferocious 0]

Well your using my theory. Test the 'whatever' 10times in a row. And after testing a million different 'whatevers' 8 out of 10 is the best your gonna get.

Myabe u need to add more leway for your choppers. Perhaps two building next to each other so if he doesn't land on one he definitely land on the other.

Its been my experience that sometimes unorthadox editing is the olnly way.

U can try putting the invisible H up higher.

In its init field type:

this setpos [(getpos this select 0), (getpos this select 1), (getpos this select 2)+ n]

n=the hieght.

Grizzly

[Karlos 0]

Thanks Grizzly,

I'll try the setpos idea tonight...

[whisperFFW06 0]

Using the invisible H should do the trick prefectly. Do not use a move command, but instead a doMove command.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">chopper flyInHeight 30

chopper doMove getPos HInvisible<span id='postcolor'>

Adjust the flyInHeight accordingly to buildings height.

Whis'

[{HoD}Ferocious 0]

LOL! Long live the invisible H.

For the heck of it i had a group of guys get in a chopper. Then gave that chopper a destination to unload transport. I set the invisible H to 10ft and no shit it hovered 10ft and they got out. I'm up on a hill right now...from the looks of it a couple got injured. Maybe 8ft will do. Pretty sure i heard a 'yelp'.

Thats a super simple but neat trick.

[Karlos 0]

Guys,

It doesn't work... I've put the invisible H on top of the building and in it's INIT field have entered the setpos line which grizzly suggested. Didn't work. The I tried putting a the domove line in the on activation field of the get out waypoint but this didn't work either.... please help..

Karlos

[Prospero 1]

OK, I'm not sure if this is right, but I've been meaning to try it out and just haven't got round to it:

If you're using a "custom" helicopter anyway, you could try changing the "precision" setting in the config.cpp. I haven't a clue about this, as I say, but I've suspected for a while now that "precision" determines how "precisely" a vehicle will move to a defined waypoint.

No guarantees. It probably won't work. And it may screw up how the helicopter flies during other waypointed movements.

Prospero

[Karlos 0]

Prospero.... I'll try that tonight.

Incidently, I tried everything Grizzly and whisper suggested again, this time not placing the H above a building and it worked fine. Hmmm, it only seems to not work when over a building. Anyone else got any other ideas?

Karlos

[JAP 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Karlos @ Nov. 04 2002,13:04)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Prospero.... I'll try that tonight.

Incidently, I tried everything Grizzly and whisper suggested again, this time not placing the H above a building and it worked fine.  Hmmm, it only seems to not work when over a building.  Anyone else got any other ideas?

Karlos<span id='postcolor'>

Invisible H sets itself on groundlevel when used on a building, Switch it to visible and you ll see.

Tried it myself, loads of time.

Why don t you just use the getpos command with the building name or ID ?

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">chopper doMove getPos object[number]<span id='postcolor'>

or

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">chopper doMove getPos buildingname<span id='postcolor'>

Comebine it with the flyinheight setting.

Cheers

[Karlos 0]

Jap,

Thanks for that I'll try it. But how do you get the building name/object number?

Karlos

[JAP 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Karlos @ Nov. 05 2002,10:39)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Jap,

Thanks for that I'll try it.  But how do you get the building name/object number?

Karlos<span id='postcolor'>

In the editor click on "Show ID" just below the show texture button.  A number will show up ontop of the object and that number you put in the trigger.

Cheers

/edit : This is only for objects that are on the map already. Objects you put on afterwards in the editor you gotta give a name and use method 2 in my first post.

[Karlos 0]

Ahhhh always wondered what that "show ID" button was for!

Cheers Jap, I'll try it out tonight and fingers crossed it's cracked!

Karlos

[Balschoiw 0]

Doesn´t work either. I have tested it with Object ID and unit on roof to get accurate coords. The helo goes to house, but not over it. It stops to far away to board or unload. It does not move over the house. Combatmode was set to blue.

EDIT :

Solution now found. Place a Game logic on map.

Use:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">this setpos [(getpos this select 0),(getpos this select 1),16];<span id='postcolor'> in its init field .

Name the logic "roof". This will lift the logic 16m from ground wich is 1m higher than the building I chose. Now place the game logic NOT directly at the house, but a bit left or right of it. Dont put it over roof. The helo wont go over the roof if it is placed on roof.

Ok now setup the helo. I chose a blackhawk, but I guess it works fine with others also.

If you just want to make the helo come to roof on triggered event it needs no further waypoints.

Now setup a trigger:

Activation: West

Trigger radius: 2

in on activation type:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">helo doMove getpos roof; helo flyinheight 16; helo setCombatMode "Blue";<span id='postcolor'>

Ok now insert the player and call it "player"

That´s it.  the helo will hover over the roof so you can get into it. Same with ejecting from helo.

[Karlos 0]

Balschoiw,

that works like a dream! Thanks..... the only problem I have now is getting the chopper to go somewhere else after it's dropped off my delta guys... Any ideas?

Thanks for all your help!

[Balschoiw 0]

easy. place another trigger that fires when helo arrives over roof. put 10 secs or whatever in all 3 time fields. in On activation type same that brought helo to house. But choose another target. Place a game logic an the map where you want the helo to go and name it:

way3

now put this into onactivation:

helo doMove way3 ; helo flyinheight 60; helo setCombatMode "Red";

helo will move to way3 after 10 secs hovering above the building.

at way3 you can make another trigger that makes the helo land with :

helo land"Land";

in on activation field.

There is a shorter way by using the "player in helo" command. But the opposite of it. I dont have the syntax in mind, so I come up with upper solution.

[Karlos 0]

Great stuff Balschoiw,

I'm at work at the moment but I'll give it a try tonight!

Cheers,

Karlos

[Karlos 0]

Balschoiw,

Works like a dream, thanks. Just one more question....

When moving to the first game logic (the one by the building) if the chopper comes under fire, he immediately accelerates and goes into evasive action. Is there anyway I can get him to just chill out and not do anything until he reaches the second trigger? I've got his combatmode set to "blue" but this doesnt seem to make any difference.

Thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated

Karlos

[Yamato 0]

It turns out that I'm making a CQB_Save the hostage kindda MP Coop mission.

What I did is (made the player and the playable to land over a factory in Nogova), I disableAI "Move" the chopper so I can control it precisely.

I made .. I don't know.. about 60 wpts for chopper so I can control him precisely as well.

When it was time for my men to disembark, I set the chopper's wpt to 'HOLD' and coordinated its placement so the chopper will stop at exactly the point I wanted it to stop.

I was successful in putting the chopper over the INS point all the time.

...The only thing is that each time the aircraft's behavior updates along the patches, the success rate (of landing) changes...

Good luck///

[Balschoiw 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Balschoiw,

Works like a dream, thanks. Just one more question....

When moving to the first game logic (the one by the building) if the chopper comes under fire, he immediately accelerates and goes into evasive action. Is there anyway I can get him to just chill out and not do anything until he reaches the second trigger? I've got his combatmode set to "blue" but this doesnt seem to make any difference.

Thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated

<span id='postcolor'>

You can avoid fire (the helo will always break away at a certain amount of damage) by using

this setcaptive true

in the init of the helo. This way the helo will be treated as a captive and not been fired upon. Use:

this setcaptive false

in any trigger on it´s further way, so it will be attacked and with

this setcombatmode "RED";

it will fire back.