JBOY Boat Random Patrol [Release]

[johnnyboy 3797]

Here's a random patrol script for boats.  It should work well for ambient boats.  It is currently not geared for combat boats, as combat AI would compete with the scripted move commands.  However it could be easily modified for a boat to exit this script if their behaviour changes to COMBAT.  The screenshots below show the random paths that 5 boats took during various time frames.  The last one ran 4 hours, so I think the script is pretty well tested now.

 

Challenges overcome:

1. Boats would run into the ground if move to pos too close to shore.  Solved by insuring moveTo pos had enough water in front and 90 degrees right, and 90 degrees left to execute a turn.

2. Boats still occasionally run aground or into a deep water piling or pier.  Solved by flipping boat 180 degrees when this occurs.  This is bad for immersion but better than a stuck boat.  May replace this someday with a slow rotation of boat 180 degrees that looks better.

3. AI simply stops responding to commandMove commands.  Sovled by deleting AI and replacing with new fresh AI driver if not responding for 30 seconds or more.  Downside, is new unit does not have same gear as unit replaced.  This is ok for ambient boats, but ultimately replacement units should be loaded with all same gear as unit being replaced.  Feel free to plug in your favorite gear replacement script here (send me a an integrated solution and I will credit you...but I'm not into doing this myself).

4. Scripts would die after awhile giving no error, and no longer logging diag_log messages per loop execution.  Solved by ending script, and spawning new script on same boat after 500 loop evolutions.

 

Put this script in your mission directory named Scripts:

 

 

// Put this execVM call in _unit's init in editor:
//    dummy = [this, "ColorBlue",true,2000] execVM "Scripts\JBOY_boatRandomPatrol.sqf";
// In demo mission, the colored markers assigned to these boats:
// Blue= speedboat minigun
// Red= RHIB
// Green= Rubber boat (zodiac)
// Yellow= Civ motorboat (speedboat)
if (!isServer)  exitwith {};
params ["_boat","_color","_showMarkers","_maxRadius"];

_driver = driver (vehicle _boat);
//_driver setBehaviour "CARELESS";
_driver disableAI "FSM";
_moveToPos = [];
_startPos = [];

// Function to get random position that is water and not too close to shore to minimize chance of boat getting stuck.
_fnc_getRandomPos = {
    private["_obj","_centerPos","_radius"];
    _obj = _this select 0;
    _centerPos = _this select 1;
    _radius = _this select 2;
    _posFound = false;
    _randomPos = [];
    _z = 0;
    _distance = 0;
    _dir=0;
    //_dir = random 360;
    while {!_posFound} do
    {
        _z = _z + 1;
        _distance = 500 + random 1500;
        if (_z > 15) then  // Look for good pos radially if 5 random directions failed.  Hopefully cures random chance of trying positions forever.
        {
            _dir = _dir + 10;
            if (_z > 36) then {_z=0;};
        } else {
            _dir = random 360;
        };
        ////diag_log ["in func",_obj,_distance, _dir];
        _randomPos = [_obj, _distance, _dir] call BIS_fnc_relPos;
        _randomPos2 = [_obj, (_distance+50), _dir] call BIS_fnc_relPos;
        _randomPos3 = [_randomPos, (_distance+50), (_dir -90)] call BIS_fnc_relPos;
        _randomPos4 = [_randomPos, (_distance+50), (_dir +90)] call BIS_fnc_relPos;
       // _randomPos5 = [_randomPos, (_distance+50), (_dir -45)] call BIS_fnc_relPos;
        //_randomPos6 = [_randomPos, (_distance+50), (_dir +45)] call BIS_fnc_relPos;
        // Check that water extends in front of pos, left of pos, and right of pos,
        // which gives boat room to turnaround (i.e., move to pos is good, but boat turns left or right and grounds)
        if ( surfaceIsWater _randomPos and (getTerrainHeightASL _randomPos) < -3 and
             surfaceIsWater _randomPos2 and (getTerrainHeightASL _randomPos2) < -3 and
             surfaceIsWater _randomPos3 and (getTerrainHeightASL _randomPos3) < -3 and
             surfaceIsWater _randomPos4 and (getTerrainHeightASL _randomPos4) < -3 and
             //surfaceIsWater _randomPos5 and (getTerrainHeightASL _randomPos5) < -3 and
             //surfaceIsWater _randomPos6 and (getTerrainHeightASL _randomPos6) < -3 and
             (_centerPos distance _randomPos) < _radius
            ) then
        {
            _posFound = true;
        };
        sleep .2;
    };
    _randomPos
};
_startPos = getpos _boat;
//diag_log [_boat,_startPos,_maxRadius];
_moveToPos =  [_boat,_startPos,_maxRadius]  call _fnc_getRandomPos;
_boat commandMove _moveToPos;
_vel = [];
_dir = 0;
//_unit = objNull;
_grp = group _boat;
_speed = 15; // speed to move stuck vehicle
_y = 0;
_prevPos = [0,0,0];
_x = 1;
_continue = true;
_ticsSinceLastStall = 0;
//diag_log [_boat,_color,_showMarkers,_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), (_boat distance _moveToPos),"_x",_x];
while {alive _boat and alive (driver _boat) and _continue and _x < 500} do
{
    ////diag_log [_boat,_color,_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), _prevPos, (_boat distance _prevPos),"_x",_x];
    _boat setFuel 1;
    if ((_boat distance _moveToPos) < 30 ) then
    {
        //diag_log ["b4 func",_boat,str _startPos,str _maxRadius, "depth",(getTerrainHeightASL (getpos _boat)),"_x",_x];
        _boat commandMove (getpos _boat); // move to current pos hopefully "completes" that move and resets ai
        _moveToPos = [_boat,_startPos,_maxRadius] call _fnc_getRandomPos;
        _boat commandMove _moveToPos;
        ////diag_log [_boat,_color,"New POS!!!!!",_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), _prevPos, (_boat distance _prevPos)];
   };
    if ((_boat distance _prevPos) < 3 and _x > 30) then  // boats stop for no reason some time, maybe re-commanding move will fix it
    {
        _ticsSinceLastStall = _ticsSinceLastStall +1;
        if (_ticsSinceLastStall > 10) then
        {
            _boat commandMove (getpos _boat); // move to current pos hopefully "completes" that move and resets ai
            sleep .3;
            if (_ticsSinceLastStall > 20) then
            {
                if (getTerrainHeightASL (getpos _boat) > -2.5 ) then // if stuck because too shallow
                {
                    //diag_log [_boat,_color,"LONG STALL IN SHALLOW WATER, SO DO 180 FLIP, GIVE NEW MOVE COMMAND!",_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), _prevPos, (_boat distance _prevPos),"_x",_x];
                    _boat setdir ((getdir _boat) - 180); // Flip boat 180 if stuck for a long time.  Replace this later with a less ugly rotation/
                    _vel = velocity _boat;
                    _dir = getdir _boat;
                    _boat setVelocity [(_vel select 0)+(sin _dir*_speed),(_vel select 1)+ (cos _dir*_speed),(_vel select 2)];
                     _ticsSinceLastStall = 0;
                }
                else
                {
                    //diag_log [_boat,_color,"LONG STALL, AI is hopelessly confused, so lets replace him",_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), _prevPos, (_boat distance _prevPos), "depth",(getTerrainHeightASL (getpos _boat)),"_x",_x];
                    sleep .5;
                    // Create new _unit, and delete old driver.  Hopefully fresh AI will respond to move commands.
                    _type = typeOf _driver;
                    _gear = getUnitLoadout _driver;
                    unassignVehicle _driver;
                    deleteVehicle _driver;
                     _unit = objnull;
                    _unit = _grp createUnit [_type,[0,0,0],[],0,"NONE"];
                     sleep .1;
                    //[_unit] joinSilent (group _boat);
                    [_unit] allowGetIn true;
                    _unit setUnitLoadout _gear;
                    _unit moveInDriver _boat;
                    _driver = _unit;
                    _ticsSinceLastStall = 0;
                };
            };
            sleep 1;
            _moveToPos = [_boat,_startPos,_maxRadius] call _fnc_getRandomPos;
            _boat commandMove _moveToPos;
            //diag_log [_boat,_color,"BOAT STALLED, GIVE NEW MOVE COMMAND!",_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), _prevPos, (_boat distance _prevPos),"_x",_x];
        };
   }
   else
   {
        _ticsSinceLastStall = 0;
   };
   if (_showMarkers) then
   {
       if ((_x mod 6) == 0) then  // create marker every x iterations
       {
           _markerstr = createMarker [("Mrk_"+_color+ str _y+str (getpos _boat)),getpos _boat];
           _markerstr setMarkerShape "ICON";
           _markerstr setMarkerType "mil_dot";
           _markerstr setMarkerColor _color;
           _y = _y +1;
       };
   };
   _prevPos = getpos _boat;
   _driver = driver _boat;
    sleep 1;
    _x = _x + 1;
};
//diag_log format ["exited loop for %1, %2, %3",_boat,alive _boat, alive (driver _boat)];
// After about 800 iterations the script running on the blufor speedboat with minigun may stop or fail, no longer writing to //diag_log.
// So now I stop the above loop after 500 iterations, and re-executing same script on the boat.  This hopefully cures
// the script from stopping for no apparent reason.
if (alive _boat and alive (driver _boat)) then
{
    [_boat, _color, _showMarkers, _maxRadius] spawn
    {
        params ["_boat","_color","_showMarkers","_maxRadius"];
        dummy = [_boat, _color, _showMarkers, _maxRadius] execVM "Scripts\JBOY_boatRandomPatrol.sqf";
    };
};

 

 

In the editor, put this in a boat's init box:

dummy = [this, "ColorBlue",true,2000] execVM "Scripts\JBOY_boatRandomPatrol.sqf";

The parameters are:

• boat object
• color of marker to track boat path
• show markers boolean (true to show markers, false to not show markers)
• Radius:  Calculated positions to move must be within this radius, where center of radius is boat's starting position.  This prevents boats from cruising a zillion kilometers away from the island.

 

Credits: 

• Hat tip to @fn_Quiksilver for suggesting the getTerrainHeightASL for getting water depth.
• Thanks @theend3r for suggesting getUnitLoadout/setUnitLoadout.  Its in the script above now. 

 

Demo mission:  Dropbox link

 

Random boat paths recorded over 30 minutes:

Paths recorded over 1 hour:

Paths recorded over 4 hours:

 

It's odd that all the random path patterns above look like naked women.  Or is that just me?

 

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

JBOY Boat Random Patrol v1.0

[theend3r 83]

4 hours ago, johnnyboy said:

3. AI simply stops responding to commandMove commands.  Sovled by deleting AI and replacing with new fresh AI driver if not responding for 30 seconds or more.  Downside, is new unit does not have same gear as unit replaced.

Wouldn't just simple getUnitLoadout/setUnitLoadout work? E.g.:

Spoiler

{
	//diag_log [_boat,_color,"LONG STALL, AI is hopelessly confused, so lets replace him",_moveToPos,(getpos _boat), _prevPos, (_boat distance _prevPos), "depth",(getTerrainHeightASL (getpos _boat)),"_x",_x];
	sleep .5;
	// Create new _unit, and delete old driver.  Hopefully fresh AI will respond to move commands.
	_type = typeOf _driver;
	_gear = getUnitLoadout _driver;
	//_unit = (typeOf _driver) createVehicle [0,0,0];
	unassignVehicle _driver;
	deleteVehicle _driver;
	//_unit = _type  createUnit [[0,0,0], _grp];
	_unit = objnull;
	_unit = _grp createUnit [_type,[0,0,0],[],0,"NONE"];
	//diag_log [_unit,_driver];
	sleep .1;
	//[_unit] joinSilent (group _boat);
	[_unit] allowGetIn true;
	//_unit assignAsDriver _boat;
	_unit setUnitLoadout _gear;
	_unit moveInDriver _boat;
	_driver = _unit;
	_ticsSinceLastStall = 0;
};

 

[johnnyboy 3797]

3 hours ago, theend3r said:

Wouldn't just simple getUnitLoadout/setUnitLoadout work?

Thanks @theend3r.  I didn't even know that command exists.  That is simple enough, and I will definitley add it!   Sweet another command in my tool belt now.

[M1ke_SK 230]

11 hours ago, johnnyboy said:

It's odd that all the random path patterns above look like naked women.  Or is that just me?

 

 

You need to get laid bro :D

[johnnyboy 3797]

21 minutes ago, M1ke_SK said:

You need to get laid bro :D

hahaha  :)

[zagor64bz 1225]

2 hours ago, M1ke_SK said:

 

You need to get laid bro :D

Definitely man!! HAHAHAHAHHA.

 

[EO 11277]

Hey JB, thanks for taking up the reigns on this one, a simple boat patrol script that does the job very well.....btw, there must be some strange looking woman around Silicon Valley!!