Vehicle Ammo Can Reload System (Help Wanted for Modelling/Texturing Help)

[fat_lurch 337]

Hello all, 

 

       I'm looking for modelling and texturing help from folks who currently posses the required skill sets.

 

I've got the core mechanics for an ammo can reloading system working in testing. The concept is you load an appropriate ammocan into a vehicle as an inventory item and the turrets can use them to reload. I feel like this is a fairly simple feature that's been lacking in ARMA.

 

 

The way I've approached the problem, I can make this system support any Vanilla or Addon ammo/magazine type for any turret weapon. I'll be spending time coming up with a myriad of appropriate ammo can configurations. To that end, where my skills are definitely lacking is modelling and texturing (I have tried, and I simply suck at it). 

 

I'm hoping I can get someone's help to create models and textures for various ammo cans.

 

My intent is for the ammocans to be able to be visible and exist when set on the ground, a shelf, etc. (I *think* that means there's a collision model/LOD?) I'm also thinking having a hiddenTexture would allow various marking to be added to the same basic style of can.

 

Is anyone interested in helping out on this?

 

Thanks for your time!

[fat_lurch 337]

A quick status update:

 

I've got the system working and tested for .50 BMG, .338 Norma Magnum and 7.62.51 NATO for all Vanilla BLUFOR vehicles (ground + gun boat) and all RHSUSF Army ground vehicles with human players and AI in SP and on Dedicated (MP should work too, just haven't tested). The ammo cans themselves show up as objects in rifle ammo in BIS and ACE arsenals.

 

At startup, all turret ammo is converted into ammo cans and added to the vehicle inventory (if there's room, otherwise it's left in the turret. This happens with the RHS Stryker because there's not enough storage). Once a belt is consumed in the turret, another belt is loaded from the inventory and an ammocan is consumed. Right now the first compatible type found is loaded.

 

I've attempted to simplify addon compatibility by making each ammocan accept equivalent ammo from various addons. An example: I have a 100 round can of 50 .BMG (12.7x99) red tracer. It can be used to reload either the vanilla red tracer and magazine of that type, or the RHS equivalent red tracer. The good news is this is all defined as an array so support for additional addons doesn't require said addons. I plan to support popular addons with this and will be releasing a framework on how to define an ammocan for more niche stuff (e.g. your super cool 69x420 Pussy Slayer Magnum Purple Tracer).

 

If a vehicle expends ALL of it's ammo (including what's in inventory) the turret will be reloaded if an ammocan is placed into the inventory at a later time. AI will automatically reload the turret in this case, and it looks like a lot of the time players will too. There are a few guns that don't automatically reload, but the user does get a scroll reload action. I'm not sure why the various weapons behave differently. Tips? Suggestions?

 

I found there is a standard M2A1 style ammocan in the vanilla build which I'm using for now for testing. I'm in the process of seeing if I can come up with decent models and textures for the various kinds of ammocans. I'd still love some help with this.

Thanks