Functional Aircraft Carrier Projects

[DSabre 2332]

This thread is for redirecting anyone who wants to discuss functional aircraft carriers (being able to land and take off, similar to the Nimitz Mod)

  - and has accidently landed in my naval legends thread.

(Naval Legends is a single player arcade battleship mod and there are no plans for functional carriers there).

 

A lot of the following comments were moved here on my request to declutter the other thread. Thank you

Edited March 12, 2021 by DSabre

[Airwolf 50]

Sab, any chance you would be willing to make a static version of the Enterprise? It would be VERY useful to have one that we could actually land on vs the drivable carrier which isn't all that practical for arma use other than as a bombing target.

[Melody_Mike 130]

@AirwolfI empathize with your request for a landable carrier. 
 

Experimented a bit with createSimpleObject and BIS_fnc_replaceWithSimpleObject. The models simply don't have collision on their top decks. I sortof kindof improvised collision with a LOT of invisible walls. But at a ridiculous performance cost. And you'd still have the static airplane objects blocking you.

Just a theoretical question: is the fact that the model is a single p3d (as opposed to several for the vanilla static ships) related to the PhysX simulation?

[Melody_Mike 130]

Bit late of a reply from me. 
 

On 2/25/2021 at 3:03 PM, Melody_Mike said:

I empathize with your request for a landable carrier. 

What I meant with the word empathize was "I understand how you feel", not, "I agree, it is our right to ask more content from this hobbyist!".  I don't want to condone complaining. Sorry for not wording it clear.

 

On 2/25/2021 at 5:12 PM, DSabre said:

 

(You could make a config mod which spawns one of the carriers as a house, then add invisible geo lods as walkways all over it.

Thanks for the suggestion! Is there a large flat object in Eden Editor with hiddenselections (besides 4000 invisible walls), or is making a geometry LOD along with the config mod the only playable way?  

[DSabre 2332]

All fine. No idea.

 

There is a reason there are very few functional carriers in Arma. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on it.

(if you consider making an addon like this, please start a new thread for it)

Edited March 2, 2021 by DSabre

[mankyle 410]

4 hours ago, DSabre said:

All fine. No idea.

 

There is a reason there are very few functional carriers in Arma. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on it.

(if you consider making an addon like this, please start a new thread for it)

 

 

I'm making at the moment a Hyuga Class ship (the new JMSDF DDH, not the WWII hybrid battleship/carrier).

 

It uses one resolution LOD and one PHYSx LOD and 3 other GEO and Roadway LODs for making her walkable in all her length....

 

It was a PITA to move the memory points so the different parts are created where they should but at the moment is driveable and landable by helicopters. 

 

Of course my modelling and texturing skills are crap compared to yours but I still would like to release her in a cumple of months.. 

[DSabre 2332]

Hi Mankyle,

No need to be so modest. You make some nice boats and you made that lovely hovercraft. These are not my own models as well. All ships in this mod are from Thomas Beerens.

 

Never tried a drivable+landable carrier. Not even aware of any mod that managed that yet.

Back when I messed with functional carriers I made them static like LHD and Nimitz, made up of 8 p3ds with Tets Nimitz spawn logic.

Afaik Tetet uses a lot more different p3ds for the Nimitz even because it is so large.

[NightIntruder 710]

On 3/2/2021 at 10:37 PM, DSabre said:

Never tried a drivable+landable carrier. Not even aware of any mod that managed that yet.

The creation of such an aircraft carrier is possible, but rather fruitless. I made three steerable/landable carriers as a testbed platforms - USS Casablanca (WW2), ASW Moskva and Ark Royal R08. There are several problems with them tho - first, landing a plane on an aircraft carrier is virtually impossible (except a VTOL one). A stormy sea is like throwing a physx huge boulder into a sensitive little paper plane on every wave. Bad things happen every time you're trying to land. Not sure if there were any changes in PhsyX behaviour in this regard since the tests I was doing in 2016/17. Second, helicopters with AFM can land on a stationary PhysX ship, but a forward moving ship will not keep the helicopter on board and it will fall due to AFM that has its own ground contact simulation, not compatible with PhysX. Thus, some kind of scripted solution is required to keep helo on the moving deck. The standard flight model poses no such problem. So there is hope for possible success, but rather faint.

[NightIntruder 710]

8 hours ago, DSabre said:

For anyone interested please continue the discussion there : )

No offence, but if I ever need an aircraft carrier I'll just make it, no need to discuss it. Basically, I post here to explain things you were clearly not aware of, and because of that you would mislead readers that such possibility is non existent, which is not true. No meant to create pressure on you regarding Naval Legends addon. It's yours pal, do whatever you want to do with it, not my bussiness 🙂

[mankyle 410]

This is a good idea

 

Me, for example, I'm working on a Hyuga class DDH. It's 197 m long and 33 wide. I have used a RES LOD which contains the PHYSx and buoyancy LOD plus 3 other GEO/Roadway/Path LODs that have been attached via init.

In this I have used attachto, attaching the different sections to memory points in the main vehicle memory LOD. This works well.

All of them are roughly 50 meters long but I have encountered a couple of problems.

Roadway LOD in vehicles is VERY unstable. In this case the other GEO/Roadway LODs are fairly stable even over 60 meters long but I have had to reduce the main vehicle's roadway LOD size under 45 meters because I kept falling through.

All animations are controled from the main vehicle except a couple that use scripts for activating animations in both the main resolution LOD and the other GEO/roadways at the same time.

 

There are some problems using this method, though. In EDEN editor the different sections are not updated when you move the main vehicle. So, you can use only a memory LOD or you can use BIS's method for updating positions in EDEN editor.

 

I will post a couple of pictures next week

 

[DSabre 2332]

Some time ago I actually did play around with functional aircraft carriers. You can see them in my secret weapons addon. Not sure if they still work.

 

TeTeT kindly allowed me to use the Nimitz spawn logic. You could ask him.

That takes care of moving and respawning in EDEN editor. so you can turn your carrier around or move it.

 

If you want and TeTeT is ok with it you can look into my secret weapon config to see how it is done. It is dumbed down compared to Nimitz so perhaps easier to understand.

 

 

The resolution lods is a single p3d object - only split the invisible geometry p3ds into several unique p3ds.

(iirc the limit is something around 40 meters for a geo lod/roadway before things go crazy).

 

I did not use attachto via memory points.  That is a great idea.

 

In my case the models are all centered. That means one platform p3d is the bow section, the next is offset 40m, the next offset 80m and so on:

All in all it is 7 or 8 P3d objects. All defined as house (geo, roadway, landcontact lods each).

 

Full model (Helijah's Akagi).

Resolution Lod is one single object. This is also the drivable ship P3d.

 

For static carrier operations it is turned into a house config wise.

Then the single geo lods are attached via Nimitz Spawn functions:

Geo P3D 1, starting at Bow

 

Geo P3D 2, Bow + 40m

 

Geo P3D 3, Bow + 80m

 

and so on. This approach makes it easier to adjust to the curvature of the flight deck.

 

 

[mankyle 410]

Nice. I have taken a couple of ideas for the Hyuga class

 

I have cut GEO and roadway in roughly 50m long sections and done similarly as you have done.

That way all visible animations can be done in the same model. I still don't know how I'm going to do davits and such but that will come when I get to that.

 

 

Here you have her. 197 meters of sleekness!!!

One thing must be told. Japanese do know how to make beautiful ships!!!

It is one RES LOD and 4 GEO/Roadway. I'm debating with Myself wether to attachto invisible Hs (so AI choppers can land on her) to the 4 landing positions.

 

I also want to make her ViV capable but as the helicopter blades make choppers very big in terms of colision boxes they don't fit inside the hangar.

I'm going to try CUPs MH-60, AH-1Z and MV-22 to see if they fit inside when their folding animation is set to 1 (to make  them smaller, so they fit inside the hangar)

So, when making carriers in Arma you have to consider that not all vehicles will fit inside the hangar so you have to make your helicopters/planes compatible with your carrier vessel.

 

One idea that I'm considering (once I solve the problem mentioned above) is to make an action on the landing positions that:

1st: Makes the engine stop

2nd: starts the folding animation

3rd: moves the chopper to one of the elevators

4th: animates the elevator down to the hangar

5th: detaches the helicopter and puts it inside of the ViV hangar space

 

And for deploying helicopters the same but reversed in order

 

Theoretically if you attachto the dinamic airport to a moving ship you could track when a plane lands and then start a script to initiate a chain of commands that puts the plane inside of the hangar. For launching aircraft you could launch them using setvelocity and setdir so they face the same direction as the carrier... 

 

 

 

As turrets are PHYSx entities, they do stay on the ship when moving. The only turret I want to add is a working SAM VLS. I have modeled a very rough version but I intend to improve the model and, if it possible, to animate it when firing missiles. As you can see I still have to model and texture some parts.

If you look carefully in the esconde picture you will see 4 deck crew . The flight deck is FULLY walkable and fairly stable. Of course, they slide and fall if the ship moves... I've been told that in DAYz walking on moving vehicles is possible. I would have to try her in DAYz...

 

 

 

 

 

[Airwolf 50]

If it was just a static object you could stick out in the water and land on that would be great, doesn't need any fancy functions or anything. The freedom is good for a modern carrier but would be nice to have some early cold war angled deck carriers and WW2 wood deck carriers.

[mankyle 410]

6 hours ago, Airwolf said:

doesn't need any fancy functions or anything. 

Consider some DAYz videos showing class Man entities walking over moving vehicles. 

 

If the same fearures are available in the next Arma  incarnation I just want to be prepared. Hopefully these hacks for making big ships won't be neccessary.

[TeTeT 1523]

3 hours ago, mankyle said:

...

If the same fearures are available in the next Arma  incarnation I just want to be prepared. Hopefully these hacks for making big ships won't be neccessary.

 

That's my take on the situation when it comes to moving ships/carriers. The engine is just not well aligned to this purpose.

 

Last time I looked into a 'moving' Nimitz, I tried to make her list and sink eventually. With the Nimitz itself it looked okish and believable, but when you put on planes it looked less convincable and finally, any unit on deck will start swimming animation when you alter the road lod below it.

 

On the update of the carrier position in Eden, it needs an eventhandler and some script to move the carrier parts. 

 

params[["_nimitz", ObjNull]];

"Nimitz in attach eden events" call bis_fnc_log;

_eh1 = _nimitz addEventHandler ["AttributesChanged3DEN", "_this call TTT_nimitz_fnc_updateNimitzLocation"];
_eh2 = _nimitz addEventHandler ["UnregisteredFromWorld3DEN", "_this call TTT_nimitz_fnc_uninitialize"];
_eh3 = _nimitz addEventHandler ["Dragged3DEN", "_this call TTT_nimitz_fnc_updateNimitzLocation"];

_nimitz setVariable ["eh1", _eh1];
_nimitz setVariable ["eh2", _eh2];
_nimitz setVariable ["eh3", _eh3];

"Attached events" call bis_fnc_log;

true;

// Init.sqf - for USS Nimitz by JDog
//Spawns Nimitz and initializes other scripted systems
// Modified by TeTeT && Leshrack


params[["_nimitz", ObjNull]];

private [];

private _nimitzDirection = getDir _nimitz;
private _nimitzPosition = getPos _nimitz;

//build the part array for the diffirent nimitz parts
//assemble the parts
{
	//create part at the nimitz position
	private _part = _nimitz getVariable [_x, objNull];
	_part setDir _nimitzDirection;
	_part setPos _nimitzPosition;
} foreach (_nimitz getVariable ["carrierParts", []]);

if (getPosASL _nimitz # 2 > 0.5) then {
	"The carrier flightdeck height is too high, some scripts may fail" call bis_fnc_error;
};
if (getPosASL _nimitz # 2 < -0.5) then {
	"The carrier flightdeck height is too low, some scripts may fail"  call bis_fnc_error;
};

//TODO: initialize nimitz services if they haven't been yet by another nimitz on the map consider race conditions
//with keybinding system need to have something to check against for location
//elevators
	//actions included as part of the models

//catapults
	//find solution to initialize on all planes (also dynamic)

//iflols
	//find solution to initialize on all planes (also dynamic)

//arresting cables
	//find solution to initialize on all planes (also dynamic)

 

[DSabre 2332]

On 3/8/2021 at 6:37 AM, mankyle said:

Consider some DAYz videos showing class Man entities walking over moving vehicles. 

 

If the same fearures are available in the next Arma  incarnation I just want to be prepared. Hopefully these hacks for making big ships won't be neccessary.

 

you could also try go the pragmatic route and use a movable plus a static version - and swap them at a specific time. 

Somewhat like giving the carrier an option to "deploy", similar to the mobile bases sometimes used in missions. Then transition it from the movable object and spawn the static structure.

 

[Shennko 3]

Hi Sabre,

I don't know if this is the correct place to ask you this, but, I've been doing a Pacific Campaing with your mods, both Aerial and Naval. 
I almost turn myself bald trying to make a somehow "Accurate" carrier for the US. The "USS Enterprise" from Naval legends was amazing, the problem is that there are some planes in the landing deck, and they don't disappear in multiplayer, even when I change the vehicle appareance. I tried with everything. I don't see the planes, but people do, and it's a shame, because the Enterprise with Simulation Disabled and with some stuff (well put stuff, obviously) near the deck works perfectly as a carrier, where you can take off and even land (using MAAS).

So, question is, is there any way to resolve this? I'm trying to port the same model you used but without the planes, but as it's my first time using blender and stuff, it's going to take some time.
Do you have any port to ArmA 3 from this carrier before putting the airplanes in it? Any recomendations if you don't?

Thanks for your time and for your work. Love your mods.





 

[DSabre 2332]

I guess this could be the right place. If you want you could also share how you added stuff to make it work as a platform, or even share a mission or composition. Guess that would help some people and me actually - I could redirect all requests there.

 

Concerning the occupied flight deck - put this in the init of the carrier:

this animate["planes_visible", 1];     

(yes it is back to front with 0 and 1. I meant to call the animation planes_invisible instead of planes_visible -  but never updated it)

 

Perhaps it needs to go in an init.sqf to update for all people in mp environment.

It could also be that simulation disabled also disables animations.

In that case you may have to do the animate command first and then afterwards execute this/<nameofship> enableSimulation false;  instead of ticking the box

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by DSabre

[Shennko 3]

I have some updates.

this animate["planes_visible", 1]; worked in the init, but I had to change the "this" for a variable name, i.e  uss animate ["planes_visible", 1];
And yes. Disabling simulation disables the animations. So, if I disable it, the airplanes can be seen. This was a problem, because it would collide with stuff I put in it....

But, I found something. I tried using the above mentioned code, and attached the carrier to a flag writing this code in the init of the USS enterprise, below the animate code:
 

 = [this, ObjectName] call BIS_fnc_attachToRelative; 

It eliminated most of the collisions that were still around making the ship fly when you put something in the deck, but it didn't disable the simulation, so you could still get inside it and the animation code wasn't disabled, making the planes invisible. It disabled the collision with the deck tho.

Then, I used some platforms from IFA (Square Bricks, 10m), or something that was big enough to cover some space, but at the same time that was barely seen from far or in the carrier.
I vertically reversed them ( X = 180)  so the part that was face to face with the deck is the invisible one. This way, there's basically nothing to see and the collision is still there. It makes no sound when you walk in it, so, yeah, there's that.
It needs a good hand and some attention to the details, but it can work. I'll upload the composition when it's done. I tested it with a friend, and from 3 variations, this was the one that worked.
I need to test it more tho.

Thanks! 

 

[Shennko 3]

Hey people! 
Well, my friend and I finished doing the static carrier. It uses some brick stuff from IFA, the carrier from Naval Legends, Weapons from Secret Weapons and an arresting cable from MAAS.
Don't go anywhere but the main deck, or you'll get stuck. You can take off and land without problems. When using the arresting cable, you might find that the plane is slow. You just need to get out from the plane and get inside again, and that will be it.
You can turn the engines from the Carrier on, and smoke will come out, but it doesn't move. I tried doing some stuff with attaching objects and detaching them (so they don't move when the carrier does, and they can move when the carrier doesn't to prevent any plane from falling), but it isn't that easy and, well didn't want to complicate it even further.

Mods:
CBA - https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=450814997
IFA - https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=660460283
CUP Core - https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=583496184
Naval Legends - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2012371414&amp;searchtext=Naval+
Secret Weapons - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=756352410&amp;searchtext=secret+weapons
MAAS - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1130385734
 

It's a VR SP mission, cuz I don't really know how to make it a composition and upload it as such hehe.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tp1P7ddX6aENH1TzD9eiFTvexFxTtMvO/view?usp=sharing

Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2426722326

 

[DSabre 2332]

Very nice. I have added 2 placeable AA turrets for the Enterprise today. Perhaps they are useful

[mankyle 410]

I have restarted the hyuga model and redone it completely. By chance I have arrived to a DAYz video that shows class man entities inside of moving helicopters cars and boats.

 

 

It is a mod but... does anyone if that was scripted or was something engine based??

If it is the second case then it could have serious consequences for carriers and ships...

 

[NightIntruder 710]

11 hours ago, mankyle said:

It is a mod but... does anyone if that was scripted or was something engine based??

I'd rather say it's scripted otherwise BI would announce such a milestone. That scripted tech however has already been in A3 for almost 4 years, you may look for Walkable Moving Objects (or WMO) on Steam. And no, it does not work when it comes to vehicle vs vehicle interactions. 

[mankyle 410]

Vehicle interactions are performed through the GEO PHYSx LOD...

 

In VBS3 man class uses PHYSX so the entitities can walk over moving vehicles...

 

Let's hope more info about enfusion engine comes soon

[NightIntruder 710]

41 minutes ago, mankyle said:

Vehicle interactions are performed through the GEO PHYSx LOD...

This is weird, because it didn't work fully on my Ark Royal. It's made of one PhysX Geo that covers the whole operations deck and yet a Harrier was sliding off after landing on its deck (aft part) while the ship was moving forward. It's either problem with the plane's PhysX gear or friction of the deck material, which is on the other hand applied to the FireGeo and not the PhysX LOD. Since this problem has not been showing up while I am landing (or moving around) on the "central" Geo/FireGeo part of the ship (the one to which geo limits don't apply), it might be linked with the friction indeed which had been lost in other FireGeo parts after attachTo'ed? Not sure about that, as I haven't noticed a loss of penetration materials in FireGeo of the very same parts. Maybe, I'll apply rvmats on PhysX too and see what the outcome might be, or tinker with the frictionVsSlipGraph in the airplane.