DMSmokeGrenadeVB v1.0

[Dwarden 1125]

gj i agree the separe on addons was right choice ...

now it gives better control for clients and server admins ...

btw any chance to get these signed ?

[teilx 4]

Thx for the fast anwser:  and good luck in the future with your upcoming projects  

[kroky 1]

I'm a little bit confused and disappointed. No matter what I try the DMSmokeEffects Smoke Grenade don't generate any view block for the AI. I tried with every mod on and off. So starting with only DMSmokeEffects and then trying with other mods like VFAI and/or Suppression and so on. No way the smokes don't generate any view block.

The only viewblock objects generated (seen on the map) I experienced are when buildings are collapsing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[dmarkwick 261]

I'm a little bit confused and disappointed. No matter what I try the DMSmokeEffects Smoke Grenade don't generate any view block for the AI. I tried with every mod on and off. So starting with only DMSmokeEffects and then trying with other mods like VFAI and/or Suppression and so on. No way the smokes don't generate any view block.

The only viewblock objects generated (seen on the map) I experienced are when buildings are collapsing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

The viewblocks generated on building collapse are different from the ones on the 'nade. The 'nade ones do not show on the map. The others will eventually not show up as well, they only do right now 'cos they're available as placeable objects in the editor.

Currently the only way to test the VB abilities of smoke grenades is to actually use them in a test. I tested by having the player on one side of a house, and an enemy unit on the other, looking down a street. Then throw a smoke out, wait a few seconds & step out, see if you get shot

(This test is easier when the visible VB objects are enabled )

[VictorFarbau 0]

I use DMSmokeEffects 4.3a on our dedicated server and for me the viewblock smokegrenades seem to work fine. I used them regularly against infantry since a while already.

The other day we were playing an MP mission (dedicated server running DM's addon) and got pinned down by a BMP guarding a road. I threw a smokeshell onto the road and we could easily cross and disappear into the woods opposite of the road. The BMP started circling around our position (as he lost us I guess) but never found us.

That can't all be just wishful thinking or is it?  

VictorFarbau

[kroky 1]

For me atm it's wishful thinking.

I tried with 4.3a and 4.3b and get always the same result:

AI sees trought smoke whaterever I will do.

They shoot me the moment when I step out.

[dmarkwick 261]

Are you playing SP or as a client? There's an ArmA bug concerned with throwing weapons at the moment.

[NoRailgunner 0]

I like SmokeGrenades and they work - only AI team goes around the smoke if i give them order to attack. Maybe they afraid of/fear DMarkwick's viewblock?

Would be nice to see little reaction on enemy changing behavior to "combat" and setunitpos "middle". After smoke is gone changing behavior and position back.

[dmarkwick 261]

I like SmokeGrenades and they work - only AI team goes around the smoke if i give them order to attack. Maybe they afraid of/fear DMarkwick's viewblock?

Would be nice to see little reaction on enemy changing behavior to "combat" and setunitpos "middle". After smoke is gone changing behavior and position back.

LOL, actually I quite like that idea, that AI don't want to go into smoke. I have seen them do it, so I don't know what the criteria is for AI to avoid stuff.

[kroky 1]

@DMarkwick

Ok after some extended testing I found out that the view block system works. Congratulations!

Did some testing in the editor, (the way you described it behind a house then throwing smokes and stepping out on the street where an OPFOR soldier looks in my direction.

The soldier didn't shoot me. The problem was mainly with XAM. XAM seems to prevent the viewblock effect, although the smoke looks the same as without XAM.

Not sure but also it seems that if in the mod sequence ArmAEffects is loader after DMSmokeEffects it seems to prevent that effect too. (And yes I'm using Extended Init and Fired Eventhandlers.)

One strange thing: After the smoke is gone the OPFOR soldier needed about 20-20 seconds to recognize me as an enemy and then started to shoot. I was standing about 10 m before him! Tested this 3 times with the same result. It is possible that the view block objects still stay there for a while after the actually seen smoke is already gone?

[dmarkwick 261]

@DMarkwick

Ok after some extended testing I found out that the view block system works. Congratulations!

Did some testing in the editor, (the way you described it behind a house then throwing smokes and stepping out on the street where an OPFOR soldier looks in my direction.

The soldier didn't shoot me. The problem was mainly with XAM. XAM seems to prevent the viewblock effect, although the smoke looks the same as without XAM.

Yep XAM is the problem, it uses it's own event handler system. Future releases of XAM will fix this though, as they decided to use the community standard Extended Event Handlers.

Not sure but also it seems that if in the mod sequence ArmAEffects is loader after DMSmokeEffects it seems to prevent that effect too. (And yes I'm using Extended Init and Fired Eventhandlers.)

I know that different effects come into & out of use due to mod folder order, but as far as I know the smoke grenade should not be included in that. Unless MaddMatt has added in smoke grenade enhancement as well, which I don't think he has.

One strange thing: After the smoke is gone the OPFOR soldier needed about 20-20 seconds to recognize me as an enemy and then started to shoot. I was standing about 10 m before him! Tested this 3 times with the same result. It is possible that the view block objects still stay there for a while after the actually seen smoke is already gone?

Nope, the VB object disappears just as the smoke starts to dissipate, so the VB is actually gone slightly before the smoke. I did this because of the way AI units take a few seconds to realise you're there I haven't seen anything along the lines of 20 seconds though, usually it's less than ten.

If you're using a mod that shortens the smoke grenade life though you might see that effect (the VB object is hard coded to the match the current BIS smoke grenade lifetime value), but generally people want longer smoke grenade life not shorter.

[VictorFarbau 0]

@Kroky

Kroky Quote 1:

Quote[/b] ]I tried with every mod on and off.

Kroky Quote 2:

Quote[/b] ]The problem was mainly with XAM. XAM seems to prevent the viewblock effect,

Lesson learnt in troubleshooting?

VictorFarbau

[Mr Groch 0]

Hi, I have such bug after throwing a smoke granade (after few seconds):

This message appears only one time - after first smoke throwed.

But addon is working fine, even if that message will apear - AI

don't see me in smoke.

[dmarkwick 261]

Hi, I have such bug after throwing a smoke granade (after few seconds):

This message appears only one time - after first smoke throwed.

But addon is working fine, even if that message will apear - AI

don't see me in smoke.

Well that's strange, I don't see that. Is that an ArmA screenshot? (i.e. ArmA and not VBS2?)

[Mr Groch 0]

ArmA ofcourse

[dmarkwick 261]

Rgr

Well I'm looking into it, should have it fixed within a week I reckon. I don't understand why very few people should get this and not most others, but people more adept at this sort of thing are looking at it for me

[Mr Groch 0]

I have found that this is related with SIX_Pack1. I have

for mistake add path to this addon to SIX_Pack1 shortcut,

not ArmA default one... After disabling SIX_Pack1, error

message doesn't appear (SIX_Pack2 is OK, and this is

not extendet init eventhandler foult - I have it enabled only once).

[dmarkwick 261]

Can you do the test again, this time with an eye for MAP_Misc addon? I reckon that's the culprit.

[malick 0]

I have the same problem as Mr Groch, with SIX pack1 & 2 and MAP_Misc. Do you think it comes from one of these (compatibility issue) ?

Malick

[Dwarden 1125]

I have the same problem as Mr Groch, with SIX pack1 & 2 and MAP_Misc. Do you think it comes from one of these (compatibility issue) ?

Malick

just fast q malick, what version of these addons ?

[Ike_fin 0]

Running this on our dedi server along with VFAI. Smoke seems to work fine but many clients using this seems to get that error message when using smoke first time. Any fix for this?

[mattxr 9]

Whats best for a dedi server

DMSmokeEffects Beta 4.3a for viewblock smoke grenades

or

DMSmokeEffects Beta 4.3b for viewblock everything

?? Im confused about the 2...

[Mr Groch 0]

Can you do the test again, this time with an eye for MAP_Misc addon? I reckon that's the culprit.

I have been disabling all pbo files from SIX_Pack1 seperatly,

without result. This is really strange... This message doesn't

appear only when not using SIX_Pack1 (v0.4) at all...

And I don't have MAP_Misc addon...

Second thing:

I have tested this addon in MP - doesn't work...

Both sides - server and client have this addon, I have made

sample mission and enemy AI can see through the smoke..

It is still completely transparent for AI...

[dmarkwick 261]

I have been disabling all pbo files from SIX_Pack1 seperatly,

without result. This is really strange... This message doesn't

appear only when not using SIX_Pack1 (v0.4) at all...

And I don't have MAP_Misc addon...

There is something weird going on with configs in general. It seems that configs from one addon can interfere with another addon. Someone "high up" is looking into this, I really don't know much about it so I cannot really say what the problem is or whether it can be circumvented.

Second thing:

I have tested this addon in MP - doesn't work...

Both sides - server and client have this addon, I have made

sample mission and enemy AI can see through the smoke..

It is still completely transparent for AI...

There is a bug in ArmA where the "throw" action is NOT captured as a "fired" event by clients. Strangely, if a smokeshell is FIRED (rather than thrown, example from a grenadier) then the viewblock works OK. It's a really sucky bug for this addon as it effectively severely limits it. The only thing I can suggest is to use Spectre's excellent grenadier addon, which gives realistic ammo loadouts, including smokeshells.

[NeMeSiS 11]

Whats best for a dedi server

DMSmokeEffects Beta 4.3a for viewblock smoke grenades

or

DMSmokeEffects Beta 4.3b for viewblock everything

?? Im confused about the 2...

The first one is alot more CPU efficient.