Mando Bombs and Mando Air Support Console

[Sneaker-78- 0]

You have the console working in Xeno's Domination, you may check there how it was implemented.

hi, i have looked in xeno`s domination how it was implemented but i cant see how.

i don`t see any rule with givemeconsole

i put this line :

Quote[/b] ]res = ["Air Support Console", {(typeOf vehicle player == "StrykerCom") && (player == driver vehicle player)}] execVM"mando_bombs\mando_giveme_console.sqf";

in the init.sgf file ( it depends where?)

[mandoble 1]

It seems ok, just make sure that part of init.sqf is executed always for any connected player. Probably you might ask Xeno in his mission forum thread.

[NKato 0]

Mando, I'm having problems with the MQ-1 Predator, mostly because it can't handle rapid climbs. As a result, the aircraft keeps doing figure eights if I tell it to do an ingress above 400 meters.

Is there a way to configure this so that the aircraft in question spawns at a higher elevation in order to remedy this problem?

[mandoble 1]

Set mando_airsupport_bomb_altmax global var higher in your init.sqf (max is 1000).

[NKato 0]

Thanks! Now I need to figure out a couple of other things:

Making sure that the number of missiles onboard the UAV is actually limited to 4-6 and not "infinite" (for some reason, the number is not going down each time I fire).

And of course, reducing the number of UAVs that can be called at one time (recharges after the UAV exfils) so that I can make sure there's only one UAV at any given time during the mission.

My skill at scripting is terrible, though! :<

P.S. The problem does not seem to have been remedied with the mando_airsupport_bomb_alt adjustment. The UAV is used specifically for reconnaisance only, all other types are disabled in this version of the mission.

[mandoble 1]

You are right, now you have infinite missiles unless you set them to manual guidance ... ... how is that nobodyelse noticed this

Expect an updated version with correct decrease in missile count for tonight or tomorrow.

If you want a single reco per mission, set the quantity to 1 (mando_support_left_rc_WEST = 1). You may have a background script checking for this value, when it reaches 0, you wait 300 secs and resets its value to 1 again, so once you send your single reco plane in a mission, you will need to wait 5 minutes before being able to send another one:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

// Somewhere in your init.sqf

[]spawn

{

while {true} do

{

if (mando_support_left_rc_WEST == 0) then

{

sleep 300;

mando_support_left_rc_WEST = 1;

}

else

{

Sleep 3;

};

};

};

About the MQ-1 Predator weird operation at higher alts, I would say it is a limitation related to the addon itself. To be sure, try with a standard AV8B, if everything goes well, try to contact the addon maker and expain your problem.

[mrcash2009 0]

Quote[/b] ] You are right, now you have infinite missiles unless you set them to manual guidance ... ... how is that nobodyelse noticed this

DAMN YOU COMMUNITY!!!!!

... I would not have noticed this to be honest becuase I rarely use this feature, I keep UAV strictly drone/recon only.

[NKato 0]

It would help if you also added a coded feature that allowed the UAV to spawn a few hundred meters above the ingress altitude that is set in the game so that the MQ-1 does not constantly stall out when trying to attain the ingress altitude.

Even with the adjustments you suggested, the UAV frequently ends up flying in a figure 8 until it finally reaches the ingress altitude and starts flying for the destination.

This is mainly due to its low airspeed and poor handling characteristics (it has problems pulling up and turning). Is there a way you can add some coding that will account for this? (It is not a jet.)

Edit: Also, I want to find a way to make the missile the recon drone uses, be a lot more maneuverable than it is now so that it can hit targets even if it is directly below the UAV (since it is a very slow-flying drone). Because this mission I'm making will have the UAV loiter over the engagement zone for possibly more than an hour.

[mandoble 1]

Well, the planes are spawn at the spawn position, and then placed at the selected altitude, this is the spawn code for the reco plane:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

_plane = createVehicle [mando_airsupport_type_rc, _spawnpos, [], 0, "FLY"];

_speed = speed _plane;

_ang = ((_targetpos select 0)-(_spawnpos select 0)) atan2 ((_targetpos select 1)-(_spawnpos select 1));

// -->> PLANE SETPOSED AT SELECTED HEIGHT

_plane setPos [_spawnpos select 0,_spawnpos select 1, mando_airsupport_bomb_alt max 100];

_plane setDir _ang;

_plane setVelocity [sin(_ang)*_speed/3.6,cos(_ang)*_speed/3.6,0];

_driver = _group createUnit [_utype,[0,0,30], [], 0, "FORM"];

_driver setskill 0.5;

_driver setCombatMode "BLUE";

_driver setBehaviour "CARELESS";

_driver setRank "CORPORAL";

_group selectLeader _driver;

_driver moveInDriver _plane;

if (mando_airsupport_rec_captive) then

{

_driver setCaptive true;

};

// -->> PLANE COMMANDED TO KEEP SELECTED HEIGHT

_plane flyinHeight mando_airsupport_bomb_alt max 100;

The only restriction is that they will never be placed below 100m.

That means that if the selected altitude (ASL) at target position is similar to the selected altitude at spawn position (ASL too), the plane will need to do minimal climb/dive adjustements.

About the missile, no, you should not be able to fire a missile against a target just below you while flying leveled and high. To allow the UAV to have a clear sector view of an area, command it to move 1Km away so that zone while it circles, it will have at least an arc of 180 degree every 360 degree turn with a clear targeting view of the desired area. Also in the current version the missile will be able to turn 180 degree to align with the target, so you can fire them even in the opposite direction while you keep the camera locked on the desired target. Just make sure the give the missile room enough to maneouver vertically and horizontally while you are within visual range (not just circling in the vertical of the target).

EDIT:

Remember that while you are controlling the reco camera you may also change the destination of the reco plane.

[kremator 1065]

I noticed it Mandoble, but LOVED it so I kept it in my mission!  As I am the one that normally plays commander I would have been the only one to abuse it

[TAO] Kremator

PS Mandoble, IF I wanted to have the aircraft going NOE flying (nape of the earth = 5-10m) what do I have to change? Would this have an impact on the 'look ahead' distance that the AI uses to avoid dying ? I would love to have aircraft screaming in at 10m on a mission

[NKato 0]

One of the issues I have here with the missiles is that despite being clearly VERY far above the city, the missiles do not turn quickly enough to be able to acquire the targets. This is, I think, not ideal for a mission of this sort.

Hellfires are much more maneuverable than this. Is there a way we can reconfigure the missiles to have a higher turn rate at all? That would be a bigger help since if I move the UAV any further away from the combat zone, I won't have a very good view of the battle, and would not be able to provide adequate intelligence to the players on the ground.

Edit: Another reason why I want the missiles to be a bit more maneuverable is because of the UAV's absolutely crappy handling - if I try to relocate the UAV, it spends half the time struggling to get to its assigned altitude! As a result, it would be nice if the Air Support Console allowed us to configure the reconnaisance plane's flight patterns - in other words, allowing it to fly in a circle over the support zone at a scalable distance while also being able to command the UAV to change altitude whenever a new altitude is selected rather than when it's ingressing.

Edit2: God, I can't wait for the MQ-9 Reaper mod. I'm sure it will be much better than this piece of crap I'm struggling with right now.

[colligpip 0]

sorry I must admit that I noticed it but I thought it was somthing I had done wrong and hadnt got round to lookming into it :-)))

sorry o great mandoble

[mandoble 1]

Nkato, open mando_airsupportdlg.sqf and look for:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

if (!mando_airsupport_armedrec_man) then

{

[mando_last_reco,"M_Maverick_AT", [-3*mando_airsupport_pilon,2,-3], getDir mando_last_reco, -3, 10, 278, 120, mando_support_laserlogic, 5, 3500, 1, 100, mando_missile_path+"warheads\mando_missilehead1a.sqf", mando_missile_path+"exhausts\mando_missilesmoke1a.sqf", "mando_missile1", 29, 20, false, 0.5, 0, 1, false, false, "", 40, 30, 1, true, 180, 90] execVM "mando_missiles\mando_missile.sqf";

}

40 and 30 are respectively max horizontal and vertical maneouverability in degrees per second. I would say it is already far more maneuverable than a real Hellfire, but feel free to increase these values at will. You may also play with max speed (278 m/s) and acceleration (120 m/s^2). Obviously if you make the missile slower, its turn radious will be also smaller, and probably you are more concerned about turn radious than about turn rate.

EDIT:

Here you will find a complete list and explanation of mando_missile.sqf parameters.

[NKato 0]

Yes, the turn radius is the problem. I think I will give that a go. Missile speed is not a major issue.

[mandoble 1]

Then remember that missile max speed is the main factor affecting the turn radious. You may try to decrease max speed a bit while keeping current degrees/sec turn values.

[NKato 0]

That means that if the selected altitude (ASL) at target position is similar to the selected altitude at spawn position (ASL too), the plane will need to do minimal climb/dive adjustements.  

I'm still encountering flight problems with the UAV. It keeps doing figure eights even if it spawns on territory that is the same as the destination's. :| This is probably an airspeed problem. Good god, I want a better unmanned drone to replace this poorly made piece of crap. Sorry, EMSI, but it *is* crap.

I sit here waiting eight minutes, and the damn drone's still loitering over freaking Corazol trying to attain the altitude it needs!

Evidence of my frustration: It's like the drone's saying "F**k you, I think I'll dick around flying in figure eights trying to get to 600 meters of altitude with my AOA at 45 degrees above horizontal, b***h!"

Solution: Make the altitude a secondary priority, while getting to the destination is a top priority, regardless of altitude, Mando. I think that will fix the issue.

Edit again: 15 minutes later, the drone finally hauls ass to Bagango, 10 minutes after the fight's over. What's funny is that every time I spawn it over the mountains, it keeps doing figure eights THERE, even though its altitude there is MUCH higher than the destination altitude over Bagango - it should have been able to simply just simply fly in with no problems whatsoever.

This has officially gotten <s>STUPID</s> RETARDED. I have run over 100 test UAVs and only TEN OF THEM even got to the destination straight off the freaking bat!

[kremator 1065]

Yeah dont use EMSIs UAV. It doesn't work properly for what you want. I couldn't get it to fly over 400m without problems.

Stick to good old harriers

[TAO] Kremator

[NKato 0]

Yeah dont use EMSIs UAV.  It doesn't work properly for what you want.  I couldn't get it to fly over 400m without problems.

Stick to good old harriers

[TAO] Kremator

Too noisy for what I need in this mission :<

[mandoble 1]

For sure the problem is in the flight height, the very same happens if you select as reco plane a "Camel". If you set the height > 550m it will keep circling over and over, probably because it is already spawned and setposed above its maximum operational height, so while trying to keep that height it reaches stall speed over'n over. Might be in these situations the plane's priority is to match the height and then to proceed with choosen destination, but the plane keep failing to be able to maintain that altitude all the time, so at the end it fails to to reach destination.

Now I have no idea how BIS calculates the flight envelop, I suppose it is based on maxSpeed and envelope array in the config. But that array only generates pairs of relative speed / lift, which doesnt explain the curve of max speed / height. Anyway this discussion is more related to the addon capabilities itself than to Mando Bombs.

[NKato 0]

True, sorry for the derailment, but it'd be nice if we could somehow find a way to alter the flight envelope for the UAV so it would operate more like a real UAV and not like some old WWI fighter plane.

Edit: Mando, have you considered including the auto-stabilizing code that's often used in the turrets of many vehicles, for the reconnaisance camera? That way, it stays in one direction without excessive input required.

[Spliff 0]

Hi Mandoble....great work btw... i sometimes notice some planes can get stuck in a loop similar to how you mention for the camel or the uav...is it possible to add like a self destruct button to console for deleting such aircraft....

Also when sometimes the planes are deleted, if you have spectate mode running in the map ur playing the pilots end up at the evac point alive and not deleted.

[mandoble 1]

NKato, if you want the camera to keep heading at a fixed direction, just click on the ground and the camera will keep slaved to that position and heading, else the camera will keep its current direction relative to the reco plane.

Spliff, do you mean the pilot of the evac chopper? Of do you mean the pilots of some other mission type? May you identify when does this happen (which mission types)?

[Spliff 0]

ok its the pilots from the planes i.e. the one that have been called to do bomb runs or gunships out of the console...if they arent destroyed by enemy they are deleted after certain time or whatever param is used....the vehicle but not pilot,they end up floating about in the sea,at the default evac point.

[mrcash2009 0]

When you select recon camera and it attaches to the current vehicle running, IE if I run heli drop and hit "recon camera on" it will be from the heli.

Could this camera also be maneuverable via the mouse just like with proper recon activation?

I notice that its fixed view on that particular mode.

[mandoble 1]

true mrcash, because that is not a reco camera but a mission camera. Only reco missions allows you to move the camera, mark positions, etc. Actually you have three camera types:

- mission camera, fixed, for any plane.

- reco camera, moveable only for reco planes.

- missile camera, for manual guidance of cruise missiles or TV guided missiles fired from armed reco planes.

Spliff, I'll have a look on that.