The UAV Module is Very Cool (video)

[Thirdup 0]

(sorry if this has been filmed and posted before, but I just dig it)

I shot this from the bunker at the air strip.

You sync the interface to a structure or vehicle and then assign the

UAV waypoints. It has both day and night vision capabilities and is armed

with rockets. Me likes mucho.....

Edited June 23, 2009 by Thirdup

[frederf 0]

Have the UAV fly within sight of an enemy armored unit and watch the AI pilot dive down to 50m to engage it half the time hitting the trees.

Or hop in the gunner's seat remotely and wonder why the "pilot" if giving you orders to switch weapons or target whatever. Yeah that's really cool.

[Thirdup 0]

Isn't there a way to initialize the UAV pilot as "never fire" and "safe" so that he'd just merrily follow his waypoints?. Been too long since I messed with AI.

And here's some better footage while I'm at it....

[Wifout Teef 10]

I mistook this for real life footage for a second or 2.

[moosenoodles 0]

you would think in todays technological breakthroughs that UAV's would have a crystal clear camera capability?

Beats me why even on cctv's in shops or on police crime programs they are like, "do you know this man?"

Im like, well if you didnt have a shi**y camera we might be able to work out face details a bit more.. Its ludicrous, and if the army/navy use Uav's with that sort of black and white resolution, then gee I guess they must of bought another gold seated toilet rim and couldnt afford cannon to make them something good lol.

[sirex 0]

Beats me why even on cctv's in shops or on police crime programs they are like, "do you know this man?"

Im like, well if you didnt have a shi**y camera we might be able to work out face details a bit more.. Its ludicrous.

for what it's worth, this is due to compression, and recordings normally being taken to drive snapshot style every few seconds. The data on the storage is not the same as the free flowing video on the monitor.

aside from that, the issues of making the camera small, - and a uav can zoom to focus on what it wants, - a static security camera trys to be focused where they think the criminals face is going to be - not an easy task.

what you really want is an array of cameras, or one that can refocus fast, tied to some face recognition software, to point and focus on faces as they occur. I think this is being done in industry, slowly.

[nodunit 397]

Yes the UAV's black hot FLIR is one of the most impressive bits of the game.

Now if we can just find a way or ways to 'tie' it to other vehicles, aircraft and armor (of the modern kind of course )We would be able to simulate better immersion and realism.

Even moreso if you can switch between black hot and white hot.

[frederf 0]

Isn't there a way to initialize the UAV pilot as "never fire" and "safe" so that he'd just merrily follow his waypoints?. Been too long since I messed with AI.

And here's some better footage while I'm at it....

I've tried that. The UAV gamelogic overrides the "condition blue" status given by any waypoints. Can someone manage to get a UAV to fly by an IR target and not going completely ballistic or the invisible pilot giving you (the gunner) all sorts of orders?

Edited June 23, 2009 by Frederf

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Remove it's ammo. That worked for me in 1.02

No ammo, waypoint for "Careless" behaviour, then it will stop being a dive bomber.

Generally I still think the feature is cool in it's potential, but a small RQ-11 Raven - unarmed - would be better for the purpose, especially if you can hand-launch it as a kind of equipment, not as a script in the editor.

[Kristian 47]

set UAVs flight height into about 2000m and it would look much better.

now everything just goes past the camera way too fast.

[CplBlakeman 10]

Remove it's ammo. That worked for me in 1.02

No ammo, waypoint for "Careless" behaviour, then it will stop being a dive bomber.

Generally I still think the feature is cool in it's potential, but a small RQ-11 Raven - unarmed - would be better for the purpose, especially if you can hand-launch it as a kind of equipment, not as a script in the editor.

The version that is accurate to the USMC (the main blufor) is the Pioneer UAV and not the Predator or Raven, which are used by the US Air Force and US Army.

[CuteQA 0]

USNavy and USMC is currently developing Fire Scout UAV, It can fly recon, supply, and attack missions. It will be nice to see this this inGame.

Future Weapon Video of Fire Scout

MQ-8B Fire Scout Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-8_Fire_Scout

[jack91 10]

Hey folks,

May I ask how you find one of these in game and launch them? Its just I havent come across them yet and I cant find how to anywhere. Thank you.

Jack

[Monkey Lib Front 10]

so do we have proper FLIR in ARMA?

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Not proper. Very psudo post processing trickery. With adjustment controls you could make it look believable and better than regular NVGs, despite not being based on heat, but you probably will never be able to have it look through smoke.

[Thirdup 0]

Hey folks,

May I ask how you find one of these in game and launch them? Its just I havent come across them yet and I cant find how to anywhere. Thank you.

Jack

They have to be placed into a mission. You can play with them in the editor, though....

1. Single Player > Open the editor and select a map.

2. Select "units' at right and insert soldier (be sure to set it to "Player" in the properties).

3. Air> Insert a UAV (I'd suggest that you set it as "flying" under "formation").

4. At the top left, select "Empty", then "fortifications" in the window below that, then insert a structure (ie: "large bunker")

5. Select "Modules" from the right and insert the "UAV module".

6. At the right, select "synchornize" then right click on each item and drag the line to the module.

7. Click "Preview"

8. Walk up to the structure you placed and select "UAV" to take over camera control.

9. Click "M" to open map and click on a patrol area (the UAV will automatically move it's four waypoints).

Enjoy

[Helmut_AUT 0]

The version that is accurate to the USMC (the main blufor) is the Pioneer UAV and not the Predator or Raven, which are used by the US Air Force and US Army.

The Raven is in service with the Marines, replacing the older Dragon Eye. They are both a class smaller than the Pioneer, as they are hand/bungee launched and (my guess) available on Company Level or Battalion Level.

At least that's what Wiki says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RQ-11_Raven

The Firescout is too large again, it's a size system that we as normal players in A2 (commanding a Platoon, maybe Company) would never get hands on. Besides, I find armed UAVs a lot less fun than if they are good only for recon, and the player still has kill the targets himself.

Edited June 23, 2009 by Helmut_AUT

[Thirdup 0]

set UAVs flight height into about 2000m and it would look much better.

now everything just goes past the camera way too fast.

I *think* this is the code. I'll tinker with the patrol alt when I get home.

Init Field: This flyinheight 2000

I'm also goin to disarm the UAV (I think that will stop the pilot from trying to give commands to the camera operator). That can simply be done via a slider as I recall.

And I think there is a way to initialize "careless" and "hold fire" behavior within the object/UAV itself (ie: I don't want to use editor waypoints because the module containes dynamic waypoints that can be dragged while in play).

I know I could crack the pbo and alter the module itself, but I'm trying to avoid that for now.

[Motivator 10]

How do you get the UAV to start on the runway and take off instead of using the flying mode from the start?

Also how to do you control it from the UAV Terminal I can only move the camera around?

[frederf 0]

You should be able to place the UAV in the editor near the airfield with Special: None (basically anything but Flying) and the UAV trailer will give it orders to take off. I don't know if the UAV will remain on the ground until you interact with the UAV trailer or if the UAV trailer will start it on takeoff immediately on mission start.

[Motivator 10]

You should be able to place the UAV in the editor near the airfield with Special: None (basically anything but Flying) and the UAV trailer will give it orders to take off. I don't know if the UAV will remain on the ground until you interact with the UAV trailer or if the UAV trailer will start it on takeoff immediately on mission start.

i know how to have it start on the ground with NO FLY but when i go to the UAV terminal it brings me the the camera with no control over the UAV?

[jump artist 0]

you would think in todays technological breakthroughs that UAV's would have a crystal clear camera capability?

Beats me why even on cctv's in shops or on police crime programs they are like, "do you know this man?"

Im like, well if you didnt have a shi**y camera we might be able to work out face details a bit more.. Its ludicrous, and if the army/navy use Uav's with that sort of black and white resolution, then gee I guess they must of bought another gold seated toilet rim and couldnt afford cannon to make them something good lol.

Ah yes, Did you realize that cameras on UAV's are peering down to the ground from 2 to 3 miles up? Id like to see your CCTV get some recognizable footage from 15 K.

---------- Post added at 01:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 AM ----------

USNavy and USMC is currently developing Fire Scout UAV, It can fly recon, supply, and attack missions. It will be nice to see this this inGame.

Future Weapon Video of Fire Scout

MQ-8B Fire Scout Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-8_Fire_Scout

Trust me when I say its being worked on by a very well known member of this community. IT will blow you away when released.

[Thirdup 0]

Somebody had asked for some clips on using the editor, so I tossed this one together (not something I'm good at, but it might help somebody who's never used the editor before).

I had success changing the patrol altitude. I attempted 2000 feet, but the bird never reached alt and lost track of it's waypoints. At 1000 it seems to work fine and you get a better overview. In the initialization field type in "This flyinheight 1000".

You can disarm the bird using the slider for "Ammunition" and the pilot will stop ordering the camera operator to "fire" (he will still call contacts). I don't have a problem with this (a UAV does in fact have a pilot sitting in a trailer somewhere).

I still have to find how to change the behavior (the UAV will go into attack runs if it encounters an enemy and it seems to be highly attracted to the ground when it does this).

And I've found the AI to be "lacking" when trying to take off (module or not). I'll stick to spawning it in flight for now.

[nodunit 397]

Thanks for the video showing the White and Black hot swapping thirdup, very pleased to see that this was worked in.

[frederf 0]

So what if you want a non-retarded UAV and you want it to be armed?