Another Helicopter Thread.

[derringer 10]

So, after literally hours all night into the morning and many many searches here and on Armaholic, I cannot figure this out.

I want to have a Helicopter fly in, land and drop off troops then either stay or fly off somewhere. I can get it to fly in and drop the troops off, but only if I want to do it at the start of a mission. I want to clear an enemy base then transport troops and unload them there.

I cannot for the life of me get the helicopter to wait until I trigger it to move. No matter what I do the helicopter instantly takes off when the mission starts.

I've read about how the helicopter AI sucks, but I'm curious if there is an actual way to do this yet?

I just want something easy like this:

Have a Transport Unload Waypoint set up.

Make the Helicopter wait until I trigger it to move.

The Transport Unload works fine, except the damn helicopter will not wait.

I have used Stop, DisableAI Move, I have taken the fuel away (then the troops on board all disembark), doStop, Land and even tried moveTo and Move and all sorts of other things, I am at my wit's end and I'm out of patience with this so-called "easy to use editor". :(

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Gaffa 0]

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=78066 ;)

[Kupla 10]

Another way to do this is to first place a "load" waypoint for the helicopter right next to it, and then synchronize the marker with another group's (group going to board the chopper) "get in" waypoint which is NOT placed on the chopper (place it somewhere near it). After that, create an invisible helipad on the landing zone and place the chopper's unload waypoint right ontop of the helipad. Finally, create a "get out" waypoint for the group boarding it and put it next to the invisible helipad. Synchronize "unload" and "get out".

Could've said that a bit clearer meh.

[PhelanKA7 10]

Maybe this post could help you out. The code in that post basically has one NPC run to a location, join up and lead another group, get into a chopper, and then take off.

You could also use triggers that wait for another trigger to set a statement to true.

Also don't forget to synchronize the units in the editor.

[derringer 10]

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=78066 ;)

This should help out, I didn't find it because I didn't search for extraction as 'm not doing one, should have thought to look for it since it's the same principle.

Kupla: This is doing what I already have done, I just need to have the helicopter wait until I tell it to go to the waypoint, which is what I can't do.

PhelanKA7: Will try this out if the other two don't work, it's not what I want to do, but it may work if I change it up a little.

Thanks for the replies all.

---------- Post added at 02:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------

UPDATE: I got it working perfectly. Here's how I did it:

1: I started with having a group In Cargo of the Helicopter.

2:I created two Waypoints for the Heli. The first one is a Hold right beside it, the second one is an Unload on my destination. I also added an Invisible H at the Unload Waypoint.

3: I created a Switch Trigger synchronized with the Hold Waypoint, when the trigger fires the Heli cancels the Hold Waypoint and proceeds to the Unload Waypoint.

Also of note is that Kupla's method above works perfectly as well, except I had to add the Hold Waypoint with the Switch Trigger to make it work like above.

My problem initially was that I didn't know that a Hold Waypoint is indefinite without a Switch trigger to cancel it.

Many thanks for your replies and help. :)

Edited August 8, 2009 by Derringer

[alpha9 10]

Chopper unload working or not, i have a group Sub Command moveincargo in chopper, the on trigger alpha unload order on a hidden H, the chopper fly and stay in air, any ideas? i tried also with dostop chopper; chopper land "land"; the chopper land but the group stay inside

Sub Command Group = all AI

even when chopper land i made another trigger bravo dogetout unit and not working

[Big Dawg KS 6]

DoStop works just fine.

[bascule42 10]

A simple way I've found of doing this is to....:

Was trying to explain, couldn't think of the best way to do this so here...a simple sample mission.

Troops on the runway next to a helo...troops wait until a trigger is activated, then boards the chopper. (Chopper waits for the troops). No script, no H pad, (invisible or otherwise). Just waypoints and a trigger. All you have to do is activate the trigger, in this case by shooting 1 enemy soldier who is right in front of your player unit, (a sniper).

Download .rar format

Download .zip format

Just extract the folder from the rar file and put it into your arma 2 mission folder, (your editing folder, the one in Documents, or My Documents)

Edited August 17, 2009 by Bascule42
added .zip download

[jakerod 254]

Is there any advantage to syncing the get out and transport unload waypoints? I normally just let the cargo keep their next move to waypoint and give the helicotper a transport unload waypoint.

[alpha9 10]

A simple way I've found of doing this is to....:

Was trying to explain, couldn't think of the best way to do this so here...a simple sample mission.

Troops on the runway next to a helo...troops wait until a trigger is activated, then boards the chopper. (Chopper waits for the troops). No script, no H pad, (invisible or otherwise). Just waypoints and a trigger. All you have to do is activate the trigger, in this case by shooting 1 enemy soldier who is right in front of your player unit, (a sniper).

Download .rar format

Download .zip format

Just extract the folder from the rar file and put it into your arma 2 mission folder, (your editing folder, the one in Documents, or My Documents)

i made this and they get in on radio but they dont go out lol

[bascule42 10]

Is there any advantage to syncing the get out and transport unload waypoints? I normally just let the cargo keep their next move to waypoint and give the helicotper a transport unload waypoint.

Well, there is no get out WP. Just another move WP for the squad when they get out of the transport. I sync it just to make sure that the heli doesn't bugger off with any of the squad still on board or move and cripple half of them. Just to keep the transport still until the soldiers are clear.

i made this and they get in on radio but they dont go out lol

Not sure how to do it with radio command, so I haven't tried it that way. I think scripting would probably be involved there though, and atm, that a bit beyond me.

[wikoli677 10]

So, after literally hours all night into the morning and many many searches here and on Armaholic, I cannot figure this out.

I want to have a Helicopter fly in, land and drop off troops then either stay or fly off somewhere. I can get it to fly in and drop the troops off, but only if I want to do it at the start of a mission. I want to clear an enemy base then transport troops and unload them there.

I cannot for the life of me get the helicopter to wait until I trigger it to move. No matter what I do the helicopter instantly takes off when the mission starts.

I've read about how the helicopter AI sucks, but I'm curious if there is an actual way to do this yet?

I just want something easy like this:

Have a Transport Unload Waypoint set up.

Make the Helicopter wait until I trigger it to move.

The Transport Unload works fine, except the damn helicopter will not wait.

I have used Stop, DisableAI Move, I have taken the fuel away (then the troops on board all disembark), doStop, Land and even tried moveTo and Move and all sorts of other things, I am at my wit's end and I'm out of patience with this so-called "easy to use editor". :(

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

One way you can do this is set the first waypoint for that helicopter (or its crew if it's a empty helicopter) as HOLD.

Then create a switch trigger for your base clearing/securing/destroying/etc. that will activate when the enemy or a (group of) specific target(s) is(are) not present. Then synchronize this trigger to your helicopter/crew's HOLD waypoint. Continue the sequence of waypoints after the HOLD waypoint so that the helicopter will do the insertion when the trigger activates...

With the HOLD waypoint and the trigger switch to activate it when the base is cleared, this should work. Hope it make sense.