Some quick questions

[Jackael 10]

1) How can you set names of units? (i.e. mark polowski? lol)

2) How can you make it so that a unit uses a specific face? I saw something for this somewhere...

3) Can you make guys talk to each other about random stuff?

[Touch Off 10]

Yeh, you can name the units in the 'name' box on the insert unit interface.

You can also use stuff like setGroupid, also setName might be able to be used, but looks like it's specific to location.

All of these can be found here.

There is also the setIdentity command which has something to do with your 2nd question.

There is also the talk waypoint. Try using that for some troops and stick some other troops to meet them there who also have the talk WP. You could probably do it with civilians too.

If you click on the modules in the editor, you can insert stuff like ambient vehicles and ambient civilians. Did you know that? I'm not sure whether you just have to place them on the map or you have to synchronize them with your player (Press the synchronize button, f5 and drag a line to the unit).

I'd like to know whether you could script a conversation and have that particular conversation in game, triggered by one of the troops. I'd even like to record my voice or a mates and put that in. I'm sure you can do this.

Check out armaholic and the bis wiki/.Loads of stuff there it's just a case of getting in game and trying things out. The editor is pretty simple to understand, it's just the functions. After that it's scripting and the language which is almost stopping me in my tracks, but it's good fun when you work somthing out and see it in game..

Hope I've helped some.Oh and I don't think you can set a name with spaces. You'd have to name him MarkPolowski. I'd name him MikeKowalski, though ;)

EDIT:As for question 2, I found this:

setFace

So in your unit init field just type:

this setFace "Face66_camo3"

this sets the face of your unit to selection 66 out of a possible 107 types with the 3rd camoflage selection as 1 of the 6 possibilities.

hehe cool.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Touch Off

[IndeedPete 1038]

To give units names and faces i would use setIdentitiy. You have to define your identities in your description.ext first:

class CfgIdentities
{
class Sink
{
name = "Robert Sink";
face = "Face01";
glasses = "none";
speaker = "Male01EN";
pitch = 1.00;
};

class Kane
{
name = "Sirius Kane";
face = "Face26";
glasses = "none";
speaker = "Male02EN";
pitch = 0.80;
};
};

A list of faces is available here.

The glasses can be found here.

And the speakers are Male01EN-Male05EN and Male01RU-Male05RU.

Now you only have to write

this setIdentity "Kane";

into the init line of a unit.

To create random conversations means a lot of work. To make a soldier talking, i use the sideChat command:

unit sideChat "Hey, wassup?";

[Touch Off 10]

cool, thanks!

[Jackael 10]

Description.ext?

Whats that?

(excuse my noobiness :D)

[IndeedPete 1038]

The description.ext is a file wich, well describes the mission's parameters. You can define respawn, sounds, identities, weapons that can be selected in briefing, items(like map or gps) and many more things. Just create the file in the mission folder and add some stuff to it. Here's an example from one of my MP-Missions:

// Game Type
class Header
{
 gameType = Coop;
 minPlayers = 1;
 maxPlayers = 5;
};

// Daytime
titleParam1 = "Daytime"; 
valuesParam1[] = {0.00,4.50,12.00,18.50}; 
defValueParam1 = 0; 
textsParam1[] = {"Night","Early Morning","Noon","Early Evening"};

// Weapons Respawn
titleParam2 = "Player Respawns With"; 
valuesParam2[] = {0,1}; 
defValueParam2 = 0; 
textsParam2[] = {"The Weapons He Started With","The Weapons He Had When He Died"};

// Team Switch
enableTeamSwitch = false;

// Kartenoptionen
ShowGPS=1;
ShowCompass=1;
ShowMap=1;
ShowNotePad=1;
ShowWatch=1;
ShowDebriefing=1;
onLoadMission = "Beat 'Em Up! 1.00 by IndeedPete";

// Respawn
respawn = "INSTANT";
respawndelay = 10;

// Waffenauswahl
class Weapons
{
// Pistolen
class Colt1911 { count = 5; };
class M9 { count = 5; };
class M9SD { count = 5; };
class Makarov { count = 5; };
class MakarovSD { count = 5; };
// MPs/Sturmgewehre
class AKS_74_U { count = 5; };
class AKS_74_UN_kobra { count = 5; };
class AKS_74_kobra { count = 5; };
class AKS_74_pso { count = 5; };
class AKS_GOLD { count = 5; };
class AK_107_GL_kobra { count = 5; };
class AK_107_GL_pso { count = 5; };
class AK_107_kobra { count = 5; };
class AK_107_pso { count = 5; };
class AK_47_M { count = 5; };
class AK_47_S { count = 5; };
class AK_74 { count = 5; };
class AK_74_GL { count = 5; };
class Bizon { count = 5; };
class G36C { count = 5; };
class G36K { count = 5; };
class G36_C_SD_eotech { count = 5; };
class G36a { count = 5; };
class M1014 { count = 5; };
class M16A2 { count = 5; };
class M16A2GL { count = 5; };
class M16A4 { count = 5; };
class M16A4_ACG { count = 5; };
class M16A4_ACG_GL { count = 5; };
class M16A4_GL { count = 5; };
class M4A1 { count = 5; };
class M4A1_AIM_SD_camo { count = 5; };
class M4A1_Aim { count = 5; };
class M4A1_Aim_camo { count = 5; };
class M4A1_HWS_GL { count = 5; };
class M4A1_HWS_GL_SD_Camo { count = 5; };
class M4A1_HWS_GL_camo { count = 5; };
class M4A1_RCO_GL { count = 5; };
class M8_carbine { count = 5; };
class M8_carbineGL { count = 5; };
class M8_compact { count = 5; };
class MP5A5 { count = 5; };
class MP5SD { count = 5; };
class Saiga12K { count = 5; };
class bizon_silenced { count = 5; };
// Präzisionsgewehre
class DMR { count = 5; };
class Huntingrifle { count = 5; };
class KSVK { count = 5; };
class M107 { count = 5; };
class M24 { count = 5; };
class M40A3 { count = 5; };
class M4SPR { count = 5; };
class M8_sharpshooter { count = 5; };
class SVD { count = 5; };
class SVD_CAMO { count = 5; };
class VSS_vintorez { count = 5; };
// MGs
class M240 { count = 5; };
class M249 { count = 5; };
class M8_SAW { count = 5; };
class MG36 { count = 5; };
class Mk_48 { count = 5; };
class PK { count = 5; };
class Pecheneg { count = 5; };
class RPK_74 { count = 5; };
// Launcher
class Igla { count = 5; };
class Javelin { count = 5; };
class M136 { count = 5; };
class MetisLauncher { count = 5; };
class RPG18 { count = 5; };
class RPG7V { count = 5; };
class SMAW { count = 5; };
class Stinger { count = 5; };
class Strela { count = 5; };
// Sonstiges
class Binocular { count = 5; };
class LaserDesignator { count = 5; };
class NVGoggles { count = 5; };	
};

class Magazines
{
// Pistolen
class 7Rnd_45ACP_1911 { count = 40; };
class 15Rnd_9x19_M9 { count = 40; };
class 15Rnd_9x19_M9SD { count = 40; };
class 8Rnd_9x18_Makarov { count = 40; };
class 8Rnd_9x18_MakarovSD { count = 40; };
// MPs/Sturmgewehre/Präzisionsgewehre
class 30Rnd_545x39_AK { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_545x39_AKSD { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_762x39_AK47 { count = 60; };
class 64Rnd_9x19_Bizon { count = 60; };
class 64Rnd_9x19_SD_Bizon { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_556x45_G36 { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_556x45_G36SD { count = 60; };
class 8Rnd_B_Beneli_74Slug { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_556x45_Stanag { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_556x45_StanagSD { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_9x19_MP5 { count = 60; };
class 30Rnd_9x19_MP5SD { count = 60; };
class 8Rnd_B_Saiga12_74Slug { count = 60; };
class 10Rnd_9x39_SP5_VSS { count = 60; };
class 20Rnd_9x39_SP5_VSS { count = 60; };
class 20Rnd_762x51_DMR { count = 60; };
class 5x_22_LR_17_HMR { count = 60; };
class 5Rnd_127x108_KSVK { count = 60; };
class 10Rnd_127x99_m107 { count = 60; };	
class 5Rnd_762x51_M24 { count = 60; };
class 20Rnd_556x45_Stanag { count = 60; };
class 10Rnd_762x54_SVD { count = 60; };
// Granatwerfer
class 1Rnd_HE_GP25 { count = 40; };
class FlareWhite_GP25 { count = 40; };
class FlareGreen_GP25 { count = 40; };
class FlareRed_GP25 { count = 40; };
class FlareYellow_GP25 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKE_GP25 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKERED_GP25 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKEGREEN_GP25 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKEYELLOW_GP25 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_HE_M203 { count = 40; };
class FlareWhite_M203 { count = 40; };
class FlareGreen_M203 { count = 40; };
class FlareRed_M203 { count = 40; };
class FlareYellow_M203 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKE_M203 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKERED_M203 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKEGREEN_M203 { count = 40; };
class 1Rnd_SMOKEYELLOW_M203 { count = 40; };
// MGs
class 100Rnd_762x51_M240 { count = 30; };
class 200Rnd_556x45_M249 { count = 30; };
class 100Rnd_556x45_BetaCMag { count = 30; };
class 100Rnd_762x54_PK { count = 30; };
class 75Rnd_545x39_RPK { count = 30; };
// Launcher
class Igla { count = 10; };
class Javelin { count = 10; };
class M136 { count = 10; };
class AT13 { count = 10; };
class RPG18 { count = 10; };
class PG7V { count = 30; };
class PG7VL { count = 30; };
class PG7VR { count = 30; };
class OG7 { count = 30; };
class SMAW_HEAA { count = 30; };
class SMAW_HEDP { count = 30; };
class Stinger { count = 10; };
class Strela { count = 10; };
// Sonstiges
class LaserBatteries { count = 5; };
class HandGrenade_West { count = 60; };
class HandGrenade_East { count = 60; };
class SmokeShell { count = 60; };
class SmokeShellRed { count = 60; };
class SmokeShellGreen { count = 60; };
class SmokeShellYellow { count = 60; };
class SmokeShellOrange { count = 60; };
class SmokeShellPurple { count = 60; };
class SmokeShellBlue { count = 60; };
class PipeBomb { count = 30; };
class Mine { count = 30; };
class MineE { count = 30; };
};

I defined some things like respawn or mission parameters and you can select every weapon with every kind of ammunition in the briefing.

[kylania 568]

Just to point out, that particular description.ext has a lot of extra feature, some of which won't do anything on their own (such as the mission params of weapon respawn and time of day). They need to be referenced elsewhere to have any effect.

You can read about all the options for this file on the wiki:

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Description.ext

[Jackael 10]

Cool.

How do you work it so that you can select your gear in the briefing? I get that you set it up in the description file, but how do you get it working with the Briefing?

Edited September 4, 2009 by Jackael

[kylania 568]

During the briefing click on Units then [Gear]

[Jackael 10]

Cool, I didn't know that was there.