VFTCAS - Terrain Collision Avoidance System

[VictorFarbau 0]

I was about to guess that it's the startup order of your addons. So apparently you put VFTCAS in your regular "addons" folder and the eventhandler addon is in the "CBA" modfolder.

Which makes me wonder even more - why is it not failing each time? Is the dependency check only done once all mod addons are loaded? This would be interesting - I think this was not the case in Arma 1 yet. Anyway, it works :)

VictorFarbau

EDIT>

Ignore above. I made a noob error! The there's a shirtcut to the server exe in windows startup folder and that didn't have the proper mod calls on it.

[Tankbuster 1746]

If explain how I screwed it up, you promise you won't laugh? :)

I used to have an @addons folder, which contained all the addons, but it was getting a bit unwieldy, so I added an @serverside addons (where VFTCAS lives) and an @CBA folder and moved the pbos around appropriately.

The problem was that I changed the rtarget field in the desktop shortcut to reflect these moves, but not the shortcut in the programfiles/startup folder.

So what would happen is the first time the PC comes on in the morning, it wouldn't load CBA because it had been moved from @addons to @CBA and the shortcut in program files/startup had no reference to the new @CBA folder. Then I'd get annoyed, shut the ArmA II server app down and then restart it using the desktop shortcut that had in it's target field, working references to @serversideaddons and @CBA.

You promised you wouldn't laugh!!! STOP IT!!!! :D

[VictorFarbau 0]

Personally I second anfiach's statement. You don't want to imagine a bunch of rookies abusing this to go havoc in MP games - knowing they won't crash anyway.

I wanted AI choppers to survive flying over treetops - mission accomplished. I will create one more version that also supports planes (optional). After that I consider the addon finished. Unless somebody discovers another bug :D

Regards,

VictorFarbau

It shouldn't be made impossible for the player to crash a heli short of turning off the engines.

[NoRailgunner 0]

Hmmm...if the AI ejects TCAS is still active and the empty helicopter is bouncing up and down. Is it possible to check AI pilot/gunners health status and if they are in or out of the aircraft?

Looking forward for your next VF_TCAS update. :)

[VictorFarbau 0]

NoRailgunner - thanks, I missed that scenario completely. High time for an update indeed!

VictorFarbau

---------- Post added at 12:48 AM ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 11:50 PM ----------

New build 14 released - I fixed that bug rightaway.

[NoRailgunner 0]

Thanks too! :)

Somehow the AI needs a overhaul especially pilot/flying AI.

[VictorFarbau 0]

Updated to build 18. Should be the final one unless more debugging is required.

VictorFarbau

[clawhammer 10]

Hm, when you now fix the bad AI driving Skills you are the man of the year :D

Nice Work :)

[caprera 0]

Yep... Fixing AI driving would assure you a lifetime contract at BIS :D

[maturin 12]

Which file do we download?

[Alex72 1]

Which file do we download?

VFTCAS_b18.zip <- this one is the addon. (Link: http://dev-heaven.net/projects/list_files/vftcas)

The other one (DEMO) is a demo mission with the addon active to show how it works i guess.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Any hopes for key/sign files for this addon? It's brilliant and I'm naturally using it while editing as well, but having to disable it each time I have to use the server kind of gets in the way :)

[VictorFarbau 0]

I will need make two more modifications to this addon (likely today). Then I'll sign it, push it to DevHeaven and consider it done :) Hope that BIS will be able to fix the behaviour in a later patch.

VictorFarbau

[VictorFarbau 0]

Update to build 20. This should be the last stable build; entering bugfix-only phase now.

Regards,

VictorFarbau

[.kju 3244]

Thanks for the update VictorFarbau!

You may want to tweak the performance like this:

class Extended_PreInit_EventHandlers
{
   VFTCAS_PreInit="VFTCAS_tfr = call compile preprocessFileLineNumbers '\VFTCAS\tfr.sqf'";
};
class Extended_Init_EventHandlers
{
   class Helicopters
   {
       VFTCAS_Init = "_this spawn VFTCAS_tfr";
   };
};

PS: Hopefully its correct like this. Double checking. :bounce3:

[VictorFarbau 0]

Thanks for the update VictorFarbau!

You may want to tweak the performance like this:

Perfectionist :) Nothing wrong with precompiling but honestly here I didn't spend a second thinking about it.

Hypothetical calculation based on my usage statistics:

• Speed gain using a precompiled miniscript like VFTCAS = assumed 0.1 seconds delta per event
  
• Max choppers during a mission = 30
  
• Mission duration = 30 min
  
• Win with precompiling = 30 choppers * 0.1 delta = 3 seconds
  
• Efficiency gain = (3 seconds of 30 min) = 0.16%
  
• Investment = browsing scripting reference, building a new config, pbo'ing the addon and starting the game at least 3 times before last syntax error is gone = 20 min = 1200 seconds
  
• 1200 seconds / 3 seconds = 400:1
  

Hence I can play 400 times my 30 min mission (200 hours, /8.3 days) before starting to even think about this investment. That amortization period is too long for me to start my brains :D Just to put it into perspective.

VictorFarbau

[.kju 3244]

You have a good point, agreed.

For me its just the standard way of doing it. :)

PS: What your equation is missing so far, is that the creator to user numbers relation. ;)

[charon productions 10]

Now that was long awaited. Always wondered why BI never cared for this.

Excellent job!

I have worked on something similar trying to calculate an optimal path using the terrain as cover against enemy AA, but the pathfinding algorithm just takes too long to calculate stuff in non-hard-coded scripting language.

So your approach is much more simplified and faster.

[manzilla 1]

I just want to say how much this has changed the air support I get in missions. I didn't realize it until just now while I was playing with some heli air support scripts in the Editor. I haven't seen a heli simply crash for no reason in a while. Then I remembered that's must be due to the fact I've been using this AddOn. It's so nice to be able to call in some CAS and actually have the heli's take care of business.

Thanks for this VF!

[krycek 349]

Hmm not sure if I'm just unlucky but the planes still tend to crash,choppers are doing great in CAS btw.

Tested this with Su-25 and the MQ-9 Reaper drone,gave them an guard waypoint and after flying around they crashed,could be the loss of speed after some tight turns?No enemy around,latest VFAI version.

Other than this no probs,the choppers are really useful now.

[kabong 1]

...planes still tend to crash,choppers are doing great...

Isn't this a choppers-only mod? VictorFarbau?

[VictorFarbau 0]

Choppers only... I have done some tests and it turned out to not work very well for planes. Those typically rush into obstacles with such speed that the corrective measures are way too exaggerated.

VictorFarbau

[maturin 12]

I wonder how I lived without this.

[krycek 349]

Choppers only... I have done some tests and it turned out to not work very well for planes. Those typically rush into obstacles with such speed that the corrective measures are way too exaggerated.

VictorFarbau

Thx for clearing that out and too bad you can't make the mod also for planes.

Since BIS decided to fix the AI driving in the latest betas I hope in the future the flying part will receive some love too.

[maturin 12]

Warning Message: Addon 'VFTCAS' requires addon 'Extended_EventHandlers'

Exe version: 1.04.59026

I get that error message in my arma2.rpf file even though VFTCAS is disabled in my launch options and the @CBA modfolder (including the Extended_EventHandlers files) has been removed from the Arma directory entirely. Why is the game trying to load an addon that does not exist?