Triggers and waypoints

[AFreeman 10]

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting on these forums. Basically I got ARMA II a couple of days ago and my favourite part is mission editing. Mainly from my OFP days. I have been searching through the forums for some advice on triggers and waypoints.

One of my missions I'm trying to do is have a few patrols around a certain area, but if BLUEFOR is detected in a certain trigger for example I want a certain sound to be activated (preferebly an alarm sound but cant find one in the actual effects, if there are any addon sounds of alarms if someone could post a link that would be great :).) Once the alarm is activated I want the patrols to move to a certain location with the seek and destroy option and maybe some backup vehicles activated from another part of the map to come and help.

First thing I tried was doing a trigger, Activated by BLUEFOR and as present then syncing the trigger to the seek and destroy waypoint from the patrols. But they just seem to go and search and destroy straight away. Tried HOLD functions then seek and destroy but they just carry on through the waypoints instead of doing waypoint 1 then waiting until the trigger is activated for waypoint 2.

I basically just try out random tests to build up my skills. Any help would be appreciated :)

[blaunarwal 10]

Try to sync to a waypoint before the seek and destroy waypoint. Until acitivation of the trigger the units will proceed to this waypoint and wait there. If not, something with the trigger is not setup perfectly.

[pj[cz] 2]

the trigger needs to be set as Blufor, but "detected by Opfor" and needs to be defined as type = switch. Than you should sync it with the last patrol waypoint just before the S&D waypoint. That way they will patrol and immideatly when discover a blufor unit in that trigger will start heading for the S&D wp. Oh and i beleive there actually is an alarm sound inside the triggers sounds, try to search more. And there is one really good site with all kinds of free sounds but the link is on my other machine 300km away currently so maybe later :)

[AFreeman 10]

Appreciate the advice, thanks very much :)

With my triggers I never set it as a "switch", what does switch actually mean?

[Rommel 2]

You could get a little more complex, but it has a much nicer result.

Name the groups.

Set up your groups with a few waypoint's, with the first way point being waypoint 1, the next waypoint 2 etc.

Cycle the way points.

Test.

If its working well, then find your 'search' way point (SAD or MOVE) and find its index. Now in your triggers OnActivation put the following:

[<GROUP>, <WPIDX>] setwaypointposition [getpos (thisList select 0), 10];
<GROUP> setCurrentWaypoint [<GROUP>, <WPIDX>];

This will tell the group when BLUFOR is spotted to move the BLUFOR's position and search the area; you could also add a on deactivation line to put the groups search waypoint back to where it was.

[AFreeman 10]

Yeah that does sound pretty complex but i'll try it out, thanks :)

Is there a way once the patrol senses the bluefor and does an S&D that is the bluefor is eliminated that the patrol will go back to its original cycle, or is that what you was saying in the deactivation..?

Because every time i've seen computer go on an S&D he runs everywhere even when the enemy is finished lol.

[esco7800 10]

how do I link A trigger to unit?

[Chris Death 0]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about waypoints me thinks.

Syncronising a trigger with a waypoint will cause a unit/group not

to pass this waypoint until the trigger gets triggered.

Trigger type Switch is used to force a unit/group to follow the

next waypoint after the one the trigger is syncronised to.

Trigger type Switch is REQUIRED to make a unit/group pass an obsolete

waypoint which are for example: HOLD, GUARD

Waypoint CYCLE is an obsolete waypoint in some way since the unit/group

will not move to the next waypoint in logical order but to the closest waypoint

next to the cycle waypoint.

This comes in handy when creating a patrol with

a few waypoints followed by a cycle waypoint close to where the patrol should

start again (usually the first waypoint of the patrol but doesn't need to be the first

one).

Now syncronising a switch trigger to that cycle waypoint will make the unit/group

continue to the next waypoint after the cycle in logical order - usually i made that

a GUARD waypoint since this one will make them engage automatically to where

they are needed.

Waypoint type SEEK & DESTROY is NOT an obsolete waypoint - the unit/group will

run around like chicken for a while and then continue to their next waypoint.

SENTRY is an interesting waypoint since it makes a unit wait at the waypoint until

it detects an enemy unit - after that the unit will continue to it's next waypoint.

DESTROY works somehow like SEEK & DESTROY if i remember right - didn't use this

one too much so i'd have to investigate again.

I know there are a few more but these above are the ones fitting into this thread me thinks. ;)

~S~ CD

---------- Post added at 09:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 PM ----------

how do I link A trigger to unit?

You have to group them - F2 and drag a line from trigger to unit or vice versa.

~S~ CD

[esco7800 10]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about waypoints me thinks.

Syncronising a trigger with a waypoint will cause a unit/group not

to pass this waypoint until the trigger gets triggered.

Trigger type Switch is used to force a unit/group to follow the

next waypoint after the one the trigger is syncronised to.

Trigger type Switch is REQUIRED to make a unit/group pass an obsolete

waypoint which are for example: HOLD, GUARD

Waypoint CYCLE is an obsolete waypoint in some way since the unit/group

will not move to the next waypoint in logical order but to the closest waypoint

next to the cycle waypoint.

This comes in handy when creating a patrol with

a few waypoints followed by a cycle waypoint close to where the patrol should

start again (usually the first waypoint of the patrol but doesn't need to be the first

one).

Now syncronising a switch trigger to that cycle waypoint will make the unit/group

continue to the next waypoint after the cycle in logical order - usually i made that

a GUARD waypoint since this one will make them engage automatically to where

they are needed.

Waypoint type SEEK & DESTROY is NOT an obsolete waypoint - the unit/group will

run around like chicken for a while and then continue to their next waypoint.

SENTRY is an interesting waypoint since it makes a unit wait at the waypoint until

it detects an enemy unit - after that the unit will continue to it's next waypoint.

DESTROY works somehow like SEEK & DESTROY if i remember right - didn't use this

one too much so i'd have to investigate again.

I know there are a few more but these above are the ones fitting into this thread me thinks. ;)

~S~ CD

---------- Post added at 09:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 PM ----------

You have to group them - F2 and drag a line from trigger to unit or vice versa.

~S~ CD

Thanks alot and is there a way to make the ai send me ammo and a medic when I request it they say there not available and I gave the HQ a ammo truck and a medic and ambulance an the editor

[Chris Death 0]

Well i got ARMA2 a week ago so forgive me if i'm not common with anything

that came after patch 1.08 for ARMA1 (because that was the time when i started

having a break here).

I think there are the modules in ARMA2 which can help here but as i said there might

be others knowing more about that.

What i can tell you is the way which worked in OFP and will work in ARMA2 aswell.

It's pretty simple - this is where the SUPPORT waypoint comes to it's strength;

Place an ammo truck or a medical vehicle (or soldier) or a repair vehicle or a fuel vehicle

or put them all into a group (up to you) and give them a SUPPORT waypoint.

Whenever any unit of that side requests ammo/medic/fuel/repair, they gonna go there

to support (maybe even of a friendly side but i've never tested that).

Note that the SUPPORT waypoint is an obsolete waypoint aswell so syncronise it to

a switch trigger if you want to send them somewhere else when the action on that location has ended.

Basically it doesn't matter where the support waypoint is placed - they will come but

you might not want them to drive through another part of your mission, where they

shouldn't at that time, so you should play around with waypoints to get them where

they are required.

I would also not let them have an active support waypoint while a fight is going on

since they burn faster than they drive. ;)

Let's say you place a group of ammo-truck - fuel truck - repair truck;

Now give them a normal move waypoint (behaviour careless so they don't get the

idea to become heroes) and syncronise this waypoint (or use it's condition-field) to

an event where it is safe to let them do their job.

Their next waypoint will then be the SUPPORT waypoint somewhere near to where you

need them (behaviour: anything but not careless but be aware that safe would be the

only way to make sure they are using roads).

Syncronise this support waypoint to a switch trigger which you can set to whatever

you want - maybe even a radio alpha/bravo/etc. so you get more controll on the scene.

Everything behind that support wayoint is now up to you - they are ready to go. ;)

~S~ CD

[esco7800 10]

thanks alot my friend

[ceeeb 147]

Take a look through this stickied topic - Mission Editing and Scripting Information. It contains many reference articles and tutorials explaining how to use the editor.

[esco7800 10]

I want to make a trigger that once an area is taken over by one side the game ends does anyone know how I would do that. i'm new to this

[Chris Death 0]

Follow the link, ceeeb posted above and then click the 3rd link of the first post there:

triggers

In there look for the SEIZED BY - this could maybe do the trick. ;)

~S~ CD

[esco7800 10]

thanks

[GeneralCarver 0]

Appreciate the advice, thanks very much :)

With my triggers I never set it as a "switch", what does switch actually mean?

A switch trigger is specifically for working with cycle waypoint.

Make unit and waypoints...

make a unit with 12 waypoints. make the first 5 normal moves. Make the 6th a cycle. Then make the next 5 normal moves and the last waypoint a cycle.

Make a trigger

Make a Radio alpha activated trigger and set its type to "switch". Now sync the trigger with the cycle waypoint of the unit.

Preview and watch

Preview the mission.. watch the unit loop through his first 5 waypoints, over and over. Then activate the radio trigger. Now watch as the unit moves to the first waypoint past the first cycle. Now he will loop through the 2nd set of waypoint.

Get it?

Understand? You can use cycle wapoints and switch triggers to break up a unit's series of waypoints into sets they can move and loop through depending on conditions meet by triggers.

Hope that helps.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Just a tip. When using waypoints, make sure to always give the unit a name. That way, the waypoint will be identified (who it belongs to will show) when you hover over it.