Help: Waypoint for Helicopter LZ Hold

[VirusLIVED 10]

I've been trying to figure this out all night, now it's time to turn to the community. Basically, I've searched and experimented with all sorts of waypoint settings and cannot get this solution:

I want a helicopter to land at a waypoint and wait with engines running at idle, then after a given amount of time takeoff and continue to the next waypoint. Sounds simple, right? :D

So far I can get the helo to land via the code:

helicopterName land "invisibleHeliPadName";

This code is used inside the init of a waypoint, which was attached to an invisible helipad.

At this point the helicopter lands but then immediately takes off again (continuing to the next waypoint). If I set the waypoint timers (min, max, and med), for some reason the helo waits

before

the waypoint by hovering in the air, and before initializing the waypoint to land.

I hope somebody can help me with this, it's driving me insane.

Thanks!

[Chris Death 0]

You can use something like: helicoptername flyinheight 0

or if that doesn't work 0.2 - dunno you have to play around

with the height if 0 causes problems.

Just make sure not to put the command into the same waypoint

with the land command since it could make the chopper go directly

from anywhere to zero thus crash it.

~S~ CD

[nomdeplume 0]

It's tricky, I haven't been able to get them to actually land and keep their engines on. Been a long time so I don't really remember everything I've tried, but here's a few things...

1: you're using 'land' wrong. Read here: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/land

2: waypoint "on activation" scripts are run when the waypoint completes; it won't complete until the timeout expires, which is why you see it hovering until the time is up, at which point the script is run.

I think it might be worthwhile seeing if you can get the helo to land and keep the engines on as its last waypoint, then see what happens if you give it additional waypoints afterwards. I have a vague feeling the behaviour changes a bit if it has more things to do.

Edited March 25, 2010 by some kind of guy
See subsequent post #5

[SteveJA 12]

Any chance you can get the Helo to land, then after that force the ai to exec action engin on, then disable simulation for the Helo until you want him to take off.??

[nomdeplume 0]

Hmm okay I'm a filthy liar. It's pretty straightforward:

Give helo a move waypoint with on act:

(vehicle this) land "GET IN"

This will cause the helo to land but keep its engine on.

Give it another move waypoint close by (essentially "on top of" its landing location, but the AI completes its helo waypoints at 500m or something so it doesn't have to be all that close). Do something to this waypoint to cause it to not complete. I synchronised it with a "GET IN" waypoint for my own group (I'm on foot) but you should be able to use a condition script or anything else.

Then give the helo another waypoint some distance off. When it completes the second move waypoint (i.e. the one that's so close it doesn't actually need to move to satisfy it) it should take off and continue on its merry way.

Example mission: http://mirror.quex.org/arma/HeloPickup.utes.7z

Or just make a new mission folder on Utes and paste in the mission.sqm:

version=11;
class Mission
{
addOns[]=
{
	"cacharacters2",
	"CAAir",
	"camisc3",
	"utes"
};
addOnsAuto[]=
{
	"cacharacters2",
	"CAAir",
	"camisc3",
	"utes"
};
randomSeed=5603209;
class Intel
{
	startWeather=0.40000001;
	forecastWeather=0.25;
	year=2008;
	month=10;
	day=11;
	hour=14;
	minute=20;
};
class Groups
{
	items=2;
	class Item0
	{
		side="WEST";
		class Vehicles
		{
			items=1;
			class Item0
			{
				position[]={3790.3782,19,3613.4958};
				azimut=105;
				special="NONE";
				id=0;
				side="WEST";
				vehicle="USMC_Soldier";
				player="PLAYER COMMANDER";
				leader=1;
				rank="LIEUTENANT";
				skill=0.60000002;
			};
		};
		class Waypoints
		{
			items=1;
			class Item0
			{
				position[]={3822.8735,19,3597.9377};
				type="GETIN";
				synchronizations[]={0};
				class Effects
				{
				};
				showWP="NEVER";
			};
		};
	};
	class Item1
	{
		side="WEST";
		class Vehicles
		{
			items=1;
			class Item0
			{
				position[]={3893.4006,18.980234,3641.9763};
				azimut=220;
				special="FLY";
				id=1;
				side="WEST";
				vehicle="MH60S";
				leader=1;
				rank="LIEUTENANT";
				skill=0.60000002;
			};
		};
		class Waypoints
		{
			items=3;
			class Item0
			{
				position[]={3831.7517,19,3601.832};
				expActiv="(vehicle this) land ""GET IN""";
				class Effects
				{
				};
				showWP="NEVER";
			};
			class Item1
			{
				position[]={3828.9231,19,3598.0564};
				synchronizations[]={0};
				class Effects
				{
				};
				showWP="NEVER";
			};
			class Item2
			{
				position[]={3663.0042,0.072013453,2853.5867};
				class Effects
				{
				};
				showWP="NEVER";
			};
		};
	};
};
class Vehicles
{
	items=1;
	class Item0
	{
		position[]={3825.3757,19,3601.6023};
		azimut=220;
		special="NONE";
		id=2;
		side="EMPTY";
		vehicle="HeliH";
		leader=1;
		skill=0.60000002;
	};
};
};
class Intro
{
addOns[]=
{
	"utes"
};
addOnsAuto[]=
{
	"utes"
};
randomSeed=4569867;
class Intel
{
	startWeather=0.40000001;
	forecastWeather=0.25;
	year=2008;
	month=10;
	day=11;
	hour=14;
	minute=20;
};
};
class OutroWin
{
addOns[]=
{
	"utes"
};
addOnsAuto[]=
{
	"utes"
};
randomSeed=502310;
class Intel
{
	startWeather=0.40000001;
	forecastWeather=0.25;
	year=2008;
	month=10;
	day=11;
	hour=14;
	minute=20;
};
};
class OutroLoose
{
addOns[]=
{
	"utes"
};
addOnsAuto[]=
{
	"utes"
};
randomSeed=1277170;
class Intel
{
	startWeather=0.40000001;
	forecastWeather=0.25;
	year=2008;
	month=10;
	day=11;
	hour=14;
	minute=20;
};
};

Edited March 25, 2010 by some kind of guy
Added example mission

[VirusLIVED 10]

Sorry for the delay, you guys are fast!

Thanks for all the help, I will review all these methods and get back to you guys shortly! If you have other ideas please keep them coming."

Also, I will probably be using this for an upcoming video, so I hope these methods look sexy :D

[VirusLIVED 10]

Give helo a move waypoint with on act:

(vehicle this) land "GET IN"

This will cause the helo to land but keep its engine on.

Give it another move waypoint close by (essentially "on top of" its landing location, but the AI completes its helo waypoints at 500m or something so it doesn't have to be all that close). Do something to this waypoint to cause it to not complete. I synchronised it with a "GET IN" waypoint for my own group (I'm on foot) but you should be able to use a condition script or anything else.

Then give the helo another waypoint some distance off. When it completes the second move waypoint (i.e. the one that's so close it doesn't actually need to move to satisfy it) it should take off and continue on its merry way.

Example mission: http://mirror.quex.org/arma/HeloPickup.utes.7z

Thank you very much for your work! That helo looked like an angel hovering before my eyes.

I will definately be using this concept!

**PROBLEM RESOLVED**