AAR (After Action Review - replay of your battle in Arma2)

[Muahaha 10]

Sad to hear that your VGA card is damaged. But glad that you have achieved a great milestone in the AAR project.

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

Muahaha, thank you. Actually I can still develop, even with Arma. The lagginess does not spoil the scripts functionality, though affects it's performance. So I'm continuing the core I\O coding, but can't tweak performance or work on playback lag though.

Family seems to recover from disease and there's a chance for me to progress a little on this week. The next WIP report will be on Monday by all means, or Sunday if I will be lucky and succeed so that can't wait to share the joy)))))) :)

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

Little bump... actually kind of todo note to myself. I'm planning my next work stage on AAR.

Change current channel set to contain:

* Channel #1 - Only for Arma to send commands to AAR

* Channel #2 - Only for AAR to send commands to ARMA

* Channel #3 - recording channel, for Arma to send data to AAR

* Channel #4 - playback channel, for AAR to send replay data to Arma

New communication algorithm:

New global variable - command variable. Depending on its contents the corresponding procedure is initiated or stopped.

One separate infinite cycle which monitors every incoming command in both server and client. Arma monitors CH#2. AAR waits commands on CH#1.

In Arma monitoring scripts will be launched as execVM "monitor.sqf". This script will change the command variable to the received command.

In AAR monitoring will be handled in separate memory thread and will have infinite cycle of reading CH#1. On command received it calls the "Decider" function and sends the command as a parameter. The Decider function will launch a procedure according to command, or stop it, and also set the AAR global command variable to the received, so that corresponding cycles exit on While( command_var = current ) or If (command_variable != the_needed_for_cycle).

ARMA controls.

* Initiate AAR - radio 001

* STOP - 002

* PLAY - 003

* RECORD - 004

* emergency channel closing - 005

For recording and reading the two current separate threads will be used without changes.

The GUI for AAR:

* - console

* - status line

* - playlist

* - close cross

* - minimize button

period

All system is initiated RIGHT at the application start. Why hitting "START AAR"? We launch the app to start it, so why performing another useless click?

After app launch the whole system boots up, starts reading CH#1, and waits for communications with Arma.

On close all threads stopped, OFF command sent to CH#2, pipes closed.

On OFF command Arma exits all the scripts, stops cycles and you'll need to reactivate it.

If Arma client is started before the AAR is launched ready - Arma exits client scripts and hints with "AAR is offline. Launch AAR.exe first and try again."

Need to create INI file to store settings.

- path for replay storage, this folder is also scanned for replays to be added to playlist

- language selection (for future)

- version (maybe, for future update system)

- replay filename prefix (also a text field in app to enter manually)

- every notifications sound filename (.wav)

Sound notifications.

Not some irritating sound mess. Simple delicate beep on record start, two beeps on playback, three beeps on stop. Beeps are not loud, very high, very short… same as in cameras. More for debug purposes to have no need to constantly alt-tabbing while testing.

Hardware offtop report :p

Gave my video card to a buddy. He gave his old malfunctioning card (shows artifacts and some scanlines throughout screen, cannot handle 3d but at least system is operable without glitches or sound stutters).

I plugged it in my PC, no beeps, alls OK. Windows launched. Couldn't test ingame, but it's obvious no other system failures or malfunctions. That was my video card.

Today buddy brought my video card back and said all is OK, no beeps, not glitches, played MW2 for half an hour.

Mystics! I will believe in magic if today in the evening I will plug it back and all will be ok... Damn this hardware and its unpredictable behavior))))) :confused:

[HeliJunkie 11]

Sounds good! Hope your Graphiccard work without errors!

Keep on working!

If I can help you with code revision or code some functions for you (SQF), feel free to PM me.

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

Thanks HeliJunkie! As soon as I get it all working at basic level for functional demo, I will post all the sources and scripts. You'll look at my mess of a code yourself and I'm sure not only you will have effective suggestions on how to improve the code. ;)

[kremator 1064]

Fingers crossed zvukoper!

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

D'oh! Now it beeps forever))) Nothing on the screen, the led is yellow. Farewell buddy.

Will try to find some old PCI-E somewhere, at least to see something, and get the source files out to my notebook.

[HeliJunkie 11]

:(:( Bad news! :(:(

And the video card was working on the system of your buddy?

Maybe the mainboard has the malfunction and not the video card?

Is it beeping from power on... or a little bit later....?

And which LED is yellow ?

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

At buddy's comp my vcard works, he tested it on MW2 for some 20 minutes.

Today I pulled the video card out, -beeps the same as when I plug it in.

Found my old video card which is damaged and not showing anything - NO BEEPS but screen blank of course.

Beeps happen a little bit later, actually not longer to wait then every other system beep even if all was ok, then restarts automatically.

Yellow is the led at my monitor - meaning no video signal is received.

I will know for sure is this is the motherborad when I plug in a fully functional video card. Just need to find it today. Working on it.

[kremator 1064]

Does now sound like a motherboard if your mate can play on your card. Good luck.

[Muahaha 10]

Hi zvukoper,

Been a while hearing anything from you. Hope you managed to get your comp up and running.

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

Sorry for being absent. Thanks for the bump))) I have major reorganization at work, changed offices, so less time to consider private stuff at work, and my head manager now sits beside me 0_o, so I'm playing those stealth alt-tabbing games pretending I'm busy working, not some forum trolling)))

Last week I've found the video card and my PC is up and ready, Arma is at lowest graphics, but enough to continue my projects. Though I still have not much time to take up all the development... Need more time to recover, pull myself together and try to remember where the hell have I stopped and what all this Delphi code means)))))))

[kremator 1064]

Good news zvukoper. Hope to be able to test something for you soon.

[Muahaha 10]

Haha it's a bummer to have your boss sitting besides you.... I try to avoid that at all cost... well, hope everything comes back to you.

If you need beta testers to give feedbacks on certain things you implemented. You know where to look... :)

Good luck buddy.

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

Muahaha, sure! You all won't miss anything, trust me)

[kremator 1064]

Is that PC of yours now back to full strength ? Or are you still 'working' at work ?

[fromz 2]

Backup your project everyday pls. And hope you can finish the great project :)

[garetjaxusmc 10]

Bumping this topic to see how things are progressing... definitely looking forward to this!

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

Since my community is having tons of things to prepare for the new gaming season, I'm completely out of time to pick up the project. But I keep it in mind and don't see it like a forgotten or abandoned in the future. I need it badly myself for my squad, so the moment we solve the major initial tasks for the new season I'll take a look at the project.

Can't tell any deadlines yet for I don't want to lie or break promises for you guyz)))

[kremator 1064]

As long as you are keeping working on it then it's fine mate. This is a REAL keeper if you sort it!

[garetjaxusmc 10]

I wish I could help out... but unfortunately I'm not well versed in scripting or programming.

[TemichSablin 10]

Yeh it's a bit complicated but it also happens that AAR is also a vital part of that stuff that neds to be prepared for our squad. So we're currently on-hold with the development, especially with all those software incompatibility issues (grrr!), hopefully it would be continued within this gaming season (2010-2011). And yea, it's not like we would need any beta testers soon :(

(Also from PA, Zvukoper's first mate :D, Temich)

[DZR_Mikhail 14]

All right) Two days ago I sat down and opened all the project files for AAR... and sat there mouth open for some 15 minutes...The Delphi code is so uncommented that I understood nothing in it... The latest build of client side was totally unstable and crashed my OS. The code is so messy, with three layers of different usability hell only knows how I created this and where to search for the initial position. In short, the code is a total mess. Unusable and faulty.

Without regrets I created a blank project for Delphi, pasted the precisely true functions and procedures and rewritten the client from scratch. This morning's progress:

Already done

• 4 separate pipes: 2 for command\status communications between AAR (Arma) and Client (Delphi App), 2 for data exchange. Working perfect.
  
• AAR sends all the needed data with animations to Client.
  
• All the AAR controls are totally moved to Arma: new interface (a dialog with buttons - thanks Temichsablin), hotkey interface opening is planned (without ugly radios or mouswheel actions).
  

Not done

• Write to file (code exists, need copypasting)
  
• Playback
  
• Efficient stopping (without arma restart)
  

In other words all goes well, even better than previously.

[Muahaha 10]

All right) Two days ago I sat down and opened all the project files for AAR... and sat there mouth open for some 15 minutes...The Delphi code is so uncommented that I understood nothing in it... The latest build of client side was totally unstable and crashed my OS. The code is so messy, with three layers of different usability hell only knows how I created this and where to search for the initial position. In short, the code is a total mess. Unusable and faulty.

Without regrets I created a blank project for Delphi, pasted the precisely true functions and procedures and rewritten the client from scratch. This morning's progress:

Already done

• 4 separate pipes: 2 for command\status communications between AAR (Arma) and Client (Delphi App), 2 for data exchange. Working perfect.
  
• AAR sends all the needed data with animations to Client.
  
• All the AAR controls are totally moved to Arma: new interface (a dialog with buttons - thanks Temichsablin), hotkey interface opening is planned (without ugly radios or mouswheel actions).
  

Not done

• Write to file (code exists, need copypasting)
  
• Playback
  
• Efficient stopping (without arma restart)
  

In other words all goes well, even better than previously.

Good to have you back on the project zvukoper. I hope it will be a much better project than before.

[kremator 1064]

Good news. Even better that you have improved it further !

Looking forward to helping you test when ready.