hardrock

<span style='color:green'>Update July 06: ofp.info links fixed</span> Since this question appeared several times, I'll post here what you need to make an addon: Check out here if the addon doesn't already exist in good quality. Necessary tools: Oxygen Light (3D modelling tool) If you hear somebody speaking about "O2", that's the same Oxygen Viewer (necessary for Oxygen Light) TexView (to convert TGA-files into OFP's texture format) WinPBO (Tool to pack/unpack PBO files - OFP's addon format) <span style='color:green'>updated - replaces the following two</span> MakePBO 1.1 (To pack all files into OFP's addon format) <span style='color:red'>old school</span> PBO decryptor 1.5 (To unpack OFP's addon format) <span style='color:red'>old school</span> It's also good to have a graphics program like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro to make textures, since this won't work very well with MS Paint. Also many of the texturing tutorials are written for these programs. Tutorials: Addon making/Modeling Brsseb's tutorial pages (Very good tutorials about installing Oxygen and making addons) Colonel Klink's tutorial pages (more advanced tutorials on making addons) OFPEC tutorials on making addons Marfy's texturing tutorials (advanced tutorials on how to make good-looking textures) Oxygen tutorials Status_cz's Oxygen tutorials 3D Studio Max Tutorials <span style='color:green'>new</span> Texturing 2D Art/Skinning Tutorials <span style='color:green'>new</span> Texturing Videos <span style='color:green'>new</span> Painting worn metal textures <span style='color:green'>new</span> Skinning Tutorials <span style='color:green'>new</span> Digital Art Resource <span style='color:green'>new</span> Samples: BIS sample models, but read the readme first! BIS commented config.cpp 1.91 Links: OFPEC (_The_ site about editing in OFP) Breathe (BIS official addon-making website) TheAvonLady's OFP FAQ (covers nearly every question about OFP) These forums When you once are more advanced on making addons, you may also need: Other useful tools: ODOL Explorer 2.0 + Update to 2.44 (to open and learn from binarized models, but don't copy them without permission! ) PAATool (Texture conversion tool with better quality than TexView, but without preview) OFPAnim 0.98 and the update on 0.981 (Tool to make OFP animations) CfgCheck (Replace all tags in a .p3d's texture paths / convert bin to cpp - only unicode) <span style='color:green'>updated</span> Chris' OFP Script Editor 3.1 (script editor with ofp syntax highlighting and many tools and functions) <span style='color:green'>updated</span> Patch Generator 1.0 (easily create patches for updates of your addons) <span style='color:green'>updated</span> Resources: Camouflage patterns of the world <span style='color:green'>new</span> Camouflage nets <span style='color:green'>new</span> If there is anything missing in this list, I'll edit this post.

Just by the way: The ACES project for OFP tried to achieve pretty much the same. You can find it for OFP bundled together with the Eurofigher Addon. I think it also has been ported to ArmA. Maybe you can find some script code in there that's of any use to you. Especially all the proxy handling system has been worked out pretty well, I guess.

@iLoctus: I appreciate your answer. I guess I'll wait a while, maybe put in some more RAM and see whether it improves anything. I can still upgrade my GFX card in a few months. It's disappointing to see that even the recommended system configuration does not really work out.

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I just bought this card one year ago and it's pretty much unused, so I'm not really a fan of replacing it. Would adding a second card (SLI) be an option? Is there any chance to improve my performance at all with that rig (more RAM?)?

I have the same problem. I have the recommended system requirements, but I can barely play the game (the Demo, to be correct) on the lowest settings. I have set the resolution to 1920x1050, resolution to 100%, AA lowest setting and postprocessing off. All the rest is on mostly low and some normal, with those settings Arma2 isn't looking particularly nice, but at least I get 25FPS in the benchmark. My system specifications: Windows XP SP 2 Athlon64 X2 6000+ Nvidia 8800GT 512MB 2GB RAM Asus M2N32-SLI Mainboard Does anyone have any tips (apart from the above-mentioned) to improve my system's performance?

Just played the demo for two hours and I basically like it. It's like OFP! The athmosphere, the style, the graphics... Honestly, is it normal that I have to play it on mostly everything off or low with an Athlon64 6000+, Nvidia 8800GT and 2GB RAM under Win XP SP2? And I still have texture loading issues. I already got the newest Nvidia driver, but that didn't change much. So my feed back to the demo is: So-so. The athmosphere is nice, but the performance not so.

Hey all, I wonder about that too. I haven't got Arma2 yet, but it sounds like a worthy successor to OFP! Gotta drop in once my exams are over. @Albert: Nice picture!

I think that the contest idea is a very good one. I'd like to also throw in the suggestion to open-source the submissions (or only the winner) once the voting is over. I think this could serve as a good resource to learn from existing addons. Additionally, I'd like to propose that the technical quality of the addon should influence the voting. This could stimulate participants to improve their technical skills and raise discussions about best practices etc.

Ok, I apologize if I may have been rude. I know this behaviour from OFP, I suppose it was the same in Armed Assault. I remember that in OFP it took a while until your formation direction changed to where the leader is facing after the leader changed the direction. I don't think this is bad though, otherwise all your units would reformate even if you only change direction for a few seconds. Of course, it was always very tricky finding out what the actual direction of the formation was if the AI was in lead. That's where the clock indicator helped a lot, and that is also why I think a subtle formation direction indicator, that appears when a radio message with a direction comes in, would be a good idea. Just like the old clock.

Did you consider reading my entire post before replying?

Hello all, I think there've already been a couple of very good suggestions in this thread. I agree that "left" and "right" should be used in close distances, while compass directions should be used when the enemy is farther away. Many of you seem to dislike the more human "left" and "right" and favour the old system of OFP with the visual clock and a direction like "3 o'clock". I think that crawler made a good point though: Why not get the best of both games? Like we had the visual clock in OFP, we could simply add a little cursor indicating the current squad direction. Then determining where "left" is, relative to the squad direction, is absolutely no problem anymore.

Imagine you buy a Lamborghini. You know that the model is one of the fastest cars around, its design the most beautiful, its sound the warmest sound a car has ever made! It's a warm summer day. The sun is gleaming, it's really hot outside. A perfect day for a ride! You get into the car and find out that you cannot adjust the seat, which leaves you in a very uncomfortable position. Ignoring this minor detail, you start the motor and off you go. It's getting hotter and hotter, but the window lifts don't work. Nor does the air conditioner, which heats the car instead of cooling it. Slightly irritated, you insert a CD, but the player cannot read it. A light flashes to inform you about running out of fuel, but you know that your tank is full! You turn on the GPS and it tells you to turn right on a long straight road with no crossing whatsoever. After this day, would you still be confident in your choice to buy the car because it's a Lamborghini, the fastest and most beautiful car out there? The details count. Releasing an unfinished product is unprofessional and not acceptable.

Really?! Then, considering that ArmA II seems to be out in a few stores in Germany, where's the CWR release for it? :p

What's the point of cross-posting that over and over again?

@Ptolemaios: The screens that you provided to compare the games are like comparing apples and bananas. CM's screens are edited, BIS' screens are not. CM's screens use anti-aliasing, BIS' screens do not. BIS screens are obviously ingame, but are CM's ingame as well? We can't tell. Comparing games by their look and by what the game developers tell or have shown in render videos is nonsense anyway. I'm no fan of either of the games and will buy those that are fun. But calling others "fanbois" without having any valid argument supporting your point is really weak.

Sorry to hear that, Rock. You know, that's the great thing about creating open source software. No-one can steal what you have already given for free. But then again, the business model of open source companies is an entirely different one and cannot really be applied to 3D modelling. All the best!

Now I finally know where Llauma got his name from. He just mispelled it!

Which is after all what a forum thread is about, hm?

Try http://web.archive.org and enter "www.dc3d.co.nz" as URL. They still have some older copies with Klink's tutorials left, although I guess they are kind of outdated now.

Very nice! I'll try to be there.

Very nice work! I have not been active for a long time, but I'm glad to see people value the work I spent on this addon Just to stop any speculations/flame wars right in the beginning: This was stated in the readme and this is true. You can do whatever you want, as long as you do it uncommercially. I would be even more glad if you would port ACES, but I know what a pain in the ass it was so I doubt you will Sincerely, hardrock

Same here. You've actually got to view the page in english, then it works.

Same here.

I suppose the best solution would be if OFPEC would provide the ID range for any tag that already exists or is created in the future. The ID wouldn't really have to be connected with the tag. Like a second, auto-generated tag.

Cool stuff, already added to my feed reader :-)