sbsmac

I'm pleased to announce that squint is ready for its first public release. Squint is an editor and error-checker for ArmA script files (sqf, cpp, ext, sqm) and can save you many hours of headache by detecting syntax errors and common logic problems before you even run your scripts in a mission. You can learn more about it from this presentation. (If anyone knows how to embed iframe tags in this forum please let me know.) there is also a basic guide to getting started. Installation instructions are here or you can just run the setup file from my homepage . Please be patient while I tidy up the documentation over the next few days. There are certain to be a few bugs as well, please help me out by reporting them rather than ignoring them. I'm also particularly keen to get your suggestions on the kinds of errors you find in your code which squint does not yet catch. Here's a screenshot...

>One think i was proud of ARMA 2 or/and CO netcode was.. no matter what ping you had (within reason) every match was fair. >You could easily tell where your opponent was *just faster than you. Agreed - my (subjective) experience is that at lower frame rates, hit detection (or maybe damage) seems very unreliable.

Let's not argue over semantics. The expected behaviour is missing whatever the root cause. ;-)

I'm also working on getting the old pvpscriptpack working again. One annoying thing is that setflagowner is bugged (which is why all the ctf games at the moment attached glowing markers to the flagcarrrier). If you care about CTF please vote for this issue... http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=11119

Excellent video - still hoping for the ToH flight model to come back myself.... ;-)

Personally I'd like to see BI go a bit further and embrace the platform concept a bit more fully by acting as custodians for a QA-approved set of 'core' content developed (at least partly) by the community according to set of interoperability standards. The model I'm thinking of is RedHat who distribute a QA-approved build of Linux which of course has contributors from both RedHat and the general development community. Now I know that some people will point out problems with this - IP 'provenance' is a risk, some mod makers might not wish to contribute their efforts for 'free' when BI are ending up making money, some developers might not want to adhere to standards and BI themselves probably have no experience in (or spare resources for) running this kind of open-source project but I think that despite all of the problems, this is worth exploring as a way to build up a consistent content library for the sandbox.

>The fact that compiled code is running up to 20 times faster then uncompiled, is a hint that the compiled code is something like metacode? The comparison being made there is compiling once vs compiling multiple times inside a loop (by using execVM). SQF is always 'compiled' (in the Arma sense) even if it's done implicitly by the engine when loading init.sqf or running execVM. >but is true that there is an intermediate representation of a SQF, however this intermediate representation doesn't qualify as a bytecode because this binarised format still requires parsing by a grammar to make a set of instructions free of semantics like object type and scope .rap is incapable of expressing sqf (except as an embedded string) and in any case is a storage format rather than an execution format. *Edit* (Too long since I actually wrote any sqf!) You can get an idea of how much is determined at 'compilation' simply by checking when the engine emits errors of various kinds. Function calls are obviously symbolic references since you can redefine the contents of a function by 'compiling' different code against the original symbol (as was done in the recent MP hack) Type correctness (what little of it there is) is determined at runtime not 'compile' time. IIRC operator and syntactic correctness is determined at 'compile' time which would imply that the internal representation is some kind of expression tree but perhaps I'm more disposed to think that's true because it's how squint represents code for analysis.

Description: The PVP script pack is a framework of scripts that allow you to quickly and easily create missions. No knowledge of scripting or triggers is required and a map can be created just by adding a few markers in the ArmA2 editor and changing a line in an external text file. A basic PVP map can be created in just a few minutes using this pack. The scriptpack was originally designed to support multi-player PVP (player vs player) games but can just as easily be used for SP (single-player) or CO-OP mission design since it provides many useful features such as minefields, vehicle-respawn zones, a spectator script, no-fly-zones and capturable objectives. Features * Supports CO-OP,SP,CTF,FF,DM,TDM,KoH,C&H,AAS modes as well as hybrid variants and asymmetric game-types such as ESCORT or A&D. * Powerful spectator script allows referees or players to view the game. * Flexible objectives system includes hold, destroy, locate, and hostage. * Border, minefield and no-flyzone support as well as exclusion zones for flag-runners. * Respawn limiting by player and/or team. Vehicle respawn and repair zones. * Artillery barrages and fly-pasts. * Automatic body-removal and optional anti-gimping and spawn-protection. * Automatic generation of intro and outro sequences. * Support for invulnerable AI guards to project areas * Paradrop support so players can join the action quickly. Usage The pack comes with an extensive manual that walks beginners through the process of creating missions and also includes a number of template and example missions. There are also a number of video tutorials available. Please use this thread to report bugs and request features. I'll also regularly post updates as I work on them. Read the manual here. I am also starting to work on some video tutorials The good folks over at dev-heaven have been kind enough to host a project space for me. You can get the latest downloads, report bugs or discuss ideas in the forum there. Of course I'll also continue to monitor this forum. HELP WANTED If you want to help, check out the Help Wanted page! Want the script pack to do something a bit different ? Of course, you're free to edit the scripts yourself but I'm hoping to avoid too much forking of the codebase. If you have made changes, please let me know and I'll look at folding them into the main codebase. Thanks to... Q-SeNs for helping with the manual! [uRC]Specter, Zordak,Mosh,deadsmell for beta-testing V2 [uRC]Fatman for work on the A&D mode and contributing his superb templates to the project. kadinX, [uRC]Fatman and AceofSpades for beta-testing V3 ArmaHolic download mirror =============================================== 13/12/09 V3.02 now released * Fixed a serious bug which stopped CTF scoring working after a player had returned a flag * CTF_iff can now be used to provide identification of friendly forces. * Demo video at * All game-mode with flags now provide a feature to automaticaly return or pickup the flag even if the default action does not appear. * CTF_allowBINO turns on/off binoculars * DLG_RESPAWNLIMIT now uses text '#lives' to make it less confusing * Flag markers now accept the 'flagheight' keyword =============================================== 21/11/09 V3.00 now released * IMPORTANT - the manual is now an open google-doc at http://docs.google.com/View?id=dg9863vb_8cmnwqh26 and can be edited by anyone who wishes to improve the documentation. * IMPORTANT - guns/rockets/allWeapons markers no longer work and have been replaced with a more flexible 'ammo' marker scheme. See the manual for details. * IMPORTANT - paradrops have been significantly reworked and allow halo, as well as ground-level teleporting to objectives, dropzones or other areas with flexible configuration. See the manual for details. * In rugby mode multiple scoring flags can be used. The 'score' keyword can be used to assign different scores to them and they can be named. * CTF_antiShake can be used to stop players aim deteriorating when the are wounded. * CTF_antiCamp can be used to put tags above campers heads. * Quick-grenade select feature allows grenades to be chosen with a tap of the 'salute' key, smoke-grenades are selected with a double-tap of the salute key. * Spawnkillers are now blinded rather than blown-up. * CTF_disableFriendlyFire can be used to blind Tk'ers and resurrect their victims. * Time of day dialog now available in MP lobby. * Splashscreen now uses entire screen size. * PreventDamage markers now work on vehicles and objects. * Safezones are created between the edges of minefields and and dropped flags so that they can be retrieved. * Flags are automatically returned/picked up if a player stands over a flag-runners body for 10 seconds. * Border and minefield markers are now invulnerable and are placed accurately. * Fixed bug where spectator script could lock up if watching a body that was deleted. * 'Hidden' keyword can be used to hide objectives from map and hud. * TDM team scores are now based purely on kills and persist even if players leave the game. * CTF_deathPenalty can be used to subtract points from a player every time they die. * flagheight keyword can now be used in objectives to place flags on top of buildings. * CTF_objectiveCaptureScore can be set to 0 to stop players gaining score when holding objectives. * Timer in HUD now shows 'unlimited time' or 'waiting for players' as appropriate. * CTF_flagTouchDelay can now be used to set the delay between taking the flag and scoring a touch. * DLG_RESPAWNLIMIT can be used to limit the number of player respawns. * CTF_disableCommandMode can now be set false if you really do want to be able to use command-mode in a game. * The flag now returns to the pole when players leave the playzone in KoH mode. * Player loadout is now preserved when they take weapons from an ammo crate. * KoH and FF modes now show flag-status in HUD * =============================================== 30/9/09 V2.08 now released HOTFIXES..... Single-key grenade select... http://dev-heaven.net/attachments/download/2690/disableCommandMode.sqf Fix for time-of-day lobby dialog defaulting to midnight... http://dev-heaven.net/attachments/download/2691/dlgs.h Changes since 2.05... * View distance, terrain detail, and mission time-of-day can now be set from the lobby using DLG_TERRAINDETAIL, DLG_VIEWDISTANCE and DLG_TIMEOFDAY * Hugely improved loading-screen images and templates - thanks to Tom Anger * CTF_notes section added, all example missions have appropriate example text * Spectator-cam 'previous' arrow now works correctly * TDM HUD scoring fixed * preventDamage areas now work for vehicles, 'things', and buildings. * Fixed bug where borders and minefields didn't work ! * Make sure the game ends when tickets run out * Games with one side (DM,KOH,FF) should now end when only one player is left * Players who have run out of lives have a negative score added to ensure they do not appear on the leaderboard in DM/KOH * CTF_terrainGrid and CTF_viewDistance variables added * Objectives system now halts on game-over * Score is not shown at end of game if CTF_hudNoSCore is set * TDM and KOH now show up in browser as TEAM and CTF respectively 21/9/09 V2.05 now released What's new ? * Intro sequence should now take the same amount of time regardless of framerate. * The method for adding spectators has changed. Any playable unit placed within a 'spectators' marker will be treated as a spectator and can view other players. * The "zombie" problem with the "away" DeathCam camera mode has now been fixed. "away" now focusses the camera on the player in respawn. * Fixed a problem where if there was only one player 'in-play' on a side and that player was killed, the game would end even if there were respawn tickets left. * The flag-state reporting is now working in CTF mode. * DM, KOH, and FF game-modes were probably not working correctly as a result of the ticket/in-play system. * Logics can no longer be treated as spectator targets. * Spectators can no longer respawn themselves into the player respawn area. =============================================== 20/9/09 V2.04 now released What's new ? * CTF_gameStartThreshold can be used to configure the number of players that need to be present on each side before the game will start. By default this is 1. This prevents games ending immediately when only one player joins them. * CO-OP mode now supports objectives. The CO-OP example mission is now fully working. * Simple auto-generation of tasks from objectives has been added (this is an early implementation)> * Fixed a bug where players who were dead and respawning were not recognised as being in the game. * Cleaned up spectator script to make it's use by CTF_deathCam a lot more reliable. * CTF_deathCam now recognises the "away" option. * The new 1.04 lobby dialog system is now supported - any number of dialogs can be used. * The 'isReferee=true;' method of adding spectators has now been changed. You must add 'CTF_referee=player;' to a unit's init slot to ensure that spectator slots will work. IMPORTANT - due to the new lobby-dialog system, the ctfConfig.sqf file has changed and old dialogs are no longer supported. You must be careful when updating to this version of the scriptpack. =============================================== 13/9/09 V2.03 now released What's new ? * Manual updated * CTF_fightToTheLastMan can be used to ensure the game doesn't end until all tickets are taken AND one side has no more active players. * East and west teams can now have different numbers of tickets with CTF_ticketLimitEast and CTF_ticketLimitWest * HUD is configurable in C&H with CTF_hudNoScore and CTF_hudNoObjectives * CTF_deathCam can be used to change the default camera mode whilst respawning (including spectator mode) * CTF_spectateAll can be used to allow spectators to watch both east and west (by default they can watch their own side only) * Contested objectives now revert to neutral at a constant rate * Objectives now support 'safezone' keyword meaning that civilians can capture them * Objectives now support 'threshold' keyword meaning that at least 'n' players must be in the objective to capture it * CTF_allowNeutralisationWin allows a team to win when all objectives belong to them or are neutral * Added testmode to automatically skip intro in SP editor - CTF_skipIntro is no longer used * Ticket system can be used for all gamemodes to limit team respawns * Improved HUD for CTF now shows status of each flag * Fixed bug where illegally killed players coudl sometimes respawn in spawn area with incorrect weapons * 'Sign' keyword can be used for objectives * Players who run out of respawns will have access to the spectator script * Game will now end when either team runs out of respawns/players * Players with sidearms shoudl now respawn with magazines for them when CTF_preserveLoadoutOnDeath is used * Players with rocket launchers shoudl now respawn with a sensible number of rockets * FlagRunners need to be slightly closer to home flag to score * CTF_flagRespawnDelay added * CTF_flagRespawnDelay now hides flag completely instead of just changing texture * Debug diag_logs removed * 'sign' keyword can now accept value of 'none' * Borders now understand 'sign' keyword * Playzone marker support added * Flag runners in flag-based games now need to be closer to the home flag to score * Paradrop entry vehicles are now correctly created * CTF_defaultWeapon="" now works correctly * New 'hostage' keyword for destroy-objectives * Ticket system is now side-based * Players can now be interned when tickets run out - allows game to run until last player is killed * date and time is synchronised when JIP players join * Interned players are no longer killed for being outside borders * CTF_preserveLoadoutOnDeath now allows players to respawn with missiles for their launchers * InPlay monitor allows games to be terminated when all players on a side have run out of respawns * Flagrunners who were illegally killed should now respawn with the flag =============================================== 28/8/09 V2.02 now released What's new ? * Prototype Insurgency mode (see wiki page for preliminary notes) * New 'hidden' keyword allows 'destroy' objectives to be unmarked until neutralised. * New 'uncertainty' keyword for objectives randomly displaces marker position by the amount specified. * New 'caches' keyword for objectives chooses 'n' ammo crates from all those within the objective. * Map is now hidden during mission briefing * Vehicle and player respawn code now uses posAsl so as to be able to cope with USS Khe Sahn * It was possible for vehicles to become so damaged they turned into wrecks which would then not respawn * Vehicles were only respawning if they had been moved from their original position so vehicles destroyed in spawn would not respawn. * NoFlyZones no longer kill players in trucks * Minefields now kill players in trucks * Borders now work correctly against aircraft * CTF_defaultWeapon can now take the value "none" which will disarm players at start of game. * HOTFIX available: CTF_flagRespawnDelay=123 can now be used to enforce a period of neutrality after a flag-score. =============================================== 22/8/09 V2.01 now released What's new ? * CO-OP gamemode allows the script pack to be used within a CO-OP game * A brand new keyword system for markers means that items can be easily configured * Artillery - call down artillery either randomly or at periodic intervals * Noflyzones - stop players flying in defined areas. * Noflag zones - stop players carrying flags through defined areas * ECL gamemode added - like CTF but teams must hold an objective to be able to score * RUGBY gamemode added - only one flag which the team must deliver the other team's endzone to score. * Vehicle respawn zones (now called vehicles rather than carparks) can selectively repair different kinds of vehicles * AIguardZones can now be used to give invulnerability to AI border or spawn 'guards'. * Minefields now have individually configurable lethality * Special fly-overs are now supported * Error checking is performed for missing markers/unrecognised keywords * CTF_defaultWeaponEast/West allow teams to spawn with different weapons * Flyroute intros much smoother * C&H objectives now include 'destroy' and 'mobile destroy' types * Make sure score is displayed at end of TDM (available as hotfix) * allWeapons crates now contain pistols * CTF_preventSuicide now instantly respawns players who try to use ESC respawn or who blow themselves up * Pistols are now preserved in loadout * damage and armour are now correctly restored when a vehicle is returned to a carpark * Stronger enforcement of disableCommandMode * Mission makers can now provide a splashscreen (logo.jpg) * Player input is disabled during intro * Intro/outro Music is now faded in over 5 seconds * CTF_defaultWeapon no longer requires correct case for weapon name * Players who take or return the flag in CTF are now rewarded with points (and points mean prizes!) * Workaround setDate stutter bug introduced in 1.03 patch * Players who help capture or contest objectives in C&H get points for it. * Objectives in C&H are now taken faster if there are more players in the area. * Use orange markers for flag-tracker in CTF/FF/KOH * Use neutral flag texture for FF/KOH * Handgrenades, smokegrenades and mines are now included in allWeapons crates * noParaDrop zones now use modifiers * destroy objectives can have individual damageThreshold modifier * AIguardZone markers can now be created to allow for invulnerable AI guards and vehicles. =============================================== 7/8/09 V1.19 V1.19 now released Fixed in this release:- * Make sure that area objectives don't have missing/duplicate labels * Fix problem where players could respawn with no ammo. * Fix scoring for TDM (thansk to SpecterM for reporting this). * Fix scoring for DM. =============================================== 6/8/09 V1.18 V1.18 now released Fixed in this release:- * IMPORTANT - C&H/AAS objectives are now created slightly differently from before. Old maps may need to be modified slightly - read the manual for details. * Vehicles now respawn in the correct direction rather than always facing North. * By default, players now respawn at their original location and direction. * Objective type mechanism completely reworked (see manual) * HUD now automatically shown at beginning of game * "Flagtaken" sound now played in C&H/AAS when objectives change ownership. * "Flagtaken" sound now played in KOH when flag is taken from another player. * "allWeapons" markers create an ammo create containing all rifles and rocket launchers (regardless of settings of CTF_allowGrenadeLauncher/Silenced/Sniper etc) * Vehicles will now be repaired, refueled and rearmed if taken back to a carpark and left stationery for CTF_vehicleRefreshDelay seconds. * CTF_playerRespawnLimit can now be used to limit number of respawns * End of game hints now enabled (10,5,1 minutes by default but use CTF_endWarnings to change). * Hold (return to neutral if no friendlies present) and Destroy (damage all vehicles in area) objectives now supported * CTF_allowNVG equips players with NVgoggles =============================================== 2/8/09 V1.17 V1.17 now released Fixed in this release:- * AAS mode (or C&H with domination enabled) might end early or not at all * Added a DLG_MAXSCORE_DM =============================================== 2/8/09 V1.16 V1.16 now released Fixed in this release:- * noParaDrop(East/West) zones can now be used * Fixed problem with boolean lobby dialogs * Fixed quotation marks in manual (cutting and pasting example configs from pdf would cause errors). * Made the 'domination' (all objectives held simultaneously) win a bit more obvious. =============================================== 31/7/09 V1.15 V1.15 now released Fixed in this release:- * IMPORTANT - CTF_gameLength is now defined in minutes rather than seconds ! Use CTF_gameLength=30 for a 30 minute game rather than CTF_gameLength=1800 as previously. * Manual updated * Template/example missions supplied for all game-modes * Lobby-dialogs supported and wide-range of canned options available * HUD is automatically hidden when game is over * Pack no longer ships with introsong and outrosong oggs since default is to use internal tunes * Body removal time is configurable with CTF_bodyRemovalDelay * CTF_scoreToWin defines maximum score before game-over * CTF_reverseScore causes objectives held by your team to drain points from the enemy. The team whose points are all drained first is the loser. Use CTF_scoreToWin to set starting points. * Flag-tracker in CTF incorrectly reported west flag as "<null> flag" * VSS_Vintorez and MP5A5 are now correctly classified as silenced weapons * Fixed bug where JIP players did not see objective or flag markers correctly * Markers for ammo-dumps, preventDamage,LevelBuildings, paraDrops and carparks are now removed once the game starts to avoid cluttering up the map * New intro type "FlyRoute" flies between objectives on C&H or flags on CTF =============================================== 29/7/09 V1.14 now released Fixed in this release:- * Missions now end (V1.14 supercedes V1.13) * Manual updated again * ParaDrop feature now fixed so it doesn't spawn a plane for every player * CTF_paraDropVehicle can be used to choose which vehicle to spawn * CTF_paraDropHeight can be used to configure how high up the player parachutes from * paraDrop vehicles are aligned with marker * Fixed bug in DM/TDM/FF/KOH modes where kills were marked as friendly * FF,DM, KOH now show top player(s) in HUD as well as own points * items in inventory are now preserved when respawning from for illegal kills * CTF_preserveLoadoutOnDeath can be used in DM's to make sure loadout is preserved even if there is no spawn--protection zone. * CTF_grenades can be used to override the default number of grenades in the initial loadout * CTF_carparkRespawnDelays can be used to control respawn times of individual carparks * Attempt to fix race-conditions leading to occasional loss of HUD. * Intro is now faded in to hide initial setup * Spawn-protection zones can be overflown as can minefields * Players who overfly borders will have different text to those who enter on foot * Implement a 'flag-tracker'. CTF_flagTrackDelay controls how long before this is turned on. CTF_flagTrackInterval controls how often it reports. * Added anti-gimp mode, particularly useful for DM's where crawling around isn't much fun. Set CTF_antiGimp to true to enable this. =============================================== 27/7/09 V1.12 now released Fixed in this release: * IMPORTANT NOTE for C&H authors - the CTF_Flags variable has now been replaced by CTF_objectives * Manual updated * An in-game HUD can now be turned on (using the radio) to show score and time remaining in all game modes * C&H/AAS objectives system reworked to support both flag and area objectives * CTF_allowGPS now controls GPS/mini-map * player loadout now preserves secondary weapon and miscellaneous items * initial weapon can be set with CTF_defaultWeapon, changing it to "" will skip initial loadout * crates containing rocket-launchers can be placed using "rockets' markers. * Objectives in C&H/AAS can have different values using the CTF_objectiveScores variable * flag-returner in CTF should now be correctly identified all the time * flag-taken and scored sounds now play correctly in CTF * Default music is now internal tune but CTF_introMusic and CTF_outroMusic can be used to override this. * CTF_RESPAWN_DELAY has now been replaced by CTF_respawnDelay config variable * It is now possible to fly across minefields without the annoying warning * Vehicles that were damaged in carparks are now correctly respawned. * Flying above a border will result in death * Placing 'paraDrop' markers allows players to click on the map to choose where to parachute to. =============================================== 24/7/09 V1.11 now released Fixed in this release:- * Reworked flags and markers based on input from Blackdog. Flag markers now change red/white/blue in C&H/AAS to indicate ownership and marker areas look much tidier. * Ammo crates spawned with 'guns' markers are now invulnerable * Flags in C&H/AAS can now have more meaningful names through CTF_flags configuration variable * Fixed bug where vehicles would only respawn once each * Added configurable vehicle respawn delay for abandoned vehicles (default is 30 seconds) * 'preventDamage' markers can be used to make selected buildings invulnerable * 'levelBuildings' markers can now be used to automatically level buildings placed on uneven ground. * Had another go at fixing up the disableCommandMode unreliability * Intro and outro music is hardcoded to internal tunes (this is a temporary measure). =============================================== 22/7/09 V1.10 now released Fixed in this release:- *Reworked the ammo and weapons list to include Arma2 weapons * Ammo crates can now be spawned by placing 'guns' markers * Sniper rifles, silenced weapons, grenade launcher and machine gun availability is now easily configurable * Starting weapon is configurable through the CTF_defaultWeapon variable. * Documentation upgraded to list config variables. =============================================== 20/7/09 V1.9 now released Fixed in this release:- * IMPORTANT - gamemode is now controlled through a #define GAMEMODE_XXX in ctfconfig.sqf rather than the previous CTF_gameType variable. Users upgrading from earlier versions must set this define correctly. See the file for details. * Minefields now base probability of death on how far you have moved through them. Mine density and border markers are configurable. * Intro 'flyround' is now considerably smoother and cinema borders are used. * Automatic ammo-crate filling is temporarily disabled * Weapon choice dialogs are now removed and default weapon is G36. * Many of these changes are in preparation for gamemode-specific dialogs coming in near term release. =============================================== 19/7/09 V1.8 now released Fixed in this release:- * Spurious debug sidechat removed * Weather synchronisation was fubar'd and set weather to worst possible within a few seconds =============================================== 19/7/09 V1.7 now released Fixed in this release:- * Implemented scheme to prevent players using 'spacebar scanning' (thanks to Le_cultos.) * Implemented Advance-and-secure (AAS) mode. * Added synchronisation of weather for JIP players =============================================== 18/7/09 V1.6 now released Fixed in this release:- * Serious performance problem in earlier versions has been fixed in V1.6 * Automatic vehicle respawn and crew-removal for any vehicle placed in 'carpark' markers. (see manual) * Fixed scoring for flag-fight mode * 'Zombie' problem caused by crew-removal now worked around. * 'King of the Hill' game mode added * 'Capture and Hold game mode added * Intro sequence should now be a little less jerky =============================================== 15/7/09 V1.4 now released Fixed in this release:- * Borders are now 'semi-planes', ie they divide the map into two regions along an infinitely long line. This makes them more convenient to use. The documentation has been updated to explain this. * Fixed a bug where elliptical spawnzones and minefields would not work correctly if they were circular or if the b-axis was longer than the a-axis. * The scoring string has been modified slightly to fit more neatly in the hint window. * Scoring has been made more robust and now relies on the side of the flag rather than the side of the player which could change after a player TK'ed. =============================================== 11/7/09 V1.3 now released Fixed in this release:- * Music now plays at end of mission * Reporting score by flags/flagtouches is changed to reporting score by side. * Borders, spawnzones, and minefields are now solid areas and can be elliptiical or rectangular depending upon the shape of the marker used. Used markers called 'minefield', 'minefield_1' etc to create solid minefields. * It is possible to have multiple spawn-protection zones so that more complicated safezones can be constructed * Minefields and bordesrs now use the 'keep out' sign rather than gravecrosses. =============================================== 10/7/09 V1.2 release * Weapon selection dialog now works correctly * Building levelling now disabled by default * Introductory text now states this is an Arma2 script pack =============================================== Remaining issues and things to do: See the issues list Any other ideas and suggestions most welcome.

What is it ? ArmaFPSAnalyser is a tool that can show you the performance of your game based on some specially-instrumented mission files. In addition, the scripts are available to allow you to create your own benchmark missions. The screenshot below gives you an idea of the kind of information the tool provides - in this example performance across three different kinds of location (city, coast and forest) is being compared. (In this case you can see quite clearly that performance of the 1.05 patch is poorer in city locations than elsewhere.) How is this different to FRAPS or ArmaMark? Most benchmarks show you an average fps (frames per second) reading and, if you are lucky, a minimum fps reading. The problem with these is that even the minimum fps number is an average across several frames. This is not a good approach for ArmA where the main issues seem to be around 'stutter'; ie, individual frames that take considerably longer than the ones before and after them. FPSAnalyser records the time taken for _every_ frame, as reported by the game and shows you the information in several different ways. It also uses a script-based approach to ensure that benchmarks are as repeatable as possible so you can truly isolate the factors that are affecting performance. Finally, the analyser allows you to plot multiple runs so you can directly compare benchmarks as you change settings. How does it work ? The scripts create a camera which flies between a set of markers. As this is happening, a loop within the scripts records the timestamp of each individual frame. After the run is completed, the result are written to your arma2.rpt file. The analyser is then reads out the results and plots them. What does it all mean ? Although the plots all show 'fps' it's important to realise that what is being plotted is actually 1/frame-duration for each and every frame. I've chosen to use this presentation rather than frame-duration because most people are a lot more comfortable with fps and have an inherent feeling for what is 'good'. The simplest plot to understand is "FPS over time". This just shows the instantaneous fps for each frame during the course of the benchmark. You can see in this example plot that although most frames are at >20fps, there are some dips down to around 10 which will be perceived as stuttering. The '% time spent below framerate' plot shows the information in a slightly different way. Rather than plotting the frames in the order they occurred, it looks at the distribution of fps. The stuttering can be seen here as the circled 'tail' of low-fps frames. The auto-correlation plot shows the same information in yet another way - it shows the relationship of each frame to the frame immediately before it. A game that is running rock-solid at 60fps would show a very dense blob at the the top right this graph. A game where the frame-rate was varying smoothly will tend to cluster around a diagonal-line (shown in red in the example). If the framerate is varying wildly (ie stuttering) you will see 'outliers' such as those circled in orange. These are frames which have taken much longer to render than the frame immediately before them. Installation To install, download the archive from here. Run the setup utitility to install the analyser. Copy the benchmarks in the missions folder to your own ArmA2 missions directory. How to use the tool – getting started Run one of example benchmarks in ArmA2. After the camera has stopped moving you will see a report “LOG WRITTENâ€. If you want to you can re-run the benchmark with different settings (eg, try changing the view distance or texture details). Tab out of ArmA2 and start up the analyzer tool. By default it will display plots for the last benchmark you ran. You can compare several benchmarks together by using the Benchmarks->Add/Remove option. You can give benchmarks useful labels using the Benchmarks->Details menu option. You will also see information here such as the aram2.exe build that was used and the startup parameters (very useful for comparing betas!) IMPORTANT The analyser expects to see some header information written by ArmA (build id, startup parameters, resolution etc) so if you edit the rpt file by hand you can confuse it. If you want to start with a 'clean' rpt file, the best approach is just to delete it before starting ArmA. Creating your own benchmarks. The scripts (in the 'scripts' folder) make it very easy to create your own benchmarks. Just create a new mission in the editor and copy the init.sqf file and ctf folder into the mission folder. In the editor you will need to add some markers to tell the camera what route to follow. The markers need to be name fps_0,fps_1,fps_2 etc, as many as you want. You can control the way the camera behaves at each point by adding keywords to the marker text. speed=N will change the speed of the camera when it hits this marker. height=N will ensure the camera is at this height when it reaches the marker target=x changes the direction the camera faces. Target=next means that the camera will always face the next marker, ie it will look straight ahead Target=player means that the camera will face the player Any other value, eg target=zzz will cause the camera to face a marker of that name. When developing new benchmarks you can temporarily disable logging using the nolog keyword. You can change the 'name' of the benchmark (which will be shown in the analyser) by placing text before the keywords. Here's an example from the BM_cityRun benchmark... Disclaimer FPS is only one aspect of the game experience- this tool can't measure other issues such as lod pop-up. The tool almost certainly contains bugs. If you find one or have the tool crash, please report it here and I will try to fix it.

Let's see what the arma3 alpha looks like ... ;-)

As proud as I am of squint and as unlikely I think it is that someone has compromised my homepage, I would strongly recommend against disabling or ignoring your virus checker. As I say, better to check on the Avast forums whether this is a false positive (which also has the advantage that future updates of avast might not incorrectly flag the application as infected).

I had a quick look through the source code to refresh my memory. There are no links to armaleague except for a single mailto: reference in the event you decide to send feedback to the author. You can double check you are using the ntlworld version: first the version number should be 134 and secondly if you look at the start-menu properties for the shortcut you should notice that the application is actually called squint2, not squint. >Avast complained about it and has quarantined it. Have you thought about submitting the exe to Avast for proper analysis? If nothing else, it would be nice to have it confirmed that it is a false positive (hopefully). >Now it won't launch and gives the errors that sorophx describes above Can you see http://homepage.ntlworld.com/n.macmullen/projects/squint/bin/ ? Use wget or curl if you are really paranoid.

Orcinus has reported that there is some possibility that the old armaleague.com site from which the original installer ran has been compromised and contains malware. You should not even be able to run squint anymore if you installed from this site but on the off chance you are thinking of installing it again, please use the link in the above.

RptMon (Report Monitor) is a tool to help you track changes to your arma.rpt file as you are trying out scripts. It automatically scrolls to the end of the report file as arma runs and flags errors in red. You can download it and read more about what you can do with it from the RptMon homepage. In future if people find this useful I may add features such as search or more customisation.

I've just created a new tool to help server admins figure out which missions are likely to give their users problems and to help mission makers check which addons they might need to specify. Features * Drag-and drop operation for pbos, mission-folders, or folders containing sets of pbo'd missions. * Identifies missions requiring A2, OA and Combined-Ops content as well as those which are incorrectly flagged as A2 or OA only. * Checks scripts for additional classes which may cause 'missing-addon' errors during the mission. * "Force CO" feature modifies pbos and mission folders in-place so that they explicitly required both A2 and OA content. This prevents users joining the mission and then being kicked off after it starts. * Click on an addon-name or class-name to view the files referencing that item. Installation and use Please refer to the main project-page Example screenshot... Hope you like it - any questions just ask them here.

FWIW RC3 still has the problem reported here. I can confirm that this only occurs in the challenge missions and does not occur when I use the same Hinds in the editor.

One minor issue I've just noticed is that the main HUD sight in the armed helicopters (Independent, light, ION-armed) is aligned with the center of the screen rather than the axis of the helicopter. On the light helicopter there is still a small dot that aligns with the helicopter. This means that if you are using Track-IR and looking off-center, the main sight will be well away from the impact point of missiles or guns.

Thanks Tony - this was an excellent suggestion and solved the problem :-) I've confirmed that the issue was caused by the class ModLauncherList - in the original cfg this contains entries for: name="Lingor Island 1.4"; name="Take On Hinds"; name="Take On Noisecontrollers"; name="TKOH: Rearmed"; with "Expansion" being disabled The working version contains (after re-enabling Lingor) name="Arma 2 OA Common"; name="Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead"; name="Lingor Island 1.4"; name="Take On Noisecontrollers"; name="Take On Hinds"; name="TKOH: Rearmed";

Historically that requirement has meant that you need _at_least_ the specified version not that you need the exact version And bear in mind there have been quite a few patches so which 1.05 would we be talking about exactly ? ;-) Generally it's up to the installer script to say if it can't perform an update. Shoudl also have mentioned that I have Hinds installed as well.

Hmm - not so great I'm afraid. I am unable to start the game after applying this patch. The first error I get is "No entry 'config.bin/CfgInGameUI/MPTable.shadow'." This is followed by: "Error compiling pixel shader PSSpecularAlpha:0" I installed RC3 on top of RC2. For RC3 I did accept the choice to reinstalled 'Rearmed'. I have Arma2, OA, BAF, PMC etc.

>We hope this fixes the cockpit disappearing issue It seems to have finally done the trick for me - nice work.

RAF Chinook display team. Some pretty amazing manouvers.... I5DH2-kDLXk

This is the we need.. cvbbQaIoaSM

I've just installed the Hinds DLC and immediately noticed quite a severe problem when playing with TrackIR. Sometimes the game will get into a state where the POV (point of view) seems to be read incorrectly in an intermittent fashion. Ie, if i'm looking off-center then I'll start seeing severe flicker as some proportion of frames are rendered with an on-center POV. It's almost as if the game has decided that the input from the TrackIR is out of range and ignored it. When it's at its worst, the effect is very visible as a flickering 'ghost' image of the world. To try to explain this a bit better, imagine a sequence of frames being rendered by the game.... Frame 0 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 1 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 2 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 3 : rendered INCORRECTLY with zero POV offset Frame 4 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 5 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 6 : rendered INCORRECTLY with zero POV offset Frame 7 : rendered INCORRECTLY with zero POV offset Frame 8 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 8 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 10 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset Frame 11 : rendered INCORRECTLY with zero POV offset Frame 12 : rendered correctly using TIR POV offset etc Initially I thought this was a problem with the TIR sensor but there's no sign of it when looking at the inputs in the TIR calibration/monitoring software. The other odd thing is that I've only seen it occur in the Hind models (and so far, only in the challenge missions). If I play in other helicopters in the editor I don't see the effect at all. I'm playing with the latest version of the game (1.06, no mods) and the Hinds DLC downloaded within the last few days. TrackIR is also the latest version.

The original question is a bit silly since no-one is likely to rewrite a very large codebase in a new language, particularly when 1) Your development team has lots of experience in the old language 2) It's 'common wisdom' that the new language is unsuitable for your application. That said, someone made a very good point that there is no reason why you couldn't benefit from a change in language for new code/subsystems. The debate about managed vs unmanaged performance will probably never be settled by anything as prosaic as facts but probably the best analysis I've read is here http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/212856/Head-to-head-benchmark-Csharp-vs-NET. If you can't be bothered to read the whole thing the basic conclusion is that well-written C++ is faster (10-30%) than well-written C#. The real question is whether you're capable of writing sufficiently good code for it to matter and whether that part of your code is even performance-critical. IMHO the most effective optimisations fall into two categories: either a very small tight loop which is executed repeatedly or a rethink of a high-level algorithm. Very rarely do you conclude that your program is just 'too slow' across the board. For a small loop, well you'd probably rewrite it in assembler anyway. At the other end of the scale I've found the support offered by C# and the .Net framework actually far more conducive to experimenting with alternative algorithms or data structures than when I used to use C++. The other 'performance' complaint that is also raised is the non-determism introduce by the process of garbage collection. It's certainly true that this can be an issue. OTOH it is possible to structure critical sections of C# code to avoid creating large numbers of 'generation 1' objects which are the worst case for GC. It takes some effort to do this but somewhat less than the thought required to do 'manual' memory deallocation in an unmanaged language. (BTW, it is actually considerably faster to _allocate_ objects in a managed language due to the compaction of free memory into a single block). I recently had the experience of starting a completely new development (comms stack) which had reasonably strict real-time requirements (<4ms response time). This is the kind of application where it's "obvious" that you should use C++. We started from the position that we would implement the 'control' layers in C# for productivity reasons and call out to C++ dlls where performance was critical. 8 months later we haven't had to fall back to C++ and my belief is that we have been considerably more productive with the language and framework than we would have been if we'd used C++. (And at least an order of magnitude more productive than the corresponding functionality we have had to implement in embedded C.) On a separate point, it's no accident that Intellisense works well for C#. If you read or watch interviews with the language designers they frequently state that 'ease of development' is as important for a modern language as any other feature and they often tweak language features (such as 'async') with a view to how well Intellisense will work.