VictorFarbau

Long working day ahead still :mad: Tonight I'll crash Arma and create some dump files :) Odd what I am looking forward to these days... VictorFarbau

No problems with that but I am usually trying to reproduce errors without any 3rd party addons. Which means some modifications to missions prior to having the dump created. Unless you have methods to rule out effects of external addons, in that case I am happy to dump the dumps on you :) Cheers, VictorFarbau

I will have to prove my point in regards to MemAlloc and the CTD. I am sure it won't take long to get some new dump files (deleted the last ones) which I will report then. Haven't been really into Arma lately (no time) hence I was trying to connect some lose ends with my specific CTD and the introduced changes. Cheers, VictorFarbau

Since this change I get reproducible CTD when warping around on the island. For debugging purposes I am often jumping around to monitor different groups. In 9 out of 10 times ARMA crashes to desktop while the engine is still reloading terrain and textures. Will have to try with some parameters and feed back here, if important. Cheers, VictorFarbau

Important - according to the community issue tracker ticket bad chopper behavior is supposed to be resolved as of beta build 73272 (-> will be in patch 1.55). I did try many scenarios and it looks very good; meaning choppers don't consistently hit tree tops anymore! You should only use this addon if you still suffer from frequent chopper crashes! Edit: Choppers now tend to dive too rapidly and crash into ground. So you might still need it after all. VFTCAS - Terrain Collision Avoidance System Big name, small addon. I was getting annoyed with the amount of dead choppers in forests, groves and hills that were lying there for no other reason than pilot stupidity*. Since I was tired of missing out on half of the choppers during my missions I wrote this small addon. It simulates a primitive terrain scanning radar that just scans the terrain level ahead and adjusts the vertical lift of the chopper to maintain a minimum flightlevel of 35m (min height to avoid treetops). Updated to new build 20 Improvement: compensate loss of speed during terrain collision avoidance measures Improvement: exit message (if publicVariable vftcasrun == 0) appears only once Improvement: signed for MP usage Updated to new build 18 Bug resolved: Choppers with dead pilots would not crash Feature added: publicVariable "VFTCASrun" is checked. Setting it to 0 (zero) will immediately terminate the addon on all units Updated to new build 14 Bug resolved: Choppers without pilots would not crash Updated to new build 12 Bug resolved: players being dropped from high altitude and choppers won't land Slightly optmized code Updated to new build 06 Better download location (DevHeaven, thanks to Kju and Sickboy) Introduced better timings in script (less CPU intensive) Better check for human pilots The VFTCAS Addon Just goes into your addons folder, no modfolder required Requires Extended Eventhandlers for Arma II (part of the CBA project) Automatically starts on all choppers Only AI pilots are supported (will pause on human player) Will quit if the chopper cannot fly anymore (damaged or destroyed) Will only look forward and not to the sides. Thus, strafing into treetops can still happen Pauses on positive or negative speeds smaller then 30 kmh to allow landing and extractions Youtube demo: Download: VFTCAS download Enough said - take it or leave it. Works well for me and reduces my blood pressure during chopper missions :) Cheers, VictorFarbau * = Or so it seems at least; I guess the real reason behind this is more related to certain tree objects which seem to be invisible to the flight path algorithm. Choppers and planes keep bumping into the same sort of objects all the time.

There's nothing wrong with the available XT600's :cool: Specifically since I recognize myself riding one of these for a long time - being a passionate hater of the harley rider's freakshow. Nonetheless, this new motorcycle is very welcome as a target so thanks a lot :) VictorFarbau

Oldie but goldie - use the isServer command (check the Wiki + example) to make sure the script exits when started on a client in MP mode. Only the server should spawn objects. VictorFarbau

Ehrm... holy shit :butbut: My condolences Sir. Guess hardly anyone can imagine what you're going through. Maybe Arma can at least help you by distracting you now and then. Best wishes, VictorFarbau

Yes indeed Gunter, as hpcookie designed some planks they're now in game. Required adaptations to code were limited; for the most part the logic was sufficient to use planks as well. No attachTo, objects are just being placed in the game space. With all related implications like killing yourself if you get into the way of floating objects, not being able to enter the planks sometimes, sliding rather than walking along etc.But I'll fine tune this through time. I will update this post with a link to the beta version using hpcookies planks later today. [Postponed until hpcookie has finished the object design] Regards, VictorFarbau

hpcookie -> PM for a beta version using your planks. Cheers, VictorFarbau

Thank you for your ongoing comittment to this hpcookie! I haven't looked at this addon for months now due to distracting RL comittments :) But I sure will try before my next travels in August (back to my desk in September then). Regards, VictorFarbau

My first metric for MP would be: what is the protocol overhead for this compared to the current "fire and forget" position updates sent by UDP? If I imagine to sync client events (e.g. sniper shots) back to a past state on a server that in turn needs to quickly update all connected clients which are probably already in the process of executing interpolated paths of now dead units - this would mean lots of pressure on prio 1 real-time message transmission. Aside from that - MP clients seem to interpolate paths already today based on direction and speed. I have seen tanks driving by that were reset to their last known position each 1 - 3 seconds. That could mount up to 30m in distance with units jumping back, driving forward again, jumping back etc. And that even a local network session. I will need to try the latest beta with lots of units. Funny enough but I didn't notice any warping in the last few betas at all. VictorFarbau

Came around to play our MP missions since a long while with this new beta. My observations: 1. Bullet impacts missing - confirmed. 2. Performance - very good, no glitches no FPS hiccups. 3. No crashes at all, neither clients nor server 3. Bug: If you get into an M2 HMMWV as driver or gunner the outside view is way too close so you're looking into the chassis. Funny thing: this only happens in MP mode. In SP it's all fine. And I wonder: [82654] Optimized: Visual state interpolation fully enabled. Would a sniper still be able to hit a unit moving alongside an interpolated path? Or is the movement just eye candy and not always linked to the real position? So that bullets would cut through a ghost image at times? Thank you, VictorFarbau

Current version is build 019 - release date 07.Apr.2010 = These addons require "Extended_EventHandlers" of the CBA Project = VFAI consists of 2 independent addons 1. VFAI_Equipment enables units to independently equip themselves with weapons and ammo from dead bodys. Further information and details included in the readme file. I advise you to read the readme file - it might explain some behaviour you wonder about. Installation: read the readme file (it is easy). 2. VFAI_Smokeshell will cause units to throw smokeshells whenever they're hit. They will try to throw smoke into the direction of the gunner to block his view. More details in the included readme file. Installation: read the readme file (it is easy). All units will then be equipped with 1 smokeshell and will know when to use it. DOWNLOAD LINKS VFAI Download OLDER YOUTUBE VIDEO SHOWING VFAI (you get the point when seeing it) VFAI Project history 019: VFAI variables will not erratically reactivate 019: Weapons / launchers only taken when loaded (ammo available) 019: Handgrenade class error message (hopefully) resolved 019: Added user config entry to allow/deny taking small arms (pistol slot) 013: Simplified addon version (no group specific behaviour, no more dropping weapons, no control panel -> userconfig file) 013: Increased performance 013: Reduced amount of "Ready" shouts - Switching to build revisioning - 3.1 Equipment.AI: Handgrenade Bug corrected 3.0 Inital ARMA II Release © 2010 Victor Farbau

Ah, the saga continues, awesome :) What a nice example that the community is far from being dead and that there are always new skilled people contributing! Cheers, VictorFarbau

I ran the new beta on both server and clients for 4h the other night. No crashes & no out-of-memory errors anymore, perfect! The missions we play are not going easy on server and clients and still all is fine. I have max'ed out the allowed number of groups and units on the map more than once :) Cheers, VictorFarbau

Out of memory errors with CTD. Dump file and details sent to Dwarden. We use the same beta build on server and clients. The server runs stable for hours, we have ATI 5850 and GTX260 cards crashing on clients however. Same story since 3 or 4 beta builds btw, never happened on the last stable release. VictorFarbau

Out of memory errors with CTD. Dump file sent to Dwarden. We use the same beta build on server and clients. The server runs stable for hours, we have ATI 5850 and GTX260 cards crashing on clients however. Same story since 3 or 4 beta builds btw, never happened on the last stable release. VictorFarbau

I have been fiddling around with this for a while but to no avail. When my buddies create their own map markers during an MP session - is there any way to list/count/read those? Haven't found a way to get access in any way. I guess they become map control child objects... :confused: Cheers, VictorFarbau

Hi hcpookie, sorry, missed your first post. Good deal! I am not a config pro either but I guess a standard static object config should do the trick here...? Folks, do we find a capable volunteer to bring this simple object into the game? Then I'll revise the code to have ladders and planks available in game. VictorFarbau BTW - what is the length of the plank at present?

Ahhh bad news are always good news aren't they :) Well, have faith brother; if people really want to get some stuff ported it will happen. Plus, a few things also went through the community to be completed in A2. I for one can very well live with the addons provided by BIS if I had to (except for the sounds, different story :) ). The big fun for me in this game is the addition of tactics, landscape and freedom. Whether some enemy units 800m down the road are in camouflage or desert paint, I don't mind. I created a huge MP mission in OFP already. But i put all variables (object and city positions, airport locations and runway characteristics) into a separate file. When migrating to A1 and later to A2 (Chernarus) I just changed the file and some addon class names to be spawned. In a matter of 10 min the mission was back up, usually a lot bigger and even better than before. So A3, here I come. Stay positive, it's a game after all - AND YOU MUST WIN! :D VictorFarbau

For the time being I certainly won't find the time to dig into modelling unfortunately. So if anybody volunteers to design some plank models (different lengths) I'll be happy to make them useable through this addon. I am not too concerned about realism. After all this is not a super-blaster-kill'em-all cheat or something. As Arma has severe restrictions in terms of player agility in the 1st place this is more or less a compensational mod if you will :) VictorFarbau

Using the ladders as a plank won't work as I see it. I guess that's an engine limitation. They simply won't spin around as required and the related positioning commands have no effect on them. Tested all sorts of functions like setVectorUp and what not with no success. That's probably a hardcoded limitation to ensure the built-in climb scripts remain functional. Got to find a different plank object to achieve that. Haven't found a simple plank-like object yet... anyone did? Cheers, VictorFarbau

Hi Gunter, actually I think these are good ideas. In terms of technical feasibility I need to check what can be done. It probably requires some more customized player control and will depend on available player animations. But I wanted to work on this again anyway to catch the undefined state when the player uses "climb up" before the spawned ladder has been placed. I won't commit on ETA or the like but I'll review the script for sure :) Cheers, VictorFarbau

Incredibly nice model, love it :) Cheers, VictorFarbau