Homer Johnston

Hey guys - about the HALO stuff: I will update the ACE2 features wiki to give some tips on how mission makers can use the scripts. Just give me a couple of days. Thanks for the feedback on the 'chutes; and if you have any issues don't hesitate to report them over at the tracker (or look for existing tickets to add your supporting info to) :)

t_acer2s_5_ca.paa This texture is the 2D-Sprite version of the tree, at long range. It will have to be recolored. What I did: First, I had to be careful not to change the color of bark. I use the magic wand tool with a low threshold (~15) and Contiguous OFF and select the most prominent bark color. Then use whatever selection methods I want to add the rest of the bark. I then do a selection-feather of 2 pixels to smooth it out. I invert the selection, and now I have the foliage selected. Create a new "Color" layer and fill in the selection area with an olive drab, just like before. When I viewed it in-game, it turned out to be lighter than the close-textures, so I darkened the side views a bit as you can see. t_acer2s_5_non.paa This is the long-distance bump mapping and can be ignored. After you edit a texture, save it as a .TGA with photoshop (DO NOT use PAAPlug's exporter! It seems to corrupt the files). Then open the TGA with TexView2, and save it as a .paa. Then open Buldozer and check it out! Before & After: ---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 PM ---------- If there is continued interest, this weekend I will fill out the first post of this thread with the .p3d name of every bush, plant and tree. They will be in red text. Any objects that I have converted will be in green text. If we want to do this as a public-contribution operation, then I can make the effort to update this list as more textures are received. Really apologize for triple-posting, but due to image limit per post + different post topics which I wanted to separate, I feel it was required. :31:

texture paths are embedded in the binarized tree model files; so generally speaking, it's not possible to affect the trees on Chernarus unless you replace the textures inside the chernarus pbo and repack it. Instead, the way I intended to do this was to hex-edit the tree model files to point to a new texture path, and then have them be standalone. Here is my tutorial I wrote up (for other friends who I had hoped might be able to help me) - split into two posts due to 5 img/post limit: --- HEX EDITING NEW TEXTURE PATHNAMES: I opened a tree p3d model file in a hex editor (I use XVI32) and used file-replace to change all instances of: ca\plants2\ to HOMJ_Plant\ The important part of this was that my new path had to have the same length of characters, or else the p3d would corrupt (I'm open to help on that). This change caused the p3ds to look into my new folder structure for textures instead of BIS's plants2 pbo. (Note: if BIS releases unbinarized, sample-models of their vegetation it might not be necessary to do the hex editing HOW TO RETEXTURE PLANTS - PHOTOSHOPPING TIPS You need: -Photoshop and a small amount of proficiency with photoshop. -Kegety's PAA plugin. Find it on google/armaholic. When you load PAA's with it, hit Yes to discard mipmaps. -plants2_type.pbo files extracted into your P:\CA\Plants2\type\ folders. -A small (~1x1km) map which Buldozer will load really fast to view plant objects with. -plants loaded in the map so you can view them. Texture files: Prefix_PlantnameVariant_LOD_TextureType.paa -Prefix is t for tree, b for bush, etc. -Plantname is the Latin name of the plant. E.g. Acer is Latin for Maple. -Variants are just variants. Small and big. Some may have an S or F or W; they seem to have different colors (Summer Fall Winter, maybe??) -LOD - if this is 0 or 1, it will be rendered when the object is close. If it is 3, 4, or 5, that will be a distant texture. -TextureType has the following values: -ca - for close LOD's, this is the detailed 'foliage' texture, i.e. small branches and leaves - in this case you may not need to edit it, it seems to be more of an alpha-map guide than an actual used texture. For far LOD's, this type may be used for the "billboard" version of the tree (crappiest looking LOD) -mc - this is a color set for the leaves. It is usually in LOD 1; in other words, plantname_1_mc.paa dictates the close-up color of the tree. -non - for bump mapping. What to change You don't need to hex edit the .P3D's in order to make new textures. I just need to do it to create a new addon. For each object type there's generally at least 2 texture files that need to change (some need 3). example - Acer tree -This tree has 6 files: t_acer2s_1_ca.paa You can see that this picture has leaves and fine details - the alpha map of this is what shapes the actual foliage. If you wanted to make a winter version of the tree, you would erase the leaves from the alphamap, thus the tree would only have branches (hmm, gonna have to try that sometime). In some cases this texture may have effect on the color of the leaves too - but don't edit it first, the next file is much more important. t_acer2s_1_mc.paa This texture is where most of the Fall-red comes from. Changing this to green will cause the 1st LOD of the tree (very close) to look green. What I did: Looking at a real-looking photograph of trees, I took a color sample and got an olive drab color (maybe RGB 74-92-47 - this should vary depending on the tree you're making. Birch trees are more yellow and lighter, for instance. Oak trees maybe more gray). I created a new layer and changed its overlay mode to "Color". I then previewed it in-game, and found it looked too dark, so I went into Hue/Saturation and increased the lightness a few points. It is impossible to get it right the first time - but the more I do it, the better I get at guessing how much to adjust things. t_acer2s_1_non.paa This texture is for bump mapping and can be ignored. t_acer2s_1_trunk_mc.paa This texture is for the tree trunk and can be ignored. (note - most plants it looks more like bark. Not sure why this one is black & white)

I thought I read the addon's scripts simply used setvariable on a player to set/read frequency? If so then a mission script could do the same thing. the scripts that are already running in the PBO might reset/override it, though. I'm sure it could be changed to work out.

he's French, be nice ;) ArmA2TS = "ArmA to Teamspeak" Try to follow the directions in the first post, and you will probably figure it out. All players using this need to be in the same TeamSpeak channel for it to work right.

Could increasing radio noise be made optional somehow? It may be immersive, but it may also be a really bad idea because not everyone has a good, clear microphone to start with. I first tried out the mod last night - it's definitely a neat concept!

From what I can tell from the VBS2 Dev Ref, all of the relevant coding for road placement is done with Land Builder, not Global Mapper or Visitor, so it would be up to the public to write a tool which can replicate Land Builder's Road Placer module (converts vector shapefiles to road networks file... probably not an easy task). Oh well.

Vandrel, could you briefly describe the process for using global mapper to create road networks, and how to transfer it into Visitor? It would be much appreciated.

Thanks for bringing that to our attention HulkingUnicorn - I'm a bit slow to reply as I've just moved across Canada! The issue is probably a change in ACE updates or something. I plan to make a small update to the mission sometime this week, or next weekend at latest. [edit] due to close proximity of A2 release, I'm probably going to forfeit this update and move on to other projects.

O P E R A T I O N   M O N G O O S E - Release version: 1.31 - Current version: 1.32 Download link: Operation Mongoose v1.32 via MediaFire.com   Hello, this is a mission I have been working on along with another lurker here named Macolik for the past couple months. It has been in development mostly within Shack Tactical, but we've now decided to try releasing it to the public. You should expect to find the mission extremely challenging; being stealthy is extremely important. Firing flares may be a good way to regroup, but it will draw enemies to your position without mercy. Enemies who are engaged with you will call in help from any nearby squads - if you are detected, relocate ASAP. The mission has variable difficulty settings to be slightly easier on smaller player groups (i.e. less than 15 people), but is best enjoyed with 20-40 players. Very large playercounts will require a powerful server CPU, due to the large scope of the mission.   Important: The mission was designed to be played on a dedicated server. Some aspects may not work correctly on a local server.   Any comments, criticisms and bug reports will be gladly received. We hope people can enjoy the mission! Storyline:   To prepare for an assault on the enemy-held island of Avignon, several squads of airborne troops are being dropped at night in an attempt to find and destroy four hidden AA/artillery sites, and locate intelligence info. Set in a fictional late-1900's scenario, players have no NVGs and limited communications abilities. Mission execution overview:   Players start at an offshore base, where they can plan the mission and obtain any special gear (smoke signals, flares, explosives) they wish to bring. When ready, players will be loaded into their drop planes. They will then soon be dropped in their assigned zone. Players will be in controllable freefall from 4000m ASL, and may deploy their parachute once they are below 1000m ASL. The rest of the mission is up to squad leaders' planning. When done to the best of their ability, players must find some hidden boats (marked on map) to leave the island with. Rules and features: • After the paradrop is initiated, players will be disbanded from their groups and must only use Direct Chat to communicate; use of globalchat, sidechat, teamspeak etc. must be prohibited. This is important, and must be enforced by an admin. It is key to fully enjoy this mission. Using a microphone and VON is highly recommended for all players. • Once the paradrop begins, the ArmA map is disabled for all players. However, all players have a paper copy of the map to look at via their action menu. Squad leaders are given the ACE "Map Object"; this is used to represent a GPS device. Any holder of the Map Object can see their GPS coord on the paper map. • All players can send flashlight signals in a variety of colors. Typically, different squads could be assigned different colors, or different colors could be agreed upon to mean different things. Players should examine the flashlight system at base, before the paradrop begins. • The extraction boats are hidden in some bushes inshore. You'll need to drag them to the shore. If a dragged boat hits you it may injure you, due to ArmA's physics engine. Don't get close to someone dragging a boat. • Upon successful extraction, players are set to "dead" so that they can be moved into the global spectator channel to watch remaining players and chat freely with other dead/spectating players. • It is recommended that new players read the in-game briefing in its entirety for all necessary details. Addons Required: • ACE mod • ACE Islands pack Credits: • DAC 2.0 by MapFact (Silola) • DirToObj by toadlife • Mando_GetPosture by Mandoble (modified by Homer Johnston) • A big thanks to many members from Shack Tactical and Tactical Gamer for giving help testing, and providing valuable feedback. Changelog: 1.32 • Fixed issues with radio-tower objective • Added delay before enemy troops begin spreading out and searching drop-zone areas. 1.31 Initial public release Some pictures from a test-run (in-game shots taken by Dslyecxi): Paper map and area of operation: Flashlight signals dialog: HALO freefalling: Parachute deployed! Other parachutists visible in the distance: Alpha squad - hot landing zone! Engaging enemy who are moving into the drop zone: Members of Charlie squad have spotted us, and are signalling to get our attention so we may group up with them: ----------------------------------------------------------------

We're glad to see people are enjoying it :) Crawler, did you ever figure out what was causing your crashes?

Added a few words to the root post's "credits" thanking TG (and ST) members for helping us out. The mission actually just plays out differently with very low player counts; you tend to be able to escape and evade easier, and focus more on running away from encounters. With larger playercounts, you tend to dig in and defend an area more than attempt escape. We've played the mission with as few as 4-6 players... though you usually end up surrounded and stuck in a barn, or something. You'll never win, but it can be exciting nonetheless I think once you get ~12-15 players, it starts to feel more aggressive. Since the mission is set up that each drop zone has up to 20 players, it can be a bit annoying if you have 21 or 22 players, but it is possible for squads to try and link up by flying their parachutes towards each other... [EDIT]: Mission has been updated to v1.32... Root post updated.

cool! Thanks i0n0s

Hello - I am trying to create a dialog which consists of a picture on the screen, and also some simple text control objects. I need to be able to move the picture around somehow (preferably mouse-dragging) which is easy with the moving=True; parameter, but I also need to make the other control elements remain stationary. Any ideas how I could do this are much appreciated! Thanks, [EDIT] this is one of those things that you search for about an hour for, and then as soon as you try to get outside help you realize you missed the most obvious solution ever. Probable solution for future searchers (that I'm about to try out): use ctrlSetEventHandler with an event "onMouseMoving" http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ctrlSetEventHandler http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/User_Interface_Event_Handlers

Bah! thanks.

Hi folks, I place an independant unit down on the map with this in the mission init.sqf and am wondering why it doesn't work: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">sleep 1; if ((side player) in [INDEP,GUER,RACS,INDEPENDANT,WEST,EAST,CIVILIAN]) then { Â Â player sidechat format ["My side is: %1",side player]; }; It works for WEST, EAST, and CIV units but I can't find the match for GUER? ArmA returns (side player) == WEST, EAST, GUER or CIVÂ ... but GUER and CIV don't work. What the heck? Thanks if ya can help.

Hey there, lately we're getting a ton of random server crashes - I *suspect* it's new since we began using 1.14... we can pretty much count on playing an hour, maybe 2, and then get a yellow/red chain... then look at the server and find that the console window is missing... and that there's a crash entry in the server RPT/minidump files. Is there anything I can actually do with these RPT entries? Is there anything I can do to combat these crashes? Maybe we'll have to play an old arma version? (:() The server has no addons, and is not running Battleeye... it's playing some fairly large-scale coops (new question - if server isn't powerful enough and runs at low FPS for a long time, does this increase odds of crashing?) Thanks for any input... Hopefully I'm not the only one experiencing this (or actually, hopefully i AM the only one...)

my game does this too... like the graphics engine just goes kaput. But the ArmA.exe process continues to run in the background - does this happen to you too? I'm using Forceware 175.19 with an 8800gt. Happens about once every couple hours on average. I'll try some different driver versions...

Didn't know about the set command... worked fine, thanks!

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">test = [1,2,3,4,5,6]; for "_i" from 0 to 3 do { test select 1 = [10]; }; Can anyone tell me why this generates a "Type: String, expected: Code" error? It seems to go away if I get rid of the select command (ie test = [10]; ) Thanks!

QFT. Same goes for an admin who will blindly use all of these unproven global banlists. Lame admins, lame server. Not all are lame; as far as I'm concerned, if I was on a global banlist it would practically weed out the real crap servers for me Until we figure out a foolproof "proving" method, a compromise needs to be made; if you give one TK'er a "second chance", then he will cause 5 innocent players to decide that server sucks and they'll leave. Sure they may come back another day but it has ruined that game for them and ruined the server for that period of time. If you ban one TK'er plus one accidental innocent (which doesn't happen very often), then you lose one innocent who can try to get allowed back on via forums, and you ban one douchebag who won't ruin any more games. If the innocent isn't willing to try and get unbanned, then he either has another nice server he can play on, or IMHO he's someone who doesn't add anything to a game anyway (like one of those braindeads who doesn't chat and has 0 kills, 3 deaths after an hour of DM because he's busy seeing if the butterflies can be shot like the birds) Sh*t happens -- the world is not a child-friendly place. Until we hire and pay taxes for the BIS Police, we're going to have a fairly rudimentary system. Mature admins are mature admins -- find a server with them, and you will have nothing to complain about.

im still waiting for the same thing. see my post in here i would like to reenforce the idea with this pic I'm also hoping for a backpack... I don't want/care for any scripting in the addon, I think it will be easy to script it into missions, all you need is a backpack the player can wear and an ammo crate with the backpack model, and I'm really not sure why they didn't do it this way in OFP, because IMO it'd be a lot nicer (able to store half empty mags, able to drop a backpack and have all nearby players take from it as needed, and it would truly increase the carrying capacity of the player without affecting any "normal" slots, like the pistol mags, but be a pain in the ass to get stuff from quickly--as it should be! ) 1)put the backpack ammo crate somewhere out at sea 2)give player the backpack (wears like a LAW) 3)when player takes off backpack (puts on ground), it deletes the backpack and moves the ammo crate (which looks like the backpack) to the player. 4)player has action to "wear backpack" which puts it back on his back and moves the crate out to sea again. Mobile miniature ammo crate! (which is exactly what they should act like! ) put 40 M203's in it with a few other players, and go wreak havoc

if nothing else setpos the unit up high enough to be on it in units init line: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> this setpos [(getpos this select 0),(getpos this select 1),X] try different numbers for X (which is in meters) until you get the unit on top of the water tower

I've heard of ArmA's memory leak problem, but does anyone know if the drop command, or particles in general, trigger this leak as well? Obviously I'm hoping it doesn't, but if I run a few hundred particle effects in a loop then eventually the framerate takes a dive, models display their worst LOD, textures die... ArmA freezes. Bit of a nuisance. Thanks.

<s>lol, trying to figure out how to get a working account on the biki is proving to be a bigger task than it was to determine the drop command is screwed up!</s> got that figured out, heh is it normal practice to PM Suma with new bugs? I'm scared to message the higher-ups like that