IrishDeviant

IrishDeviant's Aircraft Addon WiP Thread Ok, for those reading this thread for the first time, long story short, the EA-6B is on hold for a while do to coding issues. I have been allowing the community to vote on which aircraft they would like to see in A2, and the top three look to be the F-14, the Jaguar, and MiG/Su-(any-model). Therefore, I am going to continue work on my C-130J-30/AC-130U project. And, will also work on one of the three listed above as a secondary project. I haven't decided between the three just yet. I already have a jump on the F-14 thanks to EddyD who donated a model for me to work from. Which will save some time on that. However, I also have an unfinished Su-37 Terminator that I started a while ago. And, haven't ruled out the Jaguar yet. So, I will let everyone know which aircraft I've chosen later this week. (don't bother posting continued requests because I've already narrowed it to these three based on community support, and will decide for myself which of the three I make) For those who voted for aircraft not listed above, don't feel left out as I'm sure I'll make more aircraft than just the ones I've mentioned. However, I can only do so much at a time. ...I'm going to be busy for most of the rest of the week, but will post progress on the C-130 as I have time for it. I should start on the aircraft that I decide on sometime this weekend, and will post progress of that project as well. I'd like to thank the community for their input, and hope to have something flying soon. C-130J-30 Hercules // AC-130U Spooky II Latest progress is on bottom. (click images for larger view) :IMPORTANT UPDATE: This is the C-130J-30 (a longer variant of the standard C-130, carries a larger payload). I'll also be shortening it to make the AC-130U Spooky gunship (the Spooky II is based on the C-130H) which carries the GAU-12 5-Barrel gatling cannon, a 40mm L/60 Bofors cannon, and a 105mm M102 Howitzer cannon.

Hey guys, I'm working on a project for work that is taking a bit longer than anticipated, but will get back to my Arma II projects as soon as possible. Probably within the next week or so.

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Yes it is, under Dassault Mirage... And, yeah, that ugly comment was just unnecessary. I hear the Navy actually execute sailors for treason should they dare disgrace the Tomcat. :nono:

But, the acting is just awful. Maybe if they managed to get someone better looking than Catherine Bell it 'might' be more appealing, but I doubt it. -Main post updated

For RIO's, I was thinking of some sort of GPS overlay on the screens in the rear. I'm not entirely sure this is possible as I don't think animated textures work in Arma II. But, at least some sort of guidance that the RIO can relay to the pilot. Also, have a separate weapon system from the pilot, like only AG for the RIO, and only allow AA weapon systems for the pilot. Don't know how all of that works, but what I do know is that I don't want people to have to use a million different addons to make the aircraft work. The aircraft should function by itself, although I will likely require the GLT Missile Box as I've made some of the weapons in that, and will likely make a few more. Anyway, I'm really not concerned about the coding for the aircraft I'm working on now. There is already AC-130 codework out there, and fighters are pretty basic, even if they don't have a bunch of new features. But, the whole point of the EA-6B is the jamming system (or at least the jamming is an integral part of the aircrafts role), which is why that one can't move forward for the time being. I'd be happy to take input on what systems and features people would like to see, however, I would prefer those types of discussions to be redirected to a coding thread... Because, again, I won't be doing the code. I'm actually trying to talk GLT Myke to take lead on my models and release them as GLT addons. However, I'm not sure if he's interested in doing that. Nevertheless, I'll probably be looking for an established addon maker/team to work on my aircraft so that they can be grouped together as a single addon. (and updates to that addon for each new aircraft)

Ok, to sum up... The EA-6B isn't going to work at the moment. Coders are working on finding a way of realistically implementing the jamming system, but I don't want to invest the time into making it unless the code work is going to be ready for it. Therefore, I'm putting the EA-6B on hold. I'm allowing the community to express their interest in which aircraft they would like me to work on until the code for the EA-6B is ready. Also, I'll be working on the C-130 at the same time since it's a fairly easy aircraft to model. So, I'm going to wait a couple more days for some more input as to which model the community would like to see, and will be working on the C-130 (also an F-35 as a low priority side project). Therefore, you can expect to see the C-130, the F-35 (not the X-35), and an aircraft of the communities choosing, sometime before the end of the year. ...Ok, yeah, I'm confused too. :confused:

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Thanks for the information. I was under the impression the J model was 7ft longer than the H even without the -30 15ft stretch. Just checked the wiki and you're right on the base J model not being stretched. So, to clarify, I'm making the C-130J-30 and the AC-130U Spooky II. Also, I may consider the new KC-130J as another variant.

k, your vote was just revoked. :p ---------- Post added at 12:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 AM ---------- Main post updated.

lol, just to be clear, I haven't made up my mind yet. Still waiting on some more responses. However, your vote has been noted. :j:

rgr on the F-14... And, as for letting the community have a vote, well, it's going surprisingly better than I thought it would. Video game communities tends to be very, well, how should I put this... ungrateful, whiny, spoiled, etc, etc, etc. I get so tired of hearing, "why don't you do this instead", or "making that model is stupid, we don't need that", ....Fortunately there hasn't been much of that in this thread. And, the whole idea of letting the community vote was to subvert some of that. But, I'm sure when I make my decision on which aircraft I'll be doing, there will inevitably be a few posts from people saying how stupid they think it is that I'm making whatever aircraft I decide on. Then, they'll list a dozen reasons as why they think the aircraft is a bad idea. It just kind of goes with the territory. To be honest, it's just the anonymous internet factor that lets a small number of these community members act like pricks. I must say though, in general, I'm fairly impressed with this community. I've had some issues with a few people, but nothing like I've dealt with from other communities.

Just to be clear, it's unlikely that I'll be modeling an older aircraft. If something like a P-51 Mustang gets a lot of popular support, then I'd be happy to add it to my short list of side projects, but in my first post I did make the recommendation of voting for something that has not only a practical function within Arma, but something that can be used by mission makers for a more advanced and diverse combat experience. It can be said that if a mission maker was making a mission for a WWII mod, then I'd understand it's relevance, however, most people aren't running WWII mods. I'm just trying to find an aircraft that has both popular support, and will be relevant and widely used. There's really no point in modeling an aircraft that's going to show up on one or two servers. I have actually already started making a C-130 as well as an AC-130 Spectra/Spooky variant. As well as a F-35 Lighting II. ...I know some of you may say there is already an F-35 in Arma II, and to that I would say, "bullshit, there's an X-35 in Arma II". ...The C-130 is fairly easy to model and shouldn't take me too long. And, the F-35 is something I was going to make regardless of whether people want it or not. Although, since the C-130 will be done shortly, I will still be looking for another aircraft to model, and whatever aircraft you guys decide on will take priority over the F-35. So far though, I think the Jaguar is in the lead for support.

JDog, I understand other people who actually know how, and have time to do scripting must finds ways of making their aircraft work. However, I don't have that kind of time. I am already willing to dedicate much of my spare time to make an aircraft for the community, and would think most people would appreciate that... Not complain and ridicule. If you would like to write the code for the Prowler, and can show me a functional prototype, I'll start back on the model. Until then, I'm working on another project. The C-130 is a possibility since BIS hasn't released a sample of theirs. I know it could use additional functionality... As for the AC-130, it's just a C-130 with the weapons and a modified interior. There is also the C-130J which is a longer, more modern version of the C-130 that could be used for a larger cargo load. (it just requires a simple stretch of the cabin just in front of the wings, and just before the tail) Although, I think someone was telling me they thought there was some engine limitation keeping the AC-130 model from working. I don't know why they would think that considering the scripting for the regular C-130 seems to work, but it's worth looking into. This sounds like it might have some promise. I think something similar was already suggested in another forum. The only real restriction is that the other friendly strike aircraft would need to fly relatively close to 'hide' inside the cloud of targets. But, that isn't a big deal. Who really cares what emotes the guy uses. If you honestly are upset about a little icon in somebody's post, you need to find a hobby. ...or a therapist. Dude, use it in every post. I personally don't get the 'joke', but who cares. Also, appreciate the interest in getting the Prowler working. I am going to continue on with another aircraft, but I will be coming back to the Prowler soon, so the code work is much appreciated. Thanks

Sounds good. I've got to step out for a bit, but I'll be back later. Although I think I'm going to go ahead and start a different aircraft for now. If scripters want to do the code work using a proxy aircraft (the C-130 would probably be a good proxy because it can carry 4+ passengers) and get a working prototype, then I'd be more comfortable getting back to the Prowler. And, your U2 vote is noted. ;)

Yeah, I'm sure it's possible, but I'm not a scripter... I actually feel like a bit of a free-loader asking scripters to figure out how to make it work. But, modeling is what I do. I dabble in scripting for little stuff, but have no interest in diving into some huge scripting issue. I just figure my time can be best spent working on an aircraft with fewer code related issues. Like a simple fighter or bomber. Or maybe even a reconnaissance plane like the U-2 that feeds a UAV style camera view to UAV trailers and Comms officers. If scripters want to start a thread for figuring out how to make jamming, signal interference, and various other systems of the Prowler work, then I would happily follow along to see if progress is made. But, I just don't have the time to make it my issue to solve. I love the idea of a Prowler in Arma II, I think it would add a whole new aspect of gameplay and combat strategy. But, I don't love it enough to learn how to do scripting just for this issue. My apologies to those who were looking forward to the EA-6B, and I hope I'm able to make it in the near future, but unfortunately, not at this time. I will continue this thread until people have a chance to comment on what aircraft they're interested in, and then I'll start a new WiP thread for that aircraft.

I'll look into it, but the main problem is the fact that the EA-6B's primary role is jamming the radar of AA installations so the 'other' aircraft can come in to destroy them. Getting the Prowler itself to have a semi-realistic jamming system isn't really the problem, it's being able to affect other aircraft in the area. Which means, it can't be an 'aircraft side' script. It will have to be something done to the AA units on the OpFor side. For example, one suggestion was to have the script, when activated, force all OpFor AA units to go to hold fire. But, the problem with that is if those units have a group leader, which they likely will, the looping created by the jamming script fighting with the group leader code, would cause performance issues. Another theory is to have the Prowler just emit tons of invisible flares, but it's still unclear as to whether or not it's possible to tell other aircraft (BIS and addon) to do the same, if within a give radius of the jammer. Also, another theory is to make the jammer script do a removeWeapon on all AA units until the jammer is turned off. But, that theory doesn't have any testing either. Simply put, I didn't realize how much new, unexplored coding would have to be done in order to make it work. And, since I don't want to spend a ton of time making it and not have it work like it's supposed to, I've just decided to hold off on it for awhile. And, your vote for the Jaguar is dually noted. :j:

Updating main post with important info. EA-6B has to be delayed for the time being. :butbut:

Looks nice. If you want to send the file to my PM box, that's fine. But, I can't guarantee that I'll find time to work on it. If you do send it to me, be sure to include a text file with your screen name so that I know who sent it to me for credit. Also, I prefer any of the following formats: .obj .3ds .ma (Maya ASCII) .mb (Maya Binary) .max .3dm .lxo

lmao...Just to prove I actually do finish models: AGM-88:

lmao, I'm not disagreeing that I can model... I'm questioning your opinion as to what the defining skill set is behind it. ;) ...by the way, some day I'm actually going to finish some of my aircraft models that found themselves in the black hole that is my "3D_Projects" folder. lol But, the EA-6B and my ViperJet model have the priority for the time being, so those files will just continue to languish, growing digital rust. Oh, here's one I actually started for Arma II and never got around to finishing: (though this one is on my short list to get done soon) USS Dallas:

Here, just a few examples of models that I've never finished: B2B: Horton 229: F-15C: See my point?

lol... Alright, like I said, I understand your point. And, I'm not suggesting I don't do what I do well. I've been doing it long enough, I'd hope I don't suck at it. But the point I'm trying to make, and maybe should have articulated better, was in reference to using Oxygen/O2 editors to model. Programs like Maya, Max, Modo, Rhino, XSI, etc, etc, all make like much easier. Personally, I use Maya... Only Maya and I are having a disagreement right now :mad:, so I'm using Max. Having the right tools makes it easy. Sure, there's an artistic element to it, but it's more engineering than art. At least the modeling aspect of it. From there, it becomes purely artistic. Nevertheless, you're not the only one that spends years on models. I have a mountain of unfinished models sitting in my projects folder... Rule #1, don't start working on a model unless you're being paid to do it, or you really REALLY want that model for something. (like Arma) If you break Rule #1, you'll never finish the model. I have never made a single model that didn't at some point make me bash my head against my desk. And, if you're not motivated enough to finish it, then it will simply pile up in the "don't really give a shit" folder.