morthon

Howdy, So I've been wanting to practice zbrush some more and I figured I'd make something for arma and being a sci-fi nut and halo fan, making something for the operation trebuchet mod seemed like a natural choice :P I really love what they did with the mod, but I couldn't help but feel I really miss the halo 3 marine (which is my favorite UNSC marine design of all of them) and the covenant (notably jackals and the brutes). So here I am, starting on this small project to help expand the roster of soldiers (and possibly factions) for the Operation Trebuchet mod. If I manage to finish it and if they'll have it, it will be donated to the Operation Trebuchet dev team to be featured exclusively in that mod. Some references and some videos for inspiration So here's where I am right now! (Last album update: 19-02-2018): http://imgur.com/a/a9xUr Cheers!

Hi, so I'm trying to spawn vehicles on predefined points using forEach loops. I need to be able to check what types of points I am selecting in the script, because i have points specifically for light vehicles, tanks and planes respectively. To do that I want to use setVariable to the objects I'm using as reference so I can filter dynamically. So far, my attempts to add variables is only producing an error: Undefined variable in expression vehicleSlots (an array). Replacing the vehicles with arrows (placeholder) is working perfectly. Any help would be appreciated. _findVehicleSlots = nearestObjects [[5100,5100], ["B_Truck_01_covered_F"],5100]; vehicleSlots = { _vehicleSlotPos = getPos _x; _vehicleSlotRot = getDir _x; deleteVehicle _x; _createVehicleSlot = createVehicle ["Sign_Arrow_Direction_F", _vehicleSlotPos, [], 0, "CAN_COLLIDE"]; _createVehicleSlot setDir _vehicleSlotRot; _createVehicleSlot setVariable ["SLOTTYPE", "VEHICLE"]; _createVehicleSlot enableSimulationGlobal false; } forEach _findVehicleSlots; Cheers!

So the idea is that I am placing trucks and tanks etc in the editor so I know the points I will later use to spawn vehicles actually have enough physical space to do so. The arrows are visual placeholders for the spawn points (I will make them invisible later). The reason I am not using markers is because I want to store data (variables) on the vehicles occupying the space inside the arrow entity. As far as I am aware you can't store variables in markers. I disabled simulation on the arrows because I am scared that they might hog performance, being as they are entities. I figured it couldn't hurt. In any case, I fixed my issue. This is what I ended up with: _findVehicleSlots = nearestObjects [[5100,5100], ["B_Truck_01_covered_F"],5100]; { _vehicleSlotPos = getPos _x; _vehicleSlotRot = getDir _x; deleteVehicle _x; _createVehicleSlot = createVehicle ["Sign_Arrow_Direction_F", _vehicleSlotPos, [], 0, "CAN_COLLIDE"]; _createVehicleSlot setDir _vehicleSlotRot; _createVehicleSlot setVariable ["slotType", "VEHICLE"]; _createVehicleSlot setVariable ["slotOccupied", "NO"]; _createVehicleSlot enableSimulationGlobal false; vehicleSlots append [_createVehicleSlot]; } forEach _findVehicleSlots; Now I have another question. I would like to give each arrow a variable name. Right now I am just storing them as elements in an array, but I would like to give them global variable names to then store inside another array. Is this inefficient or redundant? If you could give me advice, that would be great!

Hi, does anyone know how to activate DAC zones from within a script? I"m trying to build a system that spawns zones and their content dynamically. I''m having trouble defining the zone.

The halo 3 marines were released in the OPCAN modpack. Some time ago, the OPCAN mod developer lost all his files in a hard-drive failure and has been steadily rebuilding parts of OPCAN since. The additions he made to the Halo 3 Marines were not part of the content he wished to restore. However, the OPTRE developers have plans to include the Halo 3 Marines in a future First Contact release. I don't know when that will happen, but the H3 Marines will become available again at some point in the future.

Some raw test footage: Added: - Running with One-handed firearm (spiker). - Weapon raising/lowering. - First weapon reload animation (for the spiker): Sadly the first person view doesn't look anything like how it's supposed to. Will work on grenade throwing now and then walking and running with weapons lowered.

Update: After ironing out the configs, they are now fully in-game and can turn and fire. Next step is to add in movement.

Update: back in-engine again! Textures came out pretty nicely so far, if I say so myself. Textures are still WIP though.

I want to do a complete redo from scratch in the future. Probably including more attachments, more varied uniforms set-ups and gloves. Well, zombies and demons has a script for knocking cars around...

Brute Minor helmet and armor high-poly models done :)

Hi, long time no speak! Found some time this week to work on this some more. Finished the first (of two) Brute uniforms this week, took me about 16 hours total. Contrast that to the Halo 3 Marines which took me weeks to complete. Also started work on the new and improved rig for the Brute and I'm preparing to get everything back in-engine. The Brute Minor character is pretty close to being done :) Will try to start doing the armor pieces next. Cheers!

I don't know yet. Personally I wouldn't mind if they just spoke english like in Halo 3, but it would of course be more realistic if they had some sort of alien tongue. But yeah, I'm helpless when it comes to audio design, so I might need some help with that later down the line.

Update! Behold the new proportions, I'm very happy with this and I will stick with this, I call it the Super Brute. I tried out enlargening them to 2.80m (accurate to the lore), but it was just too big for my taste. So I scaled them back down again, the final height will thus be 2.60m (the height they actually are in H3 and H3:ODST). This looks just so much more satisfying, more animalistic, less human and most importantly, much more menacing! This also means that the 3D art concept phase is done and I will start to finalize the model and add high-poly detail in-between animating and start to texture it! This does mean I will have to start over in terms of animation, but its fine. I have been trying out alot of efficient animation techniques to take shortcuts here and there and the results were good! Comparison: 2.80m was just too large...:

Update! This is where I am right now. I'm still focused on getting basic free standing motion. Right now, forward motion is pretty much implemented, so walking/running/sprinting forward in addition to moving forward-left and forward-right. Literally everything is still work in progress and the animations are quick and dirty test animations just to I can figure out the system :) I'm gonna be doing some work on the proportions too. They just don't feel satisfying enough to me, they need to be beefier, more menacing, less "human". And I'm still undecided about the size. I might try scaling them up a bit to proper 2.8m and see how that looks.

It was more like I just didn't know that "-" characters are forbidden in the model.cfg while they work fine anywhere else. I'm otherwise pretty good at detecting and fixing syntax errors. I will refrain some using them altogether from now on. You learn more every day! Very happy that it works now. I expanded the initial animations with a running and sprinting animation. I'm still 100% in the testing/experimenting phase to figure everything out, though, so everything still looks horrible. While I understand the animation system and its implementation now, there are still unknowns that I will now focus on. Things like: - Procedural animations - Animation blending (layering) - Ragdolls - How to properly implement memory points into the skeleton (cameras, axes for procedural animations etc) - Integrating proxies into my custom skeleton (for weapon location, holstering etc) - IK Chains After those tests are done and figured out, I will start over and completely redo the skeleton and adjust the proportions of the character, settle on a final scale (2.6m now, feels a little short ingame, still undecided) and lay the groundwork to actually finish the character model.

The problem is fixed thanks to some aid from Mondkalb. It turns out my model.cfg contained a "-" character and ARMA apparently doesn't like that :D

Well, the animations and the skeleton seem to be working, because they appear to be running inside the ingame animation viewer and when I press walk forward in-game I can actually hear the footsteps. But for some reason the character itself doesn't animate. Usually thats a model.cfg problem, but I cant seem to find the error.

Progress update! So a while ago, I've started the process of animating, configuring the custom skeleton and putting the Brutes in-game in earnest. Unfortunately I am almost always busy so things are going slow. However, I feel confident to show some progress, things are looking good but there are still alot of snags I am having trouble maneuvering around. This because of the lack of proper documentation on how this process works. I am however really starting to understand the way the engine processes entities and their animation sets/logic. It really is impressive what the engine can do. You could theoretically do almost anything! (Iron Giant, anyone? :P) So I'm at the point where the brutes are theoretically at least basically configured and they spawn in the game without crashing it (which is a great thing!). And the crude test animations/poses that I've made so far seem to be loading well in O2. They somehow don't seem to transfer over in-game. I thought this would be a model.cfg problem, but the problem still persists. I feel damn close and once I can get the animations working, It'll be onto spurting out rudimentary animations to at least get a basic movement set done. The plan is to start small, so like being able to walk and turn and stand still and then later add running, crouching etc and then of course the ability to hold a weapon. The idea is to build upon the movement set incrementally until it reaches a sufficient and dynamic level where at least as a player, you feel like you can maneuver full without obstructions. Some fun pictures! Two-handed weapon One-handed weapon Alternate two-handed (For certain heavy weapons, perhaps?) Its pretty interesting learning how to best animate for ARMA. I've only ever animated for short films and Men of War, but never for a first person shooter. It'll take some adjusting to make sure it all works well and looks good in both perspectives. But I am confident enough that I think this project is well do-able. The config work is just complicated.... First person example: And finally, where I am now. I believe the custom skeleton is basically configured, but I can't seem to get him out of that damn T-pose. Furiously working on trying to figure that out. That's it for now, cheers!

Heads up, the Halo 3 Marines and possibly the shotgun will be releasing shortly as part of OPCAN.

Hey, Mondkalb, I have a question of which I just can't find the answer online. What the hell is a pivotsModel?? What purpose does it serve and how does one make one reliably? Also, what is a collisionShape?

Hello, So I'm working on a super simple Zeus fire support module that should make it very easy for Zeus to call in fire support from any artillery-capable unit on the map. I've started working on the functions that would handle the procedure and it works perfectly. The script, when run, searches for the nearest artillery-capable unit that isn't already assigned to a fire mission and then gives it a fire mission based on pre-set variables. So it works as a script, but I always intended this to work as a module where you place it in zeus, then you get a nifty menu and you click OK and bad shit happens. Now I have started to convert the script to work as a spawn-able module, but what happens is that when I try to spawn the module in Zeus nothing happens. I have the module on my cursor and I click and just nothing happens. I tried to follow the biki in terms of how its set up but I've obviously done something wrong. I would love some help. Thanks, Morthon

On Monkalb's Lego mod. "The main reason for this release is to get the sources out for others to learn from. It's a fully independent character setup in Arma 3 using all the things there are. Animations, Ragdoll, Weapons, Clothes Swapping, Head and Face textures, lip movement and of course hats." So with the release of Mondkalb's lego mod, I feel this project can finally really start kicking off. I've been delving alot into the animation system and while I think I understand it, there's still alot of unknowns and it was all very overwhelming and confusing. This is great to hear and I'm very happy. Everyone say thank you, Mondkalb! Haha

What is a marine without his shotgun?? :P The creator of OPCAN is working on textures for me, after that is done this shotgun will be released standalone right here!

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to tease this hard T__T

Ohhh myyy, this is so cool O_o