six_ten

Doesn't work yet -- still have not told it how to find the script (looking for an example of how to do that). Maybe something like this in config.cpp ? Found an example in the MV-22 in A2 MLODs class UserActions { class Packon { displayName=$STR_AM_PACK; displayNameDefault="Pack"; position=PackAction; radius=10; onlyForPlayer=true; condition="this animationphase ""pack_engine_1"" !=1"; statement="[this,1] execvm ""\ca\air2\mv22\scripts\pack.sqf"""; }; /// becomes... class Weathervane { displayName = ""; onlyforplayer = 1; priority = 1; condition="this animationphase ""Weathervane"" !=1"; statement="[this,1] execvm ""\ART\ART_Water\Scripts\Weathervane.sqf"""; };

Thank you very much. Here's what I have so far: ART\ART_Water\ART_Sloop\Sloop_Bermuda.p3d in LOD1 etc, a selection named Weathervane in Memory LOD, a pair of vertically oriented points named Weathervane_Axis ART\ART_Water\ART_Sloop\model.cfg class CfgSkeletons { class Default { isDiscrete = 1; skeletonInherit = ""; skeletonBones[] = {}; }; class Vehicle: Default {}; class Ship: Vehicle { skeletonInherit="Vehicle"; skeletonBones[]={}; }; class civilian_boatSkeleton: Ship { skeletonInherit = "ship"; skeletonBones[] = { "Compass", "", "Weathervane", "", etc... ////////////////////////////// class CfgModels { class Default { sectionsInherit=""; sections[] = {}; skeletonName = ""; }; class Vehicle: Default { sections[] ={}; }; class Sloop_Bermuda: Vehicle { skeletonName = "civilian_boatSkeleton"; sections[] = { "Compass", "Weathervane", etc... ////////////////////////////// class Animations { class Compass { type="rotation"; source="direction"; selection="Compass"; axis="Compass_Axis"; memory=1; minValue=-3.141590; maxValue=3.141590; angle0=-3.141593; angle1=3.141593; }; class Weathervane { type="rotation"; source="user"; selection="Weathervane"; axis="Weathervane_Axis"; memory=1; minValue=-3.141590; maxValue=3.141590; angle0=-3.141593; angle1=3.141593; }; etc... ////////////////////////////// ART\ART_Water\ART_Sloop\Scripts\Weathervane.sqf private ["_WeathervaneWindDir"]; _WeathervaneWindDir = windDir; phase = rad ( if (_WeathervaneWindDir < 180) then {-_WeathervaneWindDir} else {360-_WeathervaneWindDir} ); Weathervane animate ["windDir", phase]; ART\ART_Water\ART_Sloop\config.cpp class Sloop_Bermuda: Ship_F { etc... class AnimationSources { class Weathervane { source = user;// "user" = custom src not controlled by some engine value initPhase = 0; // Initial value of animations based on this source animPeriod = 1; // Coefficient for duration of change of this animation };

Managed to get the ships to sail with the wind! No engine required. Also have an idea for (haven't tested this part yet) getting the AI to sail similarly though using normal driving. Refining now. If I can get some help getting the windDir to animate my weathervane I'll be well along. Also run into a problem where if I have more than one ship on the map the math gets confused and reports their direction instead of mine...

Looking at the Wind page https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/wind it says that "wind" "Returns the current wind vector (in m/s) as array [x, z, y]." Is that correct? aren't they usually arrayed as xyz? so does that mean I call it like this: select 0 = x select 1 = z select 2 = y Anyhow, getWind returns an azimuth, number between 0 and 360, so if I divide that by 360 I'll have a result between 0 and 1 which I can pass to the bone for animation I think. Is that right?

Im still stumped. It seems so simple, just get wind direction and make the arrow point the way its going...

Just had an idea I'm testing now -- cutting up my Geometry Buoyancy LOD and making the sections named, to see if by shooting them I can get them to hide, and thereby put shots in at the waterline and put an enemy ship low in the water. It might not work but if it does it will be cool (and really affect how sea battles go). Edit: was able to get the LOD cut up and assigned, the boat worked, but couldn't get it to sink the way I had in mind. I'll put this aside for now. I just found this line in the Samples_F\Test_Boat " // Note animation sources cannot impact the mass with sea vehicles, this is just as example mass = 0; // If the phase is 1, the given mass will be added, otherwise, it will be subtracted" I still would like to find a way to have the ship list when hit near the waterline. Maybe dampers like on a car wheel?

I wasn't talking about any size limit; you asked about keeping AI on deck. If you don't have a roadway the path won't matter. If you do have a roadway and the ship is stationary you and they can walk around. (Then your paths matter.) When the ship begins to move you'll all slide toward the stern and die.

As a test I've substituted "clockSecond" for "windDir" as the source and in game it works: my arrow ticks every second 1 degree counter-clockwise. I' think you're right about having to define it. I'll see if I can find the advanced flight model example in A3. Edit: strange, watching it I see it goes (counter-clockwise) from 12 to 9 then resets...

Ah. Well, what I was looking at at https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/windDir said that windDir "Returns the current wind azimuth." I thought I could just plug the azimuth in and the arrow would use that as it's direction.

Okay so back to business -- I need to animate a weathervane aboard ship -- for now all I want is to get an arrow to point the direction the wind is blowing. I have an arrow model on the sloop, an axis for it, and its defined in model.cfg Basically I want it to function like a compass needle but for wind direction. Thought I could just modify the Compass but that doesn't work. How do I translate the wind direction into a source that the weathervane can use? Maybe an event handler in the ship's init...

I suggest the following: copy the Samples_F sample mod into your P drive and get it to work with your custom name and graphics. Then copy the Samples_F\Test_Boat_01 into your mod and get it to work (as is it won't work, so just getting them to run without errors is a good challenge). Once they both run, copy them onto your desktop and start messing around with the sample boat -- remove parts of it and replace them with your model. When (not if) stuff breaks, you have the working copy on your desktop to use to fix errors. Proceed like that and you'll be able to drive your boat. Try to skip this stuff and you'll remain frustrated. My sloop started as the test boat, as described above and still largely is.

Theory: hide anchor, spawn new anchor, rope attach sloop to anchor, gravity takes anchor down. testing now... Love finding stuff like this: setting up the weight of my anchor, and lo and behold someone's written a thesis that tells just how to calculate that: The History and Development of Old English Anchors http://nautarch.tamu.edu/pdf-files/Jobling-MA1993.pdf Edit: well it works so far with myRope = ropeCreate [sloop1, "RopeStarAnchor", anchor1, "RopeTie", 20] now to hide the anchor on ship and spawn the new one, get the distance to seafloor to determine length of rope (it should be distance straight down plus a third more or so I think, there should be some slack in it) then attach the rope. Then to figure out how to get the anchor back aboard... And how to raise one from the seabed if the rope is cut or shot away... The sloop drags its anchor. How do I prevent that and make the anchor stay where it drops? disable simulation ?

Practice, practice, practice. They probably aren't shooting you through trees, so learn to use cover. Sneak through valleys, use buildings to hide yourself. Don't steadily shoot at them: if you miss your second shot, move and pop up somewhere else to shoot.

Eureka! I think my spontoon works. I don't have an animation for it, but I managed to get a sharp stick to fire a bullet with duration of 0.004 and it has to be right on the guy before he yells out, then the second shot kills him. Going to try to make an animation for it now. edit: it works! now to make a good thrusting animation... Had a thought while running after and spearing a bunch of AI -- would this work? Player has musket. Can equip a bayonet. Suppose he equips a bayonet and is running across a field. He can then scroll the action menu to choose either "Use Firearm" or "Use Bayonet". (With the invention of the socket bayonet it became possible to fire with it equipped.) If bayonet is selected, is there a way to invisibly (to players) change the weapon from musket model with bayo to a spear weapon that looks like a musket? If he then scrolls and chooses "Use Firearm" then it changes back to the musket weapon. If he unfixes bayonet and puts it away, then the option is removed from the menu and he just has a regular firearm. maybe there's a simple way, like changing from firearm to grenade launcher or something. Firemode?

Found out a little while ago that I can't add the proper camber to my limber's wheels (french artillery from the 17th to the 20th centuries angle the wheels for stability). The cannon works okay, but its a static weapon. CarX only has one point for the wheel's axle so it cannot be angled. Needs two points. I suppose I can just not use the physx vehicle and use the old version instead. Its weird because I just copied the Test_Car_01 from Samples_F and it has two points for each wheel axis. Guess that's a legacy of the pre-sim days.

Cool. Are there any special memory points I need to add to my (custom) models so they'll be compatible?

Will this work in water -- can a boat tow another boat?

I use this system in my sailing ships -- you can shoot holes in the sails for example, or shoot away part of the railing of the ship. In the first post in this thread you say it is possible to limit what weapons can do that kind of damage. Currently a musket can shoot a big hole in a sail; I'd like to limit that type of damage to cannonfire. Is that possible? I couldn't find anything in the above links (but I may have missed it.)

Deltahawk, what do you have working on your ship so far and what questions do you have?

I want to reward teamwork -- a crew that is practiced and communicates well should be able to fire faster, safer and more accurately. Cannons typically had large crews. If you run solo you shouldn't be able to outshoot a team that has a man on the sponge, a loader, rammer, a guy to help aim, and one to fire. If that team doesn't communicate well and skips steps they run the risk of blowing themselves up. I'm deliberately leaving in things like the option to sponge the barrel after loading; if a crew is moving too fast they can ruin the powder, have to remove it and start over. At the same time I'm trying to keep an eye on historical accuracy. This first field cannon in the mod is built to scale from a blueprint made in 1745, and I'm using historical data to get proper mass and speed of projectiles. As for rate of fire: if a crew in the 18th century could fire 5 times a minute then I want it possible for a practiced crew in game to do that. As much damage as cannons could (and can) do, they ought to be operated well to perform well. If you follow the link in my first post in this thread to the Smithsonian exhibit of the Gunboat Philadelphia, you can see the single hole from British cannonfire that sank her. If you don't learn to work the guns effectively you'll likely just end up giving all your cannon to the other team :) I should add that I'd prefer to do away with text UserActions and just have stuff happen, like if you have a linstock near the vent and it is primed, it ignites. Here's a general outline of how the cannon script should go (I'd be grateful for links to examples of how to do these things): Player drives up to the battlefield with a limber towing a cannon. He dismounts (the limber looks authentic but since we have no horses it is basically the SamplesF\Test_Car_01) and walks back to the cannon. 1. UserAction appears on the cannon: "Unlimber the gun." When selected the cannon is freed from the limber then that UserAction is hidden. 2. New UserActions appear on the unlimbered cannon: "Tow gun." If selected: Check that limber is near, if not, hint "The limber is too far away." If limber is near, attach cannon to it, then hide UserAction "Tow gun" then display UserAction "Unlimber the gun." "Prepare the gun position" If selected: When this is selected make tools, water, ammunition visible then hide this UserAction. Write arrays: gun is not loaded, not sponged, not primed. Hide UserAction "Prepare the gun position." Display new UserActions near muzzle: "Sponge" If selected: Play animation: dip sponge into bucket, swab barrel with wet sponge, step back. Check if gun is already loaded. If so, write to array that powder is ruined. If not loaded, write to array that barrel was sponged empty Hide UserAction "Sponge." and "Load" (Grapeshot, or Round Shot, or Bar Shot) If selected: Check if player has ammunition in inventory. If not then display hint: "Get ammunition." If so then proceed. Play animation: place charge in muzzle, ram down with ToolRammer, step back. Check if UserAction "Sponge" has already occurred. If not then calculate random chance of gun firing during ramming. If it is bad luck, fire the gun and kill the loader, then clear the arrays: gun is not loaded, not sponged, not primed. Check if UserAction "Prime" has already occurred AND check if ToolLinstock is near vent. If both are true then calculate random chance of gun firing during ramming. If it is bad luck, fire the vent, fire the gun and kill the loader, then clear the arrays: gun is not loaded, not sponged, not primed. Write to an array that barrel is loaded. Display new UserAction "Unload the Piece." Hide UserAction "Tow gun." Hide UserAction "Load." and "Prime" Write to an array that barrel is primed. Display UserAction "Fire." Hide UserAction "Tow gun." Hide UserAction "Prime." 3. UserAction "Fire." After the cannon is primed it may be fired (even without loading.) If selected: Check to see that player has ToolLinstock, if not display hint "Get a Linstock." If so, then Check if gun is loaded with good powder. If not loaded or if powder is ruined, then fire only the vent effects: zasleh fire vertical from vent and puff of smoke with it. If loaded with good powder then fire the vent effects: Ignite zasleh fire vertical from vent and puff of smoke with it. Wait 2 seconds. Fire main charge and recoil. Clear arrays: gun is not loaded, not sponged, not primed. Display UserAction "Sponge." Display UserAction "Load." Display UserAction "Prime." Display UserAction "Tow gun." 4. UserAction "Unload the Piece" Check to see that player has ToolWorm, if not display hint "Get a Worm." If so, then Play animation, worm down barrel, step back. Add ammunition back into player inventory. Display hint: "Gun is now unloaded." Clear arrays: gun is not loaded, not primed. Hide UserAction "Unload the Piece." Display UserAction "Tow gun." arrays needed: sponged empty (powder good) sponged loaded (powder ruined) loaded Grape, good powder loaded Ball, good powder loaded Bar, good powder loaded Grape, ruined powder loaded Ball, ruined powder loaded Bar, ruined powder primed

I want to make the cannon fire by lighting the vent -- I'm modeling a linstock - basically a stick with a slowmatch wound around it and lit. If I put a memory point at the lit part of the match, and a memory point in my cannon barrel vent, can a script detect the proximity of the lit match and when it comes within say 0.5 m of the vent, it fires the cannon? ----------------- Edit: anyone know if I can make the linstock a weapon and use FiredNear https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3:_Event_Handlers to ignite the primer?

More important than a pathlod is Roadway.

I like that idea -- shouldering muskets is definitely going in.

What do you mean by these?

Man that's killer --