DD_Friar

Salute, Is anyone able to advise on what dictates the image that loads when a mission starts? let me explain with the attached screen shots. It shows the mission map (apologies for the oil slicks - I do not want my squad to see what I have planned for them if one of them should bumble into this thread). The image that is shown is from a position marked by the red arrow. It is not the most eastern or the most northern? Someone was said it was to do with the last position saved during mission editor save - but I have saved in different positions but still get the images below? Any advice or pointers would be welcome as I want to try and load a screen that does give too much away. Top image is from running it off line and the next from multiplayer.

What about starting with the World War II tanks? I know "IL2 Sturmovik Tank Crew" already occupies this space (it is why I came to DCS in the first place when IL2 seemed to stagnating and I wanted to see what was on offer as a few of my squad mates were already flying DCS) but DCS offers far more varied units that are already drivable. I have often felt that even in IL2 which does have multi-crew for the tanks (which has been a lot of fun) and also very detailed interiors (not clickable but nice eye candy) Once you have looked at them and said "nice" the rest of the mission is played as either Commander (standing up out of the turret) or as gunner (looking down the gunsight) or driving (either with head out the hatch or looking through the letter box) so is not required. For playing tanks in DCS I would at least like; 1. A commanders position, a drivers position and a gunners position. Lets not worry about multi-crew just yet. When in wwII units the modern binocular features are not included of course. 2. shrubs that do not stop a tank in its tracks. Ideally trees as well but even IL2 Tank Crew still has this issue.

@Direwolf check your mission editor settings. Click on the watch icon at the foot of the screen. With this ticked the system will only give you the correct period aircraft and may not include mods.

@cfrag DOH! - I have been struggling with this pretty much all afternoon and the answer is as simple as where the plane is placed on the carrier in the editor is not the same as where it starts when you run the mission, and therefore outside the zone! </begin bang head on wall> </end bang head on wall> Many thanks Friar

Salute @cfrag - Sorry to bother you again but I m having an issue with ASW. I can not seem to get any stores available for my Apache Helicopter for testing. I have attached a screenshots below plus the mission. Please do not worry about the configuration for the submarine, I have not turned my attention to that yet. I wonder if you could give me a nudge as to where I am going wrong? ASW-Test.miz

Salute I will re-check as I drove some other vehicles at different places on the Persian Gulf map with no issues. Many thanks to all those that replied, apologies for calling this out if the problem is at my end.

Salute, Apologies if this has been raised elsewhere. I did try to search a few subjects before posting. My question is about dead vehicles. When one is killed it does not seem to stop burning. Is there any road map for having a time limit on the burn and then even perhaps having an option to remove the dead vehicle completely? Again, sorry if this is in the wrong place or already reported / questioned.

@cfrag One final question on this - I have moved on to testing what if the units are all destroyed on route. When all the units are killed, the next convoy is started correctly as expected. The problem I am now having is that the old burning wrecks are still on the road. I have tried "declutter" against the clone but the vehicles are outside the spawn zone so I guess that is why it does not appear to work? Is there anything I can do about this?

@cfrag - Many thanks - now works like a charm. Just as an aside f? is still listed in documentation (yes, I am ACTUALLY reading it) as a valid parameter, but I note you are trying to move away from that concept. I will do my best not to use it any more. Cheers Friar

@cfrag I have built what you suggested, at least I think I have. I have a problem if a convoy gets to the unitZone in tact. I get double spawns (at the moment I have two convoys) and then when they reach the unitZone further spawns just start flashing in and out! I would rather not make my mission public at the moment (do not want my squad seeing other surprises I have for them) so have attached, what I hope are clear pictures for my log at the moment. The scenario is kicked off by a bus (the item starting half way down the road). This is a testing tool and will be removed for some other mechanic kicking off the process. The bus enters the unit zone, it has the same name structure as the main convoys so is matched in the HH-Convoy* criteria and then turns right to park out the way. This then triggers the first random spawn, which works ok. As I am testing this convoy gets to the unitZone with no issue. It is from here that the problems start. Any advice / nudges would be much appreciated. * The length of the journey is only this short for testing. Many thanks Friar

@cfrag Thanks I will give it a go. My scenario is further complicated by my idea of having maybe 3 different types of convoy that are selected by random but I guess it is just a case of replicating the above logic to re-loop to the rndFlag control so it picks the next convoy. The plane I want to use is military and do not want any extra mods so I will use the logic for my plane(s) as well. kind regards and thanks again and your time to reply so quick. Friar

Salute @cfrag My scenario is I have a need for example to have a plane take off at an airfield (mainly for eye candy and to make the airfield look busy). It takes off then flies into the distance out of harms way and is then removed from the mission. I also have a need for spawning convoys as ground target fodder. If they reach their destination I have no need for them to stay on the map so would like to remove them. They may not all make it of course if they are attacked on route. Using the old triggers I would have placed a zone called something like "Delete Bomber". Then when set up a trigger that said if unit entered zone, selecting "Delete Bomber" zone and unit being my eye candy plane then the action would be to DEACTIVATE GROUP to remove it from the map. Will wiper give me the same option?

Salute Can someone advise me please on the module to use to delete a plane or ground unit when it arrives at a destination. I have looked through the docs for the correct module but nothing has come to mind.

Salute I have mapped frequencies I want to use in the mission editor to the ARC-164 radio, but they do not appear in game. I assume this is because it is not the selected radio. Is anyone able to advise how I change my active radio over to the ARC-164 so that I can use my pre-logged frequencies? Many thanks DD_Friar

Salute @cfrag Happy Friday, Quick question on the excellent new feature of the Bomb Range. In the spec you mention that a player signing in can "wake up the bomb range" - by this do you mean enabling activity around the range for effects, like vehicles moving away or to actually make the range functionality start checking, i.e it is like in a "late activation" state before someone signs in.? Regards Friar

Salute @cfrag many thanks for all your hard work on this. It is starting to make my mission building easier. Regards DD_Friar @cfrag You just need to update the version in the first post. Link is good to 1.4.7 but description says previous one. Will I need to replace any modules with new code? in my missions

Stick with the Apache. Its flown by 662 Squadron, British Army (read "Apache Dawn its about the squadron in Afghanistan). The Gazelle is French. I own the Gazelle, never fly it now, I own the Huey, good fun to jump into and bumble about our squads airfield. I have spent a LOT of time in the Apache, it is fun to flt and with George up front not that hard to "put warheads on foreheads". My learning pattern was to spend a lot of time just going up and down a runway. Take off at one end and aim to set it down at the other end. Once you have mastered that then use the airfield as a race track to practice tight turns and slowing down from speed. Use the Trim lock feature a lot. Then start to add talking to George, perhaps then learn the front seat, then radios / navigation. It has given me a lot of fun and challenges but is worth it.

Salute 2.9 Open Beta. Persian Gulf Map. Shiraz Intl Airfield. All units start on runway. When attempting to drive a ground unit via my keyboard using the default keys (W,A,D,S,Z,X) units all seem to be pulling to the left. They will not keep a straight line when just hitting W key. Constant adjustment with D is required. I have driven Bradley, Humvee and Abrahams, Sherman, IFV-BMD-1, T-55. Slot taken via Game Master.

Salute @=GR= Cypher There is a known problem with using stopgap for helicopters in single player. they all start just above the ground and as you say crash to the floor. Run your mission, even if playing on your own, as a multiplayer version. Also have you copied the server script to the HOOKS folder, this helps with synchronization as well, which is involved in the issue you are seeing.

Salute Sir, I have no doubt what a massive undertaking this has been for you to get off the ground. I know from personal experience whilst working for a software company how the documentation is always the last thing to get updated. There are always demands on time for new features and bug fixes etc. My pointing out the confusion was in no way a complaint or dig at you for not updating it. Hopefully our exchange will be able to help others that may take the journey I am at the moment.

Sorry @cfrag, I have just back over the documentation and can see now where I got my understanding from. The attached picture is from the full version of the guide This is why I put the two RND items in, the top line and the RND! (which as you state is a replacement for the flags!) I know it now works after making the change and I assume I have missed somewhere about the new RND! function and it doing away with the need for both?

@cfrag, sorry. As I said at the top of my post, I was writing as you replied. Yes, your fix was the problem in my code. I have applied it and it is now working correctly. I was under the impression that I had to tell each zone what its function was, hence I put the RND at the top and RND! was the flag parameter. I think I get it now, so will hopefully not be asking any more questions for a while.

@cfrag Whilst typing this message you replied - its nice to know I sort of found what you are saying... Salute, it is often said "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.." Well, having done some coding in my past I thought I would have a look at the script for rndFlag, just to see if I could find anything obvious. I added some numbering to the messages that get displayed so I could track the sequence of what happens. (I have attached my version where I added "(CTx) next to the ++ in the message lines. It seems that there is a look going on at (my points) 4,5,4,5 then 14,10,12, 14,10,12 point 4 and 5 are in "now build the flag array from strings" point 14 is in the function rndFlags.startCycle() point 10 and 12 ar in the function function rndFlags.fire(theZone) Would you have expected these to be looping twice when onStart is true (I thought which meant a single pass?) RNDFlags-Friar.lua As I stated "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing..." Many thanks once again. Salute Friar

sorry please find attached RandomTest-nopulse.miz

Salute @cfrag Please see below my mission configuration. I have modified the version you kindly adjusted for me that had the pulse in generating the flights of helicopters. I have removed the pulse and would expect just to see one pair of random selected helicopters, but as you can see from the attached screen shot I am getting two? Many thanks once again for getting me on the path to truth and enlightenment.