ziporama

Wombat, any progress on changing the VJOY#? I use #4 for my input into Gremlin - would like your plugin to drive joystick #4 (1 to 3 are used by the sims including DCS). Thanks! Z

Hi, I have a question on the behavior of MOOSE patrols as I'm playing around with a few use-cases and trying to understand the framework behavior. Question 1: Situation: I create a few dynamic zones I want an AI group to patrol. Once I assign a zone (zr) to a patrol, and a group (rescueHeloGroup) to that patrol, via patrol = AI_PATROL_ZONE:New( zr, 50, 100, 3, 10 ) patrol:ManageFuel( 0.2, 60 ) patrol:SetControllable( rescueHeloGroup ) patrol:__Start(1) will the patrol follow the zone around if the zone position dynamically changes via: -- update zone position dynamically (this repositions the zone somewhere else during the mission) zr:SetVec2(new_zone_center_vec2) Will the patrol automatically follow the zone change, or do I need to recreate the patrol? Question 2: How do I terminate a patrol? Meaning, remove the object from the patrol and cleanup? -- does this work? patrol:SetControllable(nil) Question 3: Looking at the sample mission code, I'm not sure I understand the __Start(), __Accomplish() and how to change states in the AI routines in general. Looking up examples isn't helping, I'm looking for what they do, I see them used, but I dont see the parameters explained. Must be looking in the wrong area :) Thanks!

As far as I can tell, you can only select which catapult to spawn from in the form of a runway start - that seems to correctly place your aircraft on catapults 1 to 4. Parking is a bit of a mess at the moment, so is AI movement on deck colliding with other objects. The parking # in the mission editor only seems to do something with catapults. It gets even messier when you have groups with multiple units spawning. Sometimes I get explosions on the deck when the units spawn on top of one another. As stated above, this is work in progress and early access.

This is only one of four issues I seem to run into with the mission editor when working on carrier ops: (1) static or non-static aircraft do not show up even if parking position is distinct per aircraft (2) AI started on a catapult won't take always take off (plane "resets") and JBS just lowers with aircraft stuck there. (3) AI ignores start time on the mission editor. Entering a time on the mission editor doesn't seem to work - they all want to start at the same time (when they do show up on deck that is). (4) AI has no idea what's happening on deck. I had a tanker start (at the wrong time) and cross right in front of a departing AI starting on the catapult as it was taking off, causing a spectacular wreck. So all in all, I'd say carrier ops and the mission editor seem to have a few issues in the early access - I'm sure it will all be sorted later when the main aircraft has all its features. Right now, I need to tone down what I do in the mission designer on the carrier. I'm unable to reproduce anything like what Chuck's guide has in its pictures with a fully populated deck. Impossible to reproduce so I have no idea how these shots were made unless there's a magic trick I have yet to learn!

One of the dev notes indicated that the team worked on a black text outline for the map to improve readability. I can see a faint outline but it's very small and I think the anti-aliasing just messes with it by blending the outlines of the text into the map. Whoever designed that display at McDonnell Douglas clearly didn't think things through. If only the text color could be changed. When the display controls are all working (eg, contrast) - should be able to make the map a bit dimmer. For now, map off.

Indeed. Unlike ground bases, there isn't a lot of space on the carrier's deck, so it's important to be able to be very precise in the starting location on the deck. Problems range from things spawning on top of one another or not showing up at all when they should. There are a few work arounds by playing around with start times and starting position options by group but options are limited. I know carrier ops are not a priority compared to getting the other features in the FA/18 completed, but on my wish list are: - more than 4 parking/ramp slots on deck - ability to specify via a LUA call where units start on deck (for scripting missions) - not by group, but by individual object in a group (so unit 1, unit 2, etc.. of a flight group). - AI aware of "size" of the aircraft so it doesn't clip into things while moving on deck - ability to state which way the parked unit is pointing would be helpful in relation to the deck (could be an angle relative to the bow of the ship for example).

Thanks! Appreciate the quick response!

Not sure why, but when the mission editor has the grid labels and/or location names visible on the map, they tend to go crazy with some drawing artifacts. The labels are still visible but additional ghost text is displayed, anchored in the bottom right of the label, and heavily distorted / rotated with heavy flicker. The rest of the text/graphics are just fine (such as, the aircraft labels) - just the location names and the grid labels. Only occurs in the mission editor. Catalyst 14.1 version (current as of 2 weeks ago?), HD 7970 video card. No special settings, I do have the high setting with MSAA and HDR "normal" enabled. This happens with 1.2.7 and 1.2.8 beta. Please share any tips, probably something very simple to fix with a setting but I didn't find it yet! Z.

Just tested this - it's fixed in 1.2.8 beta as of April 4, 2014. I had a custom mission in 1.2.7 that didn't activate with fixed wing but worked with rotorheads - all good now in the beta with no changes to the mission file. My flight of F15s and A-10s AI activated when the script requested it so while my test sample was one mission, worked as designed. :D Cheers, Z.

Not sure about military rules, but for FAA in the US for commercial or GA, the white strobes are only allowed on the runway for take-off, in-flight, and landing. Strobes are only turned ON after receiving t/o clearance from tower and starting t/o and after landing when exiting to the first exit ramp (transfer to ground control). Strobes are a visual indicator to tower and other aircraft that a t/o or landing is taking place and the runway is in use and also to indicate intentions visually. Again, no idea how this applies to military aviation as I didn't go through that training. Also, commercial aviation or GA IFAIK do not have flashing navigation lights - they do have red rotating strobes that must be on whenever engines are starting or on (also visual indicator to ground crew). Nav lights are steady all the time. My 0.02. Z.