Merker

Hey there all, I'm having a bit of an interesting challenge after rejoining the A-4 team and settling back into 3ds. I've noticed that every time I export using Max 2022, edm plugin build 216821, the bort number animations are broken (args exist in model viewer, but are frozen at the mid-point of the animated number texture). I can see no differences from my external file from 2019 and now that suggest the animation being different in the current iteration. However, when I setup 3ds Max 2022 with any of the 3ds plugin builds from the past few months, the borts are completely absent in model viewer, evidently not exporting with the rest of the model from what I can tell. I've used almost build going back to 229281 with the same result. Any ideas as to what could be going wrong here? My work on the A-4 is pretty much halted until I can sort this out, and despite all of my research and troubleshooting, I've been unable to resolve it. Any suggestions would be be incredibly appreciated!

Community A-4 Dev Diary Q2 2019: Comings and Goings Community A-4 Dev Diary Q2 2019: Comings and Goings From Merker: Hello all, I’d like to start this post off by thanking you all for your incredible support over the past 3 years of development. From the day we started, during good times and bad, and through what felt like a very turbulent release; it’s been a hell of a ride. During the first hours of this project, my highest expectation would be that we learn a thing or two and everyone would have some fun in the process. There was never really an expectation of success, though we wanted to give it a shot. Since then, it’s gone beyond what I could have ever imagined. Regrettably, this journey has reached its destination for me personally. As of May 31st, 2019, I will no longer be part of the A-4 Project. There are a number of personal reasons for this, and I’d prefer not to get into them, but the overall reason is that this project is just one short chapter in my life that will need to close for others to open. This project has been a very difficult lift for me personally, as I’ve invested a massive amount of time into it. The past few months since release have been some of the most demanding, and with many other opportunities and responsibilities in life demanding my attention, I feel it is now appropriate for me to move on from this project and DCS modding as a whole. This includes my work on the Oriskany, which is hereby paused indefinitely. Work had slowed greatly in the past months, and I feel that it’s a project I will never be satisfied with personally. Perhaps I’ll find a way for it to live on, but I can make no promises at this time. I announced my resignation last month and we are currently in the transition process for our distribution and communication methods. We’re working to ensure this process is as easy and as seamless as possible. I’d like to thank you all for your patience, and hope that you will continue to support the endeavors of the remaining team. I know you're in good hands. I'd like to thank this community again for an exciting three years, I hope that we’ve met your expectations and made a worthwhile addition to your DCS experience. Sincerely, Merker -- While it is time for Merker to leave, we’re very happy to announce a new member to our team. Heclak, who many of you may know through his various submods and contributions to the official mod, has joined as Coder and 3D Artist. Please give him a warm welcome! Coming up in the next updates, we have a slew of many different planned features and fixes on the horizon. Below is a tentative list of such things: Hydraulic system upgrade (For testing) Surfaces such as flaps, spoilers, gear are now dependent on the hydraulic system. This upgrade allows for some emergency procedures such as emergency gear release, and emergency landing procedures. Further upgrades are still in the research stages. Tanker version (WIP) Implementation of buddy tanker model. The model will be player flyable and AI-capable. However, the refueling capability is limited to AI only due to technical limitations. Texturing for pod and drogue is still yet to be completed. There's still an issue with drogue/probe tracking between the AI tanker and receiver. Player version of the A-4E is still not capable of aerial refueling. Check out the picture below of how it looks in our current testing. Remember, everything is subject to change! Fuel control system (WIP) We're working on some upgrades to the fuel system in the A-4E. We've implemented the emergency fuel cutoff lever and looking into other fuel systems such as fuel cutoff due to inverted flight and negative-g. Fuel dumping is now possible but no visual fuel vapours are possible. Keybindings (In progress) We're working on adding new keybindings based on community suggestions. We are aware that there are a number of keybindings that are missing. Please feel free to bring to our attention any missing keybindings via the issue tracker or forums. We will try to release a document indicating the new keybindings to assist control mapping. We're also trying to clean up the keybindings of incorrect keybindings. There are a number of incorrect bindings which are only meant for FC3 aircraft that made it into the previous release versions. These keybindings will be removed as we discover them. Visual Damage Model (Status TBD) While initially this system was teased, Merker’s departure means that this internal project has been shelved in favor of other projects. The visual damage model, which is purely a cosmetic feature within DCS, would display battle damage in-game. Additionally, we will be working to determine what changes are needed to adjust to ED’s new damage models, which were announced earlier this spring. Because we are modders, we have no advanced knowledge of these changes and will be learning alongside you all as they are implemented. Thank you all for making the past few months an exciting process, we look forward to the continued evolution of this mod over the comings months!

Unfortunately its a known bug we've had since we started development. We've never quite been able to figure out the source, and thus have no way to solve it other than restarting. However, I do know that the most common causation is flying a different aircraft before flying the A-4 in the same "session". Sorry we can't be of much help, sadly restarting is the only remedy

Actually, all you should need to do is delete the rudder axis assignments and restart. You’ll only need to delete the whole folder unless the issue persists. I had that same issue in one of the test buils and that changed solved it.

Looking good so far!

Those lighting fixtures for both the instrument backlighting and, not modeled, lighting for the panels themselves. Behind each cap was a small light, which could be unscrewed outward emit a very thin band of light in all directions around it. Due to the difficulties of working with interior lighting in DCS, it's something that I only briefly explored before realizing its implementation would be both resource intensive and difficult to accurately portray in-game.

Figured I'd drop in to respond to a few concerns and questions. First, the issue with IC has been more or less resolved. The issue with requiring the mod to join an MP server is entirely based on the way DCS, or any multiplayer game for that matter, manages server/client connection. This is true for any mod, and would also be true for completed 3rd Party aircraft if ED didn't make their external/AI elements part of the base DCS install. Related to this, we have no plans to pursue adoption into the base install of DCS. This is due to a wide number of issues, ranging from licencing to quality assurance. We have not spoken with ED directly but are aware of most of the requirements for adoption into DCS. This is not something anyone should be critical of ED for, as these requirements are necessary business-wise and for the end user's best experience. I would personally make the exact same stipulations myself if I were in their shoes. Lastly, we highly appreciate everyone's enthusiast for our mod, and while it pains me to say that we can't solve this issue for all of you, we do appreciate your concern and interest. I would definitely encourage everyone interested in flying the A-4E-C in multiplayer to consider joining a virtual squadron which flies it. I know there are many out there who do. Hope these answer help and sorry again that there are issues with finding good servers!

Unfortunately for folks that want to change back to white, this is entirely controlled on the 3d modelling/animation side of things. Sorry about that. I would maker it a submod, but due to the evolving nature of the cockpit it would be difficult to constantly maintaining two versions

Hello all, Due to a high volume of questions coming to the Community A-4E-C Team, I'd like to inform you all of two known bugs in both OpenBeta and Stable version of DCS. These bugs are not specific to the Community A-4 either, and apply to all scratch-made SFM mods as well. OpenBeta: We are currently experiencing a bug where player flown A-4E-C spawned in the air will dip forward into the ground upon landing. Below are screenshots of this issue occurring in both the A-4E-C and MB 339. Because this applies to all SFM mods, we can only wait until the bug is patched in DCS by ED. Stable: In the Stable Version of DCS, we are still experiencing the "spawn explosion" SFM bug that has since been patched in Open Beta. We are awaiting this fix to be pushed to Stable at sometime in the near future. Thank you all for your patience! -Merker, Community A-4E-C Dev Team

Community A-4E-C Update: Version 1.3 Available Now Community A-4E-C Version 1.3 Available Now Hello everyone! Today we have a very big announcement for you all. Today we’re releasing the biggest content update to date, bringing with it much requested features and bug fixes. A new carrier mechanic, new RWR system, and enhanced Shrike systems are just a few of the big changes dropping in Version 1.3 of the A-4E-C. We’d like to thank the incredible work of two newcomers who have are responsible for nearly all of these new feature; Heclak and Nero. Together, they’ve brought with them an immense amount of enthusiasm and coding skill to this project, resulting in the new content you’ll see in 1.3. The amount of work they put into this mod truly shows, and we hope you’ll enjoy that work as much as we do. Top New Features: - New carrier catapult mechanic - New RWR System, complete with originally produced sounds - Aircraft chocks now available, allowing carrier cold starts - Enhanced Shrike Usage, with originally produced sounds - Reworked Internal Lighting - New Menu Music by Eric Haugen (Thanks!) Top Bugfixes: - New collision Mesh (Hitbox), aircraft no longer invincible - Huffer now works on carriers - Fixed TrackIR issues Download v1.3 HERE: https://goo.gl/DXz7XF Project Roadmap: Going forward, there are a few features on the horizon that we look forward to development. Check out these sneak peaks at what comes next. Visible Damage Modelling and Texturing - Fixing the collision mesh, which calculates damage taken from weapons, is just the first step in much bigger plans we have for damage modelling on the A-4E-C. Our current model does not yet have visible damage animations, something we’d greatly like to fix. Our focus will be turning to this very big feature as we head into summer. Additional RWR Options - In real life, the A-4 was an incredibly modified aircraft, with no two squadrons operating identical aircraft in US service. Systems were mixed and match to fit the mission sets and preferences of each squadron. For our mod, we hope to introduce a greater degree of options when it comes to the RWR, whose functionality varied wildly based upon the systems used in it. Integrity Check Issues – Multiplayer compatibility is a serious issue in the mod, and one of our most requested fixes. We’re working to resolve these fixes going forward, however we can make no promises due to the nature of the mod. The scope of our mod is much greater than others, with many points of failure with IC. We’ll continue our eternal struggle with it going into the next patch. The features are expected to be release in a Late Summer 2019 Update. Stay tuned for more! Full Changelog – Community A-4E-C Version 1.3 Contributors: - Heclak - Nero - Merker - Plusnine - LevelPulse - Storm (AIM-9P Fixes) New Features: - Chocks now hold aircraft in place, selectable via Ground Crew Interface. Carrier starts now possible. - RwR now integrated. Including sounds.(AN/APR-23) - A-4E can now be launched with the catapult. (see the A4E-Community Guide for details) - Carriers can now have TACAN and ILS. (see the A4E-Community Guide for details) - Reworked AWRS for more accurate system simulation - Added joystick mapping axis for inst light and console light. - Lights inside cockpit reworked. Now “Combat Red” - Reworked CBUs release code for more accurate simulation - New option to change trim speed in aircraft options menu - New implementation of the AN/ALE-29A Chaff Dispensing System. - New mission planner options for setting options for the AN/ALE-29A programmer - New shrike search and lock system added. Behavior is similar to AIM-9 Sidewinders arming procedure. - New volume control for shrike and sidewinder volume (placeholder model) - Added carrier catapult launch sounds (cockpit-only) - New menu music by Eric Haugen - Completely new collision and damage model. Fixes previous damage issues. - Wheelbrakes can now be bound to a (single) Axis. - Improved ground handling - Options/special/A-4E: several options have been added like "hide Stick" and "trimspeed" Bug Fixes: - Fully functional collision mesh - Red floodlight switch no longer stuck. - No CTD when spawning on carrier. - Fixed canopy visibility in cockpit when open. - CBU visibility has been fixed. - Huffer now works on carriers. - Standby compass bug fixed. UV mapping of backlight rotated 180 degrees. - Fixed RAT animation when deployed - Fixed CBU bomblet visual placement in SUU-7 dispenser - Fixed issue where turning a knob with the scroll wheel will cause it to jump back to the beginning when it reaches the end. - Tweaked weight of SUU-7 dispenser - Fixed anti-collision light switch on exterior lighting panel - Fixed TrackIR issues Other Changes: - Console and Instrument Backlighting now controlled by appropriate knobs. - AWRS now selects appropriate ripple quantities. - Increased Pilot Size to reflect reference imagery. - Updated keybinding. Countermeasures release is now known as the JATO firing button. Function is the same. Weapon Systems: - SALVO mode will now correctly only dispense one weapon from each readied station per weapon release pulse from AWRSAWRS QTY SEL will now correctly limit the number of times the weapons are released in the RIPPLE modes. - AWE-1(AWRS) now powered from the monitor dc bus. Master arm switch no longer turns off the AWE-1 - Weapons will no longer be released from centerline station when in STEP PAIRS or RIPPLE PAIRS - Station of equal priority are now required for weapon release in PAIRS modes. - CBU bomblets are now released in tubes (CBU-1/A, CBU-2/A, CBU-2/B) - Added kneeboard page for CBU config to change the number of tubes of bomblets released per weapon pulse. (CBU-2/A, CBU-2B/A) - Added options to set CBU config from the mission planner/editor - Tweaked start condition of weapon system when spawning hot Important: You need to rebind your "Throttle Axis" and "Rudder Axis". Read the A4E-Community Guide by heclak to avoid issues with the new carrier mechanics. As always, happy flying from the Community A-4E-C Dev Team!

All I can really say on this front is that the geometry is largely final, with some exceptions on small things. One small change creates a lot more work and can cause issues with the unwrap, which then breaks a lot of textures. I appreciate the insight and constructive criticism though, and we can take a look at what can be done for some of the smaller changes. I used to have a B model downtown for reference, but Smithsonian locked her away as they do renovations :cry:

There is currently an issue in the damage model, which unfortunately I was never able to replicate accurately on my end or with other testers prior to release. Some of our hitboxes (damage mesh) are not correctly linked with the native DCS damage code. We're working to resolve this and should hopefully have a mostly complete fix for this issue when we launch 1.3, our next update.

So a few answers: It's the original version of the ECM control box. In the most recent stable version, 1.02, it was removed to increase visibility. As you noticed, it obstructed the airspeed indicator and was at the time an unused panel without functionality. In the next version, 1.3, we will be adding in a newer, smaller version of the ECM/RWR control box which will be functional but not as much of an obstruction as the original version. Hope this helps!

The explosion bug has been resolve in the latest DCS Open Beta update. If you're running the "normal" version of DCS, this does not effect you. Hope that helps! Edit: I've been informed that the issue is present in Stable, so please hang on another week or two before the bugfix is updated on the "normal" version of DCS!

Theoretically I suppose it could, however I think the better way of doing it (should we pursue to model it) would be to make it part of the aircraft model instead. Would be a bit of a challenge though getting it to look good though. For reference, the Huffer is similar in that it is on a visibility animation while being part of the aircraft model.

Out understanding is that it will be fixed in next week's open beta update. There's nothing that can be done on our end before that time unfortunately.

My suggestion? Learn the basics through making a ship or ground vehicle. There's a lot of basic principles to understand in coding, modelling and texturing without having to getting too complex.

This is the correct answer, any radio functionality beyond the baseline operations you see in the current A-4 are walled behind the SDK. The radio functionality will remain at the same standard for as long as its behind the SDK. Nothing else we can do there.

I think sometime in early March is the most likely. We're currently not in a massive rush to get it out the door and want to be sure to knock out some important bugs before release as well. We'll also be doing more dedicated testing than prior to try to eliminate any hiccups during release.

A-4E-C Project Update Q1 2019 A-4E-C Project Update Q1 2019 Happy New Year! 2019 has a lot still in store for the A-4E-C, beginning with a few announcements today! Available now from our team and community members are a new Installer, a download link for in-progress Beta builds, and a seperate download for our original WWII Weapons mod that is currently part of the A-4E-C mod. Coming in February is the A-4E-C Version 1.0.3 Update, which will contain a number of updates and bugfixes for the mod. These updates are almost entirely coming to you thanks to the efforts of hard working community members who have joined us in the past month, and we greatly thank them for their contributions! If you would like to contribute, please consider joining us on Discord at https://discord.gg/VEmJWVP Going forward, we’ll likely be switching to quarterly updates outside of each new version release. While I was not initially sure if we would have any updates at all, the prevalence of progress and new work justifies updates on at least a quarterly basis. NEW: Installer.exe Thanks to the work of community member Careos, we now have a new way to download and install the A-4E-C. This is still experimental at the moment, but we hope to further test and refine it in the future. Follow the link below to download the installer, then run the program and ensure that the target destination is the active folder for your version of DCS. In addition to this installer, we will continue to provide the folder download via Google Drives. Download the experimental build of the Installer HERE: https://goo.gl/yTgwro NEW: Beta Download Tired of waiting for the latest and greatest A-4E-C? Want to help the dev team and community devs test out new features and bugfixes? Great news, you can now download realtime test builds of upcoming updates on Github! Please be aware that these are work in progress builds which have no guarantee of working. This is for advanced/adventurous users only! Visit the A-4E-C GitHub HERE: https://github.com/Merker6/community-a4e-c NEW: Separate WWII Weapons Pack Download For those looking to utilize our original AN-series surplus WWII munitions without having to download the A-4E-C, there is now a separate download available for just that thanks to community member Stonehouse. Because of how DCS handles weapons, you’ll need to edit the code of existing aircraft in order to utilize these weapons. Place this into SavedGames/DCSVERSION/Mods/Tech. This is for advanced users only! Download the WWII Weapons Pack HERE: https://goo.gl/xw5qWi Coming Soon: Update 1.0.3 Coming in late January or early February is A-4E-C version 1.0.3. This update will bring several big bug fixes, as well as introducing a few new features as well. Thanks to the incredible work of Heclak, creator of the earliest submods for the A-4E-C, we have been able to introduce a large number of bugfixes and features. There are still a number of high-priority bugs we’re working to a identify the cause of (impervious to missiles) and will provide an update when a solution has been implemented. For now, here are some of the highlights of the upcoming update. New Features: -Carrier Cold Start -Parking chocks option and animation (WIP Screenshot Below) Bug Fixes: -Red Light switch no longer frozen -Correct Instrument and Console lighting knobs assigned -AIM-9P pylon extensions now visible Update: USS Oriskany Work on the USS Oriskany has been sidelined while v1.0.3 is in progress, however some work occured over the Christmas break. Due to a significant lack of era-appropriate aircraft for the Oriskany, several new carrier deck “candy” models are in progress. These will include the SH-3 and F-8. These models will be static only for now due to the lower-detailed geometry being used to ensure smooth performance on the deck. Check out some early screenshots below!

I've tried to eliminate the files which were causing the IC violation, not sure how effective that has been though. In our testing, we never experienced the IC violations that folks are describing, so its a bit difficult for us to diagnose the issue. Once we have a permanent fix we will definitely notify you in an update though.

I'm afraid we have no other projects at the moment aside from maintaining the A-4 and our side projects. The A-4 has been a massive amount of work and I think for now we'd like a break. My side project, the USS Oriskany, should be coming sometime this Winter or Spring, though.

Strangely, I've never seen this behavior while testing the A-4 besides with SAMs. The Latest update reduced the A-4's hitpoints to match that of the F-5. I'm really not certain what could be going on, although I have seen a number of instances where the missile had a near miss that likely should have been registered as a kill due to proximity. I'll be looking into it going forward, but wanted to give a brief update on this issue since its the second highest priority bug, behind the IC issues.

Done!

Version 1.02 Update – A-4E-C Community Announcement Version 1.02 Update – A-4E-C Community Announcement Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all of your support and praise over the month; it’s been a surreal experience. So far, we have surpassed 16,000 downloads. It’s truly incredible how much attention we’ve received in the past month. My jaw dropped when I saw MagzTV and DevilDogGamer cover our mod, and their very positive comments and constructive criticism were wonderful. Please check out their videos below. This month we have a big announcement and several updates, so let’s dive in! Introducing the A-4E Modding Community In the past month, we’ve seen an explosion in submods for the A-4, as well as new liveries and tutorial videos. To bring together this community and foster submod development that might eventually become part of the core mod, we’ve opened a new discord to bring modders together and further develop the “Community” A-4E-C. In addition to submod development, we’ll also be using this group to test update betas and work on solutions to bugs. We feel that this community has incredible potential to make this truly a “community” mod, and the amount of effort already devoted to development on the part of many individuals has shown just a glimpse of the future. Already, we’ve incorporated Heclak’s weapons mod and are working to incorporate Nero’s RWR mod in a future update. These are prime examples of the community brining their; enthusiasm and experience to the mix for the betterment of us all. Whether you’re an aspiring 3d artist or an accomplished modder, we hope that we’ll see you join us and begin the next exciting stage of development! You can join the Discord Server HERE: https://discord.gg/VEmJWVP New Release Version 1.02 NOTICE: You MUST delete the previous version of the mod before installing this one for the interim IC check fix to apply. Download HERE: https://goo.gl/DXz7XF Changelog: - Gunsight Power On Effect - Brake power adjusted to prevent "Runaway Plane" on Tarmac and Runway - Implemented Heclak's weapon fixes (Thank you Heclak!) - Removal of ECM Panel (Unused for Now) - Removal of files tripping integrity check - Adjusted damage values This update incorporates a number of changes and bugfixes recommended and request by the community. While the IC check issue is much bigger than the fix provided, this change is intended to eliminate one of the bigger triggers for it. We hope to find a more concrete solution in the near future. Updated Bug Tracker With the new release version, we’ve rolled out a new, more comprehensive bug reporting survey. You’ll now be required to specify your release version and DCS version to help us better identify bug solutions. I’ve replaced the old link with a new one on the original post, but you can access here too: https://goo.gl/forms/8Pe2Cw9Ax5VEyqe53 Videos & Oriskany Update While my original intention was to have the Air to Ground tutorial video out this month, a mixture of many things has unfortunately put that on pause for now. I hope to make it a comprehensive, accurate explanation of the weapon systems and tactics related to them. Because of this, the effort required to put it together is much, much greater than prior videos which themselves took many hours to produce. December has been a very busy and difficult month for my professional due to the holidays and other things happening in Washington, so that’s been a factor as well. I’m not sure if there is an ETA, but I would guess sometime in late January or Early February. Speaking of missed personal deadlines, the Oriskany is sharing a similar delay. I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated on that progress, as well as stream when I have the chance. Modelling is now much more a matter of finding reference materials showing what’s remaining, as all primary hull modelling is complete. First Official Submod – Aerobatics Mod As mentioned earlier this month, we’ve introduced the first official submod for the A-4E-C; a stripped down cockpit for Aerobatic teams. This mod is applied AFTER the base mod has been installed and replaces the base cockpit with one which has the HUD, ECM, CM and warning lights removed. Feedback from Aerobatic teams will likely result in further changes, so please shoot us me DM if you have suggestions! You can download it HERE: https://goo.gl/HDsSFi Update Roadmap Going forward, there are definitely a host of bugs and changes we’d like to make and will be working towards solving. Several things not included in this update which we hope to include: - Integration of Nero’s RWR Mod, including in-cockpit effects - Bugfixes for various issues, include animation glitches on the outboard pylons and for the AIM-9P connector. - Permanent fixes for the IC check issues. Outside of integrating unofficial submods into the core mod, we have no further planned development of aircraft systems. Going forward, we'll be providing bugfixes and continued support for the mod through updates. Again, thank you everyone for your support the past three years, it's been an incredible experience and we look forward to seeing what the future holds in the expanded A-4E-C Community!