Alerax

+1, Without Highway and you guys (VFMA 42), we definitely won't be where we are!

Hi boNes- The right location to put the script is in the mission file itself (see installation instruction). The easiest way to do this is 1) open your mission in the Mission Editor, 2) use the trigger panel, add a trigger (at mission start), 3) use the action (3rd column) "Do Script File", and select the "Alerax_LSO_Script_Release_v2.2.lua" script. Don't forget to load the sound files. Yes, you are correct that you can rejoin pattern and fly straight-in again. Note that this time around, you will all the proper pattern call (long in the groove, too close abeam, etc.) as if you did an enter pattern approach. After you trap, you have to request landing again (Marshal, Enter Pattern, or Straight-in) to re-engage the LSO. Glad you like the new features- Alerax

Hi -Painter- LSO frequency is the same frequency you set for the Carrier in the Mission Editor. I thought about it, and will consider this to the list of things to add. I want to start focusing on the Case II/III first so this may get pushed out. -Alerax

Yep- and added to the FAQ section: Q: What is the default Marshal/Airboss Frequency and can you change this? How? (-Painter-) A: The default Marshal/Airboss frequency is 305.000Mhz (default button 1 for the Hornet). Yes, this can be changed by editing Line 38 to whatever frequency you want. For example, 305000000 = 305.000 Mhz, 254000000 = 254.000 Mhz. The number is in hertz so just do the math to get it into the Mhz format.

Hi icemaker- It was an intentional design decision to not implement a radio call at the abeam position. I want the pilots to gauge for themselves when to turn as opposed to getting a voice cue. That being said, I may implement a training option that outputs a text messages etc. (although this is not a priority right now). Edit: If you asked to Waveoff you can do two things, either execute a spin pattern (clean config, fly up to 1,200ft, and circle 3NM abeam the CArrier) or fly pass the Carrier and redo your pattern again. Also- with your last message from the other thread re: voice files. You are correct. They are baseline voice files for Case II/III. ;) -Alerax

Colmillo- thank you for your support! Really makes a big difference to hear the community values this contribution.

Hi NeilWillis- thanks for asking. I'd suggest keeping the headers in the script and something simple is plenty enough: Credit: LSO AI Script, Author: Alerax Thanks, Alerax

Furia, will take a look into this. The script checks if the lfs and io are enabled. If not, it outputs the "*". I can't imagine why, but my first instinct (from your screenshot) is that there are differences between the Open Beta vs. Stable version in the lfs/io functionality. Note that I use Open Beta and I assume you're using the Stable version.

Unfortunately, that is the case. Admitingly, this is my first time scripting. I understand the desire to learn and so as I mentioned in the Preface, when I stop supporting this script, I'll release the unobfuscated version. This was never intended to be an open-sourced code for the coding public to study, edit/change, and/or commercialize. It was released with the intentions for the public to use and provide feedback on its functionality. The reason it's in an editable script format is because it's the only way I know how to release this to the public.

You're very welcome donkeyrider. Enjoy the update! btw- just so people are aware, the export function will only export to Host/Server/Single-player. So Clients do not need to enable the i/o. The server just needs to have an ability to post/share the grades. -Alerax

Hi Furia, The grading file should be in your DCS Saved Games folder. The file path is: YourName\Saved Games\DCS(.openbeta)\Mods\Alerax_LSO_AI The grading files are dynamically generated, Tail#_YourName(TimeCounter).doc. If you couldn't find it, can you check that when you land, do you see a "*" after the "Grading Summary" header? If so, it means that the i/o setup is not enabled. Thanks, Alerax

Hi All- Wanted to share with that we released an updated version for the Alerax's LSO AI Script with many features requested by the community and huge stability improvements. Here's the link to the post in the DCS Mod Forum: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=223672 Let me know what you think and I look forward to continue supporting and adding more features in the near future. Enjoy! Alerax

Thanks Grimes- I appreciate the explanation. I'm not familiar with using env.info() and the slmod so will have to look into those applications. Again, I'm not asking anyone to desanitize DCS. The Grade Export function is something the community asked for and is not a requirement for the script to run. Users do not need to enable the desanitation (hence being transparent with the warning section) for the script to work. It seems the only issue here is that the approached I took is misaligned with the expectations of the mission scripting community, a subset of the total DCS community. Let's not impede on adding value for the rest of the end-users. My goal is to provide the end-user, who primarily focuses on flying and enjoying DCS, with a missing (and much needed) feature in DCS. It has always been my intentions to keep this a private feature among friends, but since it has gotten much appreciation, I wanted to continue to support and expand its capabilities. I genuinely hope the community understands my positive intentions. -Alerax

Hi FSKRipper- Yes, you can set the Carrier course to anything direction you want and it will work. Also, if the Carrier changes course during the mission, it will work as well. Note that the Carrier direction is output as True Heading, as opposed to Magnetic Heading. Not sure what the real world pilot uses, but if it's Magnetic Heading, I can update that as well. -Alerax

Grimes- I can see why the code obfuscation may cause you to be concern about the integrity of the LSO Script. I can ensure you that all it does is write down the landing grades to a file (as the community requested). Unfortunately, the only way to do so is to enable DCS to read/write files. That is why I added this Warning Section so that the user can now make an educated choice to either enable it or not. If there is a way to allow data export that doesn't put the user at risk, please let me know, and I'm all ears and will be happy to implement. If not, I believe your concerns and user risks are mutually exclusive discussion topics. Happy to discuss. -Alerax

Hi canned_fire - unfortunately, the script only works with the F/A-18 Hornet. When other airframes (Tomcat) that can benefit from this script are released I'll make sure to support them. -Alerax

Hi Furia- Hope you and your squadron have fun script in your campaign. Yes, you can use a different Carrier name. Just change the "Stennis_AI" on Line 37 to any name you selected in the Mission Editor and it will work. I'll add this the Q/A. Enjoy! Alerax

[Reserved]

--- PREFACE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi All- First off, I really appreciate everyone’s positive responses and feedbacks on the first release of the Alerax LSO AI Script (from here on shall be referenced as “LSO Script”). Especially would like to give my special thanks to randomtroubledmind, GYRO_N5EG, VFMA-42 HighwaymanEd, and the VFMA-42 SabreTooths squadron for your inputs, suggestions, and tirelessly pushing the LSO Script to its limits. The LSO Script was originally created so that my friends and I can enjoy the Hornet together during our weekly flights. As you can imagine, it was rather disruptive to have one us do LSO calls and not get the satisfaction (and challenge) of landing on the CV after a long successful mission. That being said, the reason I decided to release the LSO Script to the public was very much to give the community and its members the same fun and enjoyment my friends and I have had in the past months. I purposely wrote the LSO Script to be a standalone, plug-and-play “module” that can be used with any mission (as far as I’m aware of) in both single-player and multi-player environment. What this means is that the LSO Script is itself self-contained, does not use any flags, triggers, or variables that will cause conflict with your existing mission designs. Now, for some of you who are aware of and concern about the way the LSO Script was written, I have to ask for your patience. This is my first time releasing any script/code for the public, and programming is far from what I do professionally. I’m actively learning about open source licenses to understand the best path forward, but I can assure you that I will release the full LSO Script when I am no longer actively supporting it. Until then, I appreciate your understanding and suggest you check out the features and the value this LSO Script offers to the community. Now that this is out the way- let’s jump into the exciting part! Regards- Alerax --- FULL FEATURE LIST ( 04.07.2019 ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GENERAL - Carrier Communication Information, with radio frequencies, TACAN, ILS, and CV airspace information - Weather Status Report, with CV BRC, CV final bearing, CV velocity, and wind conditions - Over 90 unique sound files - Export grades to Saved Games folder - Export flight track for review to Saved Games folder (ADDED v.2.5) - Support for F/A-18C and F-14B CASE I - Request for Marshal, Enter Pattern, or Straight-in Approach - Ability to request Marshal as a Single Flight or as a Section (up to 2 flights) - Marshal stack logic with Angels designation and Charlie call to enter pattern - Separate frequencies (one for Marshal and one for LSO) to simulate communication protocols CASE II/III - Since ED is “close” to releasing an official carrier mod, I’ll pause on this to not duplicate work. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Feagle.dynamics%2Fposts%2F10161731277495341 LSO CALL EVALUATION - Distance abeam to the CV - Interval distance between each aircraft - Handles for spin/holding pattern - Long the groove calls - Line up and altitude calls, with different levels of intensity for corrections - On-speed and glide slope calls (ADDED v.2.5) - Bolter and wave-off calls - Wire trap and overall groove flying performance assessment - Comprehensive grading report using common LSO shorthand notations --- INSTALLATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have simplified the installation significantly. There are largely two parts to the installation, the script and sound files. Firstly, here are the steps to install the script file into your mission. 1 ) Open your mission or create a new one in the Mission Editor. 2 ) Go to the Trigger panel. 3 ) On the first column, select new Trigger (rename this to whatever you like), and change condition to “MISSION START”. 4 ) On the third column, select new Action “Do Script File”. Select open and locate the "Alerax_LSO_Script_Release_v2.5.lua" file. 5 ) Rename your CV to “Stennis_AI” (case sensitive) 6 ) Save the mission. Secondly, the sound file installation no longer requires you to install each sound file one by one. However, you’ll need a “.zip” file program for this to work. Also, make sure that you close out of the Mission Editor before you do this step, else DCS Mission Editor may overwrite your mission file. 1 ) Locate and select your mission (.miz) file. 2 ) Press F2 to rename the mission file and change the “.miz” to “.zip”. This will allow you directly place the sound files into the mission. 3 ) Open the newly converted .zip file and place the "Alerax_LSO_AI_Script" folder into the root directory (same directory as the “l10n” folder). 4 ) Close out of the .zip file. 5 ) Press F2 and rename the mission back from “.zip” to “.miz”. Done! --- PREPARATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I recommend you to review the materials available from the following links to get familiar with the procedures and expectations of a Hornet pilot when inbounding to and landing on the CV. The LSO Script uses a lot of the requirements and procedures detailed in these sources. Lex’s CV Ops Basic (VID 1 & VID 2) Naval Air Training Command CV Procedures https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/local/docs/pat-pubs/P-816.pdf VFA-113 Stingers’ LSO Training Course https://youtu.be/BbMw4PcvMyY NATOPS Landing Signal Office Manual http://www.navyair.com/LSO_NATOPS_Manual.pdf The LSO Script attempts to provide you with as authentic of an experience as possible based on the publicly available information. Feedback for authenticity improvements are welcome. --- USAGE: CASE I ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There are three methods to engage the LSO when in a CASE I recovery condition. I will go through each, from the simplest to the most involved procedure. STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH This is the simplest procedure to engage the LSO, where you are essentially flying straight into the groove and land on the CV. There will be no abeam checks to the CV or Long in the Groove calls. Note that you can only select this approach if there are no other aircraft in BOTH the Pattern or the Marshal Stack. 1 ) Tune in to the CV Marshal Frequency. To check the frequency, go to (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> (F1) Carrier Comm Information. Look for “Marshal Freq”. 2 ) Request for Straight-In Approach: (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> Find yourself (F5-F8) -> (F4) Request Straight-In. 3 ) If you are cleared for the approach, you will hear “[tail number] Signal Charlie Straight-In, Check-in Button [#]”. Then tune into the designated Button (Channel #) to hear the LSO calls. 4 ) If you are not cleared for the approach, you will hear “[tail number] Signal Delta, Request for Marshal”. ENTER PATTERN APPROACH This is the middle of the road procedure to engage the LSO, where you execute the CV overhead break pattern and the 180 turn to enter the groove. Note that you can only select this approach if there are no other aircraft in the Marshal (but may have other aircraft in the Pattern, so be vigilant when entering). The selection process is similar to the Straight-In Approach. 1 ) Tune in to the CV Marshal Frequency. To check the frequency, go to (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> (F1) Carrier Comm Information. Look for “Marshal Freq”. 2 ) Request for Enter Pattern Approach: (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> Find yourself (F5-F8) -> (F3) Request Enter Pattern. 3 ) If you are cleared for the approach, you will hear “[tail number] Signal Charlie Pattern, Check-in Button [#]”. Then tune into the designated Button (Channel #) to hear the LSO calls. 4 ) As you fly over the CV, you will hear “Check-in Clear” which will indicate that you are clear to engage the overhead break. 5 ) If you are not cleared for the approach, you will hear “[tail number] Signal Delta, Request for Marshal”. MARSHAL APPROACH This is the most involved procedure, but also the most satisfying when you complete the full sequence. The procedure requires you to request marshal from the CV, fly within the tolerance of the 5NM Marshal stack at your designated Angel (and change Angel as the stack collapses), exit the 5NM Marshal, and enter the Pattern. This approach can be done either as a Single Flight or as a Section (up to 2 flights). 1 ) Tune in to the CV Marshal Frequency. To check the frequency, go to (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> (F1) Carrier Comm Information. Look for “Marshal Freq”. 2 ) For Single Flight request for Marshal Approach: (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> Find yourself (F5-F8) -> (F1) Request Marshal Single. 3 ) For Sectional request for Marshal Approach: (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> Find yourself (F5-F8) -> (F2) Request Marshal Section. Note that your wingman needs to fly within 200ft from you to be counted as a Section. 4 ) If you are cleared for the approach, you will hear “[tail number #1] [tail number #2] Freedom Marshal, Angels [X]”. 5 ) Fly your designated Angels and hold a steady 5NM Marshal pattern above the CV (see the resources noted above for a description of this pattern). 6 ) If you hear “[tail number #1] [tail number #2] Push to Angels [X]”, it means that the Marshal stack has collapsed, and you (and your flight) have to push down One Angels to get Signal Charlie. Note that the verbal call will only be for flights in Angels Two, however, all flights must collapse to the appropriate Angel when this call is heard. 7 ) Signal Charlie will be called for you (and your flight) when you (the lead only) are approximately in between Position 2 and 3 to the CV, flying level at Angel Two, and with the correct corresponding heading in the 5 NM Marshal Stack turn. If you are cleared to enter the pattern, you will hear “[tail number #1] [tail number #2] Signal Charlie Pattern, Check-in Button [#]”. Then tune into the designated Button (Channel #) to hear the LSO calls. 8 ) As you fly over the CV, you will hear “Check-in Clear” which will indicate that you are clear to engage the overhead break. If you or your squadron is interested in going through the procedure, please send me a private message and I’m happy to walk you through in Multi-player. --- LSO CALLS AND GRADES ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION As released in the last version, the LSO calls will give you feedback based on two axes (altitude and line up). The LSO Script attempts to mimic human behaviors in both the level of intensity (corresponding to the amount of correction needed), the timing of the calls, and drift corrections. In addition, the LSO Script provides you with a comprehensive grading report of all your passes and summarizes your performance using the common shorthand LSO notation below Overall Grade: _OK_ = OK Underline, OK = OK Pass, (OK) = Fair Pass, -- = No Grade, C = Cut Pass B = Bolter, TCA = Too Close Abeam, TWA = Too Wide Abeam, INT = Incorrect Interval, WO = Wave-Off, WOP = Wave-Off Pattern, OWO = Own Wave-Off Positions: X = At Start, IM = In the Middle, IC = In Close, AR = At the Ramp Aircraft Flight: LUL = Line up Left, DL = Drifted Left, LUR = Line up Right, DR = Drifted Right H = High, LO = Low, / = Fly through Glideslope (up), \ = Fly through Glidesope (down) Aircraft Speed: F = Fast, S = Slow Others: NC = Nice Correction, () = Slightly off-course For Example: (OK) 4 (LUL)X (LO)IM LODRIC NCAR Means fair pass, 4 wire, slightly lined up left at the start, slightly low in the middle, low and drifted right in close, nice correction at the ramp. FLIGHT PATH REVIEW (ADDED v2.5) The LSO Script exports your flight track starting between the 90° and 3/4 mile ball call to a “.csv” file for plotting with Excel (see below on how to enable this). The track file exports both your aircraft line up and altitude with references to the error margins. Note that each individual unique aircraft flight track will be exported to the same file. Steps to automatically plot your landing flight path. 1 ) Unzip and place the “_Track Graph.xlsm” file into your “YOURNAME/Saved Games/DCS(.openbeta)/Mods/Alerax_LSO_AI” folder. 2 ) Open the “_Track Graph.xlsm”. 3 ) Press the “Run Plotting Macro”. You may need to enable content to allow the macro to run. 4 ) Once the Message Box shows “----COMPLETE----“, all your track files are plotted. 5 ) Open the track file in your “YOURNAME/Saved Games/DCS(.openbeta)/Mods/Alerax_LSO_AI” folder and enjoy! GRADING EXPORT - For Server/Single-Player Only The LSO Script has an ability to export your grade as a “.doc” file to you DCS Saved Games folder (specifically “YOURNAME/Saved Games/DCS(.openbeta)/Mods/Alerax_LSO_AI”). To enable this feature, there are several things you need to do. 1 ) For people who use JSGME, put the attached folder into your “_Mods” folder and enable it. Done. 2 ) For all others, go to “DCS INSTALLATION FOLDER/Scripts” 3 ) Open the filename “MissionScripting.lua” using Notepad++ 4 ) Comment out the following two lines by placing “—“ in front of the line • “sanitizeModule('io')” --> “--sanitizeModule('io')” • “sanitizeModule('lfs')” --> “--sanitizeModule('lfs')” [/////WARNING/////] I would like to be completely transparent with this feature. The reason these steps are needed is because DCS prevents “.lua” script from reading/writing files for security reason. By commenting these two lines, you are effectively allowing this LSO Script (and any other script that you may knowingly or not knowingly run) to read/write files to your computer. As such, you are enabling a program to read/write your files at your own risk, and YOU are responsible for any issues, loss, or damages that may occur. [/////WARNING/////] CLARIFICATION: You DO NOT need to enable Grade Export capabilities for the LSO Script to provide its basic functions. This step is only if you WANT to and CHOOSE to have your grades exported to a file. --- CLOSING ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Once again, I would like to reiterate my humble appreciation to the community for your positive responses and feedback with this LSO Script. This LSO Script is an accumulation of a lot of hours in the past months conceptualizing, researching, executing, testing, and reworking to get to where we are today. If you feel that this is a valuable addition to your flight simulation experience, I would encourage you to continue supporting the development of this LSO Script though constructive feedbacks and/or donation to the page the below. It really means a lot to me seeing how much this LSO Script adds value to the community. Donate Link (PayPal) I will continue to fix bugs and tweak the LSO Script as feedbacks roll in. One goal of mine is to build the Case II/III recovery in the same level of detail and complexity as you experience with the Case I. Stay tuned for the next major update! Sincerely, Alerax --- FAQ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: I can't see any menu items for this script? A: This script only works for F/A-18C Hornet flying within the Carrier Airspace (40NM from Carrier). Support for other aircraft are being considered. Q: I don’t hear any Marshal or LSO calls? A: Make sure you are tuned into the correct corresponding frequencies (To check the frequency, go to (F10) -> Carrier Menu -> (F1) Carrier Comm Information. Look for “Marshal Freq” or “LSO Freq”). If you are using Easy Communication, you will not be able to hear the Marshal calls (due to limitations of DCS), but you can still hear the LSO calls if you call into the Stennis using the normal [ATC Selection] inbound call to “tune” your Hornet to the correct frequency. Q: I get “Wait for current radio transmission to complete” after select call, what does this mean? A: It means that you have to wait for current radio transmission to complete. To prevent overlapping calls, I had to add this requirement in so that there are no interruptions with the communications. Q: Vaicom won't allow me to check in with Marshal? A: Due to the way the script creates the menus dynamically for the flights, this is not currently working but we're working on it for a future update. Q: I would like to integrate this LSO Script to my missions, and I’m concerned it will cause conflicts with [insert concerns]. Will it cause any issue? A: As far as I’m aware, this script will not cause any conflict since I wrote it to be self-contained and not reliant on other inputs. If you do find issues, please let me know and I’m happy to address them. Q: Can I use a Carrier name other than "Stennis_AI"? A: Yes, just change the name on Line 37 in the script to whatever name you use in the Mission Editor and it will work. Q: What is the default Marshal/Airboss Frequency and can you change this? How? (-Painter-) A: The default Marshal/Airboss frequency is 305.000Mhz (default button 1 for the Hornet). Yes, this can be changed by editing Line 38 to whatever frequency you want. For example, 305000000 = 305.000 Mhz, 254000000 = 254.000 Mhz. The number is in hertz so just do the math to get it into the Mhz format. Q: Will this script work with any (or dynamic) Carrier heading? (FSKRipper) A: Yes, this script will work with any Carrier heading you set in the Mission Editor. It also has the ability to handle dynamic Carrier heading changes as well. Q: Can I use this LSO Script in my Multi-player server? A: Yes the script was written for both the single-player and multi-player environments. However, if you do use this I ask that you credit me and people involved appropriately and that you are not using this LSO Script for commercial purposes. Also, thanks to the VMFA-42 SabreTooths squadron, we have tested this script in the multi-player environment and confirmed that it is stable. Q: Can I use this LSO Script in my mission/campaign/module/add-ons that I’m selling to others? A: No. Q: Can I use this LSO Script in my mission/campaign/module/add-ons that I’m releasing for free to the community? A: Yes (and you are an awesome person, thanks for adding value to the community). Q: How should mission designers credit you and your support team? (NeilWillis) A: I'd suggest keeping the header in the script and something simple like "Credit: LSO AI Script, Author: Alerax" is plenty enough. . Alerax_LSO_AI_Script.rar 01 - Enable Script Export.rar _Track Graph.rar Alerax_LSO_Script_Release_v2.5.1.lua Alerax_LSO_Mission_v2.5.1.miz

Hi All- Yes Painter is correct, you can adjust line 22 in the Lua file to whatever your carrier name is and not it won't break anything in the script. That being said, I'm looking to write an ability to automatically acquire the carrier (if there is only one in the game), or handle a list of carriers (if there are multiple). However, this is not a priority at the moment since I've effectively put the script on feature hold so that we can (finally) release the latest version to the public.

All- I want to give the community a quick update. We're running a lot of tests in MP to ensure the new features of the LSO script incorporates well with extended MP sessions and missions. Features being tested: - Case I Marshal stack procedures and calls - Procedures to enter pattern without Marshal stack - Procedures for straight in approach - Grading export to txt file - Weather conditions requests - MP unit join/leave server script stability - Tweaking LSO calls (building framework to increase LSO sophistication) I really appreciate all your feedback so far. All these changes are from the community requests, so I look forward to hearing more once v2.0 is released. Thanks, Alerax

Thanks tees for doing this. FYI for all- the new script I'm working on has updated sound files with +10db gain in audacity. Right now it's going through some MP testing for stability and robustness for handling weird situations (e.g., player quitting/leaving etc.). I wanted to release this updated script this past weekend, but hit a snafu on some DCS limitations. Now that it's ironed out, expect something for this weekend. -Alerax

Highwayman-Ed, thanks for the feedback as always. Yes I'll look to tweak the LSO calls a bit, saw the same thing during this week's practice in turbulent conditions.

Hey TonyG- Yes. New script version will ability to do a straight-in approach. This means, no need to do overhead break for LSO calls. It also means that there will be no Long in the Groove calls, etc. If you want to practice approaches, I suggest you leave the hook up. You'll get the bolter calls, but the script will still give your performance/grading report.

Hi Pilot909- Case III is still a work in progress. I'll be updating this soon after this next release version. Thanks for checking it out though!