StrongHarm

The attached mission freezes DCS while loading with no error and no indication in TaskManager that the app is hung. I cleared cache and ran repair / cleanup of DCS with the same results. Rebooted system, checked drivers, ran sysfilechecker etc. Issue doesn't happen in any other map, and doesn't happen with Syria map unless running this mission. There is no custom scripting in the map, it was done with standard Mission Editor and no LUAs. My system is very clean and runs DCS at 60+ fps on a Pimax 8kx. I don't run any mods in DCS, it's all vanilla. I'm not requesting a resolution for the purposes of my user mission, I just wanted to contribute to ED on what could be a very elusive and frustrating bug. In the attached file you'll find the mission, my DXdiag, and a screenshot of the Syria file that was loading when the freeze occurs. ApacheDemascusIAF.zip

Does it matter whether the bridge was built by a Civil Engineer or a Goatherd? I remember in ODS we didn't know much about the Mystical Apache. It was pretty new. Maybe some PC tasked with Disrupt asked for it and TOC replied... "well, we don't know if it will work but Hellfire sounds powerful... let's give it a shot." LOL! I mean, we did use the Apache for SEAD during the opening shots of ODS, and that's atypical. Wasn't it Schwarzkopf who said "Hold my beer, I'm going to sortie B-52s out of Florida... because we can." Desert Storm was a great example of what can be accomplished when CINC lets the Dogs of War completely off the leash to run wild and free. Good times. As far as capability to destroy structures within DCS ; you can right click a bridge in the ME and click 'Assign As' and name it. If you find it too hard to destroy with a particular munition, you can use "bomb on zone" at the beginning of the mission to weaken it. You might have to play with the bomb intensity to damage it but not destroy it. This has been my method, but there may be a better/newer solution.

VAC (Voice Activated Commands). It can be found at dwvac.com. It doesn't have as big of a following as the others, but I find it superior. I can write very complex multistage commands, then speak with my pipe in my teeth and it still understands me. I'm waiting for the first big addition to the George commands before I share my voice profiles for Pilot, Gunner, ATC. I made the mistake of sharing too early with the A-10C.

It's a good thing that this is Early Access and we've all volunteered to help test and enhance this work in progress... despite the frustrations inherent in the task with even the simplest of software... otherwise people might not understand that this incredibly complex unfinished module is unfinished. /light-hearted sarcasm finished

@Dangerzonethat's a commendable attitude and might be a great mental exercise for many things in life. Thank you for sharing that... I'll alter my TTPs accordingly. I think you're right about it being subjective. I need to remember how biased I am on the subject. I've been salivating over the Apache since I sat in my first one during Desert Storm then witnessed it's capabilities. I should probably display my giddy joy less often... no sense in further irritating anyone who might already be irritated. These boards could use some more of the comradery we had back in the day. Here are some of my old pre-Apache posts: Posted May 26, 2015 If ED ever makes a PFM/ASM of the AH-64D, I'll have to dig a slit trench in my office and buy a two year supply of beefaroni.. only to find next time I take a break that my wife has moved out and my dog is bonding with the neighbors. Posted July 7, 2015 AH-64.. I'd gnaw on my monitor and whine like a mutt. Posted February 20, 2018 Me if DCS:AH-64 ever happens: "I don't remember what day I lost my job, my house, my cars, or my wife. I don't even know if today is shower day. I can tell you the launch date of DCS: AH-64 Apache though. Ahh what a glorious day! Hey, does someone on your news crew have a sandwich or something? Yeah ok, I'll take off my VR goggles for a sandwich." Posted January 24, 2018 ..I think my vote would go to the AH-64 instead of the KA-52. The notion does put a fear in me though. I will, very likely, lose my job and my marriage if ED puts out an Apache module. (Epilogue: I lost my job and my dog. I think my wife is still here.) Edit: It occurred to me after I posted this, that would be a great Product Tag Line on advertisements for DCS Apache; User Reviews - "I lost my job and my dog. I think my wife is still here." That pretty much says it all LOL.

I get impatient concerning the AH-64 as well.. I have been since a decade before it came out actually LOL. If you don't mind the perspective of a fellow virtual pilot, this is what brings me patience:

I resolved what seems to be a similar issue by rebinding my controls and tweaking my graphics. Resetting all controls did the trick, but I realized that the stutters were more pronounced because my graphics weren't optimized for VR. Here's what did the trick for me:

You've been very clear on the point, too many times to count... and people keep asking why "early access aircraft" act like "early access aircraft". You're a patient man. Although I hate those little screens that you have to anxiously wait on while opening a game and can't ESC out of, I think they need to be used in this case. While loading into an early access aircraft, there should be a single paragraph disclaimer about how the flight model and functionality of subsystems may be lacking or erratic.. etc. The screen should remain for 30sec. Maybe an animated parts breakdown of the aircraft and a voice stating the disclaimer would be more friendly... but anyone who actually reads this forum will instantly understand why it was necessary. Or... you could apply the supplemental disclaimer screen to any user who reposts this question lol. Here's what I wrote about it on one of the 100s of other posts on this exact same subject. I'm not as patient as you, but I do try to be helpful rather than condescending, which is a quality that was once the standard on these forums.

I've created some Nellis test missions with a large number of targets and here's what I experienced: George lists targets by priority (seems to successfully consider threat type and distance) There can be some small latency in filling the list out. This seems to simulate the search process This effect seems to be cumulative when a lot of targets are within the search area, but it doesn't seem excessive Each request for George to seek targets results in a single engagement George doesn't seem to automatically return to previously queued targets whether they were destroyed or not George won't queue and engage multiple targets in a single volley as a player can (Rapid Fire, man pg. 310) I can make George lose the target, and he won't reacquire that target until I command it if: I'm moving in a funnel I'm flying too erratically If obstructions come between the helo and the target (occlusion) If the Hellfire isn't within constraints, George says "firing" but won't actually do it (Manual pg.299) This includes situations where the Missile Constraint Box is solid indicating good constraints, but it's only slightly within constraints If the target is below the 10deg pylon limit (bad altitude/distance profile) I only use SAL / LOBL / DIR Hellfire profile when using George as CPG, as I've had mixed results otherwise. These are just my observations, so take them with a grain of salt. There are a lot of uncertainties during EA, but isn't it fascinating? I put together a Voice Activated Commands (VAC) profile which makes this process much easier. I can say "Search for targets.. that's your target.. fire.. keep searching for targets.. that's your target.. fire". I can also do all these George commands in sequence with one verbal command of "engage the next target".

Have you considered making a target point? You can then select TSD: COORD, T01 (making T01 ACQ) and slave to it. Then switch from TADS to HMD and you'll see a crosshair on the ground in your HMD. This isn't the constantly updating point you were looking for, but it does provide a MKI eyeball geo reference to orient upon. You can also make T01 your waypoint, which will prevent you from having to slave TADS to T01 every time you want a point reference in your HMD.

You create custom snap views with a few key combos. This made a huge difference for me in the Blackshark. With VR now, I just lean forward a little. You could also try ALT+F1. It brings the MPDs in like on the vid, but the rest of the cockpit disappears, so it can destroy immersion. Here's a vid on how to do the snapview and how it looks:

Not in my experience. I'm getting 60-114fps in the Apache. I'm on Pimax 8kx VR, which is double 4k screens. It takes some tweaking to get it to run smooth, but that's always been so with flight sims since the beginning of time (the 80s). There are plenty of good guides that can help to get it on the paper, then it can be dialed in tight with some time and patience.

Yeah, George is pretty young. I read that they're adding Mark Target to his commands in the future. What I do is switch to the CPG and take care of it myself. Switching between seats was kind of a pain at first, but now that I'm used to it, it's second nature. Another thing I like to do is make TADS my Acquisition Source, then I can see where the target is by the cross on the TSD. I then estimate the range using the grid. This is much easier for me when I have the map in DIG A/C mode because landmarks are more intuitive. On a somewhat related note, I used the app Voice Activated Commands to create voice activated profiles for the Pilot and Copilot's seat. If I say "Switch to Gunners Seat" it changes to that speech profile, then hits the button to switch seats. I then have a full set of voice commands to give the pilot. I can switch back to the pilot profile and seat by saying "Switch to Pilot Seat". The best thing about it is you can combine a long series of commands, such as "Gunner attack the next target", or "Pilot evade the area". I'll make a vid and post it here in case anyone's interested.

LOL, says system generated line is out of calibration so check the tire pressures? I could see that really happening. We had a maintenance request once that said "relief tube too short". Seat mech went out and found that the relief tube was just wrapped around a bolt. On the Maintenance Action Form he put "CND, checks 4.0 with enlisted c**k". LOL! He was called on the carpet for it, but he said it was worth it. Legendary.

Howdy xmudroller! Thanks for the info. I've been running Apache (even in Syria) with DCS MSAA off and PD down to 1, Pitool at 1 quality, and SteamVR quality slider down to 100%. Due to optimizations in DCS patches (and the incredible res of Pimax), with these settings I'm getting no less than 60fps but up to 114fps, and I can still read the gauges without leaning in. I've also started closing all apps, pausing my anti-virus, and cleaning my memory up with an app called " Intelligent standby list cleaner" before I load DCS. I've noticed some wackiness with clouds, but I'm sure that will be addressed for VR at some point. Godspeed.

CPG ***height*** changed for me since the last patch, but Pilot height didn't. i.e. height from pilot dash to virtual eye level has a different ratio than CPG dash to virtual eye level. Of course there was already a lateral discrepancy there... I'm saying (I thought clearly) that I see something different now. Adding a calibration step has fixed this exact issue for me... so I took the time to contribute to the OP to see if it might help. It seems you took your time to dismiss my post so the OP wouldn't have to. That's very kind of you. I almost forgot why I avoid this forum. Also, OP, I use NVS and look at a doorway in front of the bird to validate my calibration while I'm doing it. Fixed it right up for me. Your milage may vary... as sirrah so kindly pointed out. /OUT

I noticed something significant since the patch that may be related. I'm using Pimax 8kx in wide. When I switch to CPG I have to recenter the VR headset before I boresight. When I go back to Pilot I have to recenter again. It seems that the "ratio of head position" (for lack of better terms) is different in the front and back seat. I've also had better luck when I use the Steam based "recenter seated position" upon entering the cockpit. Not sure if any of this is related.. just fyi.

Thanks Bignewy. I only got it to crash once, and that was the first time it occurred. On subsequent tests I don't think I issued enough commands over long enough period of time. When the crash happened I kept issuing commands to George periodically, but ended up going guns from the Pilot seat. There were an enormous amount of commands in the queue because I was flying for over an hour in the reported condition before I switched to CPG and went NVS OFF. I didn't get a track, but it seemed obvious that the commands all executed at once instead of in sequence. I saw the text fill my window then DCS was just gone. I'm glad they were able to reproduce the root cause. Tell me if there's anything else I can do.

What happened that resulted in the issue? Switch from Pilot to CPG Set NVS switch to NORM Switch back to Pilot Issue several commands to George CPG by normal means Commands have no effect Switch back to CPG and set NVS switch to OFF Previously issued commands from Pilot to CPG flood DCS If a large number of commands were queued, this results in crash of DCS What were you doing that caused, or seemed to cause the issue? Refer to #1. Left CPG in NVS NORM, switched to Pilot, issued commands Could you reproduce it? Yes, this is not mission specific and has no other requirements beyond description above in #1 What module where are you using, and does it happen with others? Apache module No mods running Game mode off Using latest beta DCS build 2.7.16.28111

RTFM is an initialism and internet slang for the expression "read the f#$&ing manual" – typically used to reply to a basic question where the answer is easily found in the documentation, user guide, owner's manual, man page, online help, internet forum, software documentation or FAQ. Usage is variously viewed as a pointed reminder of etiquette to try to find a solution before posting to a mass forum or email alias;[1] helping a noob to improve themselves;[2] as a useless response;[3] or as a hostile and elitist response.[4] Polite usages would mention where one has looked when asking a question, and to provide an exact location or link where exactly to RTFM. Why I RTFM, by StrongHarm McGillicuddy: (intention is helpful, not condescending) I did a poll on this forum back in like 2010 to see how many people actually read the manual. It was something like 10% "No", 40% "Read it all the way through", 40% "Read what I had to and that's all". When speaking with people I can usually tell if they've RTFM. Not by their high level of knowledge, but rather by their low level of frustration. My personal equation on the matter goes like this; patience will be required no matter which route I take. If I choose the RTFM route, I'm looking at 2 or 3 days of patience required to make it through a technical manual. If I choose to not RTFM, I'm looking at 6-12 months (probably more) of frustration while I ask questions in MP or a forum.... to become 30% capable. I read the manual front to back before I even start the bird up. Then I use the manual as a reference as I'm learning each subsystem. Fortunately, I don't have learning disabilities or reading problems, but if I did I'd seek a solution. When the A-10 was in testing I read the manual all the way through, and then I recorded the "text to speech" of the whole manual and let it run on repeat on my mancave stereo. Not only did it sound cool and go with my motif, it pounded the details into my head. Why go to such lengths for a video game, you might ask. I don't want to be one of those "overly semantic about words" guys, but they're right when they say that DCS isn't a game. It's a simulation... with game modes. What's more is that it consists of "Game Sim" models and "Study Sim" flight models (i.e. A-10A / A-10C). I prefer the Study Sims because I love the technical details of each bird, and I'm all about sitting in the cockpit on the ground and learning every little nook and cranny. I'm of the demographic that ED made the PFM for. If I only wanted to "blow stuff up" I'd find that ED created the SFM for me, which doesn't require me to RTFM, or really to study at all. So, Strongharm, you must know it all and have zero questions then? Hardly. Back before the forums became so toxic, I asked thousands of questions... but I always had some basis of knowledge on the subject, gained by RTFM. Today, I believe that I'm receiving the full benefit of my RTFM by experiencing a small bit of what the Pilots of these birds really experience; competence, confidence, and amazing capabilities. If I didn't RTFM, I feel my experience would be diminished to 50% or less.

I was using a TACAN portable beacon hidden (hidden in map, planner, and MFD all checked) inside the map object for the dead condition, and it worked well, but I replaced it with "Assign As" after seeing this thread.

I have a feeling I'm doing a Rube Goldberg with this method, so could someone adept with the mission editor kindly check me please? I'm working on an Apache mission (Israeli Defense - Seek and Destroy) with a couple dozen voice acted radio transmissions/text messages. Mission has a lot of randomness Under certain circumstances Radio Messages are getting stepped on by new Radio Messages To prevent overlap of message triggers I created trigger with TYPE:SWITCHEDCONDITION / CONDITION: Time Since Flag (13,62) / ACTION: Flag Off (13) In all of my message triggers TYPE:ONCE / CONDITION: FLAG OFF (13), &otherConditions / ACTION: FLAG ON (13), &otherActions This method successfully prevents a message type trigger from going off until 2sec(minimum) after a running message finishes. Question: Am I missing something? Is this message overlap prevention trigger even necessary? Am I Rube Goldberging this to death? Thanks for the assist.

"And what are these letters for" TSD ABR page lists letters and names.

"A complete list can be found on the TSD Abbreviation (ABR) page or in Appendix B of this manual." pg.191. Appendix B is pg.347