The Holy Tac Number (For v1.2.x)

With the reintroduction of (bort) Tac Numbers, the users will find themselves is a holy situation.

I've implemented the number system other than what the code can usually handle. Usually modules will consist of three slot numbers; such as the Finnish livery. However, the MiG-21 has 3 set areas.

4 x Nose, 3 x Fuselage, and 5 x Tail.

To take advantage of these and not have any holes show up, users must enter a full set of numbers depending on the livery used.

Nose x 4:

East Germany, VVS Camo, VVS Grey, 2.0 Test

Fuselage x 3:

Finland

Tail x 5:

Draken Int, Serbia, Egypt Grey, Egypt Tan, Northeria

____________________________________________________________________________

To get a better understanding on what liveries should be, users should look at the description.lua file located in the liveries' own folder. Below is the code needed to properly set the Tac Numbers.

The first set is for the nose and is setup to allow the numbers to show. The file, MiG21Bis_SerNum.dds is being used. The line in green is commented out.

If the line with MiG21Bis_SerNum is commented out and the green line is uncommented, no numbers will show up at all. This because the file, empty_ser.dds is being called on.

To keep the MiG-21Bis from showing numbers on the fuselage and tail, the green line is commented out.

So as the users can see for example, if the Serbian livery is selected and only two numbers are entered, holes will show up all over because 5 numbers were not entered. The required number texture or empty_ser.dds cannot be called on.

But this all depends on the liveries' description.lua file.

{"MIG21BIS_SER", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false},
{"MIG21BIS_SER", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true},
{"MIG21BIS_SER", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};
[color="SeaGreen"]--{"MIG21BIS_SER", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true},[/color]
{"MIG21BIS_SER", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum",true},

{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true},
{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true};
[color="seagreen"]--{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Finnish_Black",true};[/color]

{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true},
{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true};
[color="seagreen"]--{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Tail_Serbian_Black",true};[/color]

Edit In:

There's another work around that will require altering the Tac Number textures.

Put a blank (black color) space in the alpha channel where the 0 or 9 is.

Then use either of those numbers as a blank space entry in the mission editor.

However, the user still must enter the required digits.

Thanks Rudel, Really appreciate this! :thumbup:

Does this work for "Fast missions" or only Mission editor created missions?

Thanks for the explanation, I'm itching to give it a try and fly both VVS Grey and Beta 2.0!

These Bort numbers definitely look much better than the standard ones, great work!

-Nick

For fast missions, you will have to edit the mission before being flown.

hi rudel,

thank you very much. but what can we do - russian tac numbers have never more than 2 digits. . . how to hide the other 2?

Check note at bottom of post )

For fast missions, you will have to edit the mission before being flown.

Thank you. I've never changed the Bort number, so I will check this out when I get home.

Thanks again for the excellent 3D improvements and new liveries.

Best,

Nick

EDIT - googled the payload manager and I see what you mean. Thank you!

oh, sorry. . . right! :-)

but: is it possible to get as one off the good old blue "08" from the vvs camo back - the one from the initial mig-21 release? it would be great for singe player action. . . please rudel!!! :-)

this was the most realistic one. . .

sorry rudel, maybe i am to stupid. . . but i dont get it. could you please explain how i can get the following result tac number vvs skins on my mig. i see four digits 0340 --> but i only want 2 digits, the "inner" ones to get the "34" bord number on exactly this position.

thanks in advance!

could you also explain if it will also work on static AI migs?

In the texture....

Put black color in the alpha channel where the 0 or 9 is.

The black color will not allow the 0 or 9 show, depending on what you choose.

Works, thanks Rudel :thumbup:

i didnt get at all. (english is not my native).

can you just please explain in such case:

if you put line ... to ..... than the number will appear\dissapear.

heres my descripton file

livery = {

 

{"MIG21BIS_01", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false},

{"MIG21BIS_02", 0 ,"Mig21Bis_02_Dif",false},

 

{"MIG21BIS_SER_01", 0 ,"empty_ser",true},

{"MIG21BIS_SER_01", 1 ,"empty_ser",true},

{"MIG21BIS_SER_01", 2 ,"empty_ser",true},

--{"MIG21BIS_SER_01", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true},

 

{"MIG21BIS_SER_10", 0 ,"empty_ser",true},

{"MIG21BIS_SER_10", 1 ,"empty_ser",true},

{"MIG21BIS_SER_10", 2 ,"empty_ser",true},

--{"MIG21BIS_SER_10", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true},

 

{"MIG21BIS_SER_100", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_VVS_Blocky_Blue",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_100", 1 ,"empty_ser",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_100", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Spec",true};

--{"MIG21BIS_SER", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum",true},

 

{"MIG21BIS_SER_1000", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_VVS_Blocky_Blue",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_1000", 1 ,"empty_ser",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_1000", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Spec",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum",true},

 

{"MIG21BIS_LOWREZ_1_NODMG",0,"MiG-21Bis_LOWREZ_1",false},

{"MIG21BIS_LOWREZ_2_NODMG",0,"MiG-21Bis_LOWREZ_2",false},

 

{"MIG21BIS_LOWREZ_1",0,"MiG-21Bis_LOWREZ_1",false},

{"MIG21BIS_LOWREZ_2",0,"MiG-21Bis_LOWREZ_2",false},

 

--[[

{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true};

 

 

{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};

{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Tail",true};

 

]]--

 

 

 

}

id=0

name = "Syrian"

for example i want number in tail only.

thank you in advance

That description file is a very old one. Somehow it was included. The example you want is:

{"MIG21BIS_SER", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false},
{"MIG21BIS_SER", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true},
{"MIG21BIS_SER", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};
{"MIG21BIS_SER", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true},
[color="SeaGreen"]--{"MIG21BIS_SER", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum",true},[/color]

{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true},
{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true};
[color="seagreen"]--{"MIG21BIS_SER_FIN", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Finnish_Black",true};[/color]

{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 0 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Dif",false};
{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 1 ,"MiG21Bis_01_NMp",true},
{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", 2 ,"MiG21Bis_01_Spec",true};
[color="seagreen"]--{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", DECAL ,"empty_ser",true};[/color]
{"MIG21BIS_SER_TAIL", DECAL ,"MiG21Bis_SerNum_Tail_Serbian_Black",true};

Thank you! So nothing else needed instead of those 3 blocks?

Please tell me the path where the default skins for MiG-21? \Bazar\Liveries in the folder they are not.

Please tell me the path where the default skins for MiG-21? \Bazar\Liveries in the folder they are not.

check this

X:\Games\DCS World\CoreMods\aircraft\MiG-21BIS\Liveries\MiG-21Bis

That description file is a very old one. Somehow it was included. The example you want is:

[/code]

ok, done, but black boxes appears

In multiplayer I get my plane like this:

however... my friend (that actually created the mission) sees my plane with just "001" instead of "0012" (I don't have screenshot from him... yet.

Numbers still dont work for me. Entered a 5 digit number for the Egyptian skins but they show up as weird semi green textures.

I simply disabled all bortnumbers in all the liveries till there is a real fix for this.

Apologies. Our guy that uploads our updates to ED's servers included old Description.lua files and not the updated ones.

If you put the example code in it's (old decal code) place they should work.

Should this still work for skins in 2.0, the skins I updated (and worked) for 1.5 are all messed up in 2.0.

Any suggestions for skins in 2.0? Have errors that didn't appear in 1.5 and bort numbers are AFU again (which worked correctly in 1.5)

I tried the Polish bare metal with tail number 0037 to match my bort 37 and it showed up perfect.

Thanks, I'll take a look and see what's different.

Any idea when the paint kits will be released?