Community A-4E

[gospadin]

Hello,

 

As you can probably tell by the post title, there has been an evolution in the development of the community-built A-4E mod for DCS. After considering our options, we (the core development team) are making several changes to our internal development model and team structure.

 

Ultimately, our guiding principle is unaffected: To create a free-of-charge, community-developed aircraft mod for DCS.

 

While most of our changes are behind the scenes, two items will be visible to the wider DCS player base:

 

First, we’ve focused our efforts and communication among a smaller group, consisting of active contributors over the last 9 months. We are not trying to downplay the role of those who made small contributions early on, as they helped us get where we are today. We simply need more focus to finish, and being unable to count on people’s commitment was causing significant frustration among our active contributors.

 

(Updated) As of 28 February 2017, our Community A-4E Core Team is:

 

• Farlander [Farlander, /u/FarlanderMiG]: 3D modeling
  
• Gos [gospadin, /u/gospadinperoda]: livery & code lead, research & coordination
  
• Jones [indiadamjones, /u/indiadamjones]: HoggitDev founder, 3D modeling, borts & lighting
  
• kryb [archimaede, /u/kryb]: 3D modeling & animation lead
  
• Merker6 [Merker, /u/Merker6]: cockpit and miscellaneous 3D modeling
  
• plusnine [plusnine, /u/callmepartario]: texture & weathering lead
  

 

The above members are listed alphabetically, with ED forum name and reddit usernames in brackets.

 

Second, while we still participate on the original “Hoggit Dev” discord channel, that channel is no longer our primary hub for day-to-day work tasking. We’re simply unable to absorb the “help” of a large distributed community without the inevitable inconsistencies causing technical issues. We’re still community developed, we’re just being developed by a smaller community.

 

To that end, we’re going to refer to this effort as simply the “Community A-4E” for now, until such time as we come up with a name that better represents this specific group. There’s still a handful of other modeling efforts interacting on the Hoggit Dev discord (some of them have made their own forum posts, some have not), and we’ll certainly continue participating, but we don’t want there to be any misunderstandings related to asset access or expectations of future contributions.

 

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped get us this far. We specifically want to (alphabetically) recognize previous and peripheral contributors:

 

• DrMarianus [DrMarianus, /u/DrMarianus]: 2016 team member
  
• gyrovague [gyrovague, /u/gyrovague]: coding lead for most of 2016
  
• LevelPulse: early communication and research
  
• SilentEagle [/u/nolan778]: guru of all things DCS, and author of our first SFM engine table
  
• uboats [uboats]: mercenary coding (including our initial navigation system)
  

 

Your efforts are appreciated, and we hope to include the usernames of all those who participated (whether writing a single line of code or modeling a single weapon) in a special spot once development is complete.

 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact any of the core team directly, or simply reply in this thread.

 

Thank you,

 

Community A-4E Core Team

 

 

PS: Our August update will be out within 1-2 days as updates to this thread. We thought it made sense to not bury the above information in a monthly update post.

Edited March 1, 2017 by gospadin
updated team members, feb 2017

[gospadin]

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

• This mod will be free of charge, and you'll need to download it manually
  
• This mod is built with a Simple Flight Model (SFM) and Simple Systems Model (SSM). We have no SDK access, and we are not an official 3rd party developer. As a team, we have no current plans to become one. Individuals on this team may have their own future plans, and that is up to them to discuss or reveal as they choose.
  
• The cockpit will be fully clickable, and we intend to model every system we can, within the SSM limitation.
  
• We are modeling a late A-4E with the avionics hump. We have no plans to offer an A-4A/B/C/F or non-humped E.
  
• The base download will include a number of USMC and USN liveries. Plusnine will have a number of fictional A-4 liveries (mostly from other A-4 variants) ready-to-go as an additional download, from a mix of countries.
  
• We're modeling a number of period-accurate weapons to pair with the model. Those that require advanced guidance (e.g. Shrikes) or new engine capabilities (e.g. mines for anti-submarine warfare) will be visually accurate but with simplified/dumb behavior. Mission designers will need to create special triggers to have mines "work" in missions.
  
• Yes, we can spawn, land and takeoff from the in-game US carriers.
  
• Some of us are working on our own planes besides the A-4. Those efforts are separate and unrelated to the A-4E.
  

 

 

Updates:

• Original Announcement (January 2016) (old thread) Introduction, early screenshots.
  
• February 2016 Update (old thread) First cockpit, first new ordnance, D-704 refueling pod early model
  
• March 2016 Update (old thread) LAU-10/A, first rocket employment, new gauges
  
• May 2016 Update (old thread) gauge integration, functioning spoilers, new liveries, first in-flight video demo
  
• June 2016 Update (old thread) working BORT numbers
  
• July 2016 Update (old thread) beginning of new weapon modeling
  
• August 2016 Update re-org, automated weapon release system (AWRS) demo
  
• September 2016 Update nothing to show, just refactoring
  
• October 2016 Update external lighting, radar, TACAN, and the navigation computer
  
• November 2016 Update minor updates, profile mode scribe line, unwrap continues, electrical plumbing
  
• December 2016 Update Merry Brrrrrrrrrtmas! AN-series bombs, Mk 4 HIPEG gun pods, CBU-2/A cluster dispenser, and more
  
• January 2017 Update You're In Control of the System! AFCS, APC, Sidewinder tones, kneeboard, comms menu, SFM improvements, engine modeling
  
• February 2017 Update Gyrovague moving up, cold start, gunsight calibration, cockpit photo, new spec maps for all original weapons
  
• March 2017 mini-Update Team still working, but nothing ready to show right now
  
• April 2017 mini-Update Still nothing new to show, brief video attached
  
• May 2017 Update Cockpit unwrap & texturing started, chaff dispenser, FM tuning, and bug fixes
  
• June 2017 Update Further cockpit and ordinance unwrap & texture, minor code and model fixes
  
• July 2017 Update Cluster bomblets unwrapped and animated, new multi-dispenser loadouts
  
• **July 2017 part 2 Included liveries
  
• August 2017 Update New fuel tanks, small modeling updates and fixes, VSI and g-meter
  
• September 2017 Update Partial PBR conversion & unwrap continues
  
• October 2017 Update Radar visual effects being tested
  
• November 2017 Update Debug and logging demo
  
• December 2017 Update Drop table testing & calibration
  
• January 2018 Update Initial cockpit lighting
   
  

Edited February 1, 2018 by gospadin

[Merker]

Hello all!

 

I've recently joined the forums the forums (today) so you'll probably see me around. As stated in this and other updates, I do the modelling for the cockpit along with Kryb, as well as other assorted objects. Looking forward to talking with you all.

 

-Merker

Edited August 28, 2016 by Merker

[FraserNZL]

Thanks for the update team. Wish you the best of luck for your current and future developmentso with DCS

[LevelPulse]

Best of luck, was a pleasure to see the A-4 develop in the past couple of months!

[AG-51_Razor]

I am so glad to see that you all are still committed to completing this project! You guys are AWESOME!!!

[Rangi]

Thanks for the update keep up the good work.

[gospadin]

Best of luck, was a pleasure to see the A-4 develop in the past couple of months!

 

Thank you again for your help getting started in the early days.

 

--gos

[indiadamjones]

Thank you

 

Thanks as always for all the time, effort, and tenacity required to develop a working A-4! I can't speak for everyone, but I'm learning a lot about software and working in teams. Excited to see just how quickly some elements have been progressing, and yet...still a long road ahead of us. Looking forward to the update, while I wrestle with bone rigging.:book:

[Gladman]

Very excited about this project. Really looking forward to it.

[dillio]

Of all the amazing things planned for DCS, this project is one I hope for the most. It's very exciting to see an independent team pushing the envelope of what can be done with SSM & SFM.

I fell in love with the Skyhawk when I saw one at the USS Intrepid. I can't wait to fly your plane!

Edited August 29, 2016 by dillio

[FireFox500]

If I am understanding this right, the A-4E from HoggitDev is continuing normally with a few changes in leawdership?

[gospadin]

If I am understanding this right, the A-4E from HoggitDev is continuing normally with a few changes in leawdership?

 

Essentially yes.

[pepin1234]

We need this bird for a Vietnam scenary. Welcome back!

[Zibell]

This has the potential to bring a lot of people into DCS.

 

Patiently awaiting the update.

[NineLine]

[gospadin]

You're supposed to say that after we've landed. =P

[NineLine]

You're supposed to say that after we've landed. =P

 

Dont worry, I will use that same gif when you guys release something too ;)

[uscstaylor]

Looking forward to seeing this in the DCS realm!

[Fracture]

Glad to see the project pushing forward. :)

 

 

 

 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

• The base download will include a number of USMC and USN liveries. Plusnine will have a number of fictional A-4 liveries (mostly from other A-4 variants) ready-to-go as an additional download, from a mix of countries.
  

 

 

 

I hope one of them will be VT-7, then maybe I won't have to do a TA-4J. ;)

[uboats]

best wishes to a-4e dev team

[plusnine_]

Glad to see the project pushing forward. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope one of them will be VT-7, then maybe I won't have to do a TA-4J. ;)

there will definitely be a set of VT-7 trainers available!

[HungaroJET]

Good luck to the team: have patience and persistence.

[gospadin]

August 2016 Update

 

Hi everyone. It's been another month so we're posting another update on the progress of our A-4E.

 

First and foremost, we decided to redo our cockpit, both model and texture. A new base model and geometry was integrated into DCS, and then we migrated our existing gauges and animations from the old cockpit to the new one. In the process, we fixed a lot of small indicators and gauge needles to improve readability and accuracy, as well as prepping the way for instrument lighting (both backlight and flood) in the future. On top of the ported gauges, we've added many new gauge animations that are just waiting on systems programming.

 

Second, we've implement the Aircraft Weapon Release System. This is used to configure the modes for rocket and bomb delivery, and has a number of features:

 

• Quantity selector, from 2 to 40
  
• Drop interval, from 10 millseconds to 2 seconds between releases
  
• Step single, step pairs, step salvo for manually-timed delivery
  
• Ripple single, ripple pairs, ripple salvo for computer-timed delivery
  

 

The AWRS allows for a wide variety of weapon deliveries, whether bombing a column of trucks with Mk-81 Snakeyes, launching a salvo of 40 rockets at a SAM site, or dropping a single Mk-83 on an enemy bunker.

 

Third, with a bunch of modeling and programming trial and error, we have the dynamic clipmask for the adjustable gunsight working. It still requires calibration per the pocket tactical manual drop tables, but we'll try to achieve as much accuracy as possible. Additionally, brightness and day/night configuration of the gunsight are implemented too.

 

From a systems perspective, we have a bunch of small features and improvements since last month:

 

• Emergency power is now provided by an external generator (ram air turbine) with a placeholder model and animation. This is deployed from the cockpit via a T-handle.
  
• Low Altitude Warning System (LAWS) altitude indexer and on/off knob is implemented, along with proper behavior on emergency power and at high bank angles or altitudes.
  
• Spoiler now behaves correctly on emergency power.
  
• Emergency speedbrake control now properly allows deploy/retract without DC electrical.
  
• Gear overspeed damage is now modeled.
  
• Adjustable projected gunsight and animated reflector glass with dynamic clipmask is implemented. This includes gunsight day/night switch and brightness control.
  
• Emergency weapon release T-handle w/ 7-way function selector (WING,1,2,3,4,5,ALL)
  
• Master test switch behavior is implemented, to test warning lights, oxygen and fuel gauges.
  
• Pilot shoulder is now implemented correctly to fix over-the-shoulder view angles.
  
• Some caution lights are implemented: speedbrake, spoiler, LAWS, WHEELS
  
• Adjustable mach/airspeed indexers.
  
• Adjustable standby attitude horizon.
  
• Canopy modeling improved, to include seal lever animation.
  
• Cabin pressure altitude and liquid oxygen remaining are now modeled and reported on the appropriate gauges per NATOPS.
  
• Simple engine start is implemented.
  

 

From a weapons perspective, we're currently integrating a number of weapons from the SAC.

 

• Mk-77 mod 0/mod 1 napalm bombs are fully modeled, though coded as dumb bombs
  
• Mk-81 Snakeye has a placeholder model, though is fully-coded in-game.
  
• SPPU-23 and UPK-23 pods are functioning placeholders for the Mk-4 gun pod
  
• M257 parachute flares act as placeholders for the SUU-40/44 flare dispenser
  
• Thanks to Jack Jewell, we have a head start on modeling a number of WW2-era bombs, which would have been used in training missions or early in the Vietnam War:
  • AN-M30A1 100 lb GP HE
    
  • AN-M57A1 250 lb GP HE
    
  • AN-M65A1 1000 lb GP HE
    

  [*]We also have planned the AN-M66A2 2000 lb GP HE bomb, AN-M81 260 lb fragmentation bomb, and the AN-M88 216 lb fragmentation bomb, though they just have code at this time.

 

Lastly, I made a short video to demonstrate the use of AWRS.

 

 

I'm sure there's more improvements we forgot to list that you can see in the above video, but I'll leave those as a surprise for viewers or next month's update. =P

 

Thanks everyone for your support, we appreciate it a ton!

 

--gos

Edited September 30, 2016 by gospadin

[Darkbrotherhood7]

Awesome work, can't wait! :)