Adding multiple cockpits on a multi-seated aircraft

[F0GxLiGhT]

Hello fellow DCS Simmers,

 

I am posting here to ask for your help, since I think I might have found an idea about creating a multi-role aircraft for multiple pilots.

Now I know that the game does not support an aircraft that has a TV and a Radar at the same time, but what if you could implement two cockpits into an aircraft (e.g. an F-14 Module having an F-15C cockpit with it's avionics (Pilot) AA, then an Su-25T cockpit and avionics (Arms and Flight Officer) AG.

 

I got this idea when I was fiddling around with the F-14/15E that were made by the amazing VSN team, now I don't care about copyrights to be honest, all I want is to give this mod to you guys if it works, so here are the things I'm inquiring about:

 

How to edit the avionics? (e.g. implement the avionics of the Su-25T on the Su-27 or the F-15C and vice versa).

 

If there's anybody there who's willing to help or give a tip about a thing or two, and/or whether it's possible to do that, I'd pretty much appreciate it.

 

Thank you for your time,

 

Eric Castan,

[Nero.ger]

FrankenPlane incomming.

Ok i am 99% sure that it is not going to work using the available Avionics since the cockpits are in the same Plane and you defince the Planes Avionics, not the seats. also while you can mix 25t/25/a10a with a AA-radar, you cant fire any SARH-missles with it because the Avionics will not select them as weapons for AA.

[F0GxLiGhT]

FrankenPlane incomming.

Ok i am 99% sure that it is not going to work using the available Avionics since the cockpits are in the same Plane and you defince the Planes Avionics, not the seats. also while you can mix 25t/25/a10a with a AA-radar, you cant fire any SARH-missles with it because the Avionics will not select them as weapons for AA.

 

Thank you so much for your response dude, you must know a thing or two about the process of such thing, I'm just trying to figure out something nice just as much as I'm trying to be humble and take anything that you might have to offer me of knowledge regarding that.

 

But regarding what you said about 'binding the avionics to the aircraft not the seat' what file do you mainly rely on while implementing the avionics of a specific aircraft to another in mods?

 

 

And where do you find the main game's avionics file(s) for that specific aircraft just to fiddle around with, and what do you need to do so? Like change, add/remove line and indicators, are they code-based (script) files or edm/ddl?

[Nero.ger]

every plane starts with its Entry.lua, but if you have zero experience i strongly suggest

a) learn LUA

b) grab lots of coffee and switch off your phone

c) read 50% off the threads in 'HowTo' and 'Mods', section

 

its not as easy as changing some lines of code, because if it would be easy, chance are someone allready did it (or did not told anybody) :)

[F0GxLiGhT]

every plane starts with its Entry.lua, but if you have zero experience i strongly suggest

a) learn LUA

b) grab lots of coffee and switch off your phone

c) read 50% off the threads in 'HowTo' and 'Mods', section

 

its not as easy as changing some lines of code, because if it would be easy, chance are someone allready did it (or did not told anybody) :)

 

I know a thing or two about coding with lua and some other coding languages, i was able to make a python-3 missile mod and now i am working on a python 4, with the help of a friend whos working over the 3d modules while i worked on the params and the main mod lua and its entry. What i want to know is how does one find the avionics of an aircraft for the hope of changing/modding it somehow?

[IAF_Phantom]

Hello fellow DCS Simmers,

 

How to edit the avionics? (e.g. implement the avionics of the Su-25T on the Su-27 or the F-15C and vice versa).

 

Eric Castan,

 

your best shot would be with the A-10, a lot of the cockpit is in lua code (and editable) and not in a dll (not editable) like most of the FC planes and other modules.

I've succeeded to make the TF-51 dual cockpit (if you have the L-39) but not to edit the cockpit itself.

[freebirddz]

Hello, can we know how did you, make TF-51 Dual cockpit ?

[IAF_Phantom]

Hi,

 

the idea is basically to modify the plane object to mimic the L-39C or UH-1U. This means to include two or more crew members (that includes the views and keyboard keys to change cockpits). this mod requires the L-39 module installed.

 

both pilots have the same cockpit - in theory, you can add more functionality keys from the l-39c to allow control of all the control objects and to add to the TF-51D/entry file the mission editor options etc.

 

I just did it as a proof of concept - and it works - never really turned it into a full-blown mod.

 

the basics are the following

 

entry.lua

binaries 	 =
{
'P51Base',
'TF51D',
'Cockpit_P51Common', 'L39C'
},

TF-51D.lua file:

 

crew_members = 
{
	[1] = 
	{
		pilot_name		  	 = 56,
		ejection_seat_name	 = 0,
		drop_canopy_name 	 = "p-51D-fonar", --57
		pos					 =  {-1.460000,-0.045000,0.000000},
		canopy_pos = {0,0,0},
	}, -- end of [1]
	[2] = 
	{
		drop_canopy_name 	 = "p-51D-fonar", --57
		ejection_seat_name	= 0,
		pilot_name		    =  56,
		pos 				= {1.765,	0.549,	0},
		can_be_playable 	= true,
		ejection_order 		= 2,
		canopy_pos = {0,0,0},
		role 				 = "instructor",
		role_display_name    = _("Instructor pilot"),
	},-- end of [2]
}, -- end of crew_members

 

view.lua:

ocal function player(x,y)
return {	CockpitLocalPoint      = {x,y,0},
	CameraViewAngleLimits  = {20.000000,120.000000},
	CameraAngleRestriction = {false,90.000000,0.500000},
	CameraAngleLimits      = {200,-80.000000,90.000000},
	EyePoint               = {0.025000,0.100000,0.000000},
	ShoulderSize		   = 0.15,
	Allow360rotation	   = false,
	limits_6DOF            = {x = {-0.050000,0.450000},y ={-0.200000,0.200000},z = {-0.220000,0.220000},roll = 90.000000},
	}
end

ViewSettings = {
Cockpit = {
--	[1] = {-- player slot 1
--		CockpitLocalPoint      = {-1.500000,0.618000,0.000000},
--		CameraViewAngleLimits  = {20.000000,120.000000},
--		CameraAngleRestriction = {false,90.000000,0.500000},
--		CameraAngleLimits      = {200,-80.000000,90.000000},
--		EyePoint               = {0.025000,0.100000,0.000000},
--		ShoulderSize		   = 0.15,
--		Allow360rotation	   = false,
--		limits_6DOF            = {x = {-0.050000,0.450000},y ={-0.200000,0.200000},z = {-0.220000,0.220000},roll = 90.000000},
player(-1.500000,0.618000),--front cockpit
player(-0.500000,1.618000),--rear cockpit
}, -- Cockpit 
Chase = {
	LocalPoint      = {0.200000,-0.652000,-0.650000},
	AnglesDefault   = {0.000000,0.000000},
}, -- Chase 
Arcade = {
	LocalPoint      = {-21.500000,5.618000,0.000000},
	AnglesDefault   = {0.000000,-8.000000},
}, -- Arcade 
}

....

SnapViews = 
{
[1] = playerSnapViews,
[2] = playerSnapViews,
}

 

 

in the input/keyboad/default.lua and the same for the default.lua in the joystick folder

-- Cockpit view
{combos = {{key = '9'}},	down = iCommandViewCockpitChangeSeat, value_down = 9, name = _('Occupy Seat 1'),	category = _('View Cockpit')},
{combos = {{key = '0'}},	down = iCommandViewCockpitChangeSeat, value_down = 0, name = _('Occupy Seat 2'),	category = _('View Cockpit')},

[freebirddz]

Hi,

 

the idea is basically to modify the plane object to mimic the L-39C or UH-1U. This means to include two or more crew members (that includes the views and keyboard keys to change cockpits). this mod requires the L-39 module installed.

 

both pilots have the same cockpit - in theory, you can add more functionality keys from the l-39c to allow control of all the control objects and to add to the TF-51D/entry file the mission editor options etc.

 

I just did it as a proof of concept - and it works - never really turned it into a full-blown mod.

 

the basics are the following

 

entry.lua

binaries      =
{
'P51Base',
'TF51D',
'Cockpit_P51Common', 'L39C'
},

TF-51D.lua file:

 

   crew_members = 
   {
       [1] = 
       {
           pilot_name               = 56,
           ejection_seat_name     = 0,
           drop_canopy_name      = "p-51D-fonar", --57
           pos                     =  {-1.460000,-0.045000,0.000000},
           canopy_pos = {0,0,0},
       }, -- end of [1]
       [2] = 
       {
           drop_canopy_name      = "p-51D-fonar", --57
           ejection_seat_name    = 0,
           pilot_name            =  56,
           pos                 = {1.765,    0.549,    0},
           can_be_playable     = true,
           ejection_order         = 2,
           canopy_pos = {0,0,0},
           role                  = "instructor",
           role_display_name    = _("Instructor pilot"),
       },-- end of [2]
   }, -- end of crew_members
   

view.lua:

ocal function player(x,y)
return {    CockpitLocalPoint      = {x,y,0},
       CameraViewAngleLimits  = {20.000000,120.000000},
       CameraAngleRestriction = {false,90.000000,0.500000},
       CameraAngleLimits      = {200,-80.000000,90.000000},
       EyePoint               = {0.025000,0.100000,0.000000},
       ShoulderSize           = 0.15,
       Allow360rotation       = false,
       limits_6DOF            = {x = {-0.050000,0.450000},y ={-0.200000,0.200000},z = {-0.220000,0.220000},roll = 90.000000},
       }
end

ViewSettings = {
   Cockpit = {
--    [1] = {-- player slot 1
--        CockpitLocalPoint      = {-1.500000,0.618000,0.000000},
--        CameraViewAngleLimits  = {20.000000,120.000000},
--        CameraAngleRestriction = {false,90.000000,0.500000},
--        CameraAngleLimits      = {200,-80.000000,90.000000},
--        EyePoint               = {0.025000,0.100000,0.000000},
--        ShoulderSize           = 0.15,
--        Allow360rotation       = false,
--        limits_6DOF            = {x = {-0.050000,0.450000},y ={-0.200000,0.200000},z = {-0.220000,0.220000},roll = 90.000000},
   player(-1.500000,0.618000),--front cockpit
   player(-0.500000,1.618000),--rear cockpit
   }, -- Cockpit 
   Chase = {
       LocalPoint      = {0.200000,-0.652000,-0.650000},
       AnglesDefault   = {0.000000,0.000000},
   }, -- Chase 
   Arcade = {
       LocalPoint      = {-21.500000,5.618000,0.000000},
       AnglesDefault   = {0.000000,-8.000000},
   }, -- Arcade 
}

....

SnapViews = 
{
[1] = playerSnapViews,
[2] = playerSnapViews,
}

in the input/keyboad/default.lua and the same for the default.lua in the joystick folder

-- Cockpit view
{combos = {{key = '9'}},    down = iCommandViewCockpitChangeSeat, value_down = 9, name = _('Occupy Seat 1'),    category = _('View Cockpit')},
{combos = {{key = '0'}},    down = iCommandViewCockpitChangeSeat, value_down = 0, name = _('Occupy Seat 2'),    category = _('View Cockpit')},

 

Thank you Phantom :thumbup: , now i have the 2 seats in MP, the first Crew nicely in his seat, but the second one it's only camera view in out side, not in pit like should be ! :(, no pit view, no aircraft view, just a camera...

[IAF_Phantom]

I think it has to do with the view settings I have there - when I've done this for the F-15E I get the same cockpit for both seats.

try changing this line -view.lua:

player(-0.500000,1.618000),--rear cockpit

 

and making it the same as the front cockpit seat