Chaff and flares from Pilot position

[Yeti42]

So this was a limitation that was bugging me. The pilots DLC button can be used to fire ETHER single chaff or flares from the front cockpit according to the RIO's CMS panel setting. Now in real life (In other two crew aircraft I'm real-life familiar with) the pilot would ask the RIO or Navigator for Chaff and /or flares, you can't ask jester to do this via the jester menu and anyway it would take way to long. I don't trust Jester to fire of chaff when he's set to manage them and the Auto chaff function wastes too much chaff.

I did see in another post that you could map RIO functions to the pilot's cockpit but it didn't go into a lot of detail so I set about fully figuring it out:

 

Ensure you are using a text editor like notepad++

BACKUP These two files...

<your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-RIO\keyboard\default.lua

<your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-PILOT\keyboard\default.lua

 

Copy lines

 

{combos = {{key = 'Delete'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Flare SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

 

{combos = {{key = 'Insert'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Chaff SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

 

From <your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-RIO\keyboard\default.lua

To <your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-PILOT\keyboard\default.lua

 

You can add a comment in the F-14B-PILOT\keyboard\default.lua, just good practice... ;) so it lookls something like this:

 

--************** RIO/PILOT Countermeasures MOD - Yeti ******************************************************

{combos = {{key = 'Insert'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Chaff SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

{combos = {{key = 'Delete'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Flare SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

 

Start up DCS and go to your F14 pilot keyboard commands and voila, insert and delete now dispense a single chaff and single flare per depression. You can obviously change the keys to whatever you want or assign joystick buttons.

YOU WILL have to reapply the hack after an upgrade if the file changes as the files are in your main installation directory.

You can use this method by the way for ANY RIO command you want available for the pilot.

[Hamilton]

Thanks !! :thumbup:

[IronMike]

Jester will chaff/ flare quite reliably though if there is a missile thread that is known to him. You can also set the CMS dispensing for the pilot via the Jester Menu CMS section. Set to MAN and pilot.

[near_blind]

Jester will chaff/ flare quite reliably though if there is a missile thread that is known to him. You can also set the CMS dispensing for the pilot via the Jester Menu CMS section. Set to MAN and pilot.

 

I've had issues where jester will either fail to see to a missile I see, or misidentify which type of missile he's seeing (i.e an R-27R that the was fired in an RWR blindspot). In either case jester either fails to react, or reacts incorrectly, which is okay considering he's simulating a fallible human being.

 

What would be nice is a button command to have jester release the currently configured counter measure settings for either or both the chaff and flares to simulate me screaming at jester that we need CM

 

I was talking about this with a buddy who flies strike eagles and he assures me screaming commands for chaff/flare over the ICS is wholly authentic :)

Edited July 17, 2019 by near_blind
I accidentally a word or two

[Larkis]

I've had issues where jester will either fail to see to a missile I see, or misidentify which type of missile he's seeing (i.e an R-27R that the was fired in the RWR blindspot). In either case jester either fails to react, or reacts incorrectly, which is okay considered he's simulating a fallible.

 

What would be nice is a button command to have jester release the currently configured counter measure settings for either or both the chaff and flares to simulate me screaming at jester that we need CM

 

I was talking about this with a buddy who flies strike eagles and he assures me borderline screaming commands for chaff/flare over the ICS is wholly authentic :)

 

+1 to this :)

[jmarso]

Yeah, the chaff thing used to bother me until today.

 

I took a hard break/dive towards the terrain to juke a missile, and in the background I could hear the little 'thumps' as Jester faithfully pumped out the chaff.

 

Guess he wanted to live, too! :p

 

Shortly after that, I got tone on a MiG-23 on the parking ramp with an AIM-9 and cut loose, just to see what would happen. Worked like a champ! That's one I didn't have to smoke in the air!

[IronMike]

Yeah, the chaff thing used to bother me until today.

 

I took a hard break/dive towards the terrain to juke a missile, and in the background I could hear the little 'thumps' as Jester faithfully pumped out the chaff.

 

Guess he wanted to live, too! :p

 

Shortly after that, I got tone on a MiG-23 on the parking ramp with an AIM-9 and cut loose, just to see what would happen. Worked like a champ! That's one I didn't have to smoke in the air!

 

 

Hehe nice!

 

As for all your inputs: noted. Sorry for this ever repeating answer, but we mean it: we will see what we can do. Maybe we can add some kind of bindable and simple "chaff!" "flare!" and "chaff/flare!" command, that already should help.

[near_blind]

Groovy :thumbup:

[darkman222]

Quick question. I think it fits to this post. How can I see in the pilot cockpit how many flares / Chaffs are left? I cant find any Display for it.

[Tiramisu]

Quick question. I think it fits to this post. How can I see in the pilot cockpit how many flares / Chaffs are left? I cant find any Display for it.

 

 

I think you can only find it in the RIO cockpit on the right panel.

[QuiGon]

I think you can only find it in the RIO cockpit on the right panel.

Correct

[Kula66]

This is really useful, thanks for posting!

 

It would be great to see some additional back seat controls available to us single pilots!

Edited September 5, 2019 by Kula66

[Belphe]

I've had issues where jester will either fail to see to a missile I see

 

Do you think we could have an extra instruction in the Jester menu to "draw his attention" to a particular area around us - something similar to the JHMCS AIM-9X designator? A situation where Jester doesn't notice an incoming missile but the pilot does IS realisitc. However, it is also realistic for the pilot to be able to inform the RIO of the threat and let him counter that threat accordingly..

[TOViper]

Hehe nice!

 

As for all your inputs: noted. Sorry for this ever repeating answer, but we mean it: we will see what we can do. Maybe we can add some kind of bindable and simple "chaff!" "flare!" and "chaff/flare!" command, that already should help.

 

 

Indeed, that would help a lot!

[IronMike]

correct, there is no indication for the pilot.

[deadpool]

So this was a limitation that was bugging me. The pilots DLC button can be used to fire ETHER single chaff or flares from the front cockpit according to the RIO's CMS panel setting. Now in real life (In other two crew aircraft I'm real-life familiar with) the pilot would ask the RIO or Navigator for Chaff and /or flares, you can't ask jester to do this via the jester menu and anyway it would take way to long. I don't trust Jester to fire of chaff when he's set to manage them and the Auto chaff function wastes too much chaff.

I did see in another post that you could map RIO functions to the pilot's cockpit but it didn't go into a lot of detail so I set about fully figuring it out:

 

Ensure you are using a text editor like notepad++

BACKUP These two files...

<your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-RIO\keyboard\default.lua

<your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-PILOT\keyboard\default.lua

 

Copy lines

 

{combos = {{key = 'Delete'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Flare SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

 

{combos = {{key = 'Insert'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Chaff SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

 

From <your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-RIO\keyboard\default.lua

To <your ED base install dir>\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-PILOT\keyboard\default.lua

 

You can add a comment in the F-14B-PILOT\keyboard\default.lua, just good practice... ;) so it lookls something like this:

 

--************** RIO/PILOT Countermeasures MOD - Yeti ******************************************************

{combos = {{key = 'Insert'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Chaff_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Chaff SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

{combos = {{key = 'Delete'}}, down = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, up = device_commands.CMDS_Flare_Oper_SW, cockpit_device_id = devices.COUNTERMEASURES, value_down = -1, value_up = 0, name = _('AN/ALE-39 Flare SGL'), category = _('Countermeasures')},

 

Start up DCS and go to your F14 pilot keyboard commands and voila, insert and delete now dispense a single chaff and single flare per depression. You can obviously change the keys to whatever you want or assign joystick buttons.

YOU WILL have to reapply the hack after an upgrade if the file changes as the files are in your main installation directory.

You can use this method by the way for ANY RIO command you want available for the pilot.

 

This does not fix a defect. This is intended at the moment.

 

By applying the changes above you are modifying the game to have an advantage over other players.

 

If you do this in multiplayer without others being aware, I would strongly consider this cheating!

[Kula66]

What utter twaddle ... You play the game how you want, I'll play it how I want.

[draconus]

You play the game how you want, I'll play it how I want.

 

That's true only if you play SP.

[Hamilton]

You play the game how you want, I'll play it how I want.

 

Exactly !!!! :thumbup:

[CoBlue]

correct, there is no indication for the pilot.

Please make Jester advise us when we're out of chaff & flares?

[Biggus]

Hehe nice!

 

As for all your inputs: noted. Sorry for this ever repeating answer, but we mean it: we will see what we can do. Maybe we can add some kind of bindable and simple "chaff!" "flare!" and "chaff/flare!" command, that already should help.

 

 

This would be a really good fix. If it were ever so slightly delayed to account for reaction times, it would feel much more like working with a meat-based RIO. Then it can be bound using VA and it wouldn't feel out of place.

[Patroffel]

Please make Jester advise us when we're out of chaff & flares?

 

 

+1

 

Edit: or we could ask jester how much chaff or flare we have?

Edited September 6, 2019 by Patroffel

[HetzerII]

I wonder: Does this pass the IC-check?

[Yeti42]

So I've had some PM's requesting help on certain RIO keys, I'm not going to reply to everyone, you need to search the keyboard default lua file for whatever key combo you are looking for and copy that across to the pilot...

 

e.g if you're looking for a radar command, search for "RADAR" and look for lines that start with "{combos = {{key ="

 

If you can't figure this out, you probably shouldn't be editing lua config files...just saying... ;)

[Yeti42]

I wonder: Does this pass the IC-check?

 

Yes