Using LUA and Overlay

[Whisper]

Hello,

We've had a discussion on Check-Six forums about how to try creating and using a bullseye system in Lock-On.

The first easy solution is to use a waypoint as bullseye and HSI to get our bullseye position and use it during online flights.

Problem is, it is irrelevant when several packages, with different waypoints, are playing, cause there is no more common reference point (which is the whole point of a bullseye system ;) ). Well there are workarounds (like additionnal Waypoints for all packages), but that made me think about something completely different.

 

We'll have many LUA scripting commands, some of which can easily give us, let's say, players aircraft position.

Also, there are some application around that can add to a 3D renderer additionnal rendering, like text or textures. As an example, check TeamSpeak Overlay which shows you, in-game, who is speaking on Teamspeak at the moment, by writing the name somewhere on the screen, "above" the game render.

Check also GameCam, a free in-game video capture utility, who adds some overlay to keep player informed on gameCam status (recording, paused, etc...), and intercept keyboards input to start recording, etc...

I bet FRAPS use the same kind of technics (as it has a rendering of FPS)

Other things seem to be feasible, like Kegetys & Feersum did for Operation Flashpoint by tweaking a DirectX DLL to add graphical effects to OFP (water reflections, etc...)

 

Well, if we can get positionnal information through LUA scripting, make some calculation to get Bullseye coordinates positions, and give this information back to the player in-game through such overlay, we could built a correct bullseye system, something approaching what Falcon 4 did for F-16.

In fact, the bullseye application would be far from the only possible application.

 

Problem is : I don't have a clue on how to make such overlay application :? And I'm searching for information about it.

I don't know if it is the correct place to ask for it, but as it concerns Lock-On, I post here.

 

Whis'

[4c Hajduk Veljko]

Yeah, flying unfamiliar maps without bulseye is close to imposible! I wish there is a way to implement this fieture in Lock On!

[Vati]

Whisper,

 

I've already played with this as a test. However as of now there is not much to export and the fact that I lost some of performance I had put it on hold.

 

If you want more information on the techinques how to do it yourself, you will need to google for "dll hooking" and "dll injection". Basic knowlage of D3D and winsock(if you want to connect direcly to the export lockon service) is also required.

Good luck! :)

[Whisper]

Thanks Vati! Gotta check that.

[Fox_one]

You could manage with just an HSI and using NAV mode set to say

a specific waypoint for all team members.. If i am not mistaken this HSI

info is avail for export in the current version, all we need is some app

to display a HSI on a second PC or monitor....

[GGTharos]

You know, this is an extremely good idea. Should anyone know how to do this and how to optimize the overlay program, I have a few ideas I'd liek to discuss with them.

 

With 1.1 it will be posisble to just set up a static /hidden/ object as the bullseye and just have the bullseye parse that, or barring that, just extract the desired coordinates and feed'em as parameters into the proggy before starting up the game.

 

Given the other exports that are available, it may be possible to do such things as report a contact bearing and range from bullseye as well.

This could be at once coupled with a TS Overlay and the radio commander I suggested to make a very nice lock-on specific tool to exist.

 

I have the coding skills myself, but no practice in D3D and no microsoft tools for coding this sort of thing up ... if anyone has any suggestions abotu a free development package that I could use for this I'd be greatful.

[169th_Cobra]

the problem with the HSI technique is that it doesn't update if you are in another mode other than NAV (1) mode.

 

the scenario is you have just acquired a bandit BVR (mode 2) and u wish to give his coordinates reference bullseye. so now you have to switch to nav mode again to get it to give you an update on your position and then switch back to BVR mode to re-acquire the target.

 

i thought i read that this was being corrected in 1.1, but can someone confirm for me that the HSI will update even if you are not in NAV mode.

[GGTharos]

I heard it had -not- been corrected.

[GGTharos]

Quesiton for the devs ... is the position of the TDC (the box used to select targets on radar) exported?

 

For that matter it would be nice if we had exported radar data, specifically:

Radar range setting, antenna angles and position of the TDC.

Ah, also radar mode ... that would be nice as well.

 

Or, you guys can jsut give us bullsyee capability in 1.2! ;)

 

Alll it would take is an extra object type for each side (BLUE bullsye and RED bullseye) ... though I don't know if RuAF uses this, but why not, right? And then have the game automatically calculate range and distance from that object for both the aircraft the the TDC position (this at least is true for US aircraft, AFAIK) also the NAV mode would need to have a bullseye setting, like the ILSN setting.

 

At the same time AWACS could now use bullseye calls as well (once you haev the functions in there it's easy to copy them over, right?)

 

It doesn't -seem- like too much work to me, but I could be wrong - and besides, it's one of many things on the wish list ... but it would be an incredible enhancement (that and AWACS AI could use osme polishing - the hot/cold/flanking calls are wrong, and the AWACs behaviour shoudl be tweaked to make awacs run away from enemy aircraft when they get close and call for help ... same for tankers)

[Fox_one]

Another solution might be...

In a Online game where all players on each side takes off from one airfield each there should be the possibility to do something like this :

In Export.LUA at the start send the players initial position to the ext. app

and use this as Bullseye, would be the same for all players on the same side since all team mebers take off from same airport.

Then in export after next frame section update the players position and send to ext. app,

wich in turn calculates and display both to/from heading to bullseye and distance,

this would work just fine for both sides given all tem members take off from same airport ! AND it would not depend on the bugged NAV mode since

all bearing and distance calculations are done in the external application..

In other words : A simple Bullseye system with a degree of flexibility...

 

I beleive the option to export players lattutude and longtitude is already present in the current LUA setup.. (correct me if i am wrong)

 

Regards

169th_Fox

[GGTharos]

Yes, and I'd do this IF osmeone told me thattehre are free tools I can use for it ... I'm not spending money on Visual Studio just to get this done.

[Fox_one]

What tools do u require ?

C++ or is Java the thing ?

I'm just asking because there are a few free tools of both floating around out there !

 

Regards

169th_Fox

[Vati]

GGTharos, if you want to use ms compilers, you can use their free one (http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/vctoolkit2003/). No need to buy whole VS. Borland is your other alternative... for the rest of the free c/c++ compilers I am not sure how it is with dx8 bindings...

[169th_Jaws]

(that and AWACS AI could use osme polishing - the hot/cold/flanking calls are wrong, and the AWACs behaviour shoudl be tweaked to make awacs run away from enemy aircraft when they get close and call for help ... same for tankers)

 

Lol that'd be cool!

 

"Enfield 11, Olympus..... we're in deep s***. Requesting assisstance"

[GGTharos]

GGTharos, if you want to use ms compilers, you can use their free one (http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/vctoolkit2003/). No need to buy whole VS. Borland is your other alternative... for the rest of the free c/c++ compilers I am not sure how it is with dx8 bindings...

 

Thanks Vati. Now I've gotta go learn DX etc ;)

Any advice on an IDE?