DML - Mission Creation Toolbox [no Lua required]

[cfrag]

2 minutes ago, DD_Friar said:

I have modified the version

Can you also attach the miz so I can take a look? That would usually be quicker for me to get down to the root cause.

[DD_Friar]

sorry please find attached

RandomTest-nopulse.miz

[cfrag]

3 hours ago, DD_Friar said:

please find attached

The root cause is simple, and fix is easy

Root cause: You are using both the old "RND" and newer "RND!" keyword to make the trigger zone a randomizer. This causes it to be run twice at start (and other times, should you have triggered it).

 Fix: remove the "RND" attribute.

[DD_Friar]

@cfrag

Whilst typing this message you replied - its nice to know I sort of found what you are saying...

Salute, it is often said "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.."

Well, having done some coding in my past I thought I would have a look at the script for rndFlag, just to see if I could find anything obvious.

I added some numbering to the messages that get displayed so I could track the sequence of what happens. (I have attached my version where I added "(CTx) next to the ++ in the message lines.

It seems that there is a look going on at (my points) 4,5,4,5 then 14,10,12, 14,10,12

point 4 and 5 are in "now build the flag array from strings"

point 14 is in the function rndFlags.startCycle()

point 10 and 12 ar in the function function rndFlags.fire(theZone)

Would you have expected these to be looping twice when onStart is true (I thought which meant a single pass?)

RNDFlags-Friar.lua

As I stated "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing..."

Many thanks once again.

Salute

Friar

Edited October 29, 2023 by DD_Friar

[cfrag]

3 hours ago, DD_Friar said:

Would you have expected these to be looping twice when onStart is true (I thought which meant a single pass?)

I'm sorry, but that question is very specific and I don't know what you are looking at. So let's try and make this a bit simpler:

- did you implement the fix that I recommended (remove the "RND" attribute)?

- did that fix your issue? 

If not, let us try and get to the bottom of this with an unmodified version of RNDflags.

[DD_Friar]

@cfrag, sorry. As I said at the top of my post, I was writing as you replied.

Yes, your fix was the problem in my code. I have applied it and it is now working correctly.

I was under the impression that I had to tell each zone what its function was, hence I put the RND at the top and RND! was the flag parameter.

I think I get it now, so will hopefully not be asking any more questions for a while.

[DD_Friar]

Sorry @cfrag, I have just back over the documentation and can see now where I got my understanding from. The attached picture is from the full version of the guide  

This is why I put the two RND items in, the top line and the RND! (which as you state is a replacement for the flags!)

I know it now works after making the change and I assume I have missed somewhere about the new RND! function and it doing away with the need for both?

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by DD_Friar

[cfrag]

56 minutes ago, DD_Friar said:

I have just back over the documentation

Thank you for pointing that out, duly noted  . One of the least rewarding and most arduous aspects of keeping DML current is updating existing parts (documentation and demos). Just progressing DML (developing new modules, writing new documentation, re-engineering and updating older modules, designing and documenting demos) is quite demanding. Updating existing documentation receives far too little of my attention, I know; I usually only get around to doing that if some kind soul point to the parts that need updating. And, not to put too fine a point on it: the existing documentation isn't that easy to read to start with -- having been drafted, written, re-arranged, illustrated, modified, adapted, refactored, taken apart and (in two instances) partly being accidentally destroyed -- whilst being written in what is, after all, not my mother tongue, and over the span of three years. It's a small wonder that anyone can read it at all   

I've earmarked that section in the randomizer's doc for a re-write and hope that I can update it for better readability (and better reflection of how the randomizers work today) with one of next updates.

Cheers,

-ch

[DD_Friar]

1 hour ago, cfrag said:

Thank you for pointing that out, duly noted

Salute Sir, I have no doubt what a massive undertaking this has been for you to get off the ground. I know from personal experience whilst working for a software company how the documentation is always the last thing to get updated. There are always demands on time for new features and bug fixes etc.

My pointing out the confusion was in no way a complaint or dig at you for not updating it.

Hopefully our exchange will be able to help others that may take the journey I am at the moment.

[=GR= Cypher]

Hello everybody. I'm a "not so pro" user of DML. Once i have created everything required to run a mission using DML, when trying to hop into a Helo, both MP and SP, the helo which is on take off from ground crashes and needs a repair. Stopgap and sitting duck along with the rest are loaded on mission start.

Can you please have a look on what the issue is? I tried both with and without DSMC. I know that it might occur in Single Player but it happens also on multiplayer. Note that the root file of DML is as it's supposed to be installed.

@cfrag

DML_Parmenion_2023.miz

Edited October 31, 2023 by =GR= Cypher

[DD_Friar]

Salute @=GR= Cypher

There is a known problem with using stopgap for helicopters in single player. they all start just above the ground and as you say crash to the floor.

Run your mission, even if playing on your own, as a multiplayer version.

Also have you copied the server script to the HOOKS folder, this helps with synchronization as well, which is involved in the issue you are seeing.

 

[=GR= Cypher]

@DD_Friar as I wrote above, I encounter the exact same issue even in multiplayer. Also the script is in the hooks folder.

[Panthir]

1 hour ago, =GR= Cypher said:

@DD_Friar as I wrote above, I encounter the exact same issue even in multiplayer. Also the script is in the hooks folder.

I have just checked Cypher’s mission for me both fixed wing and rotary are ok

[=GR= Cypher]

Problem solved. I had the 1.45 version installed and not the 1.46 running now. Everything works fine! Thank you and sorry for the disturbance!

[cfrag]

3 hours ago, =GR= Cypher said:

Problem solved

Thanks, @=GR= Cypher, that's good to know, thank you for reporting back. Please be advise that there are some lingering problems with the (IMHO fantastic) Sinai map in this regard, but the kind people at OnReTech believe it has to do with their custom helopads,  and they believe that they will be fixing it with their "Wave 3" release (slated for November/December). 

[HanuXXL]

Hi and thanks for the great job you've done for all of us lua-handicapped people to to enjoy!

I was implementing that civAir module to Sinai mission, but those official planes were quite limited to create credible civil traffic... Is it possible in any way to include the planes from much used Civil Aircraft Mod? Tried to search, but had no luck that anyone had asked this before.

https://cam.em-key.de/download-2/

[cfrag]

9 hours ago, HanuXXL said:

Is it possible in any way to include the planes from much used Civil Aircraft Mod?

Yes, and quite easily so, civAir was designed with that ability in mind without any need to mess with it's source code. Simply add an attribute 'aircraftTypes' to your 'civAirConfig' configuration trigger zone in Mission Editor, and as a value list all the types that you would like civAir to use. Including the types that you added to your DCS via mods, like for example the very nice CAM. You will need to know what these aircraft are called internally so that you can add them to the aircraftTypes attribute - and that is all that you need to do.

One word of caution: that mission will only show those new aircraft when the relevant mod is installed, so if you share that mission, anyone who plays it also needs to have the mod installed to see the new aircraft (that is why civAir in DML restricts itself to only ED-provided - underwhelming - aircraft types). 

Edited November 1, 2023 by cfrag

[HanuXXL]

8 hours ago, cfrag said:

Yes, and quite easily so, civAir was designed with that ability in mind without any need to mess with it's source code. Simply add an attribute 'aircraftTypes' to your 'civAirConfig' configuration trigger zone in Mission Editor, and as a value list all the types that you would like civAir to use. Including the types that you added to your DCS via mods, like for example the very nice CAM. You will need to know what these aircraft are called internally so that you can add them to the aircraftTypes attribute - and that is all that you need to do.

One word of caution: that mission will only show those new aircraft when the relevant mod is installed, so if you share that mission, anyone who plays it also needs to have the mod installed to see the new aircraft (that is why civAir in DML restricts itself to only ED-provided - underwhelming - aircraft types). 

 

Great, got it working! Thanks!

Does it come to your mind any way to manipulate what liveries the script selects?  Now it seems to pick same set of Lufthansa (747, A380) / Swiss (Some Boeing) / Air Berlin / Blank skins. I tried couple of times. They are not the first or the last in the alphabetic list of skins.

[cfrag]

12 minutes ago, HanuXXL said:

Does it come to your mind any way to manipulate what liveries the script selects?

Currently, the script simply selects the aircraft type, and uses whatever livery is associated by default with those aircraft. It's an interesting challenge to see if I can devise a good way for players to be able to specify which liveries to choose for which type. That might take some time (a couple of weeks at least), until I may have something to try.

[HanuXXL]

Thank you for considering this. Your Sinai_Tourist mission got me into this in the first place . That traffic in Suez Canal needed something in the air also...

[cfrag]

Version 1.4.7 Feature Update: Bomb Range - 20231102

"Halloween" - something that where I come from wasn't something special but now my godson insist it is to be celebrated by tons of loot for him and his friends - has come and gone. A few weeks ago, that same loot-demanding godson of mine spent some time with me where he discovered his interest in flight sims (probably being attracted by the VR headset and imposing HOTAS setup). After he learned to fly the Hawg (inside a freightingly short time span), he demanded to learn how to (of course) blow stuff up. 

I proceeded to build a bombing range, which he entirely disregarded and gleefully proceeded to lay waste to Nevada, scoring - with remarkable precision - some direct hits on feature land marks that shall not be named.

Still, the code for the bomb range was solid. I refined it, and packaged it into a brand now drop-in module: Now you can build a bomb range, with full scoring, persistence, and ultra-precise impact point calculation within a minute flat: import the module, put down the target zone, and you are done. the new bombRange module supports all modules, is fully multiplayer capable, persists your statistics (when you add the persistence module) and sports its own UI (via communication). Give it a whirl - it helped me to dramatically improve my (still not finely tuned) Huey hydra skills, so maybe it can do something for you as well.

This update also includes some other changes and updates; I have begun (after some pointed prodding - which is appreciated  ) revisiting older parts of the 'shock block' to update crusty parts to correctly reflect newer DML technologies that the modules already have, but aren't reflected in the docs.
Also, another, currently undocumented, module 'TDZ' has joined the ranks. It's also a training drop-in, also inspired by my greedy godson's antics and that I'm hoping to finish with one of the next updates.

And here are the changes in full:

Manual 

    Main
        - reworked rndFlags 
        - added markers where I intend to update in the future 
        - (new) bombRange documentation 
        - (new) bombs away demo documentation 
        
    
    QuickRef
        - (new) bombRange 
    
    
Demos
    - (new) bombs away demo (bomb range)

Modules
    - bombRange 1.0.0
        - initial release 
        
    - cfxNDB 3.0.0
        - dmlZones OOP upgrade 
        
    - objectSpawnZones 2.0.0 
        - code clean-up 
        - dmlZones OOP upgrade 
        
    - cfxZones 4.0.9
        - many polyzone improvements
        - code clean-up 
        - new markXXXwithObject
        
    - csarManager 2.3.1
        - OOP upgrade 
        - new onRoad attribute 
        - rndLoc support 
        - triggerMethod support 
        - additional minor abilities 
        
    - dcsCommon 2.9.5 
        - new bearing2degrees()
        - new distanceOfPointToLine()
        
    - delayFlags 1.4.0
        - OOP upgrade 
        - new delayLeft# attribute 
        
    - mxObjects (still experimental)
    
    - radioMenu 2.1.1
        - fix to outMessage 
        
    - TDZ (undocumented, pre-release)
    
Enjoy,

-ch

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by cfrag

[Panthir]

Many thanks for your effort cfrag. 

[DD_Friar]

Salute @cfrag many thanks for all your hard work on this. It is starting to make my mission building easier.

Regards

DD_Friar

@cfrag

You just need to update the version in the first post. Link is good to 1.4.7 but description says previous one.

Will I need to replace any modules with new code? in my missions

[TCW_Rickske]

Hey there,

I'm trying to use the clonezone's to spawn some client controlled planes on an carrier, as you may have guessed, these plane are not native to carrier operations and therefor DCS doesnt allow me to spawn there directly.

Is there any way to have me and my friends Mosquito's spawn in on the carrier?

[cfrag]

2 minutes ago, TCW_Rickske said:

I'm trying to use the clonezone's to spawn some client controlled planes on an carrier,

Currently, DCS does not allow you to spawn player-controlled aircraft dynamically, you have to place all player controlled aircraft with ME.