DML - Mission Creation Toolbox [no Lua required]

[cfrag]

5 hours ago, Los said:

Is there a way to set a limit or a trigger to deactivate a cloner zone after some period of time or set of conditions.

Yes - That's a job for the Changer module. It allows you to block the 'clone' signal based on a set of conditions. It stacks on the cloner itself so it won't clutter your mission. Make the changer's output flag *local so you can easily copy/paste such a "gated cloner".

null 

 

[Los]

Thanks! Would this changer functionality also work with Owned Zones as well? So for instance yesterday we were experimenting with a  large battle. Even though the front line is clearly visible every zone including the ones way in the rear kept on spawning forces which after some time eventually chunks out the server. We are trying to get the rear areas to stop spawning. Is there a way to do something similar to changer for owned zones as it does nicely for cloners? Thanks for you guidance.

 

 

Los

[cfrag]

20 minutes ago, Los said:

Would this changer functionality also work with Owned Zones as well?

Alas, no. Owned Zones have an automatic spawn. Although OZ are slated for an overhaul (to divorce the spawn logic from ownership), I think it should be possible to slip in some 'pause?' and 'activate' inputs that work on the existing 'paused' attribute. I'll see if and how quickly I can get this done.

Cheers,

-ch

 

[Los]

Awesome thanks

 

[cfrag]

2 hours ago, Los said:

Would this changer functionality also work with Owned Zones as well?

As promised, a new version of owned zones that support the pause? and activate? inputs. It *should* work, but my test were a bit cursory.

nullPlease let me know if this works for you.

cfxOwnedZones.lua

[Los]

Ok Thanks will given this a shot, we will share our encompassing training mission using your tools when its done. Testing so far as gone very well.

[cfrag]

Version 1.2.3

Feature Update: "ASW" 

SMOKE ON THE WATER! ASW (Sub Hunters)

"You know", my fried mused, idly swirling wine in his glass, "how come we never go sub hunting?". Since he doesn't create missions - just enthusiastically flies them - there is no way he knows that building an ASW mission in DCS is currently impossible unless you resort to scripting. I was immediately interested. So, over the rest of the evening we sketched out how this could work.  

Long story short, that is how "Troubles Deep" came into being, and the new ASW modules that now have made it to DML. Along the way, many modules received minor tweaks, and some bug fixes. 

ASW is a drop-in, ready-to-play addition that brings ASW capability to your missions, similar to how 'heloTroops' brings troop transport and 'csarManager' brings CSAR to missions. All that remains for you is to place units, a trigger zone or two to configure the various aspects - and hunt those subs before they sink your ships. Once you've looked over the new ASW chapter in DML's "shock block" (manual) and the accompanying demo "Davy Jones' Roker", take a look at how embarrassingly simple design-wise "Troubles" actually is: in addition to ASW, it adds a cloner, a pulser, a valet and some config zones. That's pretty much it. That being said, even though simple, it's loads of fun - especially when played with a friend.

Also, I'm seeing that DML adoption is picking up, and I'm grateful that people are graciously returning the favor by reporting bugs and recommend tweaks or new modules. Accordingly, this release not only sports a big new functional feature, but is also filled to the brim with small improvements and fixes.

All Changes

Manual
    Main
        - New chapter "ASW"
        - New Chapter Demo "Davy Jones' Rocker"
        - Various updates to modules 
    
    Quick Ref 
        - ASW (new)
        
Demos
    - new Davy Jones' Rocker (ASW) 
    - helo Trooper (update)
    - CSAR of Georgia (update)
    - Owned Zones ME Integration (update)
    
Audio
    - beacon beep-beep (new)
    - submarine ping (new)

Modules
    - asw 1.0.0 
        - initial version 
    
    - aswGUI 1.0.0
        - initial version 
        
    - aswSubs 1.0.0 
        - initial version 
        
    - aswZones 1.0.0 
        - initial version 
        
    - cfxCommander 1.1.3
        - improved guards for missing units 
        
    - cfxGroundToops 1.7.7 
        - improved integration with heloTroops
        - fixed 'wait' incompatibility for zone attackers 
        
    - heloTroops 2.4.0
        - support for 'wait' in zone attack orders 
        - removed cfxPlayer dependency
        - added support for groupTracker 
        - no longer applies only to helicopters 
        - supports wildcard types 
        
    - ownedZones 1.2.4
        - new pause? input 
        - new activate?
        
    - spawnZones 1.7.4 
        - 'wait' fix for orders to attack zone 
        
    - cfxZones 
        - new getLinkedUnit()
        - new createRandomPointOnZoneBoundry()
        - getPositiveRangeFromZoneProperty now also supports optional upper boundary 
        
    - changer 1.0.5 
        - small bug fix for verbosity 
        
    - civAir 1.5.2 
        - small bug fix for verbosity 
        
    - cloneZone 1.7.2
        - new attribute onPerimeter 
        
    - csarManager 2.2.1
        - troopCarrier now supports wildcard types 
    
    - dcsCommon 2.8.2
        - removed long-standing issue with string.find()
        - new isTroopCarrier() 
        - support for wildcards in troop carrier 
        - better guards for getUnitAlt()
        - new newPointAtDegreesRange()
        - new isTroopCarrierType ()
        - stringStartsWith supports case insensitive match 
        - isTroopCarrier supports "any" and "all"
        - better guards for getEnemyCoalitionFor()
        - fix for nasty bug in smallRandom when accidentally used with negative argument
        - new wildArrayContainsString()
        
    - groupTracker 1.2.2
        - new 'limbo' system to track 'virtual' units 
        
    - messenger 2.2.1
        - messenger can automatically reference linked units 
        - fixed a potential bug when verbose 
        
    - persistence 1.0.5
        - fixed a potential verbosity bug 
    
    - pulseFlag 1.3.2
        - removed a bug when pausing a pulser that has run out 
    
    - valet 1.0.2 
        - typos corrected
        - now also scans 'birth' events 
        
Enjoy,

-ch
 

Edited February 15, 2023 by cfrag

[HungryCoyote]

Just started using this. Very impressive. One thing it needs, unless I missed it, is the ability to drop smoke on a map marker. Maybe in a future update?

[HungryCoyote]

What's the trick to getting dml to work on a dedicated server? I tried with the Smoke Em demo mission to be sure it wasn't a problem with my mission. But no smoke. No messages that the Do Scripts were loading.

@cfrag

Edited February 18, 2023 by HungryCoyote

[cfrag]

23 hours ago, HungryCoyote said:

no smoke. No messages that the Do Scripts were loading

I'll check, thank you for the head-sup - there is no trick to get DML to work with dedicated servers, it works out of the box. I'll see if I find out what's up with the smoke when joining MP.

-ch

 

[HungryCoyote]

For some reason, it works in MP if hosting from the main game server but not on dedicated server.

[cfrag]

1 hour ago, HungryCoyote said:

it works in MP if hosting from the main game server but not on dedicated server.

I believe you only see this if you are also the hosting server - for the following reason:  

I've looked a bit deeper into this and it seems that DCS has a bug in which existing smoke objects in a mission are not synchronized with remote clients when they connect (if server is also local, i.e. you are hosting MP, the smoke can exist on your machine).

I've created a demo miz that on start creates smoke via a simple script, and via a trigger zone (both without DML). Local, both smokes appear, when served from a remote dedicated server, and connecting a client a few seconds after the mission starts, no smoke on the client visible. I believe that this means that when the client synchs all existing objects, the server fails to transmit the existing smoke objects, and hence no smoke on the clients. After a client connects, new smoke events are correctly synched to all connected clients.

In DML this is therefore mitigated: DML smoke zones automatically "re-smoke" after 5 minutes, so at worst, a smoke zone goes without smoke for 4 minutes and 59 seconds before the re-smoke event comes around, and then correctly starts smoke on the client (the new smoke object is correctly sent to all connected clients).

So I believe that this is a DCS issue, not a DML issue - DML works correctly on hosted servers as well (phew.. ) .

I've opened a thread in DCS Bugs, so maybe it can get fixed (since smoke only lives for 5 minutes, this self-corrects after 5 minutes max, and only affects multiplayer I doubt that this issue will receive high priority).

smoketest server manual (and zone).miz

Edited February 19, 2023 by cfrag

[HungryCoyote]

Sounds good. Thank you for looking into this.

[Los]

We have had DML working on our dedicated server.

Also I ran a quick test of the ASW mission, very nice, bringing us closer to full naval war. Currenthill.com Swedish assets pack has some very nice naval assets, controllable and manable...fun!

Probably something simple I am missing, but How can I turn off all the weapons release messages, (Its reports something like "WeaponX fired, has no waypoint") , Every time someone fires a pod of rockets it floods the screen with messages? Thanks for all the great tools!

 

Los

[cfrag]

6 hours ago, Los said:

How can I turn off all the weapons release messages, (Its reports something like "WeaponX fired, has no waypoint")

Interesting. That one looks strange to me, though. Are you sure that it's a DML message? In what context do you see that message (i.e. do you know which modules are in that mission)? If it's DML, I'm sure we can get it suppressed quickly. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by cfrag

[Los]

This is the message It comes out whenever ordinance/missiles are fired by anyone.

Edited February 20, 2023 by Los

[cfrag]

Ah, are you using willie pete?

I'll check if I left that message in there somewhere...

 

[cfrag]

Confirmed - that message should only be displayed when verbosity is turned on for WP. Once I complete testing, I'll attach an updated version here. Should be done by this evening (GMT)

Edited February 20, 2023 by cfrag

[cfrag]

7 hours ago, Los said:

This is the message It comes out whenever ordinance/missiles are fired by anyone.

it was indeed WilliePete, the module to support white phosporous rounds to mark targets for artillery.

Below please find the corrected module, and a demo mission for WP which should have been included with DML but wasn't (and will be part of the next release)

 

demo - Willie Nillie.miz williePete.lua

[Los]

Thanks cfrag!

 

 

[HungryCoyote]

Really like this tool kit but need a little help. Been studying the manual, trying to wrap my head around how it all works. Using the Pulsing Fun mission as a guide, I made a simple mission to just have continuous artillery on one zone. I am sure it is just something simple that I am missing.   simple artillery pulser.miz

[cfrag]

1 hour ago, HungryCoyote said:

I am sure it is just something simple that I am missing.

[because no shells arrive]

A pulser uses the "pulse" or "pulse!" attribute as output. So instead of 'flag' all you need to do is to enter the name for the flag that tells the artillery shells to land ("200") as value into the 'pulse' attribute:

You don't need the 'flag' attribute because pulser does not look for it. Perhaps revisit the chapter 4.4.4.4 (no joke, really that number) in the manual.

I recommend that you transition from number-based flags (like "200") to better recognizable names like "boom" or similar. It makes writing missions a lot simpler when complexity increases.

Adapted miz attached

 

 

simple artillery pulser.miz

Edited February 23, 2023 by cfrag

[HungryCoyote]

Ah, thank you. I knew it was something simple I missed.

[Los]

I have another silly question. The CSAR script works well with Aircraft, but helos that crash with survivors do not generate a CSAR. Is there any way to do that?

[cfrag]

5 minutes ago, Los said:

helos that crash with survivors do not generate a CSAR.

If they crash, everyone dies - helos have no ejection seats, and that is what saves plane pilots (and Ka-50, but I digress). Planes that crash should also not generate a CSAR.

If, on the other hand, you ditch the CSAR helo (land without exploding, and then exit the plane as player), that should create CSAR missions, one for the pilot, and one for each pilot you picked up and did not yet deliver to a safe zone. 

Well, at least those are the intended mechanics. I'll have to verify over the week-end if that is still how it works or something has gotten in the way.

Edited February 23, 2023 by cfrag