DML - Video Tutorials

[cfrag]

So you are scratching your head, wondering if DML is for you? Saw the manual and ran? Saw the Quick Ref and blanched?

Fear not, intrepid Mission Designer - here's something to calm your nerves: 

DML Video Tutorials are here

In these videos, my dulcet voice and heavy Kraut accent will hopefully help you to get into DML more quickly than ever. 

I'll list the Tutorials here in the order that should give you the quickest boost - and that is not necessarily the order in which I post them. Since it takes a rather long time and a lot of effort to create these tutorials, I'll post each tutorial individually, whenever I manage to finish one. Perhaps come back here now and then to see if I added anything.

 

T010 - Fundamentals - using modules

How to use trigger zones to control where, how and when modules should do something for you

Link to T010 - Setting the Stage.miz  

 

T020 - Fundamentals 2: Controlling Modules

How to use flags to make one module tell another module to start working. Includes a brief explanation WTF Flags are and why you should care. 

Link to T020 - We DID start the fire.miz  

 

T030 - Spawning on Demand

This Tutorial demonstrates how to quickly build a training mission from  clone zones and a radio menu that can spawn enemies on demand, and even randomize the enemy spawn.

Link to mission - T030

 

T040 - Using Drop-In functionality (CSAR, Air Traffic, Helo Troops, etc...)

In this video, we explore how easy it is to add big-ticket DML features ('functional drop-ins') to your mission in very short time (usually less than a minute). 

The tutorial demonstrates this by adding CSAR (combat search and rescue) ability to a mission. You'd follow the same steps to add CSAR ability to your own missions - existing or new ones.

This is part I (adding basic functionality and testing it). Part II discusses working with that CSAR module.

Download link for the mission file: T040 - Helo Rescue Action

 

T045 - Full Feature Drop-Ins, Part II 

In the second part of this demo, we'll add hand-crafted CSAR missions, randomize them, add Sea-CSAR, and finally allow players to create CSAR missions on demand. Of course, we test throughout mission creation - which is why this video takes 20 minutes, when it would usually take you 5 minutes max.

Download link (tbd)

 

How To Add DML To A Mission

A short video demonstrating how you would add modules to a mission to add DML capability. This video illustrates this by showing how you add the two modules "common" and "zones" - an easy choice since every DML-enhanced mission uses them. 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by cfrag

[MAXsenna]

This is awesome! 

Any reason you flag this as kids content? Can't subscribe to notifications then.  

[cfrag]

  On 9/9/2022 at 4:14 PM, MAXsenna said:

Any reason you flag this as kids content?

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Because using DML is child's play  - I didn't know that 'kids' settings had restrictions. Changed it to 'not kids'.

 

[cfrag]

Part two of the DML "Fundamentalks"

I talk to myself about how modules can tell other modules to do stuff. Also inside: a possible answer to the perennial question "WTF is a flag, and more to the point, why the heck should I care?" 

 

Edited September 10, 2022 by cfrag

[cfrag]

DML - Spawning on Demand

This Tutorial demonstrates how to quickly build a training mission from  clone zones and a radio menu that can spawn enemies on demand, and even randomize the enemy spawn.

 

[Vigo68]

is possible not to show the load module message at the start?

Edited September 28, 2022 by Vigo68

[cfrag]

  On 9/28/2022 at 10:09 PM, Vigo68 said:

is possible not to show the load module message at the start?

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Yes. Simply add a "Message To All" Action after the last module SCRIPT command, with clear view checked. That erases everything that was on the screen until that point.

-ch

Edited September 29, 2022 by cfrag

[BuxtonHouse]

Is there away to remove or change the colour of the smoke?

im planning to have it where a blue player enters the trigger, the centre will be Blue and when a red player enters it will be Red

 

annndd for cfxOwnedZones - is it only ground units that it will work to cap zones ?

Edited September 29, 2022 by BuxtonHouse

[cfrag]

  On 9/29/2022 at 4:38 PM, BuxtonHouse said:

s there away to remove or change the colour of the smoke?

Expand  

Not while the mission is running, it stays the same color. As a work-around, you can place a differently colored smoke zone next to it, and trigger if with a different flag

... and I'll add the ability to end the smoke effect, but it may take a few minutes for the smoke to peter out.

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by cfrag

[BuxtonHouse]

  On 9/29/2022 at 5:29 PM, cfrag said:

Not while the mission is running, it stays the same color. As a work-around, you can place a differently colored smoke zone next to it, and trigger if with a different flag

... and I'll add the ability to end the smoke effect, but it may take a few minutes for the smoke to peter out.

 

 

Expand  

okay!   thank you for the fast reply man!

 

[EvMstein]

Thank you for your efforts and hard work!

[cfrag]

T040 - Using Drop-In functionality (CSAR, Air Traffic, Helo Troops, etc...)

In this video, we explore how easy it is to add big-ticket DML features ('functional drop-ins') to your mission in very short time (usually less than a minute). 

The tutorial demonstrates this by adding CSAR (combat search and rescue) ability to a mission. You'd follow the same steps to add CSAR ability to your own missions - existing or new ones.

This is part I (adding basic functionality and testing it). Part II discusses working with that CSAR module.

 

Download link for the mission file: T040 - Helo Rescue Action

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by cfrag

[cfrag]

T045 - Full Feature Drop-Ins, Part II 

In the second part of this demo, we'll add hand-crafted CSAR missions, randomize them, add Sea-CSAR, and finally allow players to create CSAR missions on demand. Of course, we test throughout mission creation - which is why this video takes 20 minutes, when it would usually take you 5 minutes max.

Link to mission: here

Edited March 31, 2023 by cfrag

[Panthir]

For DML users, in terms of simplicity I would like to suggest to place all modules in a folder e.g C:\DML. 

Then, instead of copying - pasting each one of the module text to a DO SCRIPT trigger, you create the following text and you copy it to a DO SCRIPT e.g

dofile("C:\\DML\\dcsCommon.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxZones.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxCommander.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\countDown.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxOwnedZones.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\pulseFlags.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\xFlags.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxNDB.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxPlayer.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\nameStats.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cargoSuper.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\limitedAirframes.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\csarManager.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\autoCSAR.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxPlayerScore.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\cfxPlayerScoreUI.lua")
dofile("C:\\DML\\messenger.lua")

Now every time that DML modules are updated, you just paste them in C:\DML folder and there is no need to change anything in mission, as far as each time you load the mission it gets the modules from C:\DML.

   

 

[cfrag]

If you follow @Panthir's kind advice and intend to publish that mission, or run it on a server, remember to 'build'/'finalize' it into a stand-alone mission before you publish it; above script will load the most recent version of the script at runtime from local storage, which may not be available on a server or at another user. Such an 'unbuilt' version will only run on your machine or identically set up server.

-ch 

[Amarok_73]

  On 4/13/2023 at 12:04 PM, cfrag said:

remember to 'build'/'finalize' it into a stand-alone mission before you publish it;

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That's why I love so much Total Commander with it's capablity to work on archive files like the normal files and directories structure.
Just few keypresses and I am in the MIZ file, able to edit any of the files within, or replace them with the newer versions.
I can't imagine working on computer without the TC.

[shredder176]

Hi all,

How to I implement a counter (not countdown) to my mission? My counterConfig uses count? to track an enterZone! output but I'm always getting 0 counts in my countOut! output somehow. TriggerCount and Countmethod is left as default. Appreciate any advise please.

thanks in advance

[cfrag]

Hey, I'm sure we can figure this out quickly. Can I trouble you to ask the question here (main DML thread) as not to derail this tutorial thread, or simply PM me with the question?

Thanks,

-ch

 

[SC_SquadCentral]

Is there a flow chart for the modules to give a visual of what is needed to make the zone work ?

[cfrag]

  On 1/26/2025 at 3:26 PM, SC_SquadCentral said:

Is there a flow chart for the modules to give a visual of what is needed to make the zone work ?

Expand  

There's a manual that comes with DML, with detailed information for each attribute for each zone.