mod conflict Missing Tank Engine Sounds - Fix

[DD_Friar]

Salute,

Having only recently started playing with the tanks in the Combined Arms module I discovered that I did not have any vehicle engine sounds in a large number of vehicles eg, the Abrams MBT, WW2 Sherman Firefly. So, I set about finding the cause. It turns out that this issue is caused by installation of certain mod planes and the sound file structure they use. The A4-E, Bronco and UH60 Blackhawk helicopter are three so far that been identified as culprits but there may be others.

Planes such as the T-45 Goshawk and Phantom mods use a different method and they do not seem to be a cause. Ships also do not seem to be a conflict.

If you discover an aircraft that is not included below, check the file structure and if it is the same as what I describe below, this same fix hopefully should work.

When I set about finding the solution to this issue I contacted the development teams of the A4-E and the Bronco and a big shout out to 08jne01 Joshua Nelson from A4-E dev team who responded quite quickly with a fix. It was through this fix that I was able to work out how to transport the fix to other aircraft.

I would also like to give a shout out to my squad mate DD_Sid who also assisted in getting this solution together.

The fixes are very simple but do involve the renaming of one file and the editing of one file per aircraft (I used NotePad - other editors are available) so you may want to do a quick back up if you feel uncertain about editing the files.

Please find below the steps required, as I say, if you have any other installed mod aircraft and still do not have vehicle sounds after completing these steps, check out the files and you should be able to replicate the changes I describe here on those.

Please add a post if you do find another aircraft that this change works for.

The fixes have been tested on 3 individual set-ups plus a server where the A4-E and Bronco are mandatory mods on our server (www.dangerdogz.com why not come and check us out, we are a fun group with no set rules about flying. We play DCS on Monday and Thursdays in the evening UK time from about 19:30 until 23:00 approx). We also fly GBS on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Please Note

I am not some coding guru so can not answer any questions other than what I have described below. These fixes were worked out via a desire to resolve the issue and a curious mind.

Use the steps below for each applicable aircraft. I reiterate, this fix only applies to aircraft that use files within the "Sounders" folder. If you have an aircraft that does not use the files listed below and can fully prove that the plane still causes an issue for you, please let the community know. 

Testing Notes

DD_Sid when testing has reported back that the engines sounds when flying the Bronco do not now seem as loud as before the fix and also lack sound bass resonance. If anyone reading this knows more about this (anyone from the Bronco devs perhaps?) and can contribute I am sure the community would be grateful.

EDIT: Please see following post for solution to this issue.

Fix

Navigate to your DCS "Saved Games" folder. The default location will be on the "C:" drive under users and your name. You may have moved yours.

When there, open the "DCS" folder.

Open the "Mods" folder.

Open the "aircraft" folder.

Within this folder will be all the folders for your installed mods. You may also have some folders that relate to saved custom views for example. When these fixes were being tested on one of our squad mates he had a Spitfire folder and that was because he had saved his cockpit view.

A4-E

Open the "A-4E-C" folder.

Open the "Sounds" folder.

Open the "Sounders" folder.

Rename the "Tools.lua" to be "A4Tools.lua"

Open the "Aircraft" folder.

Open the "Engines" folder".

Edit the file called "J52P8.lua" with notepad or similar.

Edit the first line which says dofile("Tools.lua") to read dofile("A4Tools.lua")

Add a second line that says dofile("Curve.lua")

Save and close the file.

Bronco

Open the "BRONCO V1.08" folder

Open the "Sounds" folder

Open the "Sounders" folder

Rename the "Tools.lua" to be "OV-10ATools.lua"

Open the "Aircraft" folder

Open the "Engines" folder"

Edit the file called "T76.lua" with notepad or similar

Edit the first line which says dofile("Tools.lua") to read dofile("OV-10ATools.lua")

Add a second line that says dofile("Curve.lua")

Save and close the file.

Blackhawk

Open the "UH-60L" folder

Open the "Sounds" folder

Open the "Sounders" folder

Rename the "Tools.lua" to be "uh60l_Tools.lua" (this reads uh'sixty' lower case L)

Open the "Aircraft" folder

Open the "Engines" folder"

Edit the file called "uh60l_engine.lua" with notepad or similar

Edit the first line which says dofile("Tools.lua") to read dofile("uh60l_Tools.lua")

Add a second line that says dofile("Curve.lua")

Save and close the file.

 

Start up your game and hopefully enjoy the magnificent tank engine sounds!

Edited February 24, 2023 by DD_Friar

[DD_Friar]

Edit: We (well DD_SID) have found the cause for the lack of sound in the Bronco.

You will also need to edit another file in the "aircraft" folder

The file is called "OV-10AAircraft.lua"

Open this file in Notepad.

At the top of the file there is a line which says dofile("Tools.lua") this also needs to be changed to match the name of the Tools file as previously updated dofile("OV10-ATools.lua")

We have also noted the same file structure for the A4-E and Blackhawk so this will need to be updated as well using the example above.

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by DD_Friar

[DD_Friar]

If you have updated your system with these fixes and it works please post back and let us know.

[jonsky7]

Thanks, will definitely be trying this when I get back to my pc next week. Will report back.

[Drofseh]

Could you link a zip file with your fixes? Easier than having everyone make the edits themselves.

[draconus]

21 minutes ago, Drofseh said:

Could you link a zip file with your fixes? Easier than having everyone make the edits themselves.

You need different files for each mod. You could have the edited files zipped but you still need the Tools.lua files gone.

[DD_Friar]

@Drofseh The edits really are very simple. The method described seems to work for all mods that use the SOUNDERS structure. Once you have mastered this method, should you down load another plane in the future that is not listed here, you will have the method to correct it. If you rely on the zip file with it done for you, you would not. I am not going to download every mod plane that comes along and provide the fix. I outlined the method which has been proven to fix the issue.

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime".

Salute.

[Sid301]

4 hours ago, Drofseh said:

Could you link a zip file with your fixes? Easier than having everyone make the edits themselves.

I looked at doing the changes as a JSGME Mod Enabler install but it wouldn't work because after the JSGME process I was still left with the original 'Tools.lua' file that prevented the fix from working. @Draconus is correct and I am not aware of any method in JSGME that removes files. 

DD_Sid

[draconus]

3 minutes ago, Sid301 said:

I am not aware of any method in JSGME that removes files

I found this, didn't test.

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=248450

[Sid301]

1 minute ago, draconus said:

I found this, didn't test.

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=248450

Thanks Draconus, I will test

[ASW]

I edited only A4E and the tank sounds appeared.

[Sid301]

10 minutes ago, ASW said:

I edited only A4E and the tank sounds appeared.

That's great! Is that because you only have the A4E installed? Do you have any other aircraft mods?

[Eight Ball]

Thank you very much for this fix!

[ASW]

5 часов назад, Sid301 сказал:

That's great! Is that because you only have the A4E installed? Do you have any other aircraft mods?

 

[DD_Friar]

@ASW Thank you for this list as it helps build up a picture of which mods break the tanks sounds and which ones are OK.

[ASW]

2 часа назад, DD_Friar сказал:

Thank you for this list as it helps build up a picture of which mods break the tanks sounds and which ones are OK

From this list, only A-4. Tanks have not had sounds for several months. I thought it was a bug of the game, but I accidentally found your message today.

[Drofseh]

18 hours ago, DD_Friar said:

@Drofseh The edits really are very simple. The method described seems to work for all mods that use the SOUNDERS structure. Once you have mastered this method, should you down load another plane in the future that is not listed here, you will have the method to correct it. If you rely on the zip file with it done for you, you would not. I am not going to download every mod plane that comes along and provide the fix. I outlined the method which has been proven to fix the issue.

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime".

Salute.

NGL I think right clicking on a folder and zipping it would be easier both for you (compared to the write ups you've done), and for the users (since they won't have to edit the files themselves and risk making mistakes). I'm not asking you do download every aircraft mod that exists, just share the files you've already done. Not sure why you're so resistant to this.

Here's one for the A-4E based on your PR to their github.

A-4E Sounders.rar

Edited February 28, 2023 by Drofseh
typo

[DD_Friar]

@Drofseh - Thank you for providing the file.

We choose to provide the explanation and method to correct the issue rather then just give the fix. 

The thread, by explaining what we had found and the solution will hopefully also help the developers from both sides of the fence (mods and official). What will be a pain if in a future release the sounds get broken again.

It gives mod developers the opportunity to perhaps look at other mods that do not break the tank sounds and see how they do it.  

[Sid301]

On 2/27/2023 at 9:04 AM, Drofseh said:

Could you link a zip file with your fixes? Easier than having everyone make the edits themselves.

Here is a zip file for the aircraft we currently know cause sound loss in some of the Combined Arms vehicles.

It fixes the missing ground vehicle sounds when one, or any combination, of the following aircraft are present in your installation:
A-4E-C Skyhawk ('A-4E-C' Community Mod)
OV10-A Bronco ('BRONCO V1.08' Community Mod)
UH-60L Blackhawk ('UH-60L' Community Mod)

Install:
Delete the 'Sounders' folder in the '\Mods\aircraft\A-4E-C, BRONCO V1.08, UH-60L(whichever you have installed)\Sounds\' folder. Unzip the file into a new backup folder. Select your aircraft folder from the new ones and copy and paste it into the 'Mods\aircraft' folder. This places the fixed 'Sounders' folder in the aircraft.

It isn't a case of us being resistant to providing a zip file, it's as DD_Friar said previously, we have found a fix for aircraft that we currently know cause an issue and have published it so that others are aware and can use the solution as they wish. We don't, and won't, have all the Community modded aircraft in our installations and don't want to be the ones that monitor this thread for other aircraft. Another reason for not providing a zip file on my part is that I am looking to provide a JSGME method so have held back. However, I'm very happy to provide a zip file.

Cheerzen

DD_Sid 

A4 Skyhawk OV10 Bronco and UH60L Blackhawk soundfix.zip

[macedk]

Worked for me. (have uh-60L) 
"Tanks"

[ANDR0ID]

I just stumbled on this... planning to integrate it with the Armed Blackhawk mod if that's ok... hopefully that will help to reach a broader audience. 

Thanks for looking into this. 

[DD_Friar]

@ANDR0ID - no problem - the more the merrier! Glad it worked for you.

[jnr4817]

Can I assume this will need to be done to the MH-60R mod, which is a mod for the UH-60L mod? If so, may I also make the changes?

[DD_Friar]

@jnr4817 - do you what you like with it! If it does the job then fine. I am afraid we will not be doing tests on all mods so please try it and if it works post back here to let others in the same position know.

[boyington2]

Not working here ... Only with UH60L, change everything as you described it but still no sound with tank (in MP server)

And as you mentionned, sounds are like without any bass and lower than before your fix. Any idea ?