Making the extracted mission file readable?

[Speed]

Hey guys,

I've been exploring extracting the .miz file and changing the mission file to try to see what hidden things might exist in DCS. So far, I have been unable to do anything other than place units where I want- even on water, but I'd still like to find out if, for example, I can spawn helos on the flight deck of a destroyer. I just failed trying to make an oil platform you can rearm and refuel at (come on ED, how much extra coding would that have taken? :(), but anyway... I have and repeatedly run into this issue.

 

Some of the time, when you extract a .miz file and read the mission file in notepad, it is nice and readable and looks like this:

 

 

HOWEVER, most of the time, when you view the mission file, it looks like this unreadable mess:

 

SO, has anyone figured out a way or know of a way to make the mission file look like the first picture, or why it usually comes out looking like the bottom example, and how to prevent that?

[STP Dragon]

To get a Ka-50 on a carrier:

 

Open:

Ka-50\Scripts\Database\helicopters\ah-1w.lua

 

Copy:

       LandRWCategories =
       {
           [1] =
           {
               CLSID = "{05708AED-329E-41c3-9C51-9CCE4AA09380}",
               Name = "Carrier",
           }, -- end of [1]
       }, -- end of LandRWCategories

 

and

 

       TakeOffRWCategories =
       {
           [1] =
           {
               CLSID = "{05708AED-329E-41c3-9C51-9CCE4AA09380}",
               Name = "Carrier",
           }, -- end of [1]
           [2] =
           {
               CLSID = "{62BA70C0-33E4-4cdb-89D8-9AB1D30ABF5D}",
               Name = "HelicopterCarrier",
           }, -- end of [2]
       }, -- end of TakeOffRWCategories

 

 

Open:

Ka-50\Scripts\Database\helicopters\ka-50.lua

 

and paste it to the right place. :thumbup:

 

ATTENTION!

There is only ONE (1) joining-place on the carrier!

If two pilots are joining at the same time, the Ka-50 will crash together.

[Case]

SO, has anyone figured out a way or know of a way to make the mission file look like the first picture, or why it usually comes out looking like the bottom example, and how to prevent that?

 

Yes. Instead of regular notepad, use notepad++. Here's an even better tip: select the LUA from the language drop down box and you will even get syntax highlighting.

 

Now I could go into the debate that actually, you should use emacs, but I don't want to start another flamewar :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case you were wondering, this says it all really:

 

And yes, you're a nerd if you actually know what the strip was about :smilewink: