Mission file format

[33 309th_Hedgehog]

Writing flight plans manually is real hard work:

 

The data is entirely contained in the mission file. I think about writing a tool for printing out flight plans for every machine (should be selectable).

 

Does anybody have some information of the internal format of the mis files?

[GGTharos]

It's XML wrapped in an OLE container.

[33 309th_Hedgehog]

Quick reply, thanks.

 

I'm til now no Windows programmer. Any hint (kind of statement) to handle (open/ read out) that OLE container - for further reading?

I do not ask for code, just for a kind of push to find the right direction I have to go.

 

If this does not work I found out, that you can strip the leading binary data til the 'LockOn_Mission' tag to get the XML data

[jabog32_zillion]

aehmmm...

 

GGTharos... could you provide us with some more information about this object linking and embedding technology... we are so helplessly surrendered to general google research that we do not quite know where to start...

 

any help appreciated...

 

zillion

 

edit: I'm trying to make a mission editor that snaps waypoints to the navaids and fixes that i added to my atc tool and exports a kneeboard texture which lists them falcon4 style...

[SwingKid]

OLE... Is THAT what it is? Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Where did you learn that? I've been asking ED for a clue for years. It seemed to me, that even THEY didn't know. :)

 

The binary "container" allows the mission text to be combined with user input data if it's a track file, world state result data if it's a campaign file, or both if it's a saved mission. The "container" format is similar (but not identical) for all four - .mis, .trk, .cmp and .sav. So, you can "fly" a .trk file almost as if it was a normal mission, since it includes the xml mission as part of the combined file. The data is broken up into 512-byte "chunks" and the binary container contains data about their quantity, location, and sequence.

 

I tried to copy this container by using my own code for SkyWars2, but it's very complicated and, I think, crude. Unfortunately, the OLE container changes, depending on how much data is actually contained in the file. I think Pat01 might have developed a better system, for his mission-randomizer tool.

 

-SK

[GGTharos]

Yep, it's an OLE...that's why, if you mod the mission and don't maintain the same number of characters (ie bytes) it breaks ;)

 

In any case, I -believe- the way to open it is to use MFC calls.

[jabog32_zillion]

that's strange... because i copied the ole wrapper of a big mission (30+ units) with a hex editor to a quite empty mission (6 planes, no waypoints) and it still worked...

 

The header seems to work on all missions i apply it to so far...

 

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it seems to me the only reason ED wraps the xml file is the need to interact with it...

 

Edit2:

 

Correction it doesn't work on all missions... but quite a few... i linked the the 3 examples here:

 

>>>MISSION<<<

 

As you can see, the

 

-original_header.mis is 46.836 Bytes

-target_original.mis is 45.056 Bytes

 

and the

 

-new_working.mis is also 45.056 Bytes

 

and working even the "header" or "wrapper" comes from a larger mission file...

[jabog32_zillion]

well... anyway all i would need is a good template mission...

 

The root of all missions the editor should create...

 

All I want is to find an automation to editing the waypoints and starting positions, converting the XZ positions from pixel coordinates on a clickable map so they are conform to real life navaids and fixes and writing an edited copy...

 

no need to copy wrappers around...

 

PS:

Even 33| 309th_Hedgehog only wanted to create a flight plan app, from what i know from our forum, he would also be glad to have such a tool... Maybe it would also be possible to position su33's correctly on the carrier and use the same waypoints for multiple planes...

 

If anyone wants help us feel welcome... :)

[SwingKid]

well... anyway all i would need is a good template mission...

 

The root of all missions the editor should create...

 

I don't think we are communicating very well.

 

If all you need is a mission file, then go ahead, create one with the mission editor. What are you asking for?

 

Be advised that for mission files larger than 64 kB and smaller than 8 kB, you will start to notice significant changes in the file format that there is no "template mission" to cover them.

 

-SK

[jabog32_zillion]

yes, seems like we are not communicating very well indeed.

 

But great idea, I never thought about that, why not make one using the mission editor ?

 

Anyway, hope you will be lucky and successfull in whatever you are trying to do...

 

regards

 

Zillion