Adding "invisible" laser pod

[Voyager 0]

I have already downloaded F-15E "Strike Eagle" plane. It seems this plane's 3D model has a LANTRIN pod model included. Unfortunately I must add this laser pod manually under one of its pylons to be able to use LGBs. Well, is it possible to add some routine into F15_DATA.INI file which could activate already present LANTRIN pod without "doubling" them under plane?

Edited November 26, 2006 by Voyager

[Wrench 9,792]

Super easy way to do it.

 

This is "borrowed" as an example from Dels very fun F-23 Black Widow.

 

Open the data.ini, and scroll down to either the FUSELAGE, or I reccomend the NOSE section.

At the bottom you'll see the "SystemName=" callouts.

Using the next number in sequence (ie: SystemName{005}=, SystemName{006}= , add the following

 

SystemName[***]=LaserDesignator

 

 

Add this section at the bottom of the weapons:

 

[LASERDESIGNATOR]

SystemType=LASER_DESIGNATOR

CameraFOV=2.500000

CameraPosition=0.000000,9.500000,-0.650000

CameraYaw=0.000000

CameraPitch=0.000000

CameraRoll=0.000000

PaveTackNarrow.tga

EODisplayFlags=268501249

SeekerRange=27.000000

SeekerGimbleLimit=120.000000

SearchTexture=PaveTackNarrow.tga

SightTexture=avq23sight1.tga

 

Save and close.

This will give you a built in LD without the loss of a hardpiont. It's a bit of a cheat, but what the hell, it works just fine!! :)

 

With thanks to Dels for discovering this!

 

Wrench

Kevin Stein

[Voyager 0]

Thanks a lot, Wrench! That is exactly what I need! Now my "Strike Eagle" is ready for action!

 

PS. I also suggest you to add "MER" routine at F-15E's centerline and both underwing pylons to increase weapon load up to its real capabilities, that is eleven tons of ordnance (30 Mk-117s + 4 A-A missiles).

Edited November 27, 2006 by Voyager

[arf16 0]

by "weapons", do you mean Weapon Stations? I'm trying to add this to the A-10A. Thanks

[Guest IndioBlack]

Wrench - I've managed to do this on the A-6 Intruder. But one draw-back is that once you've fired your last GBU, the Laser designator screen vanishes.

Do you always have to keep one last bullet for yourself, or do you know if there is a way round this?

 

The F-23 is really cool.

[Wrench 9,792]

Yes, the FLIR/LD target box disappears with the dropping or firing of the last weapon (Mav, LGBs, etc).

I personally don't know why, but I suspect it's something hard coded in one of the dlls. I "think" it may be that your view is from the weapons seeker head, and when the last on is gone, so is your view.

 

Anyone more knowledgeable want to weigh in on this to confirm or deny?? :)

It would be VERY nice to have the LANTIRN/FLIR stay active like in real life....maybe when the avionics80.dll comes out in a patch to be yet created/???

 

Wrench

Kevin Stein

[UF_Josse 0]

Please, what is the code to restrict angles for the camera ?

 

example, i would restrict 12 deg each side, 6 deg top and 30 bottom ?no more like in real life for my personnal project

 

Thanks in advance.... (dont want 360 view for my project ;)

[rhugouvi 0]

UF_Josse: I've been digging this designator thing for quite a while now (I've tried to turn it into a side-looking recce radar). But many fields in the WeaponsEditor (CameraAim angle, and so on) are just placeholders, TK said. So if what you try to do doesn't work, it's probably because the code is not activated yet.

Too bad... Vraiment dommage!

Edited November 29, 2006 by rhugouvi

[UF_Josse 0]

Arggghhhhhhh

 

Ok, thanks mate ;) it were a good thing to limit angle as for SU17 built in laser designator.... i dont want a snipper XR or ATLIS II, just a limited sight...... perhaps next patche ?

[+JAT81500 135]

Yes, the FLIR/LD target box disappears with the dropping or firing of the last weapon (Mav, LGBs, etc).

I personally don't know why, but I suspect it's something hard coded in one of the dlls. I "think" it may be that your view is from the weapons seeker head, and when the last on is gone, so is your view.

 

Anyone more knowledgeable want to weigh in on this to confirm or deny?? :)

It would be VERY nice to have the LANTIRN/FLIR stay active like in real life....maybe when the avionics80.dll comes out in a patch to be yet created/???

 

Wrench

Kevin Stein

 

 

Well, i did a trick that actually work.

 

I create a virtual bombbay with the allowedweaponclass= LGB.

 

Then i create a new weapon : a LGB with no 3d model, no weight, no dimension, but all the entry of a working LGB like the GBU-12. I just fix the max launch G to 0.0001.

 

By doing this this weapon can not be launched. When you drop your last real LGB, you choose the virtual one and.... Bingo ! you see your target until your laser bomb blast it.

 

When the target is destroyed, of course the lock is lost.

 

I did this to the f-19 and add my virtual weapon in the loadout.ini, so it's loaded automatically.

 

Here's the entry of my weapon bay :

[DLIR]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=3

StationGroupID=3

StationType=INTERNAL

LoadLimit=1162

NumWeapons=1

AllowedWeaponClass=LGB

AttachmentType=USAF,USN,NATO

DiameterLimit=1.15

LengthLimit=5.1

BombBayAnimationID=

BombBayOpenTime=0

BombBayCloseTime=0

MinExtentPosition=0,0,0

MaxExtentPosition=0,0,0

AttachmentPosition=0.0,0.0,0.0

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,0.0

ModelNodeName=

MovingPylon=FALSE

PylonMass=0

 

and my virtual LGB:

[WeaponData1870]

TypeName=DLIR

FullName=Downward Looking Infrared

ModelName=

Mass=0.000000

Diameter=0.000000

Length=0.000000

AttachmentType=USAF,USN

NationName=USAF

StartYear=1968

EndYear=2020

Availability=2

BaseQuantity=24

Exported=TRUE

ExportStartYear=1968

ExportEndYear=2020

ExportAvailability=2

WeaponDataType=0

RailLaunched=FALSE

Retarded=FALSE

Streamlined=TRUE

FinStabilized=TRUE

SpinStabilized=FALSE

EffectClassName=MediumBombEffects

DragAreaMultiplier=1.000000

WarheadType=0

Explosives=0.000000

FusingDistance=0.000000

ClusterBomblets=0

ClusterDispersion=0.000000

GuidanceType=4

Accuracy=70

MaxTurnRate=3.000000

MaxLaunchG=0.000010

LockonChance=80

LaunchReliability=100

ArmingTime=4.000000

SeekerFOV=30.000000

SeekerGimbleLimit=60.000000

SeekerTrackRate=20.000000

SeekerRange=15000.000000

ReleaseAnimationID=-1

EODisplayFlags=0

To be complete i create your lasedesignator entry, and another virtual bombbay with a fictive navigation pod.

 

Here's the second bombbay:

[iNS]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=4

StationGroupID=4

StationType=INTERNAL

LoadLimit=1162

NumWeapons=1

AllowedWeaponClass=DLP

AttachmentType=USAF,USN,NATO

DiameterLimit=1.15

LengthLimit=5.1

BombBayAnimationID=

BombBayOpenTime=0

BombBayCloseTime=0

MinExtentPosition=0,0,0

MaxExtentPosition=0,0,0

AttachmentPosition=0.0,0.0,0.0

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,0.0

ModelNodeName=

MovingPylon=FALSE

PylonMass=0

 

and with the same idea the virtual navigation pod:

[WeaponData1869]

TypeName=INS

FullName=Internal Navigation System

ModelName=

Mass=0.000000

Diameter=0.000000

Length=0.000000

AttachmentType=NATO,USAF

NationName=USAF

StartYear=1982

EndYear=2025

Availability=1

BaseQuantity=1

Exported=TRUE

ExportStartYear=1982

ExportEndYear=2025

ExportAvailability=0

WeaponDataType=4

StoreType=5

CameraFOV=15.000000

CameraPosition=0.000000,6.000000,0.000000

CameraYaw=-0.500000

CameraPitch=0.000000

CameraRoll=-45.000000

SightTexture=AVQ23SIGHT2.TGA

EODisplayFlags=268500992

 

Finally here's my loadout for strike missions:

Loadout[01].WeaponType=AIM-9L

Loadout[01].Quantity=2

Loadout[01].RackType=DRA_IRM

Loadout[02].WeaponType=GBU-10D

Loadout[02].Quantity=1

Loadout[03].WeaponType=DLIR

Loadout[03].Quantity=1

Loadout[04].WeaponType=INS

Loadout[04].Quantity=1

 

By this trick i have a simulated FLIR and i don't loose my target even when i'm out of weapons !!

 

Of course this can be done for other planes (F-111; A-6E TRAM...)

 

I hope it could help.

 

JAT

Edited November 30, 2006 by JAT81500

[Wrench 9,792]

Now THAT is what I call a FIX!!!

 

If you don't mind, I'd like to copy and paste that up to the Weapons Wiki for all and sundry to see and use.

It'll be a big help to all

 

Wrench

Kevin Stein

[+JAT81500 135]

It's ok for me, i'm glad to help.

 

JAT

[Voyager 0]

When the target is destroyed, of course the lock is lost.

 

What a pity! Can't you improve this?

[hellcat61 0]

Have they ever fixed the reticle bug from the latest patch? I dont get a targeting reticle when I lock a ground target. Is this fixed yet?

[+JAT81500 135]

To Voyager : i'm afraid we can not fix this, sorry.

 

To Hellcat61 : the targeting box actually exist if it's specified in the HUD section of the avionics.ini.

For example in the MF's F/A-18 the entry is HUD_LaserTarget for the LGB and HUD_MavSeeker for the EOGR. It's a green box locked to the target.

 

JAT

[+Crusader 2,082]

Have they ever fixed the reticle bug from the latest patch? I dont get a targeting reticle when I lock a ground target. Is this fixed yet?

 

.... just wait for the next patch

[Tannethal 2]

Hi there,

 

adding the Laserdesignator in the Data.ini of the A6E_TRAM works like a charm and that thing with the dummy LGB and dummy bombbay too.

 

However a small suggestion:

For the dummy LGB either increase diameter or length above the ordinary meassurements (weight certainly isn't an option isn't it?) and config the bombay accordingly. This way you can prevent the dummy from being attachable to normal LGB stations.

Additionally one should waste some thought on a nomenclature for the LGB dummy. Either some standart thingie like IR/LLTV that would fit said F111 or A6E Tram. Or do specific ones named apropriate like TRAM for the A6E and set proper availability dates and attachment types for them.

 

The whole idea is also extendable towards the late F4B J or Ns equipped with PAVE KNIFE laser designators. Although here i'd prefer to do just a dummy copy of the pave tack LD pod on a attachment point without the LGB dummy.

 

S!