Something new has been added.

[FastCargo]

You know, I just tried something to see if it would work.

 

It does.

 

 

 

No new LODs, meshes, etc. All ini edits only. No messing with clip distances either.

 

FastCargo

[Fubar512]

Now, all we need is animation, and a sound effect. Imagine if, after screwing up a bombing run, your copilot swivels his head, stares you down, and then, in the Terminator's voice, says "Get Out..."

[malibu43]

Desperately needed for the F-111, A-6, and even A-1E! Was this just a tease, or are you gonna divulge your secret?

[The_Editor]

Excellent news.

[FastCargo]

Not a tease...it's actually pretty easy. I just want to check a few things first.

 

FastCargo

[pablo10692]

That cockpit is for wich aircraft?

[FastCargo]

F-111 cockpit.

 

FastCargo

[Silverbolt]

cool,did you used Lex method?

[FastCargo]

Read the very first post in the thread carefully...I did not use the Lexx method.

 

FastCargo

[+ST0RM]

Just great. Another person next to me that can b*tch at me when my driving isnt good enough ;)

 

Seriously, looks great.

 

Storm

[+Jarhead1]

Read the very first post in the thread carefully...I did not use the Lexx method.

 

FastCargo

 

 

No new LODs, meshes, etc. All ini edits only. No messing with clip distances either.

 

 

 

 

 

You mean that part? LOL

[FastCargo]

Alrighty folks, here's the method....its REALLY simple.

 

First, a disclaimer. This will ONLY work with WOI. This will not work for SFP1/WOV/WOE as of right now.

 

1. Go into your data.ini of the particular aircraft and look for the entries for the pilot you want visible. As an example:

 

[Fuselage]

ModelNodeName=fuselaje

ShowFromCockpit=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=TRUE

CLa=0.1677

CD0=0.0164

Cm0=0.0008

Cmq=-1.1180

Cmad=0.4526

Cyb=-0.1990

CLaMachTableNumData=7

CLaMachTableDeltaX=0.40

CLaMachTableStartX=0.00

CLaMachTableData=1.000,1.000,1.000,1.042,1.183,1.319,1.399

CD0MachTableNumData=7

CD0MachTableDeltaX=0.40

CD0MachTableStartX=0.00

CD0MachTableData=0.982,1.000,1.099,2.186,3.954,2.130,6.771

CmqMachTableNumData=7

CmqMachTableDeltaX=0.40

CmqMachTableStartX=0.00

CmqMachTableData=1.000,1.000,1.000,30.735,32.389,35.516,37.828

StructuralFactor=1.5

MinExtentPosition=-1.40,-7.54,-1.17

MaxExtentPosition= 1.40, 5.66, 1.06

CollisionPoint[001]=-1.40, 5.66,-0.91

CollisionPoint[002]= 1.40, 5.66,-0.91

CollisionPoint[003]= 1.23,-3.74,-1.17

CollisionPoint[004]=-1.23,-3.74,-1.17

CollisionPoint[005]= 0.00,-7.54, 0.50

CollisionPoint[006]= 1.21, 5.66, 0.53

CollisionPoint[007]=-1.21, 5.66, 0.53

DamageRating=DESTROYED

SystemName[001]=Engine1

SystemName[002]=Engine2

SystemName[003]=FuselageFuelCell2

SystemName[004]=FuselageFuelCell3

SystemName[005]=FuselageFuelCell4

SystemName[006]=FuselageFuelCell5

SystemName[007]=FuselageFuelCell6

SystemName[008]=Tailhook

SystemName[009]=Airbrake

SystemName[010]=LeftMainGear

SystemName[011]=RightMainGear

SystemName[012]=TopFuselageLight

SystemName[013]=SwingWings

SystemName[014]=BottomFuselageLight

SystemName[015]=RightFuselageLight1

SystemName[016]=LeftFuselageLight1

SystemName[017]=RightFuselageLight2

SystemName[018]=LeftFuselageLight2

SystemName[019]=ECMStation

SystemName[020]=CoPilot

 

Note the change to the Component in bold. And note in italics where the SystemName entry for the Copilot is at.

 

Now, go down the file and look for your pilot entries:

 

[Pilot]

SystemType=PILOT_COCKPIT

SetCockpitPosition=TRUE

Position=-0.3785,4.9695,0.9851

SeatModelName=seat_f-100

SeatPosition=-0.3785,4.8695,0.5553

canopynodename=CanopyFrameLeft

SeatID=1

 

[CoPilot]

SystemType=PILOT_COCKPIT

SetCockpitPosition=TRUE

Position=0.3785,4.9695,0.9851

SeatModelName=seat_f-100

Canopynodename=CanopyframeRight

SeatPosition=0.3785,4.8695,0.5553

SeatID=2

 

Note the change in bold. The SeatID denotes where the pilots are...with SeatID=1 is you.

 

Now, go into your cockpit.ini and look for this entry:

 

[CockpitSeat001]

ModelName=F-111_cockpit

Offset=0.0,0.0,0.0

//Position=0.0,4.437,0.658

Position=-0.3785,5.500,0.9851

ViewAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

MaxYaw=152

MinYaw=-152

MaxPitch=90

MinPitchFront=-50

MinPitchRear=-20

LightRange=1.5

LightInnerConeAngle=53

LightOuterConeAngle=60

LightAngles=0.0,-35.0,0.0

DiffuseLightFactor=0.5

NightLightOn=0.4

NightLightColor=0.2,0.2,0.6

Gunsight=GunsightFront

OpenCockpit=TRUE

 

Again, note the change in bold. That's the secret for WOI...it uses some code from First Eagles...including this one.

 

You may have to juggle the position of the cockpit (in italics) to get the pilot to 'fit' right.

 

Also, part of the ejection seat may be in the cockpit too. An option is to make the ejection seat a separate 'pilot', attached to a component that is not visible from the cockpit.

 

Enjoy having a new guy in the cockpit with you!

 

FastCargo

[Lexx_Luthor]

THANKS FC

 

The WoI "open cockpit" method: is that a standard in FE, and do the WW1 modders use it? My guess is they have to, or they have to re-model almost the entire WW1 aircraft for cockpit use. For WW1 planes, most of the airplane was visible from the cockpit. F4U Corsair had in-cockpit "wings" made to replace the external model's wings to get around the impossibility of correct player positioning in TK's original method while preserving prop disc out front.

 

I think its no coincidence that TK's original method of cockpit/player positioning corresponded to the era in military aviation -- roundabout 1960 -- when the least amount of airplane was visible from the cockpit, and where incorrect player cockpit positioning would not be easily noticed.

[FastCargo]

It doesn't surprise me...back then, CPU power was significantly less. TK's approach was a good one for the time. Now that CPU/GPU is so much more, a lot more of the external model can be used for cockpits without a significant frame rate hit.

 

Also, something interesting while I was testing. I thought about using pilots as weapons (specifically, non jettisonable fuel tanks) instead of within in the data.ini. The interesting thing about the 'weapons' approach is that A)you could add and subtract pilots within the weapons loading screen...perfect for two seaters that only NEED one pilot...up to you to add to as you see fit without diving into the data.ini and B) unlike a pilot, whose angle of direction cannot be changed...a weapon can be mounted facing anywhere. Perfect for older aircraft where you need side and tail gunners...

 

FastCargo

[Lexx_Luthor]

Does the WW1 sim out-of-box, and the FE modders, use the new open cockpit method as a standard now?

[kct]

Lexx: FE is what started this, as far as I am getting the impression.

[Lexx_Luthor]

Lexx: FE is what started this, as far as I am getting the impression.

Right. Is the open cockpit method being used by FE modders as a standard now? Do they insert instrument panels inside the external model? Is that how TK did it in stock FE? If so, there's hope that this can be applied to a future generation of jet and WW2 prop mods in TK's sim, over the long term.

 

I figure basic instrument panels can be made for aircraft that have extra 3D detail in the pilot compartment. This would ease the pain of cockpit makers...although some of that pain would be transferred to external aircraft modellers.

[kct]

That we have to ask those doing mods for FE :/ . Funny that I have seen something like this for cockpits...except that it was a racing sim of sorts (NFS Porsche Unleashed), they have the instrument panels modeled into the external model itself, the only problem is that they lost some detail (that was due to hardware limitation of those times...).

Edited September 22, 2008 by kct

[Gr.Viper]

In FE working instrments are still in pits Not literally - the compass for Fokker Eidecker was fitted onto the wing: the cockpit instrument model was placed outside the pit and looked as if it were on the wing model. Naturally it wasn't working on external views.

You could make a high quality static instrument panel on external model and then insert all the gauges and arrows for cockpit view, I suppose.

[Lexx_Luthor]

That we have to ask those doing mods for FE :/ . Funny that I have seen something like this for cockpits...except that it was a racing sim of sorts (NFS Porsche Unleashed), they have the instrument panels modeled into the external model itself, the only problem is that they lost some detail (that was due to hardware limitation of those times...).

Right. A-Team has a fairly recent F-84 setup: a Kesselbrut dedicated F-84G instrument panel inside RussoUK's F-84G external model. This may be the FIRST lab experiment at doing this among the *real* SF modders.......my amatuer hacks are all based on the work the real 3D artists here.

 

Now, the original Russo F-84G model detail is NOT specifically optimized for this, although it has enough crew compartment 3D detail so it is GOOD for this. I figure in the future, external models can be higly optimized for this method, making "cockpits" more widely available. Basically, it blurs the distinction between the traditional industry standard "cockpit" and "aircraft model" dichotomy found in The Sims.

 

In real aircraft, cockpits are not "seperate" things from the aircraft, they are part of the aircraft. Since doing my stargetic hacks, I've found that if I fly "normal cockpit" like I'm supposed to, I have a detached feeling from the aircraft, not part of the aircraft, not inside the aircraft. Inside the cockpit yes -- inside the aircraft NO!

 

But with the stargetic or "open cockpit" method, I "feel" inside the aircraft. I NEVER REALIZED THIS until I started flying inside external models. I can't go back now. As Darth Vader might say...its too late for me now.

[gbnavy61]

Any chance we could make this guy better-looking, smarter and then throw him in the right seat of an Intruder?

[FastCargo]

I gave you the tools to do it yourself. There are better pilot models out there.

 

FastCargo

[jtin]

FastCargo,

 

That's an interesting idea with the open cockpit... opens up a whole new possibility of "modding" cockpits to make new cockpits without a whole new .lod (removing components and now adding in components)

 

In regard to your comment on pilots as weapons:

 

I thought about using pilots as weapons (specifically, non jettisonable fuel tanks) instead of within in the data.ini. The interesting thing about the 'weapons' approach is that A)you could add and subtract pilots within the weapons loading screen...perfect for two seaters that only NEED one pilot...up to you to add to as you see fit without diving into the data.ini and B) unlike a pilot, whose angle of direction cannot be changed...a weapon can be mounted facing anywhere. Perfect for older aircraft where you need side and tail gunners...

 

The only downside to this is that AFAIK, there is no way to assign an animation to a weapon that is only sitting on the pylon; that is that there wouldn't be the head turning animation. IIRC, adding pilots as weapons (and also a couple effects) was how the ejecting pilot was done a while back. A "pilot-rocket" could be fired straight up in an ejection. (although if the player presses CTRL-J, there would be interesting results) :)

[FastCargo]

Yea, when I first tested the opencockpit parameter using the weapon technique , I knew that we'd lose the head swivel animation. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal for those who want a copilot. However, for things like side and tail gunners, I don't think guys would care anyway. By using the 'NoJettisonTank=TRUE' parameter, you couldn't 'punch' them off. However, that would only work if they were designated as fuel tanks.

 

Hehe, using them as 'rocket'...not a bad idea! You could even animate the whole man seat sep sequence including a chute.

 

But it wouldn't count as an ejection by the game engine...your plane would fly on without a pilot....plus you'd have to 'arm' the seat by selecting it...

 

It's an interesting concept though!

 

FastCargo

[Wilches]

WOW!!! This is a milestone discovery!! Works like magic with my Razban´s A-1E!! Next step is the A-6s! Thanks buddies!!