ANW Forward Air strips

[+EricJ 3,929]

Started kinda in the File Announcements section, this is a little project that I figured out through use of JSF_Aggie's Highway Runway Mod for Germany CE map. So far I've gotten two to work perfect, while this one is a problem, but got it mostly fixed. I have one Friendly base to finish, so hopefully within a few days it'll be "ready" in "two weeks"

[WDH 0]

Great idea!

[Silverbolt 104]

Nice Idea!

[+EricJ 3,929]

Thanks, as it's kinda boring just taking off the normal runways and felt the valleys and could use some variety as it's got a lot of space to throw around, and looks "cool". This is Forward Air Strip 2 approach. This one is tricky for the player as the AI has a good stopping point, then dissapears, while you continue on. Damaged the aircraft (there is a slope, but really hesitant to readjust it due to it's finally "working"). Unfortunately there's no gaurantee with strips 1 and 2, as the AI well... it's the AI.

[jtin 0]

If it isn't too much work for you, I could set down airfield specific tiles and the objects could go around it (so that there is a 'runway' to aim at) sort of like JSF's original.

 

BTW, where are your trees?

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Trees make a new experience. If you have forested terrain, you can make a primitive airstrip bounded by trees.

 

Below is my first experiment. I made these for PVO airbases that may be under constant threat of long range SAC fighterbomber demolition (say, P-47N, F-105, etc...). Kinda like Luft bases in Germany were under threat from P-51s and P-47s.

 

 

These are CAStary's pine trees, stretched to approximate thin Siberian pines. Stary made me a "9-pine" tga that allows much greater number of trees with less framerate hit.

 

 

At the ends of the runway, I've cut down Stary's trees to stumps (visible here). This gives extra room for landing and takeoff.

 

 

 

 

This is new. Trying to land inside this tub of trees. It should be possible to define an invisible ground object that has collision boxes corresponding to the treeline. Several of these should be placed around the runway player plane may be damaged or destroyed if run off the runway.

[WDH 0]

I know it's TK series but,can't believe my eyes!I love the challenge in landing between trees.Ok,is this real?WOW!

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Yes, they're real.

 

Detail writeup downabit here ~> http://bbs.thirdwire.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p...=a&start=24

[+EricJ 3,929]

If it isn't too much work for you, I could set down airfield specific tiles and the objects could go around it (so that there is a 'runway' to aim at) sort of like JSF's original.

 

BTW, where are your trees?

 

I have no idea, do I need to download a tree mod? I've replaced the .tod files with the originals and no worky. And specific tiles would help out alot, but what Lexx_Luthor has works fine, since my trees don't show up and more than likely, I need to move the runways.

[+EricJ 3,929]

Obviously somethings up with my settings or it's just borked. Was thinking though jtin, if you want, I can PM what I have done already and you error check against trees so when it's "done" players aren't running into them?

[jtin 0]

The .TODs in the ANW 4 seasons by Wrench should work.

 

I was thinking more in terms of what Lexx_Luthor has; a custom runway texture (with its own .tod), as there really are only mountians and deserts, and transition tiles in ANW (or forests and mountians) and your FOB is in the middle of a forest.

 

But yeah, feel free to PM it to me.

Edited December 8, 2008 by jtin

[+EricJ 3,929]

no problem, will send it in the morning.

[+EricJ 3,929]

Unfortunately since my restore didn't include the INI files... I have to redo the whole thing, so once I get back on my feet, will send it to you jtin.

[+EricJ 3,929]

Got some good news, my reinstall somehow gave me my trees back, so I was able to error check some spots. I managed to find a fifth spot for the Alliance side, now got to hunt on the GS side. I'm sorry about the lack of sending you the files jtin, but a custom texture would be nice for this, but given the geometries and how the hills work sometime.. not sure if it's worth it?

[+Brain32 265]

LOL you have trees on my tiles but I don't have trees on my tiles, time for me to stop being lazy and do something about it lol

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Need sagebrush. The round "flight sim" trees can be made smaller, and have their trunks cut out, in the TE.

[triplethr3at 0]

is there going to be a strip or runway on these fields?

[+Baltika 84]

is there going to be a strip or runway on these fields?

 

 

Good point,

 

EricJ, Gepard's various terrains have some nice short strips that can easily be retextured to whatever you require, dirt, grass, etc, just to make the strip itself look different from the surrounding terrain.

 

e.g. in Midway terrain, look for file "runway500X20.LOD"

 

PM me if you need more detail.

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

[+EricJ 3,929]

Not really... this is JSF_Aggie's original work, so since I don't have 3DSMAX, it has to be "as is" Started working on the GS side.. Bear in mind that the INI I use is based off of Baltika's Operation Mountain Twilight, whenever I upload it, or more pointedly, remember to upload it.

[+Baltika 84]

If these are based off JSF_Aggie's Highway Runway Mod for WoE, it should be easy enough to add in a strip - just one more object in the TargetArea list :yes:

[+EricJ 3,929]

Well not sure, as there seems to be a .lod (going to work so can't look at the moment) or a target anyways, "road_runway" that I'm assuming is a non-textured or a clear texture, not sure..

[+Baltika 84]

Sorry, my fault for not explaining properly.

 

Here's the drill:

 

Go to one of Gepard's WW2 terrains, in this example I will use his Battle of Britain, latest version (1.4 I think).

 

In the main terrain folder you will find a file called "Runway500x20.LOD" which is the basic 500m x 20m airstrip. Run it through a hexeditor, you will see the associated .bmp file for the texture is "CONC1.BMP" which is a stock Thirdwire concrete texture contained in all the terrain .cat files. You can hexedit the .LOD file to call out any texture of your choice, even one you create yourself. For my WIP Kursk terrain, I have created a texture called GRASS1.BMP and hexedited the LOD to call that out for a grass airstrip.

 

You will also need the associated runway .ini file, also in the terrain folder, called: "AIRFIELD_SLB Kurz.ini"

 

Copy those two files into the ANW terrain folder.

 

Then, you need to go to the terrain_TYPES ini and find the entry for that runway LOD. In BoB terrain, it is this:

 

[TargetType140]

Name=SLB kurz <-------- This name calls out the target type in the terrain_TARGETS.ini file

FullName=Runway <-------- This name appears in game when the runway is selected as a target

ModelName=runway500x20.lod <------- This name calls out the LOD file we have been discussing

TargetType=SMALL_RUNWAY <-------- This is the Target type, obviously

ActiveYear=0

TargetValue=300

UseGroundObject=FALSE

DamagePoint=140.0

ArmorValue=0.0

ArmorType=0

RepairRate=10.0

StartDetectChance=100

StartIdentifiedChance=50

IncreaseDetectChanceKey=10

MaxVisibleDist=30000.0

ZBufferOffset=6.000000

FlatObject=TRUE

DamagedModel=

DestroyedEffect=

DestroyedModel=

SecondaryChance=0

 

 

So, you have to add that entry to the ANW terrain_types .ini.

 

You can change the names to whatever you want, so long as it calls out the correct .LOD file, eg:

 

[TargetType140]

Name=FARP1

FullName=Forward Arming and Refueling Point

ModelName=runway500x20.lod

TargetType=SMALL_RUNWAY

ActiveYear=0

TargetValue=300

UseGroundObject=FALSE

etc, etc.

 

 

Then, in the terrain_TARGETS.ini, you add the airstrip just like any other target, using airfield entries as a template, eg:

 

[TargetArea033]

Name=Vatnajokull FARP

Position=902500,728249

Radius=2000.0

ActiveYear=0

Location=11

Alignment=FRIENDLY

AirfieldDataFile=AIRFIELD_SLB Kurz.ini

NumSquadrons=1

Target[001].Type=FARP1 <---------- This entry to match the Name in your terrain_TYPES.ini file

Target[001].Offset=0.00,0.00

Target[001].Heading=90

Target[002].Type=CamonetParking

Target[002].Offset=60.00,635.00

Target[002].Heading=0.0

Target[003].Type=CamonetParking

Target[003].Offset=60.00,740.00

Target[003].Heading=0.0

Target[004].Type=CamonetParking

Target[004].Offset=60.00,820.00

Target[004].Heading=0.0

 

(The above entries are based on JSF_Aggie's Highway runway mod).

 

You can also change the name of the airfield .ini file, this file controls taxiing and parking co-ordinates, and you may want to adjust those to suit the layout of your runway. So long as the name of the airfield .ini file is called out correctly in the terrain targets.ini, you are good to go.

 

you can also change the name of the .LOD file if you want to have different runway textures for different FARPs, so long as you have an entry for each type in the terrain_TYPES .ini.

 

Well, I hope that explains it all properly. Any questions, fire away.

 

Thanks to Gepard and JSF_Aggie for giving us these fab mods to play with

Edited December 19, 2008 by Baltika

[+Baltika 84]

And here is all this put into practice, JSF_Aggie's WoE Highway runway mod transplanted to a glacier somewhere on Iceland, with Gepard's 500x20 strip re-textured for a more snow-bound look:

 

 

 

Of course, some adjustment is needed: Aggie's highway runway has two FARPS at each end of a long stretch of highway, so you really get two FARPs close together for the price of one, and his associated airfield.ini file will place your plane on either end of a long strip - much longer than 500m. I have got round this by placing three of Gepard's runways end on end, but really I need to write a new airfield .ini file which only covers one strip, or simply re-use Gepards SLB Kurz.ini, but then I would have to re-place all the targets and Aggie's template wouldn't work.

 

And, duh! That green camo net must stand out like a sore thumb on the snowfield :blush2:

 

But it is all do-able.

Edited December 19, 2008 by Baltika

[+EricJ 3,929]

Nice, I'll play with it a little bit and see what I come up with, could use a retexture too..

[jtin 0]

Looking good... that revement on the snowfield reminds me sorta of an Army recruiting ad I saw a while back. "Sometimes camoflauge is a way to be seen."

 

EricJ, I was mistaken about the trees; what I had in mind was something like the pictures that Lexx had posted earlier. I was thinking of a sea of trees (which would make landings alot more interesting).

 

Another thing with the .LODs would be that you would need to flatten the airfield or else the pavement or dirt might dip in and out of the terrain; although that isn't much of a problem. :yes:

 

If you could still send it so that I could play around with the trees, I'd appreciate it.