My Projects (EricJ)

[FastCargo 412]

What he said.

 

"Two weeks."

 

FC

[+EricJ 3,951]

No it's not confirmed... yet, just that trying to do last minute tweaks and other assorted stuff before it is ready.

[+76.IAP-Blackbird 3,545]

Take your time, you put so much work into this babe, I can wait... ;-)

[+EricJ 3,951]

Thanks! Got some tweaks. Pushed the Sidewinders a bit forward, got the Anti-Ship loadout started, and working on a VFA-14 Tophatters skin.

[+EricJ 3,951]

More work on the VFA-14 skin, just have to add the "VFA-14" and she'll be ready to go. I may go ahead and do the CAG as well, since Dave hooked me up with a very nicely scanned decal set he bought so since he went through so much trouble, I gotta do this one. On a release note, passed it around, and the FMs for all the birds were updated (the F was, but JAT81500 caught the mistakes) and FC is still going to tweak the ALE-50 some more so it'll be soon, but not real soon

[kct 5]

Looking absolutely fantastic. Seriously can't wait to fly the guy.

[+EricJ 3,951]

She's not that bad to fly, very responsive, and you can tell the difference between the E,F, and especially the G model's FM. JAT81500 did a real good job with the FM. Some issues before but much better now. Can't say offhand if it's anywhere near the real thing, but it's good enough And Jarhead1 and JAT81500 say it's alot easier trapping on a carrier so shouldn't be too bad. Finished the VFA-14 skin:

[+EricJ 3,951]

Just some more updates, just so you all know, for the AMRAAM double rails, once the second missile is fired, the pylons eject. I'm sure you can add a line or so to prevent that? And adding a personal touch to my bird.

[FastCargo 412]

Just some more updates, just so you all know, for the AMRAAM double rails, once the second missile is fired, the pylons eject. I'm sure you can add a line or so to prevent that? And adding a personal touch to my bird.

 

Really?

 

That's bizarre...they shouldn't do that. Or at least I don't THINK they should do that...I know that TERs/MERs don't do such a thing after they've been emptied.

 

Eric and crew, sorry I haven't said much in the way of feedback lately, I just haven't had the time to dedicate to a full scouring of the release candidates. Time with the family.

 

For others who have been monitoring the process, this is another thing to consider when having a team comprised of members not in close proximity. Schedules can sometimes be completely out of sync...where one person can get a bunch of stuff done, but others may not have the time...or vice versa, where someone is waiting twiddling their thumbs because another person hasn't been working on the project.

 

FC

[+76.IAP-Blackbird 3,545]

no prob, when its ready to go, you will release it, but until then I can wait..

[+EricJ 3,951]

Really?

 

That's bizarre...they shouldn't do that. Or at least I don't THINK they should do that...I know that TERs/MERs don't do such a thing after they've been emptied.

 

Eric and crew, sorry I haven't said much in the way of feedback lately, I just haven't had the time to dedicate to a full scouring of the release candidates. Time with the family.

 

For others who have been monitoring the process, this is another thing to consider when having a team comprised of members not in close proximity. Schedules can sometimes be completely out of sync...where one person can get a bunch of stuff done, but others may not have the time...or vice versa, where someone is waiting twiddling their thumbs because another person hasn't been working on the project.

 

FC

 

It's no biggie man, I'm not trying to press for a quick release and it be all jacked up. I'm going to test a theory and see how that works out tonight. I ran the Supa this morning in Vietnam, and it's definitely worth the ALE-50. I did a rail bridge strike, would like to show the pic but I forgot the thumb drive, but I managed to fly solo deep NE, with cycled air support (or I would have been royally screwed!) covering me, hit the ECM, deployed the -50, and dropped my JDAM, not even a lock. So it made me look back to the old days when it took 8 planes to make it on target, versus this combined with a low level ingress. Not saying you'll always get lucky, but it can make it if you push it the right way.

 

And FC, again man, family is first

[+Crusader 2,057]

Dual missile rails will only jettision after the last missile is fired from it when you have jettisioned A2G stores . As long as you arent jettision A2G stores the rails will remain on the jet.

[+EricJ 3,951]

Well that's the thing, the aircraft in the pic, an AI wingnut, had a full load of AMRAAMs (eight on the wings) and was just launching them one after the other (and no kills, what a waste!) and they kept dropping off. It was strictly configured for air to air work, and don't think FC has enough "room" to make them full pylons (like he did with the other ones), so either going to have to update the weapondata ini so it has more to compensate. Also, can't find me thumbdrive, so I'd post some pics of my CAG VFA-14 I started on, so if you can make red intake warning stickers I would be much appreciative

 

And yeah STORM, your loading pic is approved man, I have to say again, it's a very beautiful shot

[FastCargo 412]

I see it now...what happens is that when you tell the wingmen to 'Engage Air' they automatically drop any A2G ordinance...I suspect that is the culprit. Once the Slammers leave the station, the AI considers the rack a A2G device and drops it.

 

For those who don't know, the limit on weapon stations is 32 for any aircraft. That number, in combination with the increase in number of pylons and specialized rails for different weapons (AHM/SAHM/EOGR/ARM each require a different type of rail...which means just those weapons already take up 24 weapon stations) If you include centerline, wingtip, Sparrow/Slammer, and Pod stations (another 6 stations) you are already at 30 weapon stations...that's before you get into specialized hardware.

 

FC

[serverandenforcer 33]

Would this line (NoJettisionWeapon=TRUE) work to keep the pylons from jettisoning after the last missile was fired? It's sort of the same as what the F-16I has for the CFTs except their's say: NoJettisionTank=TRUE

[+EricJ 3,951]

I'll give it a shot, seems like a good idea. CAG WIP:

[+EricJ 3,951]

More progress:

[+EricJ 3,951]

Added that line you suggested serverandenforcer, and it didn't work out. So gonna have to just adjust the numbers to account for them dropping them when it's expended.

 

More Work:

[serverandenforcer 33]

Added that line you suggested serverandenforcer, and it didn't work out. So gonna have to just adjust the numbers to account for them dropping them when it's expended.

 

 

Well, another way of going about it is to build a seperate A2A pylon for it in the actual model in max, and have a weapon station specifically for that pylon setup in the data.ini file which would call for that part when armed with Sidewinders and AMRAAMs. That is the only time that when I don't see pylons dropping off.

 

Example from the F-35 data.ini

 

[LeftOuterStation]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=2

StationGroupID=5

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-5.013,-2.568,-0.141

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,45.0

NumWeapons=1

LoadLimit=300.00

DiameterLimit=0.18

LengthLimit=3.656

AllowedWeaponClass=IRM,AHM

AttachmentType=NATO,USAF

ModelNodeName=LeftOuterPylon <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< This is the part modeled in 3D max that is part of the model. It does not appear unless a weapon, under the allowed weapon class, that meets the load limit, diameter limit, length limit, and number of weapons is armed. I don't know how to go about it when you have two weapons loaded up. Perhaps you have two attachment positions and two attachment angles.

PylonMass=72.58

PylonDragArea=0.02

[+EricJ 3,951]

If I'm understanding, then it's not possible, we're outta room, the Buddy Pod, ATFLIR took up the last two slots that FC mentioned, so may have to just suffer it by doubling the amount. I know what you mean, but unless TK adds more slots, we're full.

[serverandenforcer 33]

If I'm understanding, then it's not possible, we're outta room, the Buddy Pod, ATFLIR took up the last two slots that FC mentioned, so may have to just suffer it by doubling the amount. I know what you mean, but unless TK adds more slots, we're full.

 

Roger that. I'll try to do some more brain storming on how to solve that issue.

[FastCargo 412]

SaE (sorry man, I'm too lazy to type the whole thing, besides, it looks cool...),

 

Anyway, the pylons are actually already set up like that. We have a specific weapon station for the AHM/IRM because they require a specific launch rail. An example:

 

[LeftMiddleWingStationAHM]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=17

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-3.6012,-0.6543,-0.2981

AttachmentAngles=-4.0,-3.0,0.0

LoadLimit=600.00

DiameterLimit=0.179000

LengthLimit=3.66000

AllowedWeaponClass=AHM,IRM,2IR,2AR

AttachmentType=USN,USAF,NATO

ModelNodeName=LeftMiddlePylon

PylonMass=123.8

PylonDragArea=0.03

LaunchRailNodeName=LeftMiddleAHMRail

LaunchRailHeight=0.158

 

Also, the TW engine is actually fairly clever here. If you load only one weapon, it will load it using the LaunchRail node below the pylon node. However, if you load 2 weapons, it will NOT show the single launch rail, and instead, load the dual rail setup located in the weapons folder. This saves the modeler from making an inbuilt dual launch rail model on the aircraft like the MF FA-18A. In addition, it more appropriately simulates what the real aircraft does.

 

Unfortunately, you can't tell a single weapon station to use more than one kind of launch rail, otherwise, you could combine weapon stations. For example:

 

[LeftMiddleWingStationA2G]

//SUU-63 Pylon

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=11

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-3.6136,-0.5421,-0.2964

AttachmentAngles=-4.0,-3.0,0.0

DiameterLimit=0.742

LoadLimit=1501

LengthLimit=5.181

AllowedWeaponClass=BOMB,LGB,EOGR,LGR,FT,2BR,RCKT,EOGB

AttachmentType=USN,USAF,NATO

ModelNodeName=LeftMiddlePylon

PylonMass=123.8

PylonDragArea=0.03

LaunchRailNodeName=LeftMiddleAGMRail

LaunchRailHeight=0.169

FuelTankName=Tank480_FA18EFG

 

Note that this weapon station and the one above it both use the same parent mesh (LeftMiddlePylon), but the missile type needs a different kind of rail (in real life). Which is modeled here. But, because of this reality, you now need another weapon station.

 

And this doesn't even take into account the SAHM and ARMs which, though in real life use different rails, in the TW series, are shown as non-rail launched weapons, and therefore require a whole new pylon with the 'rail' attached already:

 

[LeftMiddleWingStationARM]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=13

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-3.6160,-0.4317,-0.481

AttachmentAngles=-4.0,-3.0,0.0

LoadLimit=360.7

DiameterLimit=0.26

LengthLimit=4.17

AllowedWeaponClass=ARM

AttachmentType=USN,USAF,NATO

ModelNodeName=LeftMiddleARMRail

PylonMass=123.8

PylonDragArea=0.03

 

Note you don't see a LaunchRailNode, because the sim won't try to load it anyway. So the whole pylon with launch rail is built in MAX and loaded instead...which simulates the look of the pylon with the ARM rail 'attached'. I even made the mapping for these pylons in the exact same location on a 3rd bitmap (SHPods.bmp), so a potential skinner can 'cut and paste' his textures from one to the other with little to no massaging.

 

Sheesh...long answer to a short question.

 

Anyway, if anyone is curious, it's me primarily that's holding up the release. The last scouring of the all the text (inis, readmes, etc) requires me to have a few hours of dedicated, uninterrupted time to make sure everything looks and works right. But I'm home right now with my wife and 2 boys, so until I'm back on the road in a few days, I can't make any significant progress.

 

FC

[+EricJ 3,951]

And that's fine, it'll give me some time to get a couple more skins done

 

Also since the Readme is brought up, I'm doing one PDF for the descriptive stuff, while the weapondata.ini stuff will be a normal .txt files. I personally not too enthused about .txt files, but then again, if I want to get the stuff done right, gotta do it the right way (plus an eel enforced "suggestion" from Dave )

[sugarblues 0]

You know - even though I'm going to be happy beyond words when this beauty gets released, in a way it's almost going to be a shame... this thread, outlining so many of the steps involved in creating, fixing, and tweaking, has been one of the most informative, and enjoyable strings on this board in a long time. I'm sure there's a whole pile of "lurkers" who've enjoyed the learning experience, as well as the steadily increasing anticipation of what is going to be a major release.

 

Keep taking your time folks... and do please take some time for yourselves. Since we can't buy you all a beer, it's the least we can do to be patient!

 

SB

[FastCargo 412]

Jeez, while going back and forth with the team, I just realized that this release (with all 3 variants, A2A rail and fuel tank models, and skin templates) is going to be over 500 MB in size uncompressed!

 

Better make some room on the hard drive y'all!

 

FC