.dll's difference

[+FLOGGER23]

It has come to my mind what is the difference between AVIONICS60.dll and AVIONICS70.dll, and if they can be used, by instance a plane who has avionics60.dll can it be "upgraded" with avionics70.dll, what it changes there?

Edited April 10, 2009 by FLOGGER23

[+FastCargo]

Yes, it only takes INI edits to take advantage of the 70.dll.

 

Biggest improvements are the HUD, support for more advanced radars, laser pod and EO screens, etc.

 

FC

[+FLOGGER23]

Yes, it only takes INI edits to take advantage of the 70.dll.

 

Biggest improvements are the HUD, support for more advanced radars, laser pod and EO screens, etc.

 

FC

 

 

So, there is no need to improve the avionics in let say Skyraiders, early MiGs and so on?

[+FastCargo]

Not really, except for maybe a few rare cases.

 

FC

[GwynO]

Sorry to contradict you here, but there is a total and complete difference between avionics 60 and 70. Look at the format of the avionics.ini file of a thirdwire plane that uses avionics 60, then compare with the avionics.ini of a plane that uses avionics 70. The way that the information for radar range, output power, scan rate, angle and so on are totally different meaning that in all cases, if you swap avionics 60 for 70 in the aircraft main ini, the result will be.. a porked plane. To get it to work, you need to add significant amount of information into the avionics ini for it to have a HUD for example, it wont just appear ready made. Also if you do add the HUD details, and the necessary files to the cockpit folder, you will still need to figure out how to translate the original avionics 60 format radar data in the avionics.ini into the different avionics 70 format.

 

This is something I have been fiddling with in the past, for example in getting CCIP into the F-111s. The easy part is getting a HUD into the plane, but the harder part was figuring out the totally different "language" used to express the radar information between avionics 60 and 70. As it's the bank holiday weekend, I might have another crack at writing up a guide on how to do this. Also it might be worth our while asking TK what exactly is the difference between the way avionics ini should be written for 70 and 60 dll.. far easier than trying to second guess the answer.

[+FastCargo]

"Yes, it only takes INI edits to take advantage of the 70.dll."

 

What part of that contradicts anything you said?

 

If you use the stock TGAs for the radar and HUD, ALL you do is INI work.

 

Yea, it's a LOT of ini work, but that's all it is.

 

FC

[GwynO]

"So, there is no need to improve the avionics in let say Skyraiders, early MiGs and so on?"

 

"Not really, except for maybe a few rare cases."

 

Without being anally retentive as to the dictionary meaning of "improve", I believe in this instance it was clear what the OP was alluding to, that being is there any need to change, alter, edit.. "improve", the data other than simply swap the dlls. The answer is unfortunately is yes, quite a lot of work as you say :yes:

 

In terms of using stock tga and so on for the hud, one would have to know where to extract them from, how to set them up in the avionics ini and so on. A guide for this sort of thing would be really useful. Although there is a perfectly good one in the KB for adding ccip and some other HUD data, it's a start, but doesn't yet cover getting the radar to work.

[+FastCargo]

Sigh...you don't have to extract ANYTHING.

 

If you use the same callouts, the program goes to the Objectdata.CAT.

 

I used ini edits only to rebuild the older Tornado's to a more modern HUD and avionics package.

 

Yes, it's work, but it was all text only.

 

FC

[GwynO]

Sigh...you don't have to extract ANYTHING.

 

If you use the same callouts, the program goes to the Objectdata.CAT.

 

FC

 

Of course, but if you wanted to make a custom HUD with say a different shaped icons and so on, you would need to build a HUD directory, as most modders tend to do with their releases it seems. You are right, it isn't necessary to extract files, if you want to keep them the same as default ones. You are totally right that it is a LOT of work.

[GwynO]

Anyway with all this semantics, look, no disrespect meant. Flogger asks what needs to be done to change planes, radar included, from avionics 60 to 70. The answer is a hell of a lot of text based work that doesn't currently have an explanation anywhere on this site. Hopefully we can all contribute some solid solutions. Perhaps we could add to the existing KB to cover the different format for the radar data.

[+Wrench]

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the standard "copy/paste" of text that windows allows??? Yes???

 

That's ALL that's required, not the tangential off the mark comments about 'adding custom this or that'. If Flogger wants to use the stock HUD displays, all thats necessary is:

 

1) the ability to READ an ini, in particular the cockpit and avionics ini, and know what parts to do what (which is easily seen)

2) the ability to copy and paste text

 

3) the ability to give it a shot with an open mind, and a readiness to go back and forth making adjustments.

 

for an example, of an old(er) aircraft, brought up to avionics70 standards, AND using only stock displays, I'd reccomend hauling it over to our downloads section and getting the AMI F-104S-ASA-M Starfighter mod I did a year or 2 ago....now, mind you this one, like the Real One ™, does NOT have the ground mapping or terrain avoidence radars, as the ASA-M is a PURE Interceptor, with ONLY the various air-to-air modes. And I ONLY used stock 3rd Wire data, supplied from the Eagle (as explained in the accompanying readme)

 

The only other thing you might need to adjust are the sizes of the various reticles, but agian, that's nothing but a simple text edit in the cockpit ini.

 

So, to answer the original question: a few hours work

 

Oh, and if one ACUTALLLY looked for it in the KB, you'll find a post about "Adding CCIP to Any Aircraft". Been there for a loooong time....

 

In fact, I'll help you out by supplying the direct link, as it not actually titled as such....

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=11879

 

wrench

kevin stein

[GwynO]

Wrench, that's a great thread, that's the one I meant. However it doesn't cover how to change the radar parts of the avionics ini over from the 60 format to the 70 format. Sure people with enough time can guess what needs to be done, but perhaps a step 1,2 and 3 guide would be more useful. Again, something I might start myself if no answers materialise in the meantime. It might not be so easy to figure out to everyone, certainly took me a while to figure it out.