Potential for Terrain Following Radar mod?

[GwynO]

One nice feature I noticed in the second series games is that the autopilot doesn't ignore mountains like it used to. Flying on especially hilly terrains with auto used to be hit and miss, especially using alt N. Flying the A-7 I was busy taking screenshots blissfully unaware that a mountain top was in the way of the aircraft, I was amazed to see what appeared to be the AI try to keep the aircraft a minimum altitude above the peaks, rising and falling accordingly. This instantly put in mind TFR.

 

On looking at the avionics.ini of various aircraft it seems that there is an extra line stating: ClearanceDistance=152.4 in planes with Terrain Avoidance radar mode. I assume this extra line relates to the distance that the AI appears to want to maintain between it and the ground based on its radar capabilities. I lowered this number down to various figures, I tried 10, then 20, 50 and 100, also I changed the altitude entries in missioncontrol.ini to various figures between 10 and 50 and went out to test with a modified A-6 for some FOTI style low level penetration of enemy territory.

 

The results were not entirely bad, especially over land. Out at sea, the aircraft porpoises seemingly without need, less so with the lower figures but anyway. The porpoising at least serves a purpose over land as the aircraft does a pretty excellent job at hugging the terrain in a straight line. Instead of firm sustained G turns, the AI pitches up to gain altitude, rolls wings over past 90 degrees and pulls into the turn, unloads and corrects as it almost smashes into the ground and tries again until eventually it succeeds in fiery reunion with mother Earth.

 

I haven't any previous experience with AI tweaking of roll rate and other such parameters, but feel an improvement to the porpoising and turning issues may be forthcoming in those areas. Perhaps you more knowledgeable chaps and chapettes may be able to prod me in the right direction?

 

Also, I do know that altering the minimum height in missioncontrol affects all flights, not just those that could have TFR, but I am thinking of using this for limited mission sets, deep strike stuff where the only low fliers are things like the F-111, Tornado, B-1 and so on, in such missions everything else could be using the high and very high altitudes (for those ballsy air superiority types) leaving the normal, low and very low for the TFR enabled deep strike package(s).

[Xray948]

I'm not sure that I understand all in 1st topic. But I'll try to explain what I'm thinking about...

 

Can someone create a script that allow to increase commands list (such as Shift-A , Alt-N and many others) and add commands like in bombing (bomb count , bomb timing) , but for Terrain Following. Here is what I suggest :
1) Two buttons for MIN altitude control +10/-10 meters (I write in meters because I use metric system)
2) Terrain Following On/Off .

Sooo... If you know how to put this in game with out changing mission files , I will pleasured to hear suggestions.

P.S.
Sorry for my English , did not have practice 1,2 year , from day when I left BF2 PR.