The UllyB mega-uberthread

[Wrench]

you forgot to adjust the loadout ini ....

 

you need to specify/list the twin IRM rack

 

check one of the Wapons & Loadout fixes threads, in our conviently located (and ever ignored) Knowledge Base.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[UllyB]

you forgot to adjust the loadout ini ....

 

you need to specify/list the twin IRM rack

 

check one of the Wapons & Loadout fixes threads, in our conviently located (and ever ignored) Knowledge Base.

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

I felt you're gonna say something like this :) Thx man!;)

[UllyB]

well..it seems that I was happy too early...

The weapon pack (august 2008) and the stock one (WOI) doesn't have the soviet 2IR rack type model APU-62. I tried a trick and , after seeing your tutorial , where you were adding to weapondata.ini a HAL APU-62 twin IRM rack. I used the USN, NATO etc rack LAU model which stock has it . It worked but the coordinates are not right, obviously. Is there a latest weapon pack I don't know of which contains that APU-62 2IR rack or something similar ?

 

I noticed that in 2IR data (in weapondata.ini entry for it) I can modify only the coordinates where the missiles can be fit, but I can't force the rack itself to position where I want it.

I need some guidance...

[FastCargo]

There are a couple of ways to fix this:

 

One, make a new weapon station that can only carry 2IR racks, and adjust it's position that way in the new weapon stations (making sure to delete the 2IR reference in the older stations)

Two, if the 2IR rack is simply sitting too high or too low, adjust it's diameter in the weapondata.ini and save per normal.

 

FC

[UllyB]

There are a couple of ways to fix this:

 

One, make a new weapon station that can only carry 2IR racks, and adjust it's position that way in the new weapon stations (making sure to delete the 2IR reference in the older stations)

Two, if the 2IR rack is simply sitting too high or too low, adjust it's diameter in the weapondata.ini and save per normal.

 

FC

 

The second choice is out of question, it can't be corrected this way.

 

For the first choice, how do I make the station for 2IR only ? Do I write AllowedWeaponClass=2IR or I name the station itself to lead to that, case in which what should the name be to "tell" the frame it handles just 2IR racks ? Without a proper documentation about the rules and names (syntax) for doing this kind of thing I'm like a blind.

 

How come that Mirage Factory plane (MIG-23MS in question) is made pre 2008 august weapons pack and the weapon pack doesn't have a APU-62 (or similar fo Soviet part) rack model ? I looked everywhere , there is no APU-62 at all... It has to be somewhere a pack that has that model. If you know where can I find it would do a lot easier and simplier the job.

 

One more thing about adding a rack to a plane. I noticed that different racks need different "methods" to add them. For instance, TER rack type is simple. You just write TER to weaponclassallowed and then add racktype=TER in loadout.ini, you write the quantities and ...is over ! Why are some so simple and other so complicated to implement ?

 

If anyone knows a weapon pack which has APU-62 or similar racktype , PLEASE let me know.Thank you

[UllyB]

Can I use a weapon model if I have the BMP (skin) and LODs , but I don't have the ini file ? As I figured out the weapon ini file contains the distances corresponding to model LODs, basically how the missile looks from different distances when you look to it.. Did I get that right ?

If the answer to my first question is YES, how do I do to make use of that weapon ? Is it enough to copy the LODs and skin into weapon folder, and to make a corresponding entry into weaponsdata.ini file ?

I saw in some weapon packs missiles with skin (or without) , LOD but no weapon/missile ini files. Is this usual ?

[FastCargo]

As far as why a particular rack did or did not exist at the time, that's something only the original modders can answer. Maybe they just didn't feel like making it. And since one of them is dead now, a great friend of the community who passed away unexpectedly, it's kind of hard to ask him.

 

Deal with it.

 

Now as far as why a particular rack is or is not used, remember that using a rack still has the same kind of limitations a weapon station can impart on it (diameter, mass, length, Attachment Type, Allowed Weapon Class etc). In addition, and this unfortunately is hard coded into the engine, the racks are searched for alphabetically (in SF2) or in the order they are listed in the weapondata.ini/dat. Which means the first time a rack meets all the qualifications, that is the rack that will be used, no matter if it's the right rack or not.

 

In the Gen 1 sim, this was an easy (though somewhat tedious) fix. I grouped the racks by Attachment Type, then Allowed Weapon Class. Then, within those groups, I sorted the racks from smaller to bigger with very tight limits as to what it could carry. This way, say a twin Stinger rack may carry Stingers, but couldn't carry a Sidewinder, but unless you did a sort the way I described, you would see Stingers carried by twin Sidewinder racks...ridiculous looking at best.

 

Anyway, after all this sorting in the weapondata.ini, I renumbered all the entries, then Saved. Works like a champ.

 

And this can still be done for SF2, but you will have to build a custom weapondata.ini and weapondata.dat file...which sort of negates the ease of adding weapons in SF2 that didn't exist in SF1.

 

Or you can just specify the RackType in the particular aircraft's loadout.

 

FC

[FastCargo]

If there is just one weapon LOD file, then the method you described will work (LODs and BMPs directly in the Weapons directory).

 

However, if there are multiple LODs, then you will have to build a custom specific weapon.ini file that references the various LODs at various distances.

 

Better yet, if you patched up to the Oct-08 level, then make a specific subdirectory for that weapon, put your custom weapon.ini, LODs and BMPs in the directory, and make your entry in the weapondata.ini and dat files in the Weapons directory.

 

FC

[UllyB]

As far as why a particular rack did or did not exist at the time, that's something only the original modders can answer. Maybe they just didn't feel like making it. And since one of them is dead now, a great friend of the community who passed away unexpectedly, it's kind of hard to ask him.

 

Deal with it.

 

Now as far as why a particular rack is or is not used, remember that using a rack still has the same kind of limitations a weapon station can impart on it (diameter, mass, length, Attachment Type, Allowed Weapon Class etc). In addition, and this unfortunately is hard coded into the engine, the racks are searched for alphabetically (in SF2) or in the order they are listed in the weapondata.ini/dat. Which means the first time a rack meets all the qualifications, that is the rack that will be used, no matter if it's the right rack or not.

 

In the Gen 1 sim, this was an easy (though somewhat tedious) fix. I grouped the racks by Attachment Type, then Allowed Weapon Class. Then, within those groups, I sorted the racks from smaller to bigger with very tight limits as to what it could carry. This way, say a twin Stinger rack may carry Stingers, but couldn't carry a Sidewinder, but unless you did a sort the way I described, you would see Stingers carried by twin Sidewinder racks...ridiculous looking at best.

 

Anyway, after all this sorting in the weapondata.ini, I renumbered all the entries, then Saved. Works like a champ.

 

And this can still be done for SF2, but you will have to build a custom weapondata.ini and weapondata.dat file...which sort of negates the ease of adding weapons in SF2 that didn't exist in SF1.

 

Or you can just specify the RackType in the particular aircraft's loadout.

 

FC

 

ok, I'll try to stick to your guidance, though I feel lost after reading your post...

thanks anyway.

[UllyB]

If there is just one weapon LOD file, then the method you described will work (LODs and BMPs directly in the Weapons directory).

 

However, if there are multiple LODs, then you will have to build a custom specific weapon.ini file that references the various LODs at various distances.

 

Better yet, if you patched up to the Oct-08 level, then make a specific subdirectory for that weapon, put your custom weapon.ini, LODs and BMPs in the directory, and make your entry in the weapondata.ini and dat files in the Weapons directory.

 

FC

 

If it's the second case (multiple LODs) how do I practically make a "weapon.ini" custom ? Custom in what way ? I don't get it...I think you forget I'm not expert modder...

[FastCargo]

If you can post here, you have all the skills already.

 

Also, just find an example of a weapon with an ini file built. As from the stock AA-2.ini:

 

[LOD001]

Filename=AA-2.lod

Distance=500

 

[shadow]

CastShadow=TRUE

ShadowCastDist=4000

MaxVisibleDistance=100

 

That's it.

 

FC

[FastCargo]

Knowledge base section on adding weapons. Some of the data is slightly out of date, but most (including working with the weapondata.ini/dat files and the weapon editor) is still relevant.

 

http://combatace.com/forum/189-adding-weapons/

 

 

A post getting into more detail on how the sim selects weapon racks.

 

http://combatace.com/topic/52372-sf2e-wont-load-gbu-39b-or-gbu-40s-on-to-bru-61-racks/page__view__findpost__p__382415

 

 

In simple terms, an ini file is simply nothing more than a bunch of parameters.

 

If you think logically, an ini file is very easy to read (well except for the FM parts), and it's very easy to figure out why something may or may not work.

 

For weapon stations, note that some aircraft have parameters such as LoadLimit, DiameterLimit, LengthLimit. Note that for individual weapons (including racks) there are parameters for things like Mass, Diameter, Length. Note the similarities? So, thinking logically, it must mean that unless a weapon parameters (along with things like year of use, AttachmentType, WeaponClass) falls within the restrictions of the WeaponStation, that the weapon will not be selectable in the loadout screen (unless 'forced' using the aircrafts loadout.ini).

 

FC

[Fubar512]

There is both an APU-62R and an APU-62L (right and left) in one of the earlier weapons packs.

[Wrench]

in the old BunyPak.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[UllyB]

seems simplier to find the old weapon pack and then add APU-62 to the new weapondata.ini.

Thank you !

[UllyB]

If you can post here, you have all the skills already.

 

Also, just find an example of a weapon with an ini file built. As from the stock AA-2.ini:

 

 

 

That's it.

 

FC

 

You mean I can extrapolating a distance just like that, taking a value from any file ? Is that simple ? I thought that LODs have connection with how the model looks exactly from a specific distance.

[UllyB]

It worked with the old ones, perfectly ! Thank you all, today I learnt another thing about modding business.

[UllyB]

I saw into weaponsdata.ini entry that recon pods have a Field of view variable and some have texture for "SightTexture=avq23sight1.tga"

Are they ..doing anything in the game, can one actually using/control them ? I thought they are just for show there...What is the deal with them ?

[UllyB]

I tried the Mirage Factory F-16 BLK10 and if I load it with 3x2 AIM-9s, one ECM pod and 2 wing tanks the gear is breaking when plane attempta take off. I looked into aircraft.data.ini , AI section and I tried to compare with other planes and change.

 

[AIData]

AileronDeltaRoll=1.2

AileronRollRate=-1.0

ElevatorDeltaPitch=1.0

ElevatorPitchRate=-0.1

ThrottleDeltaSpeed=0.05

ThrottleVelocity=-0.01

DeltaSpeedForAfterburner=50

DeltaSpeedForAirbrakes=-50

MaxPitchForAltitude=30.0

MinPitchForAltitude=-20.0

PitchForThrottle=0.005

PitchForAltitude=0.001

PitchForVerticalVelocity=-0.001

RollForHeading=15.0

RollForHeadingRate=-0.5

MinRollHeading=15.0

MaxRollForHeading=65.0

PitchForRoll=0.23

FormationSpeedForPosition=0.8

FormationSpeedForRate=0.5

 

 

But it didn't work. Then I let just the loading from default loadout.ini file and it worked, the landing gear was crashing no more. I checked a few times to be sure.

 

Then I found this old Wrench thread about a take off issue but in my ignorance I couldn't make any good of it. However the issue there was slightly different but still it was a take off problem.

 

http://combatace.com...in-current-sf1/

 

After a while, after more search, I found another Wrench thread and he is talking about a parameter called

OnGroundPitchAngle

I looked for it but no luck.

 

http://combatace.com...-to-the-add-on/

 

As I see it (not knowing too much about modding and fiddling such issues) I have two choices, stick to the default loadout.ini or... maybe I could solve the issue (with your help of course) if I could know what should I change into AI section to make the plane leave the ground earlier (hope that is not hardcoded). The plane crashes the landing gear at 217-220. Can it make to take off at 200 ?

Edited August 20, 2010 by UllyB

[DWCAce]

Right now they are just eye candy.

[UllyB]

Right now they are just eye candy.

 

Thanks for info

[+Gepard]

The AIData section is as far as i know only for the wingmen and other AI planes. It does not affect the autopilot of your plane.

[UllyB]

The AIData section is as far as i know only for the wingmen and other AI planes. It does not affect the autopilot of your plane.

 

Thanks, you were right. I replaced the flight control section from stock F-16A and it worked.

[UllyB]

I got a plane that doesn't "respond" in loadout.ini for CAS and ANTI_SHIP. For CAP, SWEEP, SEAD and STRIKE it loads correctly. It's something I miss (and it's strange ,too) because...for instance, it let me load Maverick for SEAD but for CAS it leaves the loading empty., it won't let me load Mavericks.

 

One more thing strange...If I put FT to a centerline station it doesn't see the FT. But if I allow BOMB class to that pylon, the fuel tank appears !

For the record: The years are checked, weapons in weapondata.ini are checked, model for weapons checked, allowclasstype checked, loadout.ini checked etc

 

Any suggestion where I should start to solve it ?

[MigBuster]

Close Air Support and armed recon missions are defined under the [Attack] heading

 

 

 

As for the fuel tank - make sure the name of the fuel tank is specified in the data ini.

 

 

[CenterlineStation]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=5

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=0.00,-1.61,-1.12

AttachmentAngles=0.0,-5.5,0.0

LoadLimit=1650

AllowedWeaponClass=BOMB,CGR,TER,MER,NUC,RCN,FT,GP

AttachmentType=USN,NATO

ModelNodeName=pylon_center

PylonMass=150

PylonDragArea=0.02

FuelTankName=Tank300_A6 <---------------

 

 

 

 

anything else you will need to be more specific and provide details