Start and end dates in data.ini reminder

[ndicki 22]

Just in case this has slipped through the net, it's possible to set service start and end dates more precisely than is usually done. GregoryP found this one - use the mm/dd/yyyy format and you get this:

 

ServiceStartDATE=12/01/1943

ServiceEndDATE=01/01/1955

 

It may not be so important in post-war simming, as the rate of introduction of new types has slowed down considerably, but for WW2, it's a must!

[Wrench 9,628]

you can do the same for skins, too,

below, from my unreleased MirageIII0, switching from NM to camo:

 

[TextureSet]

Name=76 Sqdn

Nation=Australia

Squadron=76 Squadron

StartDefaultDate=1967 <--

Specular=1.000000

Glossiness=0.500000

Reflection=0.600000

Edited April 18, 2011 by Wrench

[+daddyairplanes 9,215]

cool info on the skins. won't make them go away in the loadout screen but as it says it sets the default for what comes up first. any way to make a skin vanish outside its assigned years(the way a F-4D_78 wont show in '77 )?

[ndicki 22]

I wonder if you can assign days and months to skins - think of early Spitfires. From September 1939 to December 1940, you have some five or six significant and noticeable changes in appearance - black and white undersides without roundels, black and white undersides with roundels, 'Sky' undersides using other similar colours with no roundels, true MAP Sky undersides with no roundels, then with roundels, then finally, Sky undersides with port wing black distemper, roundels and MAP Sky-Blue band and spinner...... It gets a bit complicated, even if you allow for there being a certain time lag between the AMO and its implementation. Not easy to juggle, but if you're a purist, it needs to be addressed.

[Wrench 9,628]

I've never tried whole dates, just years. Say, a 39-40, then 40-41. Roundels/other markings as decal are an easy edit (to leave off!)

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

*tried the black/NM or white skin on the DAT Hurris and Spits, but due to mapping the Hurri's radiator will either be all black or all white (a decal can fake it, though). Same with the spits

Have a semi/partly completes 1sqd AASF skin for the Phony War I never finished...

[ndicki 22]

 

*tried the black/NM or white skin on the DAT Hurris and Spits, but due to mapping the Hurri's radiator will either be all black or all white (a decal can fake it, though). Same with the spits

 

 

Ran into that with the CFS3 ones, which are originally the same model anyway - I got them remapped. Things are often a bit easier in the world of CFS3!

 

While we're on Spitfires, apparently there's a trick by which you can remove/hide model meshes; I'd be interested to see if the stock Spit IXc can be modified so it no longer has the cannon/cannon stubs and wing bulges. Any ideas?

[+daddyairplanes 9,215]

as a brief update to my question earlier, i tried just StartDate and ServiceStartDate as well as ServiceEndDate and no dice. would be nice but i'm a lazy purist, that is i work with what i got

[Wrench 9,628]

was experimentating with that the other day, but was only partly successful. Removed ONE wing bulge, and none of the cannon barrels (trying to make a Mk.1)

 

These are the statements; there may be other mesh/node names I'm mising, so break out the UNICODE compatible hex editor to read the LOD:

 

(add to the AircraftData section)

 

//moves to remove cannon barrels//

 

Component[011]=Move1

Component[012]=Move2

Component[013]=Move3

Component[014]=Move4

 

[Move1]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=20mm_barrel_R

DestroyedNodeName=20mm_barrel_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move2]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=20mm_barrel_L

DestroyedNodeName=20mm_barrel_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move3]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cannon_bump_R

DestroyedNodeName=cannon_bump_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move4]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cannon_bump_L

DestroyedNodeName=cannon_bump_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

wrench

kevin stein

[ndicki 22]

Interesting. I had no idea even where to start with this. Where do you add these lines to the data.ini? Once I know that...

 

It won't make much of a MkI/II unless you're half blind, but still. The oil coolers and exhaust stubs will give it away, even if for an AI you could do worse. It WILL make a PR.Mk XI. Of sorts.

Edited April 20, 2011 by ndicki

[Wrench 9,628]

up at the top, at the bottom of the ]AircraftData[ section:

 

[AircraftData]

DestroyedModel=Spitfire9c_Destroyed.LOD

DestroyedEffect=VehicleFireEffect

EmptyMass=2915.0

EmptyInertia=9437.3,6601.0,13770.8

ReferenceArea=22.48

ReferenceSpan=11.23

ReferenceChord=2.13

CGPosition=0.0,0.0,0.0

CockpitCGOffset=TRUE

OnGroundPitchAngle=11.5

Component[001]=Fuselage

Component[002]=Nose

Component[003]=LeftWing

Component[004]=RightWing

Component[005]=Tail

Component[006]=LeftStab

Component[007]=RightStab

Component[008]=VertTail

Component[009]=LeftOuterWing

Component[010]=RightOuterWing

 

//moves to remove cannon barrels//

 

Component[011]=Move1

Component[012]=Move2

Component[013]=Move3

Component[014]=Move4

 

[Move1]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=20mm_barrel_R

DestroyedNodeName=20mm_barrel_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move2]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=20mm_barrel_L

DestroyedNodeName=20mm_barrel_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move3]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cannon_bump_R

DestroyedNodeName=cannon_bump_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move4]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cannon_bump_L

DestroyedNodeName=cannon_bump_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

[ndicki 22]

OK..... Let me try this out.

[ndicki 22]

Try this instead:

 

Component[011]=Move1

Component[012]=Move2

Component[013]=Move3

Component[014]=Move4

Component[015]=Move5

Component[016]=Move6

 

[Move1]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=20mm_R

DestroyedNodeName=20mm_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move2]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=20mm_L

DestroyedNodeName=20mm_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move3]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cannon_bump_R

DestroyedNodeName=cannon_bump_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move4]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cannon_bump_L

DestroyedNodeName=cannon_bump_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move5]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cap_L

DestroyedNodeName=cap_L

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

[Move6]

ParentComponentName=fuselage

ModelNodeName=cap_R

DestroyedNodeName=cap_R

DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE

HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

 

 

Running a search for _L in case sensitive mode seems to yield results! Now I expect I'd better think about painting it...