Ground Object Waypoints?

[KiwiBiggles 122]

 

 

Hi fellas

 

I have SF2E and Exp2 with the mission editor. My question is: the resolution of the planning map in the mission editor isn't fine enough to accurately plot waypoints for ground objects. For example, what would be the best way to accurately plot the waypoints for this truck convoy so that it drives down this highway rather than just next to it? I don't mind at all if I have to manually add waypoint co-ordinates in the MSN file if that's how it's done... but how to find the correct co-ordinates?

 

I'd like to improve the immersion of my missions generally by having my vehicles 'use' terrain features on the map. Here's some details of the mission:

 

 

[GroundMission001]

Name=G002

GroundObjectType=ZIL-157

Nation=Soviet

RandomChance=100

ObjectiveID=1

RatingForSuccess=50

Size=6

FormationType=TruckConvoy

MobileObject=TRUE

Position=525604.249374,480560.303948,0.000000

Heading=90.000000

Speed=5.144440

StartTime=954.917969

Alignment=ENEMY

PilotTrainingStandard=NORMAL

Waypoint[01].Command=WAYPOINT

Waypoint[01].Position=532379.151735,480560.303948,0.000000

Waypoint[01].Size=500.000000

Waypoint[01].Speed=5.658884

Texture=Green

ObjectNumber=0

 

Any help appreciated!

 

 

Cheers!

 

Kiwi

Edited April 12, 2012 by KiwiBiggles

[+PureBlue 71]

Best way we have is to turn on DEBUG in HUDDATA.INI

Then in the game, note down coordinates.

[+Stary 2,427]

yes like Umut said, by hand writing down coordinates, remember we don't have "working" roads (as in game objects) in game, just whatever tile creator draws onto it

[KiwiBiggles 122]

Thanks gents, I'll give it a try.

[Wrench 9,848]

oh, I beg to differ ... on the Iran/Irag, and IR2003 terrains (ok, they're really the same map..). And the unreleased KAW map too.

 

the vehicles WILL follow the roads. I also recall that the orignal GermanyCE had the trucks driving down roads (for the most part)

 

It's a nightmarish, painstaklying, eye-crossing process. You have to fly a mission from the 'start point' (usually 1 tile width away is best ... don't start in cities!!!), 'fly' down the road, moting down the x/y coords, and the TURNS!!. Do this for the length of the route, to the deistination city (again, stopping at least 1 tile width away)

 

winding mountain roads, however are to cmplete frakking insanity! (like below -- they do sometime go 'off roading'!!)

 

[Route016]

RouteType=TRUCK

StartArea=Huichon

EndArea=Magon-ni

RoutePosition[001]=269031,533747

RoutePosition[002]=269054,533151

RoutePosition[003]=268922,432533

RoutePosition[004]=269112,531489

RoutePosition[005]=269447,531121

RoutePosition[006]=269986,531000

RoutePosition[007]=270697,530777

RoutePosition[008]=271031,529738

RoutePosition[010]=271503,529096

RoutePosition[011]=272649,528817

RoutePosition[012]=272961,528277

RoutePosition[013]=272994,526104

RoutePosition[014]=273065,525205

RoutePosition[015]=272924,524617

RoutePosition[016]=273076,523304

 

as for ground attack (ie: CAS), make sure they overlap so to 'mix up' enemy and friendly forces, as would be in a real tank battle. Meaning: making sure the middle points are witin 1km of each other (ie: the crappy gun ranges we have). You don't want them cruising around each other like it's 1916 at Jutland!!

 

edit: forgot to add, the routes are only set (afaik) in the terrain's _Movements.ini

Edited April 12, 2012 by Wrench

[KiwiBiggles 122]

Ah... thanks Wrench. I think what I'll do is 'fix' this simple little mission in the MSN file first, so these trucks trundle down the road for me. If I can do that, I will have sorted out the co-ordinates bizzo. Doesn't sound too bad? - I'm boderline OCD like most flight simmers anyhow! Then it seems like I need to research these 'routes' in the _movements.ini etc.

 

Once a 'route' is defined, what does the mission editor do with it? Can a route be selected in TW's mission editor, or more likely it's linked to the 'Target Area' selection? In the route you posted Wrench, the StartArea and EndArea are defined - are these the same as the Target Areas in the mission editor? How does one read the correct name for a particular area? (Edit: thinking about it, perhaps by just creating a StartArea or EndArea name in the movement.ini that defines it as a Target Area in the mission editor too?) I'm guessing there's a convention that links all these items together - maybe something like when a Target Area is selected in the mission editor a route with the matching EndArea is selected by the game engine, and the route calculated using the route waypoints and the time on target - something like that???

Sorry for all the questions! I'm away from my gaming rig right now, but I'll have some time to work on this on the weekend - wife and kids are away!!

Edited April 12, 2012 by KiwiBiggles

[Wrench 9,848]

target areas are defined in the _targets.ini

[+Stary 2,427]

oh, I beg to differ ...

 

I beg to differ too Kevin, the roads aren't there as game logic objects, such as in other sims where movement is created automatically, or when you place convoy in ME it adjusts the movement automatically to follow the roads (which are tpically separate objects laid on ground mesh), what we have in a poor man's solution (no pun intended towards TW) where we have points defined by terrain creator to which movement constrains. Heck the ground units have no AI on their own to avoid destroed vehicles and just move though them as these aren't there, the burniong wrecks.

 

Just an accademic discussion of course (but I'd love to have them like in good old CFS 3 or Il2 does)

[Wrench 9,848]

don't remind me!!! I remember mis-writing a GA route on the SoCal terrain ... had a very involved and exciting tank battle in the Santa Catalina Strait, about 10 miles off shore!!! And they weren't even amphibious tanks!

 

never use the mission editor meself for that ... which is why I create such 'involved' movement inis.

 

I remember attacking convoys in USNF/ATF/FA, and if you took out the lead vehicle -which is ALWAYS the best tactic- the whole column would halt, and not even try to move away/around/back from the destroyed 1st one. Miss that

Edited April 13, 2012 by Wrench

[+Stary 2,427]

Miss those titles too Kevin

no one makes such sims today, everyone (well, some 4 of them except TK) goes the route of high fidelity for none to enjoy in fact

[KiwiBiggles 122]

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I got the 'Hell's Highway' effect I was after!

 

I tried a couple ideas, but in the end a fairly straightforward approach works best for me. I'm using the TW Mission Editor to set the mission up, test fly it in debug mode, then adjust the Ground Object waypoints in the MIS file manually. I found with more than two waypoints (start and waypoint 1) the way the game handles pathfinding was working against me, and the effect I wanted was achievable with just the two. Choosing a section of highway on a cardinal heading avoids complications with the heading parameter in the MIS file too... not an overly sophisticated approach I suppose, but that's not noticeable in-game and it's quick and easy to set up, which is a definite plus. After that, I can just change a few things up quickly in the editor to make a bunch of nice missions from the initial 'template'.

 

 

I've got Stary's effects and SARCASM mods installed, which are really nice... so the next step (job for next weekend maybe) is to try some upgraded tiles. Then, I'd like to see if I can dress things up some more with a few CA object mods - add some custom SAM sites maybe, and make a nice custom airfield scene to return home to? Oh, and some carrier missions with Ark Royal, Buccaneers and Phantoms too! I'm a kid in a candy store really.

 

 

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Kiwi