Is there a file that links squadrons to plane type?

[Streakfalcon]

Specificaly,how does the game know which squadrons fly which planes decal wise? For instance if I select an F-4B to fly and then select VA-37 Bulls as the squadron, the Phantom will have no tail art as the game "knows" the Bulls flew A-7s. If it's hardcoded and invisible, are there any instances where a squadron changes to a different aircraft type after a certain year? Is there a handy list anywhere?

[MAKO69]

Specificaly,how does the game know which squadrons fly which planes decal wise? For instance if I select an F-4B to fly and then select VA-37 Bulls as the squadron, the Phantom will have no tail art as the game "knows" the Bulls flew A-7s. If it's hardcoded and invisible, are there any instances where a squadron changes to a different aircraft type after a certain year? Is there a handy list anywhere?

 

 

I was flying with VA-93 in SF2V a couple years ago A-4C, or E during Rolling Thunder 2/3rds the way through the campaign they upgraded to the A-4F. I have not been able to duplicate this since. Could be updates have rulled it out. I don't think any squadron deployed to a carrier or forward area would ever transition. Anyone else run into this? Any real life input.

[+Soulfreak]

VA-37 is an A-7 Squadron...

[+Gepard]

The tail art is defined in the decals.ini of the camo folders of the plane.

if you look into this files with notepad editor you find lines like:

 

FilenameFormat=F4_SqTailL

 

or

 

FilenameFormat=A4_SqTailL

 

A F-4 cant show tailart of a A-4, because it is an other picture file. it needs a F4_SqTailL.tga file and not an A4_SqTailL.tga to be visible.

Thatswhy a squadron batch of a F-4 is not shown on an A-4 tail and vice versa.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Gepard

[Streakfalcon]

Yes, that makes sense.Wondering though,is there a list that the game references that I could reference as well? Something easier than referencing Wiki before I select a squadron before a mission.There are so many decals TK included, I wanted to make sure I try as many as I can so I don't always fly the same squadron.Its not something the game picks randomly, so its like a neat surprise to see the different tails when you pick different squadrons.Not so fun when you guess wrong and a particular attack squadron is flying A4s so your A6 has a blank tail. I guess Im bein kinda lazy lol! hopin some bored individual will post a list....ok the game has decals for F4s in these squadrons:..... A4s in these squadrons:.... etc.

[+Gepard]

Such a reference file does not exist as far as i know.

[+Wrench]

SquadronList.ini

 

the number of the squadron's entry is the number of the decal

 

ie:

 

[squadron136]

Name=VF111

DisplayName=VF-111 Sundowners

Nation=USN

 

F4_SqTail136.tga (and an R as well -see below)

Edited June 6, 2012 by Wrench

[+HomeFries]

Likewise, because level 1 decals call the squadron by their entry in SQUADRONLIST.INI, yet the decal format themselves is aircraft dependent, you can have multiple tails for the same squadron. For example, VF-111 (above) has tails for the F-4 as well as the F-14, and VA-34 has tails for the A-4 and A-6.

 

Adding a squadron tail database to a wiki isn't a bad idea, either. I'll start a page to which people can contribute.

[+Wrench]

put it here in the SF2 KB, HF ... far fewer people with find it (old, sad joke)

[+ST0RM]

Make it a downloaded spreadsheet. If it goes into the KB, it's lost. The newbs don't read through it and will only ask again.

[Streakfalcon]

Sweet

[arthur666]

Here's a good reference site for historic Navy Airwing info: http://gonavy.jp/AirWingsf.html

[+HomeFries]

It may be iterative and take a while; it's a matter of not only sorting through the 400 entries in SQUADRONLIST.INI but also seeing which numbers correspond to which aircraft in the different Object CATs.

[+Gocad]

That's what I made before I started doing my own decals....I also added some 3rd party skins into the mix.

I always found it difficult to get together an air wing that would have matching tailcodes.

[+HomeFries]

Nice, Gocad.

 

I need to find out (probably from 3W) if there's a way to assign squadron entries/decals in SQUADRONLIST.INI based on date (as can be done in NATIONS.INI). That would be one way to fix it and also evolve tail logos with time.