Streamers (Squadron Leader, etc.)

[+gterl 1,204]

Hi everyone

 

not sure if this was asked already (can't find it anyway with the 'search' function).

 

The Morane which can be found here has streamers (defined as loadout).

 

Now assuming I would use the Morane's streamer LOD, would I be able to attach that one to another airplane or even a pilot figure ?

Not necessarly as loadout, but maybe fixed ?

Can we add the streamer as a second pilot ?

 

..just thinking out loud here

 

Background: http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/other-wwi-aviation/51742-squadron-leader-id.html

[+quack74 329]

The "Red Streamer" can be placed into the Weapons folder. Then a new entry can go into the Weapons.INI. Then the streamer can be placed anywhere on an aircraft as a Weapon_Station. I'm sure the .LOD can be used as a dummy Pilot too. But the color of the Ribbon is red and was colored in the .LOD. There is no .bmp to change the color.

[+gterl 1,204]

Hi quack74 - thx for the reply...I can't get it to work ...guess I'm too stupid

 

- It's already defined as 'weapon' (since the Morane is already using it)

- Don't care about the color

- It show's up as loadout (changed the loadout.ini)

- Trying with the Nieuport 11 -> guess I've to change the data.ini....but where?

  - Added the below entry under 'weapon stations' (of course the attachment_position is not correct, just wanted to check if it shows up at all)

  - Guess it's not enough, since the node_name does not match with the Nieuport model (???)

 

Do you have any ideas? Thx in advance!

 

 

[streamer]
SystemType=WEAPON_STATION
StationID=1
StationGroupID=1
StationType=EXTERNAL
AttachmentPosition=0.0,0.5,0.00
AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0
LoadLimit=100
AllowedWeaponClass=FT
AttachmentType=NATO,WP
NumWeapons=1
ModelNodeName=pylon_dummy
PylonMass=0.001
PylonDragArea=0.00
FuelTankName=Ribbon_Red

[+gterl 1,204]

_Hi

 

_{the discussion about the 'unarmed observer' brought back memories about this.}

 

_{I was never able to get the Morane streamers work on other aircraft}

 

_Assumption

_{- Streamer LOD with 'movement' , e.g. animation placed within aircraft folder (like pilot body)}

_{- Adding a 2nd pilot (e.g. the streamer) to aircraft}

 

_{...would this work?}

 

_cheers

[Crawford 570]

But the color of the Ribbon is red and was colored in the .LOD. There is no .bmp to change the color.

Hi

As for the color of the Ribbon, there is a file streamer01.tga in each folder with textures.

It seems to me that the Streamers is visible on other aircraft, it is necessary to accurately calculate, WHERE this should be attached.

Good luck!

Edited March 21, 2017 by Crawford

[+gterl 1,204]

Thx Crawford - but that's not the solution (sadly).

 

- The LOD within the 'Weapons' folder is just a big triangle (used to 'activate' the loadout)

- The actual streamers are part of the plane and have an animation within the respective nodes (LOD)

 

What we would need is a separate LOD with an in-build animation that represents such a streamer. Then either add this streamer via loadout/weapon or via a 2nd pilot.

 

hint..hint would one of the 3d masters here help us out?

[Crawford 570]

In fact, the color of the ribbon can be changed very easily. Here, for example, the streamers of the 'German Style'.

So, to see streamers with other aircraft, you need to calculate exactly the attachment position. This is a very difficult task, especially since it will have to be carried out individually for each aircraft.

[+gterl 1,204]

Thx Crawford - but that's not the solution (sadly).

 

- The LOD within the 'Weapons' folder is just a big triangle (used to 'activate' the loadout)

- The actual streamers are part of the plane and have an animation within the respective nodes (LOD)

 

What we would need is a separate LOD with an in-build animation that represents such a streamer. Then either add this streamer via loadout/weapon or via a 2nd pilot.

 

hint..hint would one of the 3d masters here help us out?

[Crawford 570]

Alas! In that case, I can't help you.

Some time ago I tried to attach the streamers to the Halberstadt or an Albatross, but without success...

You need someone from Real moderators.

[Crawford 570]

P.S. Besides, all of you are absolutely right. Now I understand these streamers are really included into the LOD-files of the Moran N. That's why I failed.
Perhaps it's easier to make new ribbons than to pull them out of LOD-files.
I'll wait for the solution of this issue.
All the best!

[+Geezer 3,569]

 

hint..hint would one of the 3d masters here help us out?

 

I'll take a look at the M-S bullet and see if I can figure out how the streamer was made.  No promises, as "minor" jobs are often more complicated than they first appear.

[Wrench 9,801]

why not use Mue's Lod Viewer to locate the exact X/Y/Z points??

 

in the SF2 Forums:

 

http://combatace.com/topic/85079-lod-viewer/

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

Making something to attach as a loadout shouldn't be too hard (like the Le Prieur tubes) but I don't know how you would get the game to run the animation. Does anyone know how to make a weapon animate?

Edited March 22, 2017 by Stephen1918

[+gterl 1,204]

'2nd pilot' is animated too...hence my direction of not as a weapon but pilot

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

'2nd pilot' is animated too...hence my direction of not as a weapon but pilot

I tried making a streamer as a pilot. No luck. The pilot does not have a built-in animation, the game engine controls his head motion, and it moves it 'way too much, about 180 degrees side-to-side. The streamer was swinging all over the place, not realistically at all. I think the answer will be a weapon/gun pod/fuel tank kind of attachment.

 

Maybe Geezer will have more luck.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Stephen1918

[Stratos 3,188]

Does not the pods on the EA-18 Growler have an animated propellor?

[+gterl 1,204]

yes there must be a way to 'build-in' movements into LODs. take as example the (national) flags that can be used in the terrains. -> it's just one LOD with the corresponding BMP file.

I've even tried to modify that flag with an HEX editor (was able to remove the pole, but not to change the size...and by removing the pole the 'movement' of the flag was gone).

so we need an expert and not someone like me ..LOL

 

something like this (either in pairs, like on the Morane or here, or single on rudder, etc.

Edited March 23, 2017 by gterl

[+Geezer 3,569]

I tried making a streamer as a pilot. No luck. The pilot does not have a built-in animation, the game engine controls his head motion, and it moves it 'way too much, about 180 degrees side-to-side. The streamer was swinging all over the place, not realistically at all. I think the answer will be a weapon/gun pod/fuel tank kind of attachment.

 

Maybe Geezer will have more luck.

 

Steve, you're right - a streamer would require a unique LOD, with dedicated animation, that would be attached to an aircraft like a weapon.  Not a simple/easy job - the animation would be very time consuming.

[yubba 70]

anybody think of useing a smoke emitter and going that route

[Crawford 570]

It turns out that the topic of streamers has already been discussed here (more than 10 years ago). And, apparently, this was also unsuccessful...

Quote

You could make an external store that looks like a ribbon, and then add a weapon hardpoint to the aircraft data.ini in the right place. Then before you went flying you could add the ribbon 'weapon' to the flight lead aircraft. I'm assuming here that the weapons side of FE works the same as SF/WOV/WOE but I don't see why it wouldn't.

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by Crawford

[Crawford 570]

By the way, I have a question not on the topic. With your permission, I will ask it here. "There are no stupid questions, just stupid people."

My question concerns the stock Camel F.1. Does anyone know if is possible to get a functioning propeller of the Rotherham fuel pump using DATA. INI? For example, assigning it as [Engine2]. Nobody tried it?

[+gterl 1,204]

17 hours ago, Crawford said:

It turns out that the topic of streamers has already been discussed here (more than 10 years ago). And, apparently, this was also unsuccessful...

 

Yes and sadly this was never accomplished (except for the well known aircraft shown above).

Personally I'm still convinced, that someone could create...let's say 2-3 different ribbons (LOD's with animations identical/similar as example to the flagpole we have in the terrains..shouldn't be too difficult...but who am I :-) )

And then it's up to everyone if you want to have a loadout with that ...

 

 

[Wrench 9,801]

don't forget, the original flagpole (from around 2005ish) was, and still is, set up as a windsock. That's why it reacts the way it does. It was also built with the one animation, and "animation time" (like the oil pump in SF). It's also a terrain object, and therefore NOT subject to the limitation imposed by the coding on aircraft and weapons.

 

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

About a year ago, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a work around. I tried everything I could think of, but the bottom line is - if it's built into the plane LOD, it can be animated - if you want to add it from inside the game, it will be static. P1oppy's Morane Saulnier N has the streamer built into the airplane, the loadout just makes it appear in the game. It's still there, but invisible, unless you assign it in the loadout.

I did make some streamers that can be added as weapons, but they don't move, don't react to gravity, and they don't cast shadows. They look kind of funky on the ground, but don't look TOO bad in the air.

Is anyone interested?

 

[+Geezer 3,569]

1 hour ago, Stephen1918 said:

Is anyone interested?

Absolutely!  Another clever refinement - thanks you.