Strike Fighter Community Expansion (SFCE) - UPDATE (10/11/22)
By
Eagle114th, in Thirdwire: Strike Fighters 2 Series - Mods & Skinning Discussion
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Similar Content
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By Eagle114th
Hello everyone,
I am re-creating the posts after hte ideas came up about the name of proejcts and what it is about. This project is to be known as SF2 Avionics Community Pack (SF2:ACP for short), because the purpose of this projects is to create the assets for anyone to usse for our mods, as well for customizing our SF2 installation. You will need to put them into aircraft folder and customize the .ini files, in order, for them to appear in-game.
This is what I find so enjoayble and I noticed that not many simulation does this. This s project aims to bring the realistic, immersive expereicnes in cockpits with actual textures for radar scope, RWR, HUD, and any avionics that is currently moddable in SF2 and aircraft mods.
I will exlpain the limitation of SF2 engine, so we can get better pictures of what we can and can't do for now. I said "for now, is becauuse I have the hope htat someday, somehow, someone manage to make it possible to make avioincs further moddable in SF2.
1) Texture issues: What can be done is chan ging radar scope texture. But the problem is that, the radar symbols / lines colors can not be changed. We are stuck with default green SF2 radar symbosl /lines / circles. And eve with new textures, the radar lines / symbols/ shapes will be applied on top of it. So it mean, if you have 'black line' on top of radar scope like A-4s as an exampe, the radar still overlap it.
Another issues is that, most of SF2 default aircraft does not have texture-able radar scope for 'turned off' radar, so it seem strange how CRT (texture) would suddenly show up when turnig radar on. I wished that the radar scope woudl be texture-able, so that it seem taht only radar lines / symbols / shapes would appear, therefore preserving the immersive experiences.
2) Lighting, after attempting to use the actual colors of radar scope based on the pictures, as an example, they usually show upup too bright comnpared ot another instructments / avionics in cockpit. So they need to be darken, in order to blend naturall in cockpits. And another issue is radar colors of green, it need to be readable, therefore further darken the texture. So they might will appear darker compared to the photo. (I am currenlty wokring on this part on both F-89s and A-4s radar scope and RWR new textures).
3) Avionics DLLs, there are only two DLLs I believe, that we can use either one of Avionics DLL for early and modern aircraft. But I still have the hope. The reason why I have hope is because, I am part of the community that is modding Jane's series simulation. That simulation is almost 30 years old and people still mods it. It amazes me, therefore gives me hopes.
Besides the lmitation, it does not stop us from wanting to create the mods that would improve the experiences in avioincs. What inspired me to do this, I was customizing SF2 installation for early cold war era (My favorite era), in Asia, midddle east, and other theatre, along with later cold war era, I noticed that there is always room of growth and improvement for cockpits. That is when I came up the awy to improve F-89 series radar scope, as you can see it in another theatre abou Stary's F-89 cockpits. Then here it is, SF2: Avionics Community Pack!
What would be great help if we can share the pictures and information on the avioinics for various planes, so we can get busy with the avioniocs improvement.
If anyoneo have the requests for radar scope, or any avioinics improvement, it would be great help if the resources can be provided too.
The next posts will cover what I am doing with both F-89s and A-4s gunsights, radar scope, and rwr, along with F-89's radar scope.
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DOWNLAOD: SF2 ACP v0.2
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Cheers!
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By Eagle114th
SF2 Avionics Community Pack (SF2: ACP) - Alpha v0.2
View File
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STRIKE FIGHTER 2: AVIONICS COMMUNITY PACK (SF2: ACP) v0.2
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Welcome to SF2: ACP first release of alpha. Before I explain about the pack, I want to express big thank to the wonderful communities and modders of Combatace and Combat Flight Sim Tavern (Discord), including Thirdwire for the simulation.
You all are the reasons why this pack exists. I want to use the passions to improve SF2 into higher levle with avionics.
This requires a lot of research, reading flight manual, and tons of tweaking in avioincs and cockpit ini, along with countless of testing in-flight in SF2.
The mods is not perfect, we do our best with the mods. We do it with the joys of our hobbies!
This pack includes the following features:
- New gunsight / optical sight
- New texture for radar scope and another avionic equipment (See note #1)
- Improved cockpit and radar through cockpit and avionics ini tweaks for semi-realism (See note #2)
- Templates for gunsight and radar scope
- Improves glass texture (If possible)
- Accessibility - Optional, includes the AAM firing cue on gunsight for people who can not hear the sounds of missile locking on targets.
NOTE #1: Due to the nature of lighting system inside cockpit in SF2 engine, I had to apply the darkness level on top of texture scope, in order, to prevent them from glowing. In templates, you will see "darkness" layer for this reason.
NOTE #2: As mentioned in note #1, due to little resources (Information / data) on 40s to 70s radar, at least half or most of tweaks are based on an educated guess. For exampe, AN/APG-33 radar that is used with E-1 FCS in F-89B and C, there are some data on it, but no data on elevator nor azimuth angle limitation. F-89D, in other hand, with E-6 FCS and AN/APG-40 radar, there are several data, which is applied in .ini files tweaks.
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TEMPLATES
There are templates for gunsight, radar, RWR, and another type of avionics assets. It is there so anyone can use it to create their own avionics for any aircraft.
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Avionics overhaul for Historical vs fictional aircraft
I am dong overhaul for both historical and 'what if' fictional aircraft.
For example, in this alpha version, there are avionics overhaul for F-8A to F-8K, along with France F_8s. It also includes 'what if' JASDF F-8EJ Crusader.
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Installation:
Inside each aircraft folder, there is folder "_AIRCRAFT COCKPIT FILES". Inside that folder, there are two folders "DEFAULT" and "ACCESSIBLITY". You can only use one of them. By default you should install the files from DEFAULT folder. However, if you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing that can not hear the growling sounds of IR missile, then ACCESSIBLITY is for you.
NOTE: Make sure you make the backup copies of aircraft folders, in case something goes wrong during the installation progress.
Inside DEFAULT or ACCESSIBLITY, for any aircraft you have in SF2, copy the aircraft folder and overwrite an existing folders and files.
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Changelog
v0.01 - First release of SF2: ACP
v0.02 - Includes avionics overhaul for A-1s, A-4s, F-8s, F-89s, and MiG-15s
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Current / Future plans
I am currently working on next series of cold war aircraft avionics overhaul. If you have any feedback or request for aircraft avionic overhaul, please post in CombatAce forum discussion:
https://combatace.com/forums/topic/99178-sf2-avionics-community-pack-wip-alpha-release-v01/
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CREDIT:
- dtmdragon: F-8 packs for radar and other assets from cockpits
- Stary: new cockpits for SF2 aircraft, including F-89s
- Wrench: A-1s, A-4s, and another aircraft and cockpit tweaks
- Wing over Korea: Gunsight textures.
- Combatace and Combat flight sim tavern: feedback and supports
- Thirdwire (TK): Strike fighter 2 simulation
Thank you for enjoying the mods!
Eagle114th / Flowing Dragon
Submitter Eagle114th Submitted 11/14/2024 Category Avionics
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By Eagle114th
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STRIKE FIGHTER 2: AVIONICS COMMUNITY PACK (SF2: ACP) v0.2
---------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to SF2: ACP first release of alpha. Before I explain about the pack, I want to express big thank to the wonderful communities and modders of Combatace and Combat Flight Sim Tavern (Discord), including Thirdwire for the simulation.
You all are the reasons why this pack exists. I want to use the passions to improve SF2 into higher levle with avionics.
This requires a lot of research, reading flight manual, and tons of tweaking in avioincs and cockpit ini, along with countless of testing in-flight in SF2.
The mods is not perfect, we do our best with the mods. We do it with the joys of our hobbies!
This pack includes the following features:
- New gunsight / optical sight
- New texture for radar scope and another avionic equipment (See note #1)
- Improved cockpit and radar through cockpit and avionics ini tweaks for semi-realism (See note #2)
- Templates for gunsight and radar scope
- Improves glass texture (If possible)
- Accessibility - Optional, includes the AAM firing cue on gunsight for people who can not hear the sounds of missile locking on targets.
NOTE #1: Due to the nature of lighting system inside cockpit in SF2 engine, I had to apply the darkness level on top of texture scope, in order, to prevent them from glowing. In templates, you will see "darkness" layer for this reason.
NOTE #2: As mentioned in note #1, due to little resources (Information / data) on 40s to 70s radar, at least half or most of tweaks are based on an educated guess. For exampe, AN/APG-33 radar that is used with E-1 FCS in F-89B and C, there are some data on it, but no data on elevator nor azimuth angle limitation. F-89D, in other hand, with E-6 FCS and AN/APG-40 radar, there are several data, which is applied in .ini files tweaks.
---------------------------------------------------------
TEMPLATES
There are templates for gunsight, radar, RWR, and another type of avionics assets. It is there so anyone can use it to create their own avionics for any aircraft.
---------------------------------------------------------
Avionics overhaul for Historical vs fictional aircraft
I am dong overhaul for both historical and 'what if' fictional aircraft.
For example, in this alpha version, there are avionics overhaul for F-8A to F-8K, along with France F_8s. It also includes 'what if' JASDF F-8EJ Crusader.
---------------------------------------------------------
Installation:
Inside each aircraft folder, there is folder "_AIRCRAFT COCKPIT FILES". Inside that folder, there are two folders "DEFAULT" and "ACCESSIBLITY". You can only use one of them. By default you should install the files from DEFAULT folder. However, if you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing that can not hear the growling sounds of IR missile, then ACCESSIBLITY is for you.
NOTE: Make sure you make the backup copies of aircraft folders, in case something goes wrong during the installation progress.
Inside DEFAULT or ACCESSIBLITY, for any aircraft you have in SF2, copy the aircraft folder and overwrite an existing folders and files.
---------------------------------------------------------
Changelog
v0.01 - First release of SF2: ACP
v0.02 - Includes avionics overhaul for A-1s, A-4s, F-8s, F-89s, and MiG-15s
---------------------------------------------------------
Current / Future plans
I am currently working on next series of cold war aircraft avionics overhaul. If you have any feedback or request for aircraft avionic overhaul, please post in CombatAce forum discussion:
https://combatace.com/forums/topic/99178-sf2-avionics-community-pack-wip-alpha-release-v01/
---------------------------------------------------------
CREDIT:
- dtmdragon: F-8 packs for radar and other assets from cockpits
- Stary: new cockpits for SF2 aircraft, including F-89s
- Wrench: A-1s, A-4s, and another aircraft and cockpit tweaks
- Wing over Korea: Gunsight textures.
- Combatace and Combat flight sim tavern: feedback and supports
- Thirdwire (TK): Strike fighter 2 simulation
Thank you for enjoying the mods!
Eagle114th / Flowing Dragon
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By johntitor
So I'am playing this strike fighters 2 black sea crisis addon and I believe I did everything right . The campaigns work for all factions except United States air force . When I select them and a specific squadron of aircraft and click on generate campaign ,the game just crashes to desktop . The same thing does not occur for Russian , ukrainian air force and united States navy . What could I be missing here . ? For some reason , the USAF aircraft are easily flown in single mission scenarios . Like the F16 will fly in single missions but when I try to click on its campaign . The game just crashes .
Your help is needed!
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