FastCargo

Snailman, Okay, lets clear up a few things. First, the 3d objects in game were created by a program called 3D Studio Max, commonly known as 3ds Max, or simply MAX for short. Once they were completed, they were exported into a proprietary format called LOD that the Thirdwire games use. This format is uneditable and proprietary. Now, it can and has been reverse engineered back into a editable format, but its 1) illegal, 2) somewhat difficult, 3) error prone, usually resulting in fairly crappy models which is easy enough to determine that they have been reverse engineered. This has resulted in deleting of files, and permanent bans of individuals and entire modding groups. Anyone discussing how to do this is given one warning. Thus ends the discussion on editing LODs. Back to MAX. This program is the ONLY program that has the exporter plug in to make LOD files...no other program will make LOD files. MAX is expensive (4 figures), and even the student version isn't cheap. There are other programs you can use to create objects that then can be imported into MAX, but you still need MAX to export said object into LOD. Now, as most 3d modelers will tell you, making a cockpit is probably the most difficult object (maybe other than a ship...too many fiddly bits) you will create for the ThirdWire series. Unless you hate your computer and want to find an excuse to pitch it through a window, a cockpit is probably not the best thing to start with. I would HIGHLY recommend starting with simpler stuff first...weapons are usually a good primer. Then aircraft, then cockpits. If you want to dive into buildings and/or ground objects, those aren't bad either. I would not, however, dive into a cockpit first. Once you have contributed to the community in a significant way with other modding projects, you can eventually get Modder status, which will allow access to a certain part of the site which will have example objects (such as cockpits) that you can use to learn how to build one. Good luck. FC

No. Touchbuddy does something similar but is NOT a native Android app. Here is how you COULD do it with Android: http://www.racedepar...solution.45171/ But as you can see, it's not a plug and play solution and still requires a second monitor. The program I am talking about is a native app on Android and just requires a small server app on the computer in question....much simpler and faster setup. FC

You can have something similar with Android which allows you to run a tablet with some of your flight sim controls while you play on a PC on the same wifi network. FC

Feeling retro... FC

Well, I did specify that portable consoles are in trouble...Nintendo and Sony have both acknowledged that the 3DS and Vita have not been meeting sales expectations. This is no surprise to me...phones are just as powerful, portable, and can do a lot more. The only thing they lack are dedicated gaming controls...and that may not be enough to sway enough buyers into purchasing a separate portable device. FC

The instructions are out of date. Ignore this part of the old instructions: In SF2 there is now a Pilots folder within the Objects folder. You must now create a Su-Pylons folder within the Pilots folder. Move the files within the parts.zip file to that folder. Then create a text file called Su-Pylons.ini within the Su-Pylons folder. The text should read: Save the new text file. All the other instructions should work as usual. In summary: New folder - (your mod)/Objects/Pilots/Su-Pylons Within the new folder: Su-Pylons.ini (you create) F111X2.bmp Su-Pylons.bmp Su-Pylons.lod Su-Pylons.out Done and done. FC

Probably iOS only. Android and iOS are the big players. I'd imagine Kindle development was minimal from the native Android edition since Kindle is just running a 'forked' version of Android. I very seriously doubt any other platforms will be developed for...Windows, Android, iOS. That pretty much covers about 80-90 percent of the computing platforms out there. I doubt you'll see it for consoles...portable consoles are in trouble, and developing for 'living room' consoles is expensive. FC

Model rockets, baby! You have to get FAA waivers to fly rockets that big...pretty sure you don't need that for a steam engine...:). But, I have to say, those steam powered engines are awesome...true craftsmen there! FC

True, from a business standpoint, it doesn't make much sense to go from Win7 to Win8 if you upgraded within the past couple of years. But those limping on Vista or XP may find more of a reason to do so, especially if they are expanding with mobile devices (insurance adjusters, medical, logistics, etc). Having a common interface for all your IT devices simplfies training. I've just been impressed on how much faster Win8 has been on this old computer than WinXP ever was. If it means we get a few more years out of these machines, thats worth the price of the upgrade.

Actually... My Mobile SAMs have an secondary gun that does have air and ground capability. They were doing double duty...firing at their counterparts with the gun, while firing SAMs at the airborne stuff... It was only because of limitation of the other side's MBTs that they didn't get slaughtered... FC

Well, crap, that didn't work. One side ended up being all tanks, the other was all mobile SAMs... FC

Well, I sort of have that now. I have tanks where the main gun is ground only, but the 2 aux guns are air or ground. And there have been a few times I got too close and all 9 "tanks" in a 'square' opened up on me (I gave them pretty liberal firing arcs)...looked like a damn wall! And hurt like one too.... Here's a thought...make duplicates of your mobile SAM and AAA units, but designate them as tanks. See if the game mix and matches them in the CAS formations. Also, I think you can increase the number and arrangement of items in CAS formations...so you can have more epic battles. FC

Or this one...

DCS World is completely free as far as I know...no purchases needed. But to fly aircraft in DCS World, they have to be compatible with it. A-10C, BS2, P-51 and the FC3 Beta are the only flyables currently compatible with DCS World. FC

You know, I remember that conversation somewhere.... So I changed them and sure enough, they showed up in game and started shooting! Adds a nice bit of randomization to the short range air defense setup. FC

Sweet...loving the MLRS!! FC

I'm wondering that myself...I KNOW I've been shot down by SA-8s (and a friendly Stinger...got too close in a low altitude dogfight and I got 'blue on blue' killed)...but the Mobile_SAM I've been trying to get in game isn't showing up... FC

Yes, use the search function: http://combatace.com/files/download/7178-heavy-snowfall-weather/ FC

No...it is part of the core files. Your best option is to buy Wings Over Europe. Second best (ie more expensive) is to buy SF2 Vietnam. FC

Windows 8 still allows traditional desktop interfaces, and runs traditional apps quite well....while allowing those who like the option of the "don't call it Metro" experience. You can also look at Apple as taking the lead in PCs, if you count tablets as PCs. There are so many people who have dumped their laptops because their iPad does everything they wanted their laptop to do...without the complication of the typical PC. Simply put, those who are familiar with their computers, like PC gamers, are the minority. How many users barely use their computers for things like watching YouTube, surfing the web, looking at their pictures, light word processing and maybe video editing? They are the majority...and as smartphones get more prolific, I guarantee you will start seeing more and more desktop/laptops using that kind of interface, because that is what those people want. FC

That's very easy to answer...consistency of experience. If you can have one OS that runs on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and your interaction is the same with each of them, that is huge. One can already see that Apple has been moving in that direction for sometime, and we all know how they are continuing to grab market share. What Microsoft is trying to do is leapfrog them...hoping to lure folks into their 'ecosystem'. Time will tell if they are successful or not. FC

Oh, totally missed that...thanks Brain! FC

No...that is piracy. FC

No...you can still over-G the aircraft. The FM is one of the 'beta' things about the aircraft...it's a bit too responsive in some areas. Now, having said that, in the real aircraft, you can over-G it using some sort of switch that overrides the G limiter. So in some ways, it sort of mimics real life... FC