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FastCargo

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Posts posted by FastCargo

  4. Posted

    Well, you wouldn't find just a 'blank plate' entry in the ini file. You actually have to look in the LOD and OUT files to see if there is such a thing.

     

    But since the TW sims don't give you the OUT files and the LODs are locked away...you could be screwed.

     

    However, there is an another option.

     

    Find and extract all the graphics files for the F-100. Eliminate the external model files.

     

    Eliminate all the graphics files except BMPs.

     

    What you have left is mostly dial faces.

     

    Find a dial you aren't using or wouldn't miss and replace the BMP with a blank, black BMP. Find the corresponding entry in the cockpit.ini. You now know the node name of the dial you can turn into a radar/EO screen...

     

    FC

  6. Posted

    See, a lot of people think the model creation is the most time consuming part...actually, it's probably one of the easier parts of bringing a model into game.

     

    Building a 3D object for me is pretty straight forward...at least until the fiddly bits.

     

    And the mapping...then it gets ugly and time consuming.

     

    Here's the thing...it is kind of rare that a model you can find on a place like Turbosquid is in any way optimized for use in the sim.

     

    A lot of times, for the more detailed ones, it has FAR too many polygons. As an example, I have this beautiful B-1B model given to me to bring into the TW series. It has got curves in all the right places, outstanding detail, etc. Believe me, I love what Dels did, but this thing is beyond FSX payware detail.

     

    And it's also 100000+ polygons (without landing gear). The Super Hornet is a 40k polygon model and it causes a significant amount of user problems as it is.

     

    You can try to run a reducing script on such a model, but that usually creates oddness, especially where there are seams in the mesh. So a lot of times, you have to do it by hand...which takes all sorts of time.

     

    Then if the model doesn't have cutouts for things like the gear wells, doors, flight controls, all that has to be done, along with the appropriate fillets. Same thing with the landing gear...separating and tweaking all the parts needed. You have to assign pivot points, animate parts, close certain meshes, build damage nodes.

     

    And more than likely, you will need to map the model. This is probably the most tedious part of the job, and why a lot of folks would just rather build their own model from scratch instead of adapting someone else's.

     

    There was a guy here, bigal1 I think was his name, who had a couple of the nice models off of Turbosquid (B-1B and XB-70)...he showed screenshots of where he did a slap and dash to put in game (ie you can get it in game quickly, but is totally useless as an actual flyable aircraft). But then he got to the actual work of trying to get them in the game usefully...

     

    He never got them out there. I'd imagine he encountered the frustrations I mention below. It was up to Dels and myself to build models from scratch to get them in game.

     

    What I'm trying to say is this...what you are offering is admirable. However, you aren't the first person to do this, and as JonathanRL will tell you, there typically aren't a whole lot of (if any) takers for such a project for a reason.

     

    FC

  11. Posted

    Okay, I looked at it myself.

     

    The G's A/R door animation is definitely hardwired with the tailhook...and that animation is porked (the tailhook extends fine, but retracts sideways and stays that way).

     

    The pivot points on all the models' hooks are porked...nothing will get them to animate correctly. So assume none of the models have tailhooks.

     

    This is the entries all the models should share:

     

    [AirRefuelingDoor]

    SystemType=ANIMATION

    InputName=ANIMATION_3

    DeploymentMethod=MANUAL

    AnimationTime=3.0

    AnimationID=3

     

    [Tailhook]

    SystemType=ARRESTER_HOOK

    MaxDeflection=0.0

    Retractable=TRUE

    DeployTime=0.001

    RetractTime=0.001

    ModelNodeName=tailhook

    HookArmLength=0.000

     

    On the 2 F models, you can comment out the entire Tailhook entry.

     

     

    On the G model, under the [AirRefuelingDoor] section, reduce the AnimationTime to something very small, like 0.001.

     

    The F models will now have properly activating A/R doors. You shouldn't see any wierdness with the tailhook, but you won't be able to use it either.

     

    For the G model, the A/R door will more or less simply 'appear'. What this does is reduce the cooresponding tailhook animation to a blink, which then is forced back into position by the [Tailhook] entry. So, except during the actual 0.001 second of animation, the tailhook will always appear to be retracted, properly.

     

    FC

  14. Posted

    Alrighty folks, everyone take it easy.

     

    morteza1374, everyone I think understands there is a communication issue. However, most of your posts have been either about wanting something, or about something that is incorrect and needs fixing.

     

    Very few of your posts have actually been about you creating or fixing something yourself.

     

    One of the great things about this series of sims is except for the actual building of 3d objects, EVERYTHING else can be done with freeware programs and application of knowledge and effort.

     

    You will get more respect if you make the effort to start fixing things yourself. If you cannot bring yourself to do this, why should anyone else be bothered to help you?

     

    FC

     

    --------------------------

     

     

    مردمی بسیار خب، هر کس آن را آسان.

     

     

     

    morteza1374، هر کس من فکر می کنم درک یک مسئله ارتباط وجود دارد. با این حال، بسیاری از پست های خود را یا در مورد چیزی می خواهند، و یا در مورد چیزی است که نادرست است و نیاز به تعمیر شده است.

     

     

     

    تعداد بسیار کمی از پست های خود را که در واقع در مورد شما ایجاد و یا تثبیت چیزی به خودتان بوده است.

     

     

     

    یکی از چیزهایی که در مورد این سری از سیمز به جز برای ساختمان های واقعی از اشیاء 3D، هر چیز دیگری را می توان با برنامه های نرم افزار و استفاده از دانش و تلاش انجام می شود.

     

     

     

    شما احترام بیشتری اگر شما را به تلاش برای شروع همه چیز ثابت خود را دریافت کنید. اگر شما نمی توانید به را خود را برای انجام این کار، چرا باید هر کس دیگری ناراحت است به شما کمک کند؟

     

     

     

    FC

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    Okay, let's start with a process of elimination.

     

    Comment out all the hook reference entries. Make note of which animation they use. Make sure nothing else is using those animation slots.

     

    Check all 3 aircraft in game...see if the hooks all look correct, the A/R probes don't move, and the hook command is non-functional.

     

    Then create manual animation entries for the A/R probes. Use the entries on the Super Hornet as an example.

     

    [AirRefuelingDoor]

    SystemType=ANIMATION

    InputName=ANIMATION_3

    DeploymentMethod=MANUAL

    AnimationTime=3.0

    AnimationID=5

     

    Once those entries are built, check all 3 aircraft again. Use the manual animation key in game...see if it only affects the A/R door.

     

    Assuming this is good, try to find the node name for the hook mesh in the LOD (check the OUT file).

     

    Build an entry like this in each aircraft's data.ini:

     

    [Tailhook]

    SystemType=ARRESTER_HOOK

    MaxDeflection=65.0

    Retractable=TRUE

    DeployTime=3.5

    RetractTime=2.0

    ModelNodeName=Tailhook

    HookArmLength=2.07

    AttachmentPosition=0.0000,-5.5751,-0.6879

     

    Note no animation is referenced at all in this entry. See if the hook command works and the hooks move correctly.

     

    If anything is abnormal in any one of these steps, we can chase down what is wrong and what can be done.

     

    FC

  18. Posted

    OpenRocket - Design your own rockets, then build and fly them for real. - http://openrocket.sourceforge.net/

     

    Wing Commander Saga - Wing Commander using the FS2 engine - http://www.wcsaga.com/

     

    BSG Diaspora - BSG using the FS2 engine (bring your skills) - http://diaspora.hard-light.net/

     

    The Babylon Project - B5 using the FS2 engine - http://babylon.hard-light.net/

     

    Privateer Gemini Gold - Origin's Privateer done with a 3d space combat engine - http://privateer.sou....net/news.shtml

     

    BattleZone 1.5 - Yep, Activision's BattleZone, made to work with modern resolutions and WinXP/Win7 - http://www.battlezone1.com/downloads/

     

    FC

  19. Posted

    The double slash is a comment code only....everything after the double slash on that line is disregarded by the game engine.

     

    Using the hook command was an old SF1 trick to get around the lack of direct user control of animations. That's been fixed since the Oct 08 patch. So you could assign the A/R probe to a manual animation key.

     

    Also, depending where the pivot point is on the hook, you could actually assign it to the hook key. The game engine will animate it just fine as long as you specify the values it will rotate to.

     

    FC

  23. Posted

    Zur,

     

    It certainly is possible.

     

    But, I think everyone is rocket-jumping to conclusions waaaay early. Just like everyone is creaming their shorts about DCS.

     

    In both, the situation is the same...potential. TW could potentially leave the PC market. DCS could potentially be the combat flight sim platform diehards have been looking for (FSX moddability and realism applied to a modern air combat flight sim).

     

    A lot of us have been around the block enough to have seen the wreckage of past efforts to know better. No matter if it's established developers (Janes, Spectrum Holobyte, Microsoft) or new developers that never got to market (Fighter Ops, Jet Thunder), no developer is immune to closing up due to all sorts of factors.

     

    We have a saying at my company: "Until it has a purple tail and is sitting on our ramp, don't assume we'll get that aircraft."

     

    When TW makes an announcement that they are ceasing PC development, then I'll believe it.

     

    When I start seeing a sizable amount of releases (not renders, videos, or screenshots) of products for DCS that are significantly different than what is already for sale, then I'll get excited.

     

    FC

    • Like 2

  24. Posted

    You know, something that I think would be a hoot and a half would be the old '2 people in the same aircraft' multiplayer. As far as I can tell, I don't think that's been done since F-15 Strike Eagle III. I'd imagine there would be a whole host of issues attempting to program it.

     

    But damn, it was fun!

     

    Nobody has seen something like that on the horizon for anything?

     

    FC

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