Mike Dora

Hello All For a while now I've noticed a minor but irritating issue with the individual aircraft numbers & letters in FE2. Sometimes they appear on the aircraft of a formation, sometimes all them are anonymous - none of them have identifying individual numbers/letters. I've tried testing to try to pin down when this happens, but to no avail. The nearest I can get is that _sometimes_ (not always) when I check the "Loadout" screen in an individual mission, I see that all machines are allotted the same identity. When that happens, and I go to "Fly", all the aircraft have no individual numbers/letters. But I haven't been able to identify any consistent circumstances related to this. Any ideas anyone please? Thanks Mike

I recently realized that I don't seem to be seeing many SAMs in my various versions of SF2 (this has only taken me - how long?? ..duh) This only came up when I tried to install Spillone104's SA-2 Guideline pack for SF2. The pack installed OK, the SAMs are in the right folders, but none of them fire even when I have Air Defence set to "heavy". On digging a bit deeper I notice that these Guideline models, and most all other installed SAMs, have the line "GroundObjectRole=STATIC_SAM" in their data.ini file. On the other hand, the *_Types.ini files for all the terrains I've checked, have "TargetType=SAM_LAUNCHER" for the SAM sites. Is this mismatch significant, is this what is stopping my SAMs from showing up? Interestingly Ravenclaw's version of the Hawk missile has "GroundObjectRole=STATIC_AAA", and it _does_ work. So, advice please my friends. How do I get the SAMs to fly in SF2 please? Thanks Mike

Thanks Snailman As a footnote, since I managed to get the SAMs working, I installed eburger68's SAM update package (thanks Eric), and now when I fly the 1968 F-105D N Vietnam SEAD mission I'm getting upwards of a dozen SAMS flying if I hang around too long. It's actually quite scary! Also installed eburger68's AAA package (Eric, thanks again) so one ends up getting lots of flak bursts of different colors plus streams of tracers rising plus constant radio calls of "SAM launch! SAM launch". Gives me intense respect for the guys who went there and did it for real. Then went there again and again. For us it's only a game. Mike

I think I may have found it folks. As I said before, the SAMs _were_ working in SF2NA. Comparing my install of that version with the other SF2 mod installs, I found that it had the MissileObject.ini file present in its Objects folder. So I copied that file to the other versions' Objects folders and Lo! the SAMs are flying! My first attempt under this regime, a 1967 F-105 SEAD mission over North Vietnam, drew launches of 5 Guidelines of various types, one of which hit my Thud. Testing in various other terrains I find that the SAMs are there and working too, though sometimes some of them seem slow to launch. On the other hand I'm already finding that Gaskins and Gainfuls can be deadly. I'm also finding what Wrench hinted at, that some terrains seem to have quirky implementation of SAM sites, eg radars without launchers or launchers without radars. I don't know why this fix should work, but it does. Cheers Mike

Gepard, Many thanks, your comments have helped me investigate further. By running SEAD missions over North Vietnam, I have verified that the SAM radars and launchers are indeed present, please see screenshots: The problem now is, as you'll see from the parameters in the bottom RH corner, even though I'm within 5nm of the SAM site (effectively flying right over the heads of the operators), the missiles still aren't flying. I have also found that SAM sites do exist in other terrains too, but they're not firing either. So I'm more and more suspecting I have some parameter wrong in some "global" SF2 file somewhere, or perhaps even a file missing. BTW all AAMs & ASMs are working OK. Can you or anyone advise please? This is very frustrating, but I feel we are getting close to the answer. Thanks Mike

For CharlieLima, How about this? ;-)

In response to Gepard, this seems to be a universal problem with all my SF2 setups. I have 13 separate installs, some with multiple terrains, all built on a fully-merged full install of all the SF2 versions. When I think about it, the only SAMs I've seen firing, have been from warships in SF2NA & also in the Falklands terrain. I even seem able to cruise around over North Vietnam in a B-57 in 1968 without a single SAM coming up. So I have to ask, is anyone else noticing this? To be honest I'm a wee bit surprised that I haven't noticed it before, but there you are. Reminds me of a piece of advice from a German friend many years ago: "you should always listen to the dogs that are not barking.. " Now, back to specifics. What I did not understand before was this, the relationship between the <groundobject>_data.ini entry "GroundObjectRole", and the <terrain>_type.ini entry "TargetType". From Snailman's reply, I now think that they are completely separate, so that a missile defined as a "STATIC_SAM" in its data.ini file should be compatible with a "SAM_LAUNCHER" entry in the terrain types.ini file. Is that correct? Lastly, given the universality of my issue I'm now wondering if I have something wrong with a "shared" parameter somewhere in the fully merged install. So again, has anyone else had this problem, or is everyone else happily getting shot at by SAMs? Thanks Mike

Thanks Wrench But I am still confused. How does it work, with the terrain type.ini file calling for SAM_LAUNCHER, while the individual SAMs' data.ini files class them as STATIC_SAM? Isn't this a contradiction? Or does the inclusion of the additional line you show above "GroundObjectType=" resolve this seeming mismatch? In other words, can you recommend please on how one should align the contents of the SAMs' data.ini files with the contents of the terrain types.ini (and maybe target.ini) files so that the right parameters are in the right places to make the blasted things actually show up and even fire? Cheers Mike

Thanks Wrench So if I understand correctly, all the big SAMs' individual data.ini files in the GroundObjects folder should show them as "STATIC_SAM", while the relevant entry in the terrain types.ini file should read like this? [TargetType062] Name=SAMLauncher FullName=SAM Site TargetType=STATIC_SAM UseGroundObject=TRUE ActiveYear=1965 TargetValue=100 RepairRate=0.555 StartDetectChance=20 StartIdentifiedChance=0 IncreaseDetectChanceKey=0 MaxVisibleDist=8000.0 DestroyedEffect=SmallRocketGroundExplosion SecondaryEffect=VehicleFireEffect SecondaryChance=50 Because I am finding that the first statement is generally true for the individual SAMs (Ravenclaw's working Hawk being an exception, being set up as STATIC_AAA), but all of the terrain type.ini files I looked at have this entry: [TargetType062] Name=SAMLauncher FullName=SAM Site TargetType=SAM_LAUNCHER UseGroundObject=TRUE ActiveYear=1965 TargetValue=100 RepairRate=0.555 StartDetectChance=20 StartIdentifiedChance=0 IncreaseDetectChanceKey=0 MaxVisibleDist=8000.0 DestroyedEffect=SmallRocketGroundExplosion SecondaryEffect=VehicleFireEffect SecondaryChance=50 I just tried changing the text in the DESERT_TYPES.ini file from the latter version to the former (ie to TargetType=STATIC_SAM), but I'm still not seeing any SAMs. Can you advise further please? Mike

Dear All, First of all, Happy New Year! Now the technical stuff. I've been fiddling lately with variants of FE2. I guess I'm almost there, in terms of getting sim realism and gameplay and graphics all in balance (to my taste - these things can be pretty personal!). However I'm running up against some graphics irritations, in the Italy & Palestine scenarios. In each of these, I'm seeing ac models which show odd "see-through" white bits, please see the attachments. As you can see, there is an odd see-through bright white bar in the middle of the Turkish black square wing marking on the Fok EIII, and also there is a strange see-through bright white thing in the propeller boss of the Ansaldo SVA5, which shows through the airframe at all angles. Anybody have any suggestions for solving these irritations please? Thanks Mike PS did I say Happy New Year?

More good news, also solved the SVA5 problem! I just made the offending parts not visible from the cockpit using the "hide component" trick on the "fastpivot" and "slowpivot" parts. I was surprised but very pleased to find that making them not visible from the cockpit, also worked in the external views. For the record, these are the changes I made to the relevant *_data.ini files, at the end of the [AircraftData] section in each case. For the EII & EIV use this: Component[012]=NoLeftAileron Component[013]=NoRightAileron [NoLeftAileron] ParentComponentName=LeftOuterWing ModelNodeName=LeftAileron DestroyedNodeName=LeftAileron DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE [NoRightAileron] ParentComponentName=RightOuterWing ModelNodeName=RightAileron DestroyedNodeName=RightAileron DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE And for the EIII and AIII (= Austro-Hungarian EIII) use this: Component[014]=NoLeftAileron Component[015]=NoRightAileron [NoLeftAileron] ParentComponentName=LeftOuterWing ModelNodeName=LeftAileron DestroyedNodeName=LeftAileron DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE [NoRightAileron] ParentComponentName=RightOuterWing ModelNodeName=RightAileron DestroyedNodeName=RightAileron DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE Finally, for the SVA5, use this: Component[019]=HideFastpivot Component[020]=HideSlowpivot [HideFastpivot] ModelNodeName=fastpivot ParentComponentName=Engine ShowFromCockpit=FALSE DamageRating=NONE HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE [HideSlowpivot] ModelNodeName=slowpivot ParentComponentName=Engine ShowFromCockpit=FALSE Hope this helps anyone else who had these irritations. Cheers Mike DamageRating=NONE HasAeroCoefficients=FALSE

Good news! By using the component removal method to delete the spurious left & right "aileron" parts from the Fok Elll model, I've got rid of the irritating white bars on the wing insignia. There is no impact on lateral control. The same trick works with all the Fokker Eindekker models (EII, EIII, EIV & Austrian AIII) in all theatres. No luck though with the SVA5. Tried deleting "fastpivot" & "slowpivot" using the same technique, but without succes. The small see-through white artifact is still there. Anyone have any other suggestions please, such as where/how to add a decal as suggested by Whiteknight? Otherwise I might just live with it, it was the Eindekker white bars that were the major annoyance. Mike

Thanks All, I think we're getting a bit closer. I used Mue's LOD viewer to take a closer look, screenshots attached. At first sight the SVA view suggests that the offending part is named "Engine", with Material ID=1, the same as many other components. Can't remove it because all the prop parts are attached to it. But then closer examination shows parts called "Fast Pivot" and "Slow Pivot" with completely weird 10-digit Material IDs. Not sure I can remove them either, the fast & slow props are attached to them. For the EIII, on looking closely one can see that the LOD has an "aileron" part with a spurious 10-digit Material ID. Maybe I can remove that, maybe not. I wonder if it is an invisible aileron to permit lateral control on the wing-warping airplane? So it looks like this _is_ a Material ID issue. Now I need to know how to correct it! So, question for Whiteknight, you show a screenshot of a Notepad-read SVA file, which file is it please, and would I be able to edit it to correct the dud Material IDs that I found? Finally, I should have mentioned that both of these ac are FE1 models ported over to FE2; they do not portray these artifacts in FE1,only in FE2. None of the dozens of other FE1 models transferred across show the same issues. Thanks Mike

Hello all I am trying to edit some SF2 effects to better suit them for WW2 versions (at least to my taste - for example the great clouds of smoke emitted by fighter & bomber MGs looks quite unlike anything seen in documentary footage, smokeless powder was invented in the 19th C after all!) My problem is that I can't find the "native" SF2 effects files for editing. I have many alternate effects files from different versions of the program, so I know they belong in the Effects folder. I have extracted all the SF2 *.cat files, but can't seem to find the Effects folder or any of the effects files in any of them. Plenty of aircraft, weapons, menu files etc, but no effects files. I know that they must be there somewhere, because a) they work, and b) other people have edited them! So, help please - just where do I look for the native, original SF2 effects files? Thanks Mike

Aye thanks Snailman I was looking for set of discrete effects files, *.tga graphics etc. Had forgotten about the ParticleSystem.ini thing. Spent an afternoon of relearning (it's OK, am in a very boring place just now!), and now have the effects working the way I want them too. Thanks again Mike

Hello All I am in the process of trying to adapt Guitarclassic55's 2008 beautiful FE1 replacement menu screens (the ones with a mini-movie in a watch face on the main screen, and options screen hotspots in the shape of vintage technology like a typewriter, movie reels and so on) to work with my FE2 installation. The mainscreen is now working OK, but the big labor-intensive issue has been changing all of the menu hotspot & text coordinates from the FE1 system to FE2. Am kind of dreading doing the options screen with its multiple "pages"! I just remembered though that when I was doing similar menu-copying for SF1 to SF2 installation clones earlier this year, that the whole job became an awful lot simpler if I changed the "origin point" for the coordinates, which seems to be different between the two versions. So of course I want to try this method for this FE1 to FE2 job. The trouble is, I've forgotten how to identify this origin point, and how to change it! Can anyone give me any clues please? Thanks Mike

Hello All Does anyone know what are the allowable parameters, the rules for amending the formation sizes in the Formation.ini file please? I'm trying to set up for _smaller_ formations than the SF2 standard, for a little sub-mod I'm doing for 1950's-1960's strategic bombers & interceptors. In those days the bombers would head off individually or at most in very small formations, and similarly the interceptors would scramble in at most 2-4 ship formations. Squadron-sized gaggles were definitely not the thing. Trouble is, whenever I fiddle with Formation.ini to set BaseLevel below 2, or any of the Squadron/Flight/Element Size below 2, I get frequent lockups when trying to start a mission. Which leads me to believe one or more of these parameters has a lower limit. Any ideas, any experiences anyone? It's just that finding the system setting up 8 Lightnings to escort 8 B-52's on a Cold->Hot War nuclear strike looks silly! (a squadron would've been lucky to get 8 Frightnings all serviceable at the same time anyway, I met them close up at Leuchars in the early Seventies & learned about some of their endearing little idiosyncrasies... :) Thanks Mike

I have just converted all my old FE1 setups to FE2 configuration (I know I'm a very late-adopter, I was long put off the conversion because I'd invested so much time & effort expanding & customizing my FE1 setups. However I was just on deployment & had some useful off-duty spare time!). My problem is that I'm getting disappointingly low framerates. One of the big selling points of FE2 was, I think, that was more compatible with later OS, using DX10 etc. But with my Win7 setup, NVidia GTX950 graphics card the best FRs I am getting are in the "teens", often dipping to <10. Very rarely do they exceed 20, though I do get much better FRs when in external view. Something can't be right here, can anyone point me in a good direction please? Thanks Mike

This looks really nice, is it downloadable somewhere yet? MD

Hi All, Having recently got myself a new PC, I've been entertaining myself re-setting up some old favourites. It's far too hot to venture outside these days anyway (we're having a bit of a heatwave in the NY region). So now I'm tinkering with formation sizes in FE2, playing with the Formation.ini settings. This has led me to a question that has puzzled me since FE1 days - and also with the SFP1/2 series. What is the function of the "BaseLevel=" parameter, what is its effect, can anyone advise please? I note that it is conventionally set as "2". Is this a parameter that controls the randomness of the formation size, and if so, how? Thanks Mike

I have a slightly esoteric technical question. I recently converted an old SF1 "Soviet Afghanistan" setup to SF2 standards (I like flying the Su25!). Everything works fine, with the Soviets shown as "Friendly" and Afghanistan (ie Taliban) shown as "Enemy". These sides are reflected in both the Nations.ini file in the Flight folder, and also in the Afghanistan_Nations.ini file in the Terrains\Afghanistan folder. Copies of both files attached to illustrate. So far so good. But I would quite like to add in Pakistan, so that I can replicate their occasional "border protection" counter-Soviet F-16 ops in the late 80's. To do this of course I would have to show Pakistan as "Enemy" (I don't really mean that! Spent several happy months there in early 2010, and have had some highly-respected Pak military colleagues.. ). Trouble is, when I amend Pakistan from "Friendly" to "Enemy" in the listed files, and try to select the Pak F-16A that I imported from elsewhere, I get a CTD before I get to the Hangar screen. The Pak F-16A selects and flies OK if I show Pakistan as "Friendly" though, so I'm pretty sure it's not the ac model that's the problem. So friends, any diagnoses and/or advice please? Thanks Mike NATIONSini.txt Afghanistan_NATIONSini.txt

Another wee problem, seeking assistance. I've been running the Spanish Civil War SF1 full conversion from the A-Team (& I'm not going to get involved in any controversies here, I'll just observe that it is a pretty damned good, very immersive conversion), with just one apparent issue. When I communicate with flight members, or with the Tactical Air Control Center, I get no responses, either verbal or in the text "message" ribbon at the bottom of the screen. That ribbon is there - see attachment - but there's no message. Now I can fix it so that I get the speech, by inserting the verbals from the SF2 "Spain" speech pack into the Speech folder. But I have no idea how to get the text messages showing in the "message" ribbon. BTW I have checked, the Flight folder contains no modified version of the MessageSystem.ini file, so the system must be using the vanilla version contained in the FlightData.cat file. Any suggestions anyone please? OR​ am I barking completely up the wrong tree - is this verbal and textual silence perhaps deliberate, intended to reflect a lack of radios in SCW period aircraft? Thanks Mike

Thanks Guys That solved it. I created an "Enemy" airbase at Peshawar, east of Jalalabad across the Pak border, and lo and behold I can now fly PAF missions to "defend the border against Soviet incursions". This may be a little-known aspect of the first Afghan air war, as many as 8 Soviet ac were shot down by the PAF. These included a Frogfoot flown by Alexander Rutskoy, later the leader of the abortive 1993 coup attempt in Russia. Mike

I suppose this would have turned the early Pacific air war into a Zero-sum game?