Wrench

We need Sundowner to pull another few rabbit out of his Phantom Hat... I'm sure Ken (531Ghost) would definately want a VMFA-531 skin, as he worked on them! --don't we have somewheres??? Getting Wagsled in on this is SUPERB idea Jug! Thanks. BTW, since they use (the N and S(e) and S(L) the F-4B and F-4J lods, respectively, all the older skins should work on them. I just put the VF-111 F-4B skin on my N, and works perfectly I should have the N ini pak tommorrow; got sidetraked working on a map Crusader sent me in November that I've forgotten about... Wrench kevin stein

Cool! Already done the main sections, I was mostly curious about those particular callouts. so adding the new speed line won't really do much, huh? as to binding the slimers to the landing lights, try this: [sLIMERS] SystemType=LIGHT LightNodeName=SLIMERS Brightness=0.03 LightSrcRange=0.2 CanFlash=FALSE LightNodeName=LandingLight IsLandingLight=TRUE For the formation lights, I'm not sure if it's releated NightLightOn= line in the cockpit ini. This may only be for the light you see when sitting in the pit. You could drop the numbers down, say to =0.01, and see what happens when flying night missions. Otherwise, it may be something 'trapped' in one of the dlls where we can't get to it. That's always bugged me too ... "lets leave all the lights on while we fly over the enemy nation's capitol city. they'll never notice us" ... NOT!!! As to the shadow, I just used the data out of the F-4Bs main ini; a Phantom shape is a phantom shape is ... you get the drift. Oddly, even post patch it STILL calls for a F-4B.SHD file. Theoretically, you might be able to use the newer style listing... [shadow] CastShadow=TRUE ShadowCastDist=10000 MaxVisibleDistance=800 Test, and seaon to taste If you get the odd 'black phaser line' reaching down to the ground, go back to the original shadow type. Wrench kevin stein

I go away for 2 minutes, and pics are fixed. Exxxcccceeelllnttt! Wow, that DO look good! Love the valleys with the trees! What time frame are you shooting for, WW2 or Cold War?? btw: here's the ww2 eaw euro link: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...p;showfile=6930 originally designed for SF, it needs trees Wrench kevin stein

The pics aren't coming through for me...just go red Xs. I wanna see!!! I wanna see!!! btw, the WW2 EAW Euro map by Edward covers that area Wrench kevin stein

I redid the N's data ini last night, too But I have some aerodynamic questions for those "in the Know".... for the rear stabs, from the B data ini we have this (new parameters, methinks post patch): and this is from the original N data ini... You can see they're actually pretty close. The Original Readme states: Which would be this data: So the question is, do I just make the change for the MaxControlSpeed=, or leave it with the B data? It flys perfectly fine, too. I don't know enough about aerodymanic to know if the 11 kph difference will make all that much of a change. It's easy enough to swap out, btw. Also updated the cockpit by changing it to use the F-4Js (with it's rwr), and latest style loadout ini (which matchs the data ini in that it adds the 'mirrored' stations for the outboard 370 gallon tanks). Wrench kevin stein

XRay: feel free to use those blue Borts!!! Remember, they're just repaints of the stock red, and don't have a border on them Damn, that is ONE big bird!! The skins look great! Be almost a shame to shoot it down..... Wrench kevin stein

Yup, we (the DS Team) put in a request with NatGeo to get everyone wamed up for the impending release of the Desert Storm mod They were quite nice in complying..... Wrench kevin stein

Ok, that went pretty easy.... The zip attached here is for the EARLY version ONLY It's the data and loadout ini, set to use stock weapons (so don't make a big fuss about the wing tanks.) It's still loads the SUU-23 centerline gunpod, even though they weren't normally carried. Consider this as a kind of half-a$$ed upgrade. I took the data ini for the stock, post-patch J, and made a few tweeks in regards to the slats, which data comes from the E. You'll need to use the STOCK, IN-GAME F-4J lods =ONLY=, so if you got any old lods in the main folder, put them somewhere's else, like a 'backup' or 'storage' folder. It's all pretty 'stock', other than the addition of chaff and flare dispensers -which are most definately in the wrong place. I couldn't remember the correct placement, so just used the E/G points out of the aft end of the inner pylons. I know from 531Ghost that they're on the upper fuselage, forward of the fin someplace. I did notice a slight porposing/pitch up around 200-220 knots in a turn, so the FM may need some refinements, but this comes right out of the latest version,...I leave the fine tuning to the Experten. Backup your orginal data and loadout inis...play it safe!!! It ain't perfect, but it's a starting point. Since I'm no FM Guru, this is all semi-educated guesswork. But the slats to appear to be working, and acting. It sure could use a new skin/decal package good flying! WRench kevin stein oh, and to answer Crab's question: Yes. Definately worth updating!!! All the older mods could use a little post-patch love.... :yes: May take a quicky look at the N too....

(off topic) Mab: Can't you change it in the control panel for you profile?? If not, PM one of the Admins with what you want. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- back on topic: the old question: who do I have to "convince" to give us workable toss bombing, and working LABS timer???" !!! I DO hope he's got more up his sleeve...given the past track record, I'd guess he does. Here's hoping the situation (both in the gaming world, and our current economic "difficulties") will allow for it! Wrench kevin st

1st, I must commend you on you statements; they're well written and conscise. They state the questions most elequontly (sp?), and show that somebody's been doing their homework! But.... I think you're missing the whole point Simply stated, as best as I can recall from nearly 6 years involvement with the series, thousands of posts, including statements from TK hisself.... It ain't built that way. The games are as TK wants them to be. Now, having said that, TK has done a magnificent job updating and allowing for us, both as End Users ™ and Modders to add all kinds of bells and whistles. Obviously, this isn't Falcon 4 or LOMAC or any of those other study sims...like one of our other members has in his sig, (paraphrased, as I can't remember it exactly) "a simple, fun sim with interesting aircraft" Unfortunately, I don't think ANY personal computer is going to give you the level of "fire control systems" detail you're wishing for, outside of a Corporate or Military simulator. I really don't think that's possible (mind you given a big enough budget...... :yes: ). Or outside of the Real Life ™ aircraft themselves. Honestly, the question pops up again and again and again. And has been answered everytime. To no one's total satisfaction. I, in my own heart, don't think there IS an answer... after all, it IS just a game! But keep asking the questions...who knows what we'll get next! Wrench kevin stein

YGTBSM!!!! How do you think you get from seeing all the blips to locking a single target??? Ok, say we're mosying along a 22k feet, in our handy dandy F-4E. Simply because I really like Rhino...and it's aviionics are relatively simple. Our radar, set to SEARCH, it reaching out 50 miles. It detects a close-packed bunch of blips at around 40 miles. Now, we can't use our handy dandy insert/home keys to lock a suspected target, as we're out of range (and this is determined in EACH aircrafts avionics ini -- if you study them, you'll see what I mean), and is probably linked to the missile's weapons data. And, of course, in the avionics60.dll, in this case... So, we close to less than 25 miles, dropping the range gate as we go. At 20 miles more or less, we can now select a target to lock with the home/insert/whichever key. You might have to 'jump' between each blip, until you get (again, more or less) the lead unit. HOME should lock him, and your display will automatically switch to something close to boresight; the single verticle line, and the range gate circle and your target a largish blip along the V line. Keeping you nose pointed directly at the target by flying directly towards it; ie manuver to keep the pipper centered, you watch for the "InRange" light on the instrument panel. Personally, with Sparrows, I don't fire until they're less than 10 miles out. Better chance of a hit. Press that button ...and wait for the fireworks. Don't forget the Sparrow is semi-active, so you'll need to keep the nose pointed at the target, so the seeker head "sees" the reflected radar energy from said target. Don't forget to inform your wingmate to engage, too.... Seriously, for all you....RTFM!!! It's all covered in there (well, at least in MY copies of SF/WoV/WoE). A little research on the weapons systems and how THEY work wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Just a suggestion, of course. Wrench kevin stein

Can one assume it'll work in the others as well??? (SF/WoV/WoE/WoI)??? Always thought the shape was soooo cool!! Nice job! Wrench kevin stein

Ok, I just need to write the readme for it, and I'll have it up at my site tommorrow. Fortunately, I DON'T have to drive to Downtown LA for jury duty (yet...) I HATE this on-call crap they do!! Like the RAF version, it'll be a semi-complete, nationalized version called, oddly enough "Buffalo_FAA", nationed (is that a word?) for RoyalNavy What we really need are Skua, Roc, and Fulmars and Gladiators/Sea Gladiators too. For the time period. And SkippyBing's Stringbag!!! We're still waiting for that one!! You sure I can't interest you in a Martlet??? Better performance....and it looks nicer than the Brewster. Grumman Ironwork, Baby!!! Wrench kevin stein

Well, this is what I go so far: I had to ditch all but the "MBB" and danger triangle decals -- I think there's something wrong with the tgas maybe?? These are ALL stock 3rdW decals off the WoE F4F; the numbers are one decal, the cross another (I've only done decal-on-decal once before, on the WW2 P-82 mod -- I guess it works sometimes!!--that's how the BLW Rhino's decal ini is, too) As you can see, I think there's some open meshes in the wings, causing the massive bleed top and bottom. FC and I had a similiar problem on the wings for the XF-103. I dig the lights!!! Expeically the landing/taxi lights! Needs a gun, though...I'd suggest the BK-27 in one of the wing roots ala F-15 or Typhoon. I also changed the start year to 1995...just for fun. It's also nice to see my PilotUK getting some use too!! If you want my suggestions for 'cutting meshes', I cut it fore and aft, right at the leading and trailing edges of the wing/fuselage join, creating "nose", "fuselage" and "tail", then you still have the VertTail for the squadron badge and etc, opening up a few more decal positions. Wrench kevin stein

UP! One zip, SABOT, on the way!! Wrench kevin stein

Actually, that's NOT a bad idea. It would require a 'new' ground objcet, oh, let's call him/her/it "Aircraft Director". since he/she/it would only be used ON an airfield, you could possibly add the lights, like runway lights, once the positions are figured out (standard coord, just like any other ground object) Just like comprnt did for the additonal lighting on the towers, fuel tanks, buildings, etc. The new lights would be added to the airfield's data ini. Wrench kevin stein

Do you want my decals ini, as a base to start from?? Wrench kevin stein

If the S (Early) is basicaly just a J (and I'm assuming smokeless engines?), maybe just the J's data ini, with some loadout changes in order??? No changes to the physical model itself?? extending RAT??? that's nice too!! If the S (Early) is the same LOD, I can have a 'test' data and loadout ini sometime tommorw, using the a fresh J (and the E's slats) as the base, if you want. Most definatly, need Ant for some Ferris schemes!!! RIGHTEOUS!!!! Wrench kevin stein

Do you have skypats' cat extractor? Are you using it properly??? Have you seen this little tid-bit? http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=32706 might be the answer you need. let us know Wrench kevin stein

Man, we ain't talking about Turkeys!! We're talking eels and buffalo!!! Wrench kevin stein

How different are the J and S models, in reality??? If it's just flight modeling, one could probably get away with a simple copy/paste of the relevant data sections from a newly extracted (ie: post patch) F-4J's data ini. I'd also try extracting the stock SF/WoV/WoE "canopy_glass.tga" from the objects.cat, and either drop it into the main /F-4S folder or the skin folder, or BOTH!! crab: it's STILL a fine airplane, man. I've flown in WoE postpatch, and seems ok (to my untrained hands ) A note of caution to you SF2 players; personally, I'd wait until TK gets us the tools to really dig into the system. Right now, everyone is running around like chickens with the heads chopped off, griping about all kinds of problems. I advise paitence... we'll get what we need soon enough. Wrench kevin stein

Well, that's not exacty true.... If you're adding weapons, even only one, you'll need to create a new sub-folder in your main /Objects folder called (oddly enough) /Weapons. Then, the extracted weaponsdata ini, the new weapons (lods, inis bmps) go in there. After running the latest Weapons Editor, a new weaponsdata.dat is created, and THAT also stays in the /Weapons folder If you're NOT adding any new weapons, there is NO real need to extract the weaponsdata.ini. The Game Engine ™ will find it easiy enough, safely enscoused in the Objects.cat The Knowledge Base (that Forum, 2nd down from the top in the "Wings Over Isreal/Wing Over Europe/Wings Over Vietnam/Strike Fighter" Main listing) has a bunch of answers and procedures you might find helpful Wrench kevin stein

Interesting.... I like this statement: Since the requirment for 'having the disc in the drive' vanished with SFP1 Patch #1...one wonders what -word deleted- site the software came from. Once installed, you don't need to have the disc 'onboard' so to speak; WoV has never had this issue. TK has never issued any demo's of ANY of his games, so my alarm bells are ringing pretty loud... Do yourself a favor...spend the 20 bucks, buy it off TK 3rd Wire site, install properly, and you won't be sorry Wrench kevin stein

Well, we can forgive you lack of camo skills. After all, you are the King of Decals I, am just your humble accolyte Wrench kevin stein

Nicki, I'll see what I can do..... Adding faces isn't really all the hard, if you've done it before Wrench kevin stein