Wrench

Let's have a look at this.... Gepard's terrains WILL work in WoI provided you DO NOT use the IsraelME.cat. All the naming conventions for tiles, the new terrain objects, airfields and some etcs are different. I have the Israel2 working using the GermanyCE.cat, as it has it own terrain tiles. Theoretically, it should also work with the VietnamSEA.cat from a fully patched version of WoV; as all the needed 'desert_airfield inis, lods bmps and tgas to get them working. OTH, the Suez map does NOT have any tiles as it was designed to use those from the SF desert.cat. BUT.... it's a simple matter to copy over the needed tiles; bmps, tgas and tods from the Isreal2 folder, as they are identical. This i what I did; it took less than 5 minutes to ID and copy the needed files. Again, it could possibly use the VietnamSEA.cat for it's airfields, once proper terrain tiles are installed. I guess I'll be spending today double checking and triple checking these findings. Even if desert_airfield3 (the dirt strip) is missing, there are 2 paved versions of available ... one by Fubar here in D/L section, and another in my ASW and SoCal maps. -- but these already exist in the GermanyCE and VietnamSEA cats. Now, another important statement..... After spending the last 12 days inside the IsraelME terrain, it is my considered opinion that it NOT be used for historic missions, campaigns, etc pre-dating 1963. It would take far too much work to recreate what's already available; or to rebuild the map to add airfields and other target areas far to close to "The Wall". TK has built this map for what he wanted it for... the 6 Day War and Later. That dosen't mean it can't be used, it just means that History will need a little 'adjustment' as to operations and basing. We're tying to reinvent the wheel here, and it's not necessary. A little work can bring the existing, ready-to-use maps up to WoI spec, or make them usable for pre-63 mission sets. Wrench kevin stein

About half of those I'm shoot at. Surprised no one has used that answer yet. You guys are slow on the uptake!!! Wrench kevin stein

I moved this topic to where it belongs, "Mods and SKinning Chat" Please try to READ the posting rules, in particular "Please Don't Post in the Knowledge Base". It saves work for everyone, and your question might actually get answered. Wrench Kevin Stein Keeper of the KB

So, to answer the original question.... You can only have 2 sides in this game...FRIENDLY and ENEMY. Any nation classed as 'neutral' will not have it's assets show up, or their 'target areas' (as defined in the targets.ini) attackable (is that a word??) Already been there with the Iran/Iraq rebuild. Kuwait City, Doha, Dharan are all set as 'netural'. You can fly down there, manually, but are not tasked to hit anything. Seems to also work against anti-shipping missions, as I built routes running from Umm Qsar to Doha, and it never was assigned. Sometime I wish this was more like XvT or XWA; they have 4 and 6 sides...you can assign all kinds of different alignments Wrench kevin stein

I tried the same thing with parked birds for the SoCal upgrade...for some reason, even when entered into the terrain types* ini, hexedited/created a new d_LOD, new destroyed texture, they just disappeared. Only thing left was the destryed effet "vehiclefireeffect'' works nice, although 'mediumoilfire' is more smokey. Even in WoI, there's no destroyed model...they just go "poooofff" and vanish. On a side note, you can always use the 'destroyed model' for the B-17 from the WW2 maps for a blown out Herc. Just a suggestion... As to placing them, I'd wait a bit before spending a lot of time on it. I'm sure the patch, when it comes out, will upgrade the existing games to WoI status, in relation to parked aircraft. Wrench kevin stein *I use them as terrain objects; gives a much finer control on what you can do

As promised, some shots of upgraded target areas, and some of the new ones... Suez refinery, with docked tanker. The positioning of these object is off, as in R/L, they'd be at/near that slightly 'open' area on the waterfront, near the center of the city tiles. Another view of Suez port; the 2 cargo ships in the foreground are 3rd Wire placed, the upper center I added. Just above the crane to the right, you can see 3 parked patrol boats. Arab army camp; very generic in style. IDF army camp; note the parked Centurion variants and Magach's. Note the new flag!! (every country gets their own) Still working out some sites; just found a reference to Syrian FROG batteries used against the norther settelments; there's supposed to be a refinery/oil terminal near Latakia -- have to find where THAT is, as well as to where to 'hide' the FROGs Haven't tested the 'new' ship route down the Gulf of Suez to Bir Hac-tooey, or whatever it's called...near the southern edge of the map. Speaking of ships....has anyone given any thoughts to the various navy's involved??? We know Osa's...what about the IDF? and other Arab nations????? Wrench kevin stein

There are 232 stock target areas....the targets ini I have now has 261, and I'm not done yet!!! I forsee some problems with Cyprus...the northern/northeastern part of the island is at "The Wall" . Found this out when I added the target area "Limassol" (ok, one building! -- just needed a start point for the shipping route). Akrotiri is to the west, IIRC, near the southwestern peninusla?? Have to pop back to google earth again... There are static ship in Said on both sides of the Canal mouth; Fuad dosent' exist, as they've spread Said to BOTH side of the canal. It would be a pretty easy matter to 'split' the zone by adding Faud, and centering the 0,0 coord just east of the canal. I have the tank farm placed west of the city, about where the r/l airport is, as that was the only spot big enough to lay it down in. Airfields are pretty easy to add...it's flattening them that's the bitch!!! We'd need a few things not supplied with the game before attempting to create a new HFD and TFD: 1) complete city list - not that difficult, just time consuming. 2) unsure the TE, as it is, actually works with the new format of WoI -- and I'm afraid to test it!!! Even with 3 installs of WoI, my paranoia is showing for blowing up HFD/TFD files. You said you don't have SF or WoE..I assume you have WoV?? Try this: copy the VietnamSEA terrain file into WoI Get Gepards Israel2, as it has it's own terrain tiles. Adjust the cat pointer to the VietnamSEA.cat; Test fly. It should work! I haven't tried this myself, as I have, well, ALL version of the game, and am using the desert cat for Suez (needs the tiles--but these can be transfered over from Isreal2), and the WoE GermanyCE.cat for Isreal2. They work fine ... excepting for some oddities with the Mc-205 -- explodes on the runway) As to your Red Sea shipping routes, a target area will need to be added at the bottom of the Gulf of Suez, out in the Red Sea somewhere. I'm assuming you want them only to go from Suez to the Ocean?? Running ship up the Canal will be problematic; due to formation sizes...we'd want single file only, otherwise we'd get Elric's "Ship That Sails Over Land and Sea" again. Carrier stations, again no problems. Just pick a spot in the ocean... [TargetArea***] Name=CV Station Eagle Position=*** Radius=4000 ActiveYear=0 Location=1 Alignment=FRIENDLY CarrierStation=TRUE If you want ships permanently stationed there, you can add them into the targets ini. I should have a CVTF formation around here somewhere... location=1 makes it Israeli, but you can always add Royal Navy to the terrain's nations ini. It'll become #13... Just some thoughts...I hope to have the updated targets, types, movement and nation ini, plus the 'terrain objects' ready in the next day or so. There will, of course, be objects needed to add to people's GroundObjects folder ... Geo's Sherman E8 (with idf skin), M-3 half trak, the AMX-13 and BTRs from the pasko pak, the HAWKs from TMF pak, and etc. I'll post some screenies later today Wrench kevin stein

Yup. I don't know about indirect fire, as I've usually placed the batteries within LOS...juuuust out of range of each other. OTH, the Kytusha mod IS indirect, non-LOS Pasko's D-20 and my mod of his KS-19 into a 'passable' M-59 (although it looks just like what it is ...) are in the D/L section. Should be doable for FE; I don't have the expansion pak, but adding stuff to the existing guns should be pretty straight forward Wrench kevin stein

Florian, brother, you crack me up!!! Almost perfect!!! Since I'm in the proces of quitting smoking, the ashtray isn't necessary, unless you want to store spare change in it... Is that squashed Milky Way I see on the rudder pedal??? Might have to move the pizza oven down to the weapons panel; it IS blocking the monitor for the DVD player.... Wrench kevin stein

Johan: you going to edit the targets ini??? I've got an updated one nearly ready, adding IDF HAWK launchers, adding an additional nation (Cyprus) as a base for a new ship route, several new truck routes in Israel. I was also thinking of 'borrowing' some of Gepard's target areas from the Isreal2 map to add...Haifa fuel stroage, Port Said fuel storage, Port Fayd (sp?) I've actually been giving the terrains a good going over...Gepards Israel2 works fine, as long as you have the germanyce terrain folder in, to reference back to for terrains objects -- for some odd reason, Suez needs the desert cat; even with the terrain tiles from Is2. Very strange. For historical, 48 and 56, I'm thinking that his maps ARE the way to go, as everything is already in place. Of course, lots of them can easily be added to the IsrealME map -- have the positions already plotted out Tel Aviv Insdurstial Haifa Fuel storage Ashod Munitions storage Netanya Motor Works Herzila IAI Factroy (these last 3 will need new target areas, as I can't cross match them to the IsME map...have to find the closest 'location' Tanta barracks the oil field in southern Egypt, on the Red Sea. These can also be easily added. Parked ships is a total no-brainer! Wrench kevin stein

AmokFloo: is there any way to transfer those to the A-10??? I know of a Hog driver that would love to have them (reference: 'Hogs' novel series) Oh, and don't forget the MP3 player jack Wrench kevin stein

You'd need an entirely new terrain; which could be quite easy to build..... The ANW series offers many possibilities....just remove the enemy airbases (ie: remove the airfield data ini line, thereby rendering it a terrain object), add the usual suspects target areas, various and sundry truck routes, and viola...a new Mountain Bombing Range, with plenty of ingress routes down twisty turny canyons. The only things that would be missing are the 'range grids'....the nuke target circle, simulated SAMs bases, all those are Range particular tiles. The parking rivetment, parked planes, various and sundry buildings are easily re=added. Wrench kevin stein

Honestly, are people even reading the threads in these forums, or just looking at the pretty pictures???? Wrench kevin stein

I think Gepard's Arab F-16 is the first post in the WoI Weapons Fixes Thread! Looks like I'll have to go out and get the others, and see whats what with whom that needs something that I lost my train of thought on.... I should have an updated targets, types and movements ini for WoI ready in the next day or two. Added HAWKs for the IDF, some truck routes for the Arabs to attack, and a new shipping route for them too. Plus a bunch of flags for the various airbases. Wrnch kevin stein

Umm....you CAN'T have anti-shipping missions on any of the Ranges... THERE'S NO OCEAN!!! It's in the middle of the freeking desert!!! It represents the standard USAF Bombing Range like you'd see near Yuma or Nellis. Have you read the original readme, if any, that comes with the ORIGINAL range downloads?? I'm pretty sure Deuces stated that pretty clearly. And it should be patently obvious, that there's no place for ships to sail, if there's no ocean...(mind you, that dosen't mean it couldn't be simulated...as ships is pretty dumb, and don't KNOW they're not supposed to travel over land) As to the objects, they're there. They're listed in the types ini, listed in the targets ini, and the physical models are ALL inside the terrain folder. Have you flown out to the Range, and looked for them???? They're off to the west of the bombing range, in the nice flat area. Kinda hard to miss, expecially with the smoke stacks belching pollution at the Industrial Center; the locomotive smoking at the train station... I don't know what to tell ya...it's been 14 months since I first released the WW2 ranges; 4+ years since Deuces released the originals, and no one has every mentioned anything wrong. It's quite possible you've hosed your range installs...I'd suggest deleting them, and starting with a fresh download of the STOCK STANDARD, unmodified, modern; place this into you game install (WoE for instance), and fly that before attempting to add the newer stuff. Follow any and ALL instructiions in the readmes (if any!). Follow the instructions in the Knowledge Base for adding 3rd Party Terrains... Also, they've NOT been tested in WoI, and will most likely NOT work, due to differences in internal naming conventions. You never did mention which version of the game you can't get it to work in... Wrench kevin stein

That's displaying .5 Mach. Look at the numbers...1, 1.5 mach. The cockpit ini shows the gauge only has 2 displayed values... Interesting to note, the A-4B shows a few more... To add more readouts, you'd just need to figure out the needle postions for which ever you want, and add them to the cockpit ini You can always cross check with the HUDData ini set to 'DisplayDebut=TRUE", which will give you IAS, TAS, and Mach number. Wrench kevin stein

Mirage 5D LARAF (stock 3rd Wire) First off, we'll need to make this a flyable aircraft. There are 2 ways to do this, one is super easy, and the other is a bit more involved. 1) Use the existing Nesher bits 2) Use the cockpit bits from TMFs Mirage 5BA (the Belgian one) Now, I'm not sure which is more accurate...did the Lybian's have a RWR in their Mirages? Don't know! But for the quick and dirty fix, you can do use the following data to use all stock, in game items... Open the "Mirage5D.ini" and add the following line: CockpitDataFile=Nesher_cockpit.ini AvionicsDLL=Avionics60.dll AvionicsDataFilename=Nesher_avionics.ini If you want, you can even re-use the Nesher's hangar screen, but that might look a little funny; what with the wrong color camo paint on it and all... If you're wanting to use the TMF's Mirage 5BA version, you'll need to have it installed somewhere (most likely in your WoE or NATO FIghters install). Copy the ENTIRE cockpit folder into the Mirage 5D, along with the cockpit ini. Then, add the following to the Mirage5D.ini: CockpitDataFile=Mirage5BA_COCKPIT.INI This gives you the radar-less, RWR-less version. It's totally up to you which version you wish to use; now you have options. -------- Weapons Loads: Well, this one AGAIN! falls into the 'trying to load friendly weapons on an enemy aircraft' category. After extracting the data and loadout inis, open the Data ini and scroll down to the weapons section. We're, again!, going to make this a very quick and dirty fix. Research has shown the LARAF didn't start equipping their Mirage 5 with A-A missiles until very late (1980s?) in life, so, were going to let them be able to load, but not GIVE them a load.. Here's your weapons stations: And the Loadout ini: Like the Hunters, we've simply switched them over to use Soviet Weapons. You'll also note the lack of IRMs that should give Kadaffi something to fly, and let you shoot down! Wrench kevin stein

Go to simmerspaintshop.com, there a butt-load of color charts. The gives the FS number, plus the RGB values. You can then create a new color chip by putting in the RGB values. That's how I got all the 99.9% accurate Luftwaffe and RAF colors. Wrench kevin stein

I don't use their nations ini...although it's a simple matter to change it back. Could be why I never had the problem? All the Egyptian-style weapons exits in the BunyPak. It's easy thing to just import them over, or do the 'copy/adust nations/etc/' with existing stuff in TMF pak. Might just be easier to do the copy thing, as the parameters have changed, and the new WedEd just assigned generic valuse for some. It's something else I'm working on...and I'll be posting the results in the "WoI ONLY Loadouts Thread" in the KB Has anybody done EAF Mirage/Phantom skins???? With the Orange Flashes?? We'd also need a Mirage F-1 for Jordan, too. Eventually. So, you made a RJAF B winder?? Wrench kevin stein

I'm not understanding the question.... You can't find their physical location? Or you can't find the physical objects??? They're all built right into the terrain folder...for both the Allied and Axis bombing ranges. I'd suggest a little time with the free camera mode...they certainly are there in the downloads...I just pulled both down and went line by line in each of the targets and types inis. Every single item, be it the skin bmp, LOD and coordinates on the map are there. The only suggestion I can make is to do like I did for the Modern Ranges; switch Low Level Checkpoint 1 up to TargetArea001, and renumber Home Base to Target area 002; that'll eliminated the sticky aircraft problem. Which I've never experienced. Wrench kevin stein

I'll be a-waiting!!! Thank god for Google earth!!!! Wrench kevin stein

You ain't seen nothing yet.... I can update the existing map, but it has even MORE flaws that my last one...what's needed is someone to rebuild the terrain; fix the water/mountains stuff, and then populate it. Just wish I could do more in the TE, other than simply flatten airfields Wrench kevin stein

Stock Fishbeds use GLASS on some, IIRC I tried combining types on something...FW-190F or one of the Japanese birds, and it didn't work. Wound up using ALUMINIUM, but with heavy gauge for the rear... Wrench kevin stein

Doubtfull.. now, however, would be a good time to learn 'making new skin templates from existing skin bmps' .. which has been discussed somewhere around here in the last few months.. An eye-crossing process at best, but does give some nice results. Wrench kevin stein

wow, here's a coupla ideas to try: 1) extract stock weaponsdata ini; add the weapons you want, do the add weapons ini dance. 2) D/L the TMF weapons pak; add the weapons you want do the add weapons ini dance. Both/either will fix the problem Wrench kevin stein