Papa_K

For use in avionics.ini, is there a way of knowing the allowable entries, or altering what's allowable for these entries? SymbolType= TextFormat= (I'm sure there's a way to alter it... it's just a matter of how easy...) I guess what I'm asking for is a way of finding out the usable variables. Knowing what's available for those entries would help - If there are any other entries available that aren't already used in a given aircraft's avionics.ini. ___________________________ What I'm looking for right now is a way to show the heading (in text) to the next waypoint. (Or would it be possible to add a caret to the heading scale, indicating the heading to the waypoint?) Thanks, Papa_K

STEERING_CUE STEERPOINT_SYMBOL WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT I would expect STEERING_CUE and STEERPOINT_SYMBOL to require .tga files. WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT just sounds like a text readout to me. But now that I look at it some more, WAYPOINT_RANGE_TEXT and WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT are listed with radar display items (in avionics70.dll). WAYPOINT_ RANGE_TEXT also appears a second time in the list with HUD display items. It may be that WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT is a possible radar display item only. So far, no success in getting any of these going... but I haven't had much time to experiment. I wonder if any of these actually work now. If so, I'd have expected to see them in WoE. Papa_K

I noticed the following in with other HUD items: STEERING_CUE STEERPOINT_SYMBOL I'll have to try those later. Also, listed in the avionics70.dll right in with radar entries are: WAYPOINT_RANGE_TEXT WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT I know that WAYPOINT_RANGE_TEXT is working fine on the HUD. I've tried to get WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT to show up on the HUD as well... no luck so far. My guess at what it's entry in avionics.ini would look like: [HUD_WaypointBearing] SymbolType=WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT TextPosition=0.082,0.216 HorizontalAlignment=LEFT VerticalAlignment=CENTER TextFormat=%03.0f DisplayUnit=DEG Either it's not really usable, or it is a radar display item rather than on the HUD (I doubt this), or I've got something wrong in the [HUD_WaypointBearing] above. I'm unsure about the TextFormat and DisplayUnit. Papa_K

Got it... I really just had to do a search. Thanks, Papa_K ______________________________________ I might as well show the lists for HUD and Radar: HUD HUDFont HUDColor ViewportTopLeft ViewportBottomRight GunBoresightAngle RocketBoresightAngle HUDModeAA HUDModeNAV HUDModeAG Symbol[%02d] SymbolType ImagePosition TextPosition TextFormat Text ImageFilename ImageSize UseThousandsSeparator ScaleImageFilename ScaleImageSize ScaleImagePostion Scale MaxValue MinValue ScaleTextInterval ScaleTextUnit ScaleTextUnit ScaleTextPosition ScaleTextFormat DisplayUnit DisplayDigit BoxObscureSize ZeroLSD ScaleTypePosition StepHeight StepInterval RefCirclePosition RefCircleRadius ZeroVelocityPosition PitchScale FallLineImage ShowAnyWeapon ____________________ IMAGE TEXT BORESIGHT_CROSS FLIGHTPATH_MARKER ATTITUDE_BARS HEADING_SCALE AIRSPEED_SCALE ALTITUDE_SCALE VERTICAL_VELOCITY_SCALE AIRSPEED_TEXT ALTITUDE_TEXT ALPHA_TEXT FLIGHT_PATH_TEXT CURRENT_G_TEXT MAX_G_TEXT HUD_MODE_TEXT MACH_TEXT RADAR_ALT_TEXT ALT_LOW_TEXT ROLL_INDICATOR STEERING_CUE STEERPOINT_SYMBOL LCOS CCIP TD_RADAR TD_HEAT TD_LASER TD_EO WAYPOINT_ID_TEXT WAYPOINT_RANGE_TEXT RADAR_RANGE_TEXT ASE_RADAR ASE_HEAT _______________________________ _______________________________ RadarTexture RadarAGTexture RadarTextureSize RadarData AvailableModes RadarPosition RangeUnit RangeSetting[%d] MaxElevationAngle MinElevationAngle MaxAzimuthAngle BoresightElevation BoresightAzimuth ACMMaxPitchAngle MinAltitude MinimumSpeed MinReturn SearchRange SearchStrength TrackRange TrackStrength AcquisitionSymbolSpeed AcquisitionResetPosX AcquisitionResetPosY AcquisitionResetTime DisplayLimitLeft DisplayLimitRight DisplayLimitTop DisplayLimitBottom MapBackgroundLevel MapHightlightLevel MapNoiseLevel GroundSearchStrength ClearanceDistance StartMode RadarDisplay RangeSetting BarElevation ScanRate ScanBeamAngle ScanArc PPI Symbol[%02d] SymbolType Position XOffsetAzimuth YOffsetRange YOffsetElevation TextureName ImageSize RotationAngle Text NoTargetText DisplayUnit ElevationScale ShowOnlyTens ShowOnlyHundreds ShowOnlyThousands ThousandsSeparator TextureIRM TextureSAHM TextureAHM RemoveOnBreakX IFFTarget Hit1Target Hit2Target RotateToHeading HeadText TailText LeftText RightText AngleScale ____________________ OFF SEARCH TWS STT ACM GROUND_MAP TERRAIN_AVOIDANCE TV HORIZON_LINE ELEVATION_CARET AZIMUTH_CARET RANGE_SCALE_TEXT TAS_TEXT WAYPOINT_RANGE_TEXT WAYPOINT_BEARING_TEXT ACQUISITION_SYMBOL TARGET_RANGE_CARET TARGET_RANGE_TEXT TARGET_BEARING_TEXT TARGET_TAS_TEXT TARGET_ASPECT_TEXT TARGET_HEADING_TEXT TARGET_VC_TEXT TARGET_ALT_TEXT MISSILE_TOF_TEXT MISSILE_SHOOT_CUE JAM_CONDITION_TEXT TARGET_SYMBOL LOCKET_TARGET_SYMBOL RMIN_CARET RMAX_CARET AIM_DOT ASE_CIRCLE BREAK_X

I've tried a couple hex editors... which one are you using? Just seeing gibberish here. Papa_K

Is there a way to adjust the CCIP reticle position? The way it is right now for my deliveries, with a 52 mil reticle if I pickle when the top edge of the reticle hits the target, it's right on. I'd like to move it so I can use the center of the reticle. For the avionics60.dll manual bombing, it was fairly simple to adjust the mils. (It would be nicer if it could be done in-cockpit, rather than with an .ini edit.) Anything similar for avionics70? Papa_K

I guess what I'm trying to find out is if it's limited to what you see in an aicraft like the (avionics70) F-15A, or are there other SymbolTypes/TextFormats out there, available for use, but not used on that particular aicraft. One thing I'm looking for would be something like a: SymbolType=Bearing_to_Waypoint_Text, and another would be something like a waypoint_bearing that would call for a .tga (a caret of some type) to have on the HUD heading scale. Papa_K

From what I've seen now, it looks like "NO" is the answer.

A little bit OT: This reminded me of something - Babble Alert: We used to keep running bomb scores (a vanilla F-4E squadron at the time), and there was always competition/score-keeping for flights and individuals. One of the categories was a "500 foot level radar delivery." We came up with an alternative to the standard PPI-scope-with-cursors delivery methods. (Cursor placement could throw a radar delivery way off - the WSO would always have to place cursors in the exact same place relative to the ground return and tune the cursor down to as small as possible. A fat cursor placed right on the return vs just in front barely touching the return could throw the bomb off by hundreds of feet. Consistent cursor placement and size could give a good base for corrections, if that aircraft's systems were good, especially its INS. The INS is what kept the cursors tracking where you put them, so any delivery reliant on radar cursors also relied on the INS - not always a good thing then.) For the particular range we went to most often, there was a radar reflector placed a couple hundred feet beyond the radar bombing target, and just a little offset from the run-in heading. We calculated out the slant range required for delivery on the standard run-in heading when locked onto the reflector - you could lock onto ground returns in Search mode. There was a gauge in the back seat that read out slant range from a locked radar target. Just drive in at the target, on altitude and speed, and being right on heading (with an upwind correction) to the target. Then the back seater would count down the slant range, and pickle in Manual mode at the required slant range. It worked well... too well... it was soon deemed as "cheating" for a radar delivery. (I suppose because it wasn't a "system" bomb they had a point there.) Papa_K

If the game's aircraft, using avionics60, would show ground clutter/returns on Search mode, as they should, PPI ground mapping wouldn't be needed here. The real PPI scopes added the cursors that could be slewed, or positioned from system waypoint coordinates, or point to an offset input from a ground return, etc., and then provide steering and various delivery modes using the cursor positioning. Hope that made sense... anyway, if the game's radar Search mode on aircraft could display ground returns as they should, then the PPI mode would become useless in the game (with no PPI-associated deliveries). Other reasons why not to have more realistic radar ground clutter/returns in the game? It would complicate getting a contact/lock on an airborne target - getting him out of the ground clutter... Using a look-up angle vs look-down on the earlier radars was a key over land sometimes - over water lookdown was fine - and clouds were a factor on radar as well back then. Enough - I babbled on long enough there - I hope there is a combined avionics 60/70 - It will make doing the ARNIE F-4E a better possibility. (Need CCIP of avionics70 plus the A/A missile sight display of avionics60 to do it right.) Papa_K

Does the ground mapping radar, when using the avionics60.dll, provide any practical help for bombing? Is the PPI ground mapping mode anything more than an aid to finding a target in the game? -If the PPI ground mapping radar could "lock" a ground return - not really a lock, but in the game's terms that's what it could be - having the cursors stabilize on the return, tracking it in, allowing a radar bombing mode, that would be great. Since the F/A-18 is a HUD equipped aircraft, and should have a CCIP mode, I prefer having it. (Having ground mapping available also would be good.) Even though the game's CCIP mode doesn't seem to provide a real "constantly computed impact point", at least not for a wide variety of parameters (What does it really do in the game anyway?), having all the info on the HUD - dive angle, airspeed, flightpath marker, drop line, etc. - can aid bomb delivery. A manual bombing mode with avionics70 would be good too. Can't have both it seems. Anyway... on HUD-equipped aircraft, I do prefer the avionics70 display. (It just seems odd not to have HUD info when it should be there.)

File Name: USN_Sounds.zip (Replacements for F/A-18A) File Submitter: <a href='http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showuser=8803'>Papa_K</a> File Submitted: 29 Jun 2006 File Category: <a href='http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?automodule=downloads&showcat=24'>SF Sound Mods</a> Recent post by USAFMTL pointed to the sound files listed in the _data.ini for the (Mirage Factory) F/A-18A as a possible source of CTDs in WoE. I'd been getting the dreaded black screen and CTD when hitting ESC to exit an F-18 mission. It didn't happen every time, but enough... Rather than just point the _data.ini to other sound files, I opened them in a sound editor and reformated them to 16bit/11kHz, matching the default sound files in the game. (Other add-on sound files are in other formats, and don't seem to cause a problem, but none of them match up with the F-18 sound file formats.) Tested these sound files... haven't had a CTD yet. Can't guarantee it's "the answer", but here they are for testing. Just unzip and put them in \Sounds folder, replacing the files that are already there. Papa_K <a href='http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?automodule=downloads&showfile=2848'>Click here to download this file</a>

Some Add-on Aircraft Questions 1. Using the latest Tornados, I get missing fuselage panels in the mirror view. I can see the wings and the exhaust nozzles - the fuselage is invisible. External views are fine. Is this something on my end? 2. F-18, the Mirage Factory version, when quiting a mission with Esc it gives a CTD when it's installed in WoE - not happening for me in SFP1. I've seen some older posts recommending a change to the flightengine.ini file, with two variations on the entries: [GraphicsSettings] ZBufferDepth=24 MaxVertexCount=8192 MaxIndexCount=16384 MaxTextureCount=8192 MaxModelType=2048 MaxMeshPerScene=1024 MaxModelPerScene=2048 MaxLightPerScene=512 AspectRatio=1.333333 MinPixelSize=1.0 and: [GraphicsSettings] ZBufferDepth=24 MaxVertexCount=16384 MaxIndexCount=32768 MaxTextureCount=16384 MaxModelType=2048 MaxMeshPerScene=2048 MaxModelPerScene=4096 MaxLightPerScene=1024 AspectRatio=1.333333 MinPixelSize=1.0 Still a valid fix? I suppose I can try both. (I have seen some posts on CTDs/WoE, but no remedy.) 3. Tried the F-111A last night in WoV. Nav steering was way off. Pointer was pointing out front but well off from the waypoints and DME seemed to be always showing distance from the takeoff airfield. Couldn't step through the waypoints manually, but the pointer would move (to another wrong direction) when crossing turnpoints. (Added some real flavor to the mission - Good thing I had the map.) I'll have to check it some more, but I just wondered if this was a known issue - didn't see anything reported when searching for it. Sorry...I know I'm all over the map there with the questions. Papa_K

PMed column5... posting the zip now. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, Papa_K

Maybe nothing, but I had a look at my sound files. Taking JetBurner.wav, as an example: Bit Rate 176 kbps Audio Sample size 16 bit Channels 1 (mono) Audio Sample Rate 11kHz Audio Format PCM Those numbers seem consistent for default sounds, except: hangarnoise1.wav, hangarnoise2.wav, hangarnoise3.wav, RWRLockSound.wav, RWRTrackSound.wav: Bit Rate 352 kbps Audio Sample size 16 bit Channels 2 (stereo) Audio Sample Rate 11kHz Audio Format PCM The consistent thing is that they are all 16 bit sample size and 11kHz sample rate - either stereo or mono. ________________________________ Sound files listed in F-18A_DATA.ini: USNflaps.wav, USNstall.wav Bit Rate 176 kbps Audio Sample size 8 bit Channels 1 (mono) Audio Sample Rate 22kHz Audio Format PCM USNovsp.wav Bit Rate 176 kbps Audio Sample size 8 bit Channels 2 (stereo) Audio Sample Rate 11kHz Audio Format PCM USNwind.wav (numbers below match default hangarnoise wav files) Bit Rate 352 kbps Audio Sample size 16 bit Channels 2 (stereo) Audio Sample Rate 11kHz Audio Format PCM Xle2.wav Bit Rate 64 kbps Audio Sample size 8 bit Channels 1 (mono) Audio Sample Rate 8kHz Audio Format PCM ________________________________ Other files in my \Sounds folder, which don't seem to be causing any problem, don't match the default sound properties, but those also don't match up format-wise with any of the F-18 sounds listed above. ________________________________ I took all the sound files called for by the F-18 and converted them to 16bit/11kHz. (Used Roxio "Sound Editor") Not sure if the sound file format was the problem or not, but I did want to eliminate it (and maybe file errors) as a possibility. //Added: I reinstalled the F-18A in WoE, and replaced the sound files. Can't say conclusively, but so far no problems.// ________________________________ I can put the sounds into a .zip file to upload, but it may require permissions. Papa_K

File Name: WoEWoVSFP1.zip (CH profile) File Submitter: Papa_K File Submitted: 28 Jun 2006 File Updated: 6 Jul 2006 File Category: SF Joystick Config Files WoE, WoV, and SFP1 CH Profile for FS/PT/PP and TrackIR. Click here to download this file

On the Tornado I re-installed, and in SFP1 at least, it seems to be gone - no invible fuselage in the mirror view for now. F-111 just worked fine - just tested it again too - I didn't change a thing. That's two problems down as CND for now. The F-18 doesn't cause any problem for me in SFP1, only WoE. (Hitting Esc to exit a mission causes black screen -> CTD) If you're trying to say that the sound files are the cause... I'll take a look at those. Thanks, Papa_K

Thanks... just downloaded those now too. I've had this game series for only a couple weeks now... One thing I've noticed is that a backup of SFP1/WoV/WoE plus all the accumulated download files now almost fills 2 DVD's... it's a fast-growing space hog. Papa_K

Had plenty of opportunity in the past to go with/against F-111's. Normally they'd be screaming along at low level, and there was no way anyone was going to catch them in a tail chase. (Exception was a well-timed dive from a lot higher altitude, but normally there was easier meat available.) Talked to an F-111 pilot who converted out of them. On their low levels, the only thing that kept them from going even faster was the windscreen temperature - I guess they had a gauge for it - they'd have to hold back to avoid an overtemp. Papa_K

Speaking of mirrors, I saw a weird one the other day... not with the F-111 though... On some Tornados, I get missing aircraft panels in the mirror views. Still shows the afterburner cans and the wings, but the fuselage panels aren't there - A partial invisi-plane in the mirror. I wonder if it's something on my end? Papa_K