model alignment to the ground

Any tips on getting models to align on the flat plane ground, please, (rather than hovering) especially interested if:

1. The textured model and its relationship with the collision model if they are in the same EDM

2. Relevance of the angle of the sides of the model (sharp, too sharp)

3. If sometimes the engine ignores the horizontal zero plane and why (tried burying the model below ground level like the buildings, but it's not consistent.

And lastly... creating a ramp for aircraft, without it taking off your wheels at 5mph or sticking. It seems to be an angle thing, prefering closer to the 45 degrees which doesnt really work for that purpose.

Cheers

What's the model??

Hi Joey, the model is essentially as close as I can get it, trying to be nothing at all. I've sucessfully swapped out a FARP. The premise is that many people want a FARP to rearm aircraft in the field so Viggen can do distributed base operations. It would be significant for Harrier and helicopters could use it too as before, you have a farp as a patch of dirt and decorate it with units and statics from the mission editor, rather than using the huge lump that sticks out for miles around. It coudl be a simple as a square with a refuelling line around it, a patch of dirt, a Marston mat (which is my current fav) or no texture at all.

I can do that now that A) aicraft can use farps to rearm and refuel which wasnt possible some years back and B) found the secrets to it.

First attempt was a hump, main things to test were the ramp leading up to it. Seemingly the Flight Models do not react well to collision at acute angle and generate sparks unless you can get the wheel up on it. I've had about 10 iterations now tested and the ones that work have steeper angles. Generating a 10cm high collision model will take your wheels off at 5mph sometimes. A larger one with steeper sides raises the issue of getting up on it with enough power to burn thru the stickiness. Finding the balance is tough, but with the larger ones I struggle getting them to sit flat on the floor.

Thoughts?

PS... On Viggen launch it will be non issue since that beast can roll up to it, connect and reverse back so the project will always be useful even in current state.

You have a custom FARP working????

Yes. Except the model wont align to ground and the ones that do tend to shred undercarriages or be super-large. But I got a rearm/refuel on it on it. Hence the question about aligning the models. I got something but it was too high, it seems to be related to angle and minimum height. I'm still messing about with different models.

I can do that now that A) aicraft can use farps to rearm and refuel which wasnt possible some years back and B) found the secrets to it.

 

Hi Pikey,

is it possible to share this info?

Yeah. Simply replace the Farp model in game. The single farp type wont work and we need to use the CLSID of the current farp. But who needs that old farp when you can make your own, right?

Ok, but then you have to place the landing places on the same position as the old farp?

For spawning aircraft or helicopters we ignore the landing spot using a simple hack and place the take off point directly anywhere in the world. So don't need to assign a takeoff point.

If you want to have a custom farp but you want the old takeoff points then you don't need a custom farp, you just have the old one back and reskin it like has been done before.

Back to the alignment topic, this has made me age considerably in the last two days. Getting an object to be placed flush against the ground seems to depend massively if the object isnt on perfectly (and I mean perfectly) flat ground. I thought it was related to sharp angles but I've seen the same object sit nicely and be hovering mid air. Sharp angles might still affect it, im having trouble getting consistency which means making models for this has been fraught with trial and mostly error. Also, height x width x depth ratios seem to hurt it, with thinner objects doing badly overall. Deep objects do better, but a box can also float if you do not set his coordinates correctly in Max, around the centre point helps rather than the flat plane.

I feel my testing is obscured by something I am missing. For now, going to go with ones that achieve the objective but depend heavily on placement, I can always use witchcraft to adjust in realtime, but its painful to setup.

Slightly crazy suggestion: if all else fails and it's that difficult; couldn't you just add an animation with two arguments that yaws and pitches the whole model, and fix the animated position to whatever works?

It's done. I think many people have asked for this over the years but its such a filthy hack and i'm such an amateur that's it's not worth making a fuss over. Things will change with Normandy and grass fields and this is really only useable for the Viggen unless you find a round-about :) Nevertheless, if you can find a flat enough place for this (wont lay flat unless its perfect) and if you are willing to drop the texture in one of the game zips without a JSGME and willing to accept the consequences of breaking your install or acts of god and willing to surrender your beautiful ED FARP and not use this for multiple choppers, and perhaps if you are willing to go find the other hack that allows you to start Planes on the ground, I might explain how to do it, although I already did, you just remodel the original farp (so you need 3DS etc if you want to do a nicer job).

I present....the Marston Roadside FARP, in dedication to the Viggen and LNS and Sweden who inspired me with their unique disdain for runways, and picking terrible landing spots (you know who you were LNS...) :)

Animate the farp to set it straight? I probably explained the issue badly, basically if you drop one of these in the wrong place it hovers 10ft in the air, no matter what you do! Animating it definitely is crazy :)

Slightly crazy suggestion: if all else fails and it's that difficult; couldn't you just add an animation with two arguments that yaws and pitches the whole model, and fix the animated position to whatever works?

Animate the farp to set it straight? I probably explained the issue badly, basically if you drop one of these in the wrong place it hovers 10ft in the air, no matter what you do! Animating it definitely is crazy :)

Well, animate the vertical position 10ft down then :smilewink:

There no animation arguments for FARPS in the game and the lua is not accessible to make as an external mod, its an overwrite of the existing model, not a plugin. If you can do that, please let me know how.

Well, animate the vertical position 10ft down then :smilewink:

Hi Pikey, do you plan on releasing this mod? Even in its current state it would be a fantastic addition to my groups missions.

Thanks.

Could you please post the link to download the mod?

OK, so, the README.txt really does need to be read :)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwUQri1lYjQ8TTAtaXB2amtPc28

OK, so, the README.txt really does need to be read :)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwUQri1lYjQ8TTAtaXB2amtPc28

Thanks for the link been playing around looking for a perfectly level place to put it. I found a couple but the Viggen just sinks inside the "farp"

So i Tought It wasnt level enough, then I tried the M2000 like your video and it worked fine.

Could Yo make it work with the viggen? and if so, could you please post the mission to check it

Thanks!

Great Work

Interesting, I hadn't got to try the Viggen yet, so I will. No idea why she would act differently,should just be a collidable object same as others. WIll sewe if I can puzzle through it.

Thanks for the link been playing around looking for a perfectly level place to put it. I found a couple but the Viggen just sinks inside the "farp"

So i Tought It wasnt level enough, then I tried the M2000 like your video and it worked fine.

 

Could Yo make it work with the viggen? and if so, could you please post the mission to check it

 

Thanks!

 

Great Work

After checking, the only issue is the same one, that the thing wont sit level in most places and you strip the wheels if you try. Given the Viggen has a reverser I'm going to make a different one that will be more reliable. Will let you know how it goes.

...not so well. same issue. to make a collidable object sloped so that it allows a plane to use it as a ramp means that most of the time the engine uses the collision shell as the thing to put on the ground and it doesnt like lining it up very well which means you get floating objects. A normal object with a partial or no collision shell will get lined up correctly. so for buildings they put the collidable part as the surface part and the underneath they put some textures but no collision shell (i think) which means it can sit on a slope. it's a difficult engine design to work with as an amateur.

;( So it works for the mirage and not the viggen... No meaning with the stol capability if you can't rearm on a road. But thanks for giving it a try, hope you find a solution or that ED fixes something :D

;( So it works for the mirage and not the viggen... No meaning with the stol capability if you can't rearm on a road. But thanks for giving it a try, hope you find a solution or that ED fixes something :D

The Viggen has this capability in conjunction with the Kneeboard and some Vehicles. No need for a FARP. ...and before the questions arise, no it is not compatible with other aircraft. Unfortunately this is Viggen only.