Any plans for a data cartridge?

Not planned for the A-10C right now.

Any change about this sentence?

(come on guys...)

Can you give us an update on where the Mission and Aircraft data setup is? If I recall you teased us with some screenshots back in spring time (?). Were those active/working or just mock ups?

News generally comes via the Mini-Update threads or the Newsletter.

In that case would you please find out an update on this high quality of life change for multiple modules and have it put in the mini update or newsletter? Thanks.

So without a roadmap/progress/burn chart, and no evidence of progress we can only assume no progress has been made. Humans are generally objective - we sense progress from what we can see and feel and touch, not on what we are told, especially given recent history reducing the ability to ‘trust’ without reservation what we are told. That increased transparency of roadmap and progress cannot come soon enough as it will enable you to just point at it instead of fielding questions. I hope it comes sooner rather than later. Thanks.

The more I fly the Hornet and the Viper, the more I grow frustrated with not being able to conveniently (meaning not by editing some lua config files) set certain settings (e.g. countermeassures, displays, radio channels, weapon settings, ...) before jumping in the cockpit, or in some cases not even before taking off (Hornet CMs). I really really hope the Mission Cartridge feature will be released soon! :worthy:

Not planned for the A-10C right now.

Ugh. Please, please, please do not make this a bespoke and unique feature for a single aircraft. So many of the marquee modules of DCS have some kind of mission-setup data loading, and even the ones that don't would so immensely benefit from a unifying pre-mission setup screen that collects all the bits and bobs that are now spread all over the ME, the flight planner, the in-game comms menu, various kneeboards etc etc etc.

I understand that it would be a huge faff for everyone to go back and integrate their specific setup implementations into a generic framework, but it would solve such an immense number of problems for just about every module that has ever been produced — not to mention for ones that will be produced — that it would unquestionably be worth it.

If the same feature has to be re-implemented every time a new module comes out, that will end up being far more costly and painful than just ripping off the bandaid in one cringe-inducing go.

Ugh. Please, please, please do not make this a bespoke and unique feature for a single aircraft. So many of the marquee modules of DCS have some kind of mission-setup data loading, and even the ones that don't would so immensely benefit from a unifying pre-mission setup screen that collects all the bits and bobs that are now spread all over the ME, the flight planner, the in-game comms menu, various kneeboards etc etc etc.

 

I understand that it would be a huge faff for everyone to go back and integrate their specific setup implementations into a generic framework, but it would solve such an immense number of problems for just about every module that has ever been produced — not to mention for ones that will be produced — that it would unquestionably be worth it.

 

If the same feature has to be re-implemented every time a new module comes out, that will end up being far more costly and painful than just ripping off the bandaid in one cringe-inducing go.

AMEN!!!

Can you please explain to me what a data cartridge functionality is supposed ti do? I do not have f/a-18 yet, but in the a-10c your mission editor flight plan and weapon loadout is loaded at mission start, then you can add or change weapon profiles, add or edit waypoints or change countermeasures programs directly from the cockpit before take-off. Why should we need some sort of cartridge for the a-10c?

Both the A-10 and the Hornet are capable of having multiple flight plans, not just one. So you could have a data cartridge loaded with a bunch of different relevant waypoints, and multiple flight plans using those custom waypoints in any order, all set up and ready as soon as you start up the jet; no need to mess around with the HSI/CDU and creating all the waypoints every time, just plug-n-play.

Would be incredibly useful for multiplayer missions with no pre-set flight plans or waypoints. You could program in all the waypoints of all the objectives into the jet and easily create a flight plan without having to manually input all the coordinates, just all the corresponding waypoints and go. Plus you can't name waypoints in the Hornet unless it's done in the ME, so being able to name the waypoints would be a bonus.

Countermeasure profiles are also an option in this regard as well. The existing ones on the A-10 are already quite expansive in their use, but there's so many of them it can be a bit fumbling to either constantly switch to the correct one without memorizing the profiles, or using semi-active or automatic modes, which may not be exactly what the pilot wants. It would be much more user-friendly to have the exact profiles you want all right next to each other without having to spend all that time reprogramming the system every time you load into a new jet.

Plus the fact that it would be extremely useful for the dynamic campaign.

Sent via mobile phone using Tapatalk

Don't read more into it than is there, the focus is where it is at right now, down the road I am sure its something that could be considered, but remember, its not just a simple copy and paste either.

Of course not — my point is more that, if there's ever an opportunity to save a ton of effort down the road on something that eventually has to happen for all planes, it is now, with this feature.

I fully understand that the recent Viper/Hornet back-and-forth over delaying vs not delaying and pitting development of one platform against the other may have left a bad taste in everyone's mouths, but this is truly an area where delaying implementation until a solid universal platform/API is in place would be better. As in, orders of magnitude better. I'm also not talking about copy-paste, but about exactly that: a UX+UI+avionics framework with a corresponding API that each module hooks into to get the flight setup and data it needs for its particular purposes and cockpit quirks.

I feel pretty confident in suggesting that all the different modules don't each have their own unique implementation of the rearm/refuel interface you can pop up — same thing here. Same with the special tabs and various plane-specific mission editor tabs. They all hook into a pre-existing UI and data file creation convention and structure, and DTC/MUMI/whatever-loading should work in a similar way: a unified real-time UI that modules can populate with its necessary settings, and with a unified structure for storing that data (so it can be exchanged between users, stored in missions, etc etc) and loading it while the game is running.

Of course not — my point is more that, if there's ever an opportunity to save a ton of effort down the road on something that eventually has to happen for all planes, it is now, with this feature.

 

 

 

I fully understand that the recent Viper/Hornet back-and-forth over delaying vs not delaying and pitting development of one platform against the other may have left a bad taste in everyone's mouths, but this is truly an area where delaying implementation until a solid universal platform/API is in place would be better. As in, orders of magnitude better. I'm also not talking about copy-paste, but about exactly that: a UX+UI+avionics framework with a corresponding API that each module hooks into to get the flight setup and data it needs for its particular purposes and cockpit quirks.

 

 

 

I feel pretty confident in suggesting that all the different modules don't each have their own unique implementation of the rearm/refuel interface you can pop up — same thing here. Same with the special tabs and various plane-specific mission editor tabs. They all hook into a pre-existing UI and data file creation convention and structure, and DTC/MUMI/whatever-loading should work in a similar way: a unified real-time UI that modules can populate with its necessary settings, and with a unified structure for storing that data (so it can be exchanged between users, stored in missions, etc etc) and loading it while the game is running.

Both the A-10 and the Hornet are capable of having multiple flight plans, not just one. So you could have a data cartridge loaded with a bunch of different relevant waypoints, and multiple flight plans using those custom waypoints in any order, all set up and ready as soon as you start up the jet; no need to mess around with the HSI/CDU and creating all the waypoints every time, just plug-n-play.

 

Would be incredibly useful for multiplayer missions with no pre-set flight plans or waypoints. You could program in all the waypoints of all the objectives into the jet and easily create a flight plan without having to manually input all the coordinates, just all the corresponding waypoints and go. Plus you can't name waypoints in the Hornet unless it's done in the ME, so being able to name the waypoints would be a bonus.

 

Countermeasure profiles are also an option in this regard as well. The existing ones on the A-10 are already quite expansive in their use, but there's so many of them it can be a bit fumbling to either constantly switch to the correct one without memorizing the profiles, or using semi-active or automatic modes, which may not be exactly what the pilot wants. It would be much more user-friendly to have the exact profiles you want all right next to each other without having to spend all that time reprogramming the system every time you load into a new jet.

Let me understand it better: with the a-10c when I click "load all" button it is supposed that I load a cartridge in the CDU with all the data I prepared in the mission editor. As it is now, when I enter the cockpit in my cartridge I have just my mission editor setup and in the mission editor I can prepare only one flight plan. With the Hornet we'll have the ability to bring multiple flight plans inside our cartridge when we enter cockpit, so that we can change it quickly if needed? Is this that you mean?

Correct. Right now, on the Hornet's HSI you can switch between the flight plans (Waypoint Sequence) between 1 and 3; by default, sequences 2 and 3 are always blank, and sequence 1 will always be the waypoints established in the mission editor. With the data cartridge feature, you should be able to have waypoints and flight plans set up ahead of time without having to program them in the cockpit.

JDAM/JSOW pre-planned targets are also something that be used with the data cartridge, along with radar weapon profiles (bar scan, azimuth settings, memory timeouts, etc.).

IIRC, on the Hornet, data cartridge download is performed from the MUMI page (currently just a placeholder page on display).

Let me understand it better: with the a-10c when I click "load all" button it is supposed that I load a cartridge in the CDU with all the data I prepared in the mission editor. As it is now, when I enter the cockpit in my cartridge I have just my mission editor setup and in the mission editor I can prepare only one flight plan. With the Hornet we'll have the ability to bring multiple flight plans inside our cartridge when we enter cockpit, so that we can change it quickly if needed? Is this that you mean?

i think what many people hope for with data catridges is the promise of MP mission planning, since a cartridge would make most sense, if you had some ability to make a flight plan after loading into a MP mission.

f.e. you load into a mission (sp or mp), while still on the ramp, you go over the briefing and use a flight planner tool to create waypoints and set up the aircraft to your wishes.

after exiting the tool, the ground crew loads your odnance and you use the data cartridge to load all the things you set-up into your aircraft.

for those playing public multiplayer, that would probably be a godsend, but also for private MP / coop it would just be more fun to do the flight plan together in real time and while discussing it with your wingmen/squadron, instead of having it premade by the mission editor.

If so, that would be a great feature to have also on the a-10c: we could have different airplanes with different tasks, all coordinated together and with ground forces at the beginning of the mission, before take-off: for example f/a-18s do SEAD and then a-10cs do CAS with vipers on CAP, everyone with his own fligh plan but discussed and coordinated with the others. I agree that this would be a wonderful feature to have in every module, at least those with a moving map and a CDU.

If so, that would be a great feature to have also on the a-10c: we could have different airplanes with different tasks, all coordinated together and with ground forces at the beginning of the mission, before take-off: for example f/a-18s do SEAD and then a-10cs do CAS with vipers on CAP, everyone with his own fligh plan but discussed and coordinated with the others. I agree that this would be a wonderful feature to have in every module, at least those with a moving map and a CDU.

yes, i really hope we'll get such functionality.

please remember though, that what i explained was what i and others are hoping for. all that was officially shown from the data cartridge was the interface to set up weapon parameters and avionics. a flight planner for waypoint etc. was not shown and not mentioned by ED.

that said, with a dynamic campaign (to come in 2021) arises the need for better "hot" mission planning functionality.

so it's safe to say, that improvments in this regard will definitely come at some point.

Pre-Planned Targets for F/A-18C in ME via Cartridge - Update needed

I spent hours looking for a way to pre-plan targets for the F/A-18C. I knew that multiple targets for the JDAM/JSOW could be entered directly through the UFC. This option is certainly nice and important as a supplement. But it's called Pre-Planned, so I want to plan the targets in advance. For the JF-17 this possibility exists via cartridge system. In ME there is a special menu for the plane to set the targets (PP1, PP2, PP3, PP4) and you can also set targets via F10-map "on the fly". Is there an update when this function will be added for ED-Modules (F/a-18C)? Wags announced early last year that they are working on this topic. Does anybody know?

Latest news we have is from: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=276224

We have one encompassing feature that requires cooperation between the F/A-18C and F-16C Team, the DCS Core Team, and 3rd Party Developers: create a shared planning environment and agree on a single strategy to support mission planning for many aircraft types. This includes an Aircraft Setup Card in Options and a Mission Planning Card for waypoints with properties (Sequences, Target Points, Pre-Planned Targets, Pre-Briefed Targets, Initial Points, Bullseyes, etc.) and MUMI and similar pages. This is a complex task that we have been designing, and we will be working with all participants to create the best Aircraft Setup and Mission Planner possible.

So no ETA or time frame.

Latest news we have is from: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=276224

 

 

 

So no ETA or time frame.

Many thanks for the quick answer, even if it is not really satisfying.

Good to know that ED is going to made this feature happen. We all know how often and many new features are announced - but bringing them to an end seems to be an issue at ED.

Reinhold Niebuhr would say: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference."

Still nothing ?

This is kinda basic feature that is needed ... I don't need to setup my whole plane each time a spawn in one ... I should at least have the possibility to load what I have save from previous setup.

The more feature you add to the plan, the more it become important to have it. The more feature, the more there is to configure each time. It's a pain. I'm not playing this game to switch from 2B to 4B, select range, chose angle of radar, setup my CMS program (and so on) each time I spawn in the plane.