Mission Editor - Hot Tips

oh. very good!

thanks!

i'm trying to do a mission with a JTAC and got some quick questions again.

JTAC don't seem to assign groups, that consists of infantry units only. is that intended or am i doing soemthing wrong?

Also is there a way to encourage the JTAC to use SMOKE marker, or the tasking feature of the a-10c electronic suite? I use the "enroute FAC" option and this won't give me the possibility to enforce use of markers or electronic tasking.

I however don't want to use the "fac assign group" (which allows for more options), as i don't know, how i could use it in a scenario with some randomization, in which i don't know the exact composition of the enemy force.

The problem i'm having is, that i'm trying to desgin a mission, where friendly motorized ifnantry is engaged by infantry and light mechanized forces. I would like it to be a very personal CAS with more visual targeting and less reliance on advanced systems. However instead of assigning forces, they are actually engaged by, JTACs prefer to assign targets that are far away and tend to use GPS location for moving vehicles, which doesn't work well for the kind of danger close CAS i was triyng to design.

So how could i not necesssarily force, but encourage the JTAC to assign closer enemys and mark with smoke or other visual means instead of GPS.

thanks for any tips:)

I have NO IDEA how one scripts for JTAC to do anything BUT one thing I do know is that you can get JTAC to Lase Targets for you and use the same 9 Line info that A-10's use.

You "might" be able to get an example of this if you have the F-5E Mod.

As of last week's update (1.5 open beta), the F-5E is now capable of dropping Laser Guided Bombs with the help of JTAC.

As such, there is a Training Mission to practice this.

If you were to Save a COPY of said training mission and "peel it apart" you may well learn how to script this for your mission.

Alternately, I'm sure this scripting information is already available in these Forums. Maybe these can help >>

EG: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=98616

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=120355

As far as Smoke Markers go ... I do believe JTAC does have this ability, but again, I have no idea how you'd make it work .... but somebody here does !

Best of Luck

thanks, snow tiger! :)

Hi

I am new to missions and want to do a "simple" task: switch on a light on a ship model as a trigger. in modelviewer it works, but i cannot get the "play argument" function in the trigger action list to work. I cannot find any documentation for this. Has anybody worked with this function or may have an advise?

Thx

Arguments for AI aren't directly accessible in the ME, the workaround is to set the ROE or alert level, but i'm not sure that's very useful or consistent. Arguments are for module developers to assign fucntions to making the "whatever it is" move/turn on etc. ie, lights arguments for the lights switch.

Hi

I am new to missions and want to do a "simple" task: switch on a light on a ship model as a trigger. in modelviewer it works, but i cannot get the "play argument" function in the trigger action list to work. I cannot find any documentation for this. Has anybody worked with this function or may have an advise?

Thx

Thanks, Pikey,

but why is this function available (under Trigger Actions), is accessible and then has no effect? Since I do not want to control AI by this, just play an animation of a model which I designed and which plays its animation correctly in ModelViewer. I am desperately searching now for days for a method to get this animation played...any help is very much appreciated.

hello,

i noticed, that AI will only fly with navigation lights when starting/landing and turn then them off immediately when in the air.

for a training scenario i'm doing, i want to have some flights doing close formations in the sunset.

there must surely be a way to force the AI to leave on nav lights. i tried the units "ROE" and "reaction to threat" otpions, but this did not change anything.

Any ideas?

hey,

any idea on how i could hide player's aircraft on f10 map, but still be able to swap to those aircrafts with the f2 toggle?

The only way i could think of, was forcing mission options to not show aircrafts, but that also deactivates toggling with f2.

For cooperative scenarios it is still fun to watch other players with f2, while i feel that player position on f10 map is a cheat, when navigation is part of the mission.

I can't answer your question re: hiding player's aircraft BUT I have heard others say they'd rather not see their aircraft marked on the F10 map (or even Kneeboard).

But I for one think the Sim assumes that IF you are a pilot, then you should know well how to Navigate. Therefore you should know where you are ... almost at all times ... or ... you are LOST !

I don't care if other aircraft or vehicles (not yet located anyway) are shown on the map, but I do think it's important to have the Player's Aircraft/Vehicle displayed on F10 (and Kneeboard) at all times. Again, it assumes that you are a competent pilot who can navigate.

On the other hand, IF DCS also had a Pre-Flight Navigation/Planning mode that included a Pilot's Navigation Calculator eg: E6B Slide Calculator (see IMAGE LINK at Bottom) then we could do all sorts of Pre-Flight Planning taking into account, Distance, Altitude, Heading, Wind Speed and Direction, Beacons etc etc etc. But then we wouldn't get nearly as much Flight Time !!

Heck, I even have a Flight Log Book ... but DCS Fills in a log book for us already !

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/StudentE6BFlightComputer.jpg/1024px-StudentE6BFlightComputer.jpg

Use a game master slot. Thats the only way I can think of that a player can't see himself or others but you can find a way to see them. Needs CA.

hey,

any idea on how i could hide player's aircraft on f10 map, but still be able to swap to those aircrafts with the f2 toggle?

 

The only way i could think of, was forcing mission options to not show aircrafts, but that also deactivates toggling with f2.

For cooperative scenarios it is still fun to watch other players with f2, while i feel that player position on f10 map is a cheat, when navigation is part of the mission.

hi,

I'm playing around with S_EVENT_HIT and I need some weapon name

I came up with this script to get the weapons type name, but it's taking a lot of time, especially with weapon shells, because they're often mixed

local fvfhandlerhit = {}
function fvfhandlerhit:onEvent(event)
 if event.id == world.event.S_EVENT_HIT then
   local _weapon = event.weapon
   local _weaponname = _weapon:getTypeName()
           trigger.action.outText ( "type =" .._weaponname , 10 ) 
       world.removeEventHandler(fvfhandlerhit)
 end
end
world.addEventHandler(fvfhandlerhit)

is there in the game directory a script or a table with all the weapon name of every aircraft (AI and modules) that I can use as a reference?

Thanks

Hi guys,

Im trying to create a template in Normandy that will have one field with German A/C, and one field with Spits and Mutangs. In the air I would like a small sampling of AI aircraft that will engage with prejudice if encountered, I would like to use labels, and have dynamic weather. If its possible to have AAA protecting their own airfields and a scattering of Trains running that would be nice too.....Is that too much to accomplish as a new mission designer?

I am trying to find a way to make units and then make it were they can't be attacked to simulate "civilian" traffic. Anyone have any ideas?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Guys, I understand this thread was intended to post Hot Tips about the ME, not ask questions about it. You should start new threads or find some that are more about asking questions rather than ask your question here.

That said...

Im trying to create a template in Normandy that will have one field with German A/C, and one field with Spits and Mutangs. [...]

If you mean template as in "being able to apply this template to any part of the map with no more than 3 clicks", I wouldn't even know where to start.

If you mean "a basic mission with the above mentioned requirements, that can be edited to incorporate more advanced tasks later on", just go ahead and set it up the way you like. If you have specific questions on how to achieve any of these tasks, ask away (but please, not in this Hot Tips thread). ;)

I am trying to find a way to make units and then make it were they can't be attacked to simulate "civilian" traffic. Anyone have any ideas?

Does your mission require different coalitions? If not, just place all aircraft in the same coalition and no one will get attacked.

If you want kind of a neutral faction that both coalitions ignore, I'd probably try to set these aircraft to both "Invisible" and "Immortal" and also set their ROE to Weapons hold so that they themselves don't attack anyone else. All this can be done from the advanced waypoint options.

Be aware that immortal aircraft will keep bouncing off the surface once they run out of fuel, so make sure they land before that happens or de-spawn them every now and then (or keep them there for the giggles :D).

I've discovered a few tricks over the time while building missions.

No need to keep the secrets I've learned if it can help you others. :)

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Q: "Loading and testing takes too long time!!"

A: Efficient Editing 101 - view world while editing;

This method is very effective if you need to place units precisly.

You will run two instances of DCS - one SP and one MP.

Preparation; Set up DCS/FC2 to run in Windowed mode - set window size to 3/4 of your desktop.

• Start a DCS:BS in MP mode, keep it ready for loading a mission
  (You need to start DCS in MP before DCS in SP if you plan on using TrackIR / Hotas that hooks into the DCS.exe)
  Do not close it.
  
• Start DCS:BS Mission Editor secondly - edit your mission.
  SAVE the mission.
  
• Without closing the SP
  - Load the mission in MP as Server, use F2/F7 etc to view your unit positions.
  
• In the SP editor
  - Adjust your Units position. Or add new one's.
  - Do NOT save while mission is loaded and running in MP.
  
• Disconnect from your MP Server mission.
  
• SAVE your mission in SP Editor.
  
• LOAD mission again to review changes.
  

[ATTACH]33926[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]33927[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]33928[/ATTACH]

(Fun-Fact: CoBa was killed by the Gepard 3 times without spotting it)

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Q: "I have 6562 units and using F7 to review all takes FOREVER!!".

A: Quickly Jump to Unit of Interest:

 

In MP while reviewing mission;

- Bring up F10 map.

- Find unit of interest - click on the Unit it in map.

- Press F7 - and you are looking at your unit.

Or F2 for airunit

Or F12 for static object.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Q: "I have 6512 units hiding them all takes forever!

...... plus I cannot see them while I EDIT!!!!".

A: Quickly Hide all units after Edit:

 

Review the "How to hide all units" in this old topic - ignore the other stuff.

HOW-TO Prepare your mission

 

In short it means;

- Use Winrar and Assign all .MIZ files to Winrar.

- Open Missionfile in Winrar - doubleclick mission in the archive - open it in Notepad++.

- Use the Search and Replace for "hidden = false" with "hidden = true"

- Close and save on exit from Notepad++.

- Close archive (automaticly saves).

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Q: "I want to check for some condition OR another condition.

But it seems like all the Mission Editor can do is AND in the conditions!?"

 

A: "OR"-condition hack for triggers;

By default all conditions are using the AND statement.

However - You can "hack" you mission-file and change it into OR if you like.

 

Here's a sample;

1. Create a mission with a normal AND condition.

[ATTACH]33931[/ATTACH]

Normally the above statement will be evaluated as "Group1 dead AND Group2 dead" etc.

 

2. Save the mission and open the mission in Notepad++

Change the AND statements into OR

[ATTACH]33932[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]33933[/ATTACH]

3. Test the mission - now you can see that only 1 group needs to be dead;

[ATTACH]33934[/ATTACH]

NOTE - if you save the mission again in the Editor it WILL revert to "AND" again. So be sure that this is one of the last things you do.

 

Another sample of advanced "AND->OR" hacking;

If you have a MP map with 8 players and need to check if *any* 2 are in a Zone at the same time.

How to check for 2 players in a Zone; http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=809924&postcount=23

I don’t know what I dig more.. your Vernon Pinkley avatar or the "quick jump to unit of interest" both are awesome.

Thank you man

Cheers G

:thumbup:

Oh, any idea on how to add a Bridge in a SP mission as part of a target objective without writing script or lua stuff? I couldn't find one in the static objects list.

Q: "Loading and testing takes too long time!!"

A: Efficient Editing 101 - view world while editing;

I think this no longer works in DCSW 2.5, as I get message "only one instance is allowed."

Q: "Loading and testing takes too long time!!"

A: Efficient Editing 101 - view world while editing;

 

I think this no longer works in DCSW 2.5, as I get message "only one instance is allowed."

Just like before: Can't start the same installation of DCS twice (technically, DCS 1.2 SP and DCS 1.2 MP were different programs back then).

But it's still quite possible to have several installations in parallel. Everyone with DCS 2.5 Release plus DCS 2.5 OpenBeta has that already, and they run just fine in parallel:

I see. Requires multiple separate installations.

Since this might end up a tip, I'll bite.

For this the main problem is lacking three coaltions as per another FPS sim. However, you can easily simulate civilians that both sides respect by simply making all the civilians..."Invisible".

It's so obvious in hindsight.

I am trying to find a way to make units and then make it were they can't be attacked to simulate "civilian" traffic. Anyone have any ideas?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Q: "I have 6512 units hiding them all takes forever!

...... plus I cannot see them while I EDIT!!!!".

A: Quickly Hide all units after Edit:"

I found this tip works for controllable units, but does not work to hide statics. Anyone have a solution to more easily hide statics?

Hi, Is it possible to make a waypoint as a target point and have the point on ground level and not in the air in ME?

Set it on 0 ft AGL

Set it on 0 ft AGL

Ok I see but it don't work with 0 ft AGL, its stops at 98 ft AGL, why? Are there other methods to make target point on ground level in ME which I can use in the Hornet, Harrier etc?

Ok I see but it don't work with 0 ft AGL, its stops at 98 ft AGL, why? Are there other methods to make target point on ground level in ME which I can use in the Hornet, Harrier etc?

It is stopping at the actual ground height on the map. I don't thing AGL makes a diffs here.