[MOOSE] RAT - Random Air Traffic

Thanks Franky, the formation is set on an adv waypoint option so thinking about it this evening I realised you probably don't grab that when you get the template group info although you could I believe. I seem to recall I had added it as an option to one the last WIP versions of GCICAP using that method but it's a long time back now so it's kind of hazy. As you say you could also do it as a RAT:SetFormation type thing and set the formation on waypoint 0 when you build the route. Anyway much appreciated if you can find time and method to add it in.

Cheers!

Running into another problem with the military background traffic. Especially WW2 again sorry. EG USAF FS had a 2 character squadron code like WZ and aircraft letter and a 3 digit tail number like 218 so the equivalent bort number would be WZI218 in the editor for an 84th FS aircraft (Big Beautiful Doll I believe). For a RAF SpitfireIX you might have squadron code 5J and then the aircraft letter K and a three digit serial number so the bort might look like 5JK814 (126 SQD).

So I am trying to use the RAT.onboard_num parameter to set these codes for the spawned RAT aircraft. However it doesn't seem to like multiple aircraft in the spawned group. Tried a table of bort numbers but that just stops those aircraft spawning so I am guessing it is only set up to handle single aircraft although it is hard to tell as the doco for this one is very light.

Could this be picked up from the template aircraft directly instead? (it definitely is not now)

Or if it was a parameter based thing then ideally you would want to designate the squadron code eg WZ and then have a table of possible aircraft codes {A, B, C.........etc} and then a table of 3 digit tail/serial numbers. RAT would then use the squadron code, pick a random aircraft code for each aircraft in the group and do the same for the tail number ensuring there are no duplicates of aircraft code or tail number in the group.

If I'm completely off course and there is a way to do this already could someone give me a hint please?

Thanks,

Stonehouse

It's a good question leading to a good enhancement req, I cross linked int he moose forum for you, franky is there every day or so

Thanks Pikey. I found the discord channel the other day but for me it seems less organised than slack so not sure how it will work for me. With the time zone difference to most of the people on slack the extra comms on discord doesn't mean much to me really as text messages worked the best from my point of view. Will give it a shot though.

Thanks Pikey. I found the discord channel the other day but for me it seems less organised than slack so not sure how it will work for me. With the time zone difference to most of the people on slack the extra comms on discord doesn't mean much to me really as text messages worked the best from my point of view. Will give it a shot though.

You'll get a ton of more answers and likely quicker on Discord than you will here. There are usually people on either in North America or Europe so you'll like to get responses pretty quickly. At least I see a TON more discussion and quick answers there than here.

We tried to organize the Discord the same as slack. Its really not much different at all except for some minor workings.

I don't understand your point about text messages.

I will say that in some instances forums are easier to follow etc.

When I ask a question on Discord, a knowledgeable person usually answers within minutes!

I guess what I mean is that I believe Discord is more orientated to actual comms than a discussion forum/thread style medium and that due to the fact that I am out of sync time zone wise with (my guesstimate based on what I saw on Slack where I was awake when others were sleeping and vice versa) 90% of the people interested in Moose I think at present that Slack more suited a text message style discussion and that worked better for my situation. Happy to be proved wrong but past Discord experience make me think that most groups pick it up to use like TS2.

Is there anyway I can disable the RAT messages on screen, when they depart, land etc?

I guess what I mean is that I believe Discord is more orientated to actual comms than a discussion forum/thread style medium and that due to the fact that I am out of sync time zone wise with (my guesstimate based on what I saw on Slack where I was awake when others were sleeping and vice versa) 90% of the people interested in Moose I think at present that Slack more suited a text message style discussion and that worked better for my situation. Happy to be proved wrong but past Discord experience make me think that most groups pick it up to use like TS2.

We use it exactly like slack. I don’t think anyone has used the voice commas all that much.

Almost all the groups I am connected to use Discord just like slack with a few of the much larger ones using voice comms.

Most gaming groups still stick with TS as primary though.

Well as I said, quite willing to give it a shot. So hopefully it works out well. Didn't mean to suggest that you need to change anything, my original comment was just a passing remark to Pikey voicing a slight concern. My individual experience good or bad shouldn't influence where you guys do your discussion. It would only be an issue if there was an overall negative trend for people. I'm not a crucial person in the MOOSE group so it's up to me to just work around stuff to get what I need. It's ok really I'm not violently anti Discord or anything. I'll just take it as it comes.

Yeah no worries Stonehouse. Whatever works. I just wanted to make sure that you understood how we were using Discord. Both the forums and Discord have there place.

Well as I said, quite willing to give it a shot. So hopefully it works out well. Didn't mean to suggest that you need to change anything, my original comment was just a passing remark to Pikey voicing a slight concern. My individual experience good or bad shouldn't influence where you guys do your discussion. It would only be an issue if there was an overall negative trend for people. I'm not a crucial person in the MOOSE group so it's up to me to just work around stuff to get what I need. It's ok really I'm not violently anti Discord or anything. I'll just take it as it comes.

Is it possible to have some AI already airborne and returning to base at mission start? They could potentially be landing while the player is taxiing out (makes the home airbase feel more alive).

Think that would be using a trigger zone somewhere out of visibility of the player as the departure point and player airfield as destination and setting the commute option or similar as well

I can't seem to get the civil aviation mod to work well with this in NTTR. I'm coming across two problems:

1. Jets will frequently spawn on the threshold of a runway, facing the wrong direction, and get stuck there/close off the runway to other traffic for the duration of the mission.

2. Liveries don't seem to be random. I get the same liveries almost every time, with multiple Air Force Ones flying around.

So I am trying to use the RAT.onboard_num parameter to set these codes for the spawned RAT aircraft. However it doesn't seem to like multiple aircraft in the spawned group. Tried a table of bort numbers but that just stops those aircraft spawning so I am guessing it is only set up to handle single aircraft although it is hard to tell as the doco for this one is very light.

I need to have a look at the onboard numbers. It's probably only working for one AC per group like you say. Sorry for the late reply :)

Is there anyway I can disable the RAT messages on screen, when they depart, land etc?

Yes, but only in the development branch so far. You're not the first to ask ;) However, I have not seen FC in a long time. He has to confirm any push request for the github repositories.

I can't seem to get the civil aviation mod to work well with this in NTTR. I'm coming across two problems:

1. Jets will frequently spawn on the threshold of a runway, facing the wrong direction, and get stuck there/close off the runway to other traffic for the duration of the mission.

This is a DCS issue. I reported it already here https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=193546

Nothing we can do about it unfortunately. Just hoping for a fix in 2.5.

2. Liveries don't seem to be random. I get the same liveries almost every time, with multiple Air Force Ones flying around.

That sounds like you are missing the curly backets {} in the table. Then it is always the first livery which is chosen. Make sure you have

RAT:Livery([color="Red"][b]{[/b][/color]"Name A", "Name B", "Name C"[color="red"][b]}[/b][/color])

I tend to forget that as well from time to time.

Frank, is this still working in 2.5? I didn't have any luck getting planes to spawn.

Frank, is this still working in 2.5? I didn't have any luck getting planes to spawn.

It does work. No issues here and from what I have heard by others. Can you give more details?

The issue was in my code...sorry! I had one small code mistake that my tired eyes couldn't find to save my life last night, but all is well now :)

RAT v2.1 Changelog

RAT v2.1

This version includes some improvements based on feedback from you guys. Plus some fixes due to changes in the DCS 2.5 scripting API.

Improvements / Changelog

• Added possibility to silence ATC messages. This was requested by quite a few people. (Examples below.)
  
• Onboard/tail numbering is not forced any more. By default it is now taken from the template group. But it can also be set via scripting (to certain extend). Thanks to Stonehouse for the suggestion.
  
• Significantly reduced output to the DCS.log file. Thanks to 132nd.etcher!
  
• Marker function adjusted to DCS 2.5 standard. The marker function in DCS 2.5 no has additional arguments. This caused the RAT script to crash. Note that placing markers prior to DCS 2.5 is not supported any more.
  
• Added waypoint description text on F10 map. Clicking on the aircraft now displays brief descriptive text on each waypoint. Similar to the markers, which can be placed.
  

Examples

Silence RAT ATC Messages

The RAT ATC is operating globally, i.e. managing all RAT objects. To shut it up, you can either add the following line to your code

RAT.ATC.messages=false

or

[i]RAT[/i]:ATC_Messages(false)

for any RAT object. It does not matter which RAT object you use, since the ATC is global and effecting all RAT objects.

Onboard / Tail Numbers

By default, tail numbers are now taken from the spawn template group. If you want to modify it via scripting, there is a function called

RAT:SetOnboardNum(tailnumprefix, zero)

where tailnumprefix is identical to the parameter "TAIL #" you specify in the mission editor.

The second parameter, zero, is optional and marks the initial value of the last three digits of the tail number.

So the general pattern, the tail number is determined is

string.format("%s%d%02d", self.onboardnum, (self.SpawnIndex-1)%10, (self.onboardnum0-1)+UnitID)

where SpawnIndex is a running number of the spawned RAT groups.

Download

FlighControl is very busy with work currently. Hence, he cannot update the official MOOSE version at the moment. This version is therefore unofficial so to speak. Compared to the latest official MOOSE version 2.2.6 it contains only changes for RAT (plus changes in the general marker functions as introduced in DCS 2.5).

Moose.zip

Thanks Franky new features much appreciated. I'll download it now but it may take a while before I get a chance to try it out. Work is being a pain at the moment.

Still haven't had a chance to try the new version sorry Franky but did notice that your attached version is the one with all the comment lines etc so it's a lot bigger than the stripped down version. Is it easy to produce the stripped down one? Any chance you could provide that version when you have a spare sec?

Thanks!

Stonehouse, I have some more changes for RAT in the pipeline. I will attach the stripped down version together with these changes. Might take a couple of days tough :)

No problems I'm still doing a lot of overtime at work at present so I'm sure you'll be ready before me