JTD Building Search script

[TRexian]

JTD Building Search script (Updated to version .01g)

This is a WIP script that will send members of an AI squad into an enterable building, and sequentially search through the building positions. It was developed in an effort to take advantage of all the enterable buildings that have been introduced into ArmA, and cultivate more of a CQB atmosphere.

First - credits:
OFPEC - one of the best resources available IMHO
Rommel for CBA function searchNearby
Tophe for random house patrol
--- http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=76423

Seriously, this script began by borrowing heavily from Rommel's CBA function, and was directly inspired by Tophe's house patrol. Any direct benefit people may get from this is really a product of those guys' work.

Second - methodology:
The script (which can be called as a function) receives at least one parameter - the group - with options for 3 other parameters - search distance, nearest building or a random one, and an initial position for the search for buildings. The script will create an array of buildings, select one, then create a waypoint for the group to a spot near that building. Upon reaching the waypoint, the leader of the group will remain outside, while members of the group enter the building, in combat mode. If there are more building positions than searchers, all available units other than the leader will enter the building.

The searchers will basically trail through the building - not bound/overwatch. When the last building position is reached, the searchers will rejoin the leader.

Third - a vid of a slightly older version of the script (the searching starts about a minute into it):


Finally - a download:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/e6wuq2...ackage_0124.7z
(ArmaHolic)
http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=13130


And the script itself (somewhat heavy on comments):

/* JTD Building Search Script
by Trexian

Purpose: have an AI squad search a building.

Implementation: executed from trigger or script (can be as a function)
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Usage:
Requires 1 parameter, with an option for 4 more: group(, searchRadius , "NEAREST" or "RANDOM", initial position, include leader, occupy building)
group = group that will be searching the building (required)
searchRadius = number that is radius around the leader to use to generate the array of buildings (default is 50) (optional)
NEAREST/RANDOM = string that tells the script which building, either the nearest to the position or a random one (default is random) (optional)
initial position = position array or object  around which to search (default is leader's position at script execution) (optional)
include leader = boolean, where 'true' includes the leader in the search (default is false, but if group has 2 or less, default is true) (optional)
occupy building = boolean, where 'true' means that the group will stay in the building positions (default is false)

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Credits:
OFPEC
Rommel for CBA function searchNearby
Tophe for random house patrol

Testers/Feedback:
MadRussian
GvsE
Kremator
Manzilla
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Version:
01a
POC (addWaypointHousePosition doesn't work)

01b
used CBA searchNearby by Rommel for commandMove instead of waypoints

01c
Improved methodology

01d - release version
Improved the rejoining of the searchers
Added ability to specify initial position of building search

01e
Added optional parameter to include leader in search, also an option to occupy the building
More robust error-checking
Can pass object instead of intialposition
Shuffles searcher array

01f - release version
Added server check
Added global JTD_lockedSearchGroups
Added time check to make sure script ends at some point

01g - release version
Added JTD_bldgsrchPath as variable for Manzilla
Array functionality wrapper

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TTD:

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*/

if !(isServer) exitWith {diag_log text "Not server, exiting building search.";};

//diag_log text "JTD bldg search activated";

private ["_grpFM", "_FunctionsManager", "_group", "_leader", "_ldrPos", "_behaviour", "_srchRad", "_whichOne", "_initialPos", "_andOne", "_occupy", "_bldgArray", "_tempArray", "_bldgLoc", "_bldgSelect", "_searchersT", "_searchers", "_searcherCount", "_s", "_checkTime", "_wpArray", "_currWP", "_wpCnt", "_d", "_t", "_b", "_bldg", "_bldgPos", "_bldgCnt", "_nameMarker", "_marker", "_bldgBB", "_wpRad", "_wp", "_p", "_totTime", "_activeBP", "_loop", "_cycle", "_unitSelect", "_units"];

if (isNil "JTD_bldgsrchPath") then {JTD_bldgsrchPath = "";};

// check for functions
if (isNil "bis_fnc_init") then
{
    createCenter sideLogic;
    _grpFM = createGroup sideLogic;
    _FunctionsManager = _grpFM createUnit ["FunctionsManager", [1, 1, 1], [], 0, "NONE"];
    waitUntil {!isNil "bis_fnc_init"};
};

if (isNil "JTD_arrayShuffleFunc") then
{
    JTD_arrayShuffleFunc = compile preprocessFileLineNumbers (JTD_bldgsrchPath +"JTD_arrayShuffle.sqf");
};

if (isNil "JTD_lockedSearchGroups") then {JTD_lockedSearchGroups = [];};

_group = _this select 0;
JTD_lockedSearchGroups = JTD_lockedSearchGroups + [_group];
if ((typeName _group) == "OBJECT") then {_group = group (_this select 0)};

//diag_log text format ["group searching: %1", _group];
_leader = leader _group;
//diag_log text format ["group leader: %1", _leader];
_ldrPos = getPos _leader;
_behaviour = behaviour _leader;
if ((count _this) >= 2) then {
    _srchRad = _this select 1;}
    else {
    _srchRad = 50;};
if ((count _this) >= 3) then {
    _whichOne = _this select 2;
    } else {
    _whichOne = "RANDOM";};
if ((count _this) >=4) then {
    _initialPos = _this select 3;
    } else {
    _initialPos = _ldrPos;};
if ((count _this) >=5) then {
    _andOne = _this select 4;
    } else {
    _andOne = false;};
if ((count _this) >=6) then {
    _occupy = _this select 5;
    } else {
    _occupy = false;};

_bldgArray = [];
_tempArray = [];
_bldgLoc = [];
_bldgSelect = [];
_searchersT = [];
_searchers = [];
_searcherCount = 0;
_s = 0;

// error catching
if (isNil "_leader") exitWith
{
    diag_log text "No valid leader selected!";
    false
};
if (isNil "_srchRad") then {_srchRad = 50};
if (_srchRad < 1) then {_srchRad = 1};
if (isNil "_whichOne") then {_whichOne = "RANDOM"};
if ((_whichOne != "NEAREST") || (_whichOne != "RANDOM")) then {_whichOne = "RANDOM"};
if (isNil "_initialPos") then {_initialPos = _ldrPos};
if ((typeName _initialPos) == "OBJECT") then {_initialPos = getPos (this select 3)};
if ((typeName _initialPos) != "ARRAY") then {_initialPos = _ldrPos};
if (isNil "_andOne") then
{
    if ((count (units _group)) < 3) then
    {
        _andOne = true;
    }
    else
    {
        _andOne = false;
    };
};
if ((typeName _andOne) != "BOOL") then {_andOne = false};
if (isNil "_occupy") then {_occupy = false};
if ((typeName _occupy) != "BOOL") then {_occupy = false};

// gets time that script starts
_checkTime = daytime;

// remove group's waypoints
_wpArray = waypoints _group;
//_currWP = currentWaypoint _group;
_wpCnt = count _wpArray;

if (_wpCnt > 1) then
{
    for [{_d = 0}, {_d <= _wpCnt}, {_d = _d + 1}] do
        {
            deleteWaypoint [_group, _d];
        };
};

// building check
_tempArray = nearestObjects [_initialPos, ["HOUSE"], _srchRad];
_t = count _tempArray;  // count number of buildings in array

//for each building, find building position
//this should serially select each building in the array, then remove it if position 0 (1) is 0,0,0

_t = _t - 1;

for [{_b = 0},{_b <= _t},{_b = _b+1}] do
{
    _bldg = _tempArray select _b;
    _bldgPos = _bldg buildingPos 0;

    if (((_bldgPos select 0) != 0) && ((_bldgPos select 1) != 0)) then
     {
     _bldgArray = _bldgArray + [_bldg];
     };
};

_bldgCnt = count _bldgArray;
if (_bldgCnt == 0) exitWith 
{
    diag_log text "No buildings to search!";
    false
};

// select building - either the nearest or the randomest
if (_whichOne == "NEAREST") then
{
    _bldgSelect = _bldgArray select 0;        // need to do a real distance check?
    //_bldgSelect = nearestBuilding (getPos _leader);
}
else
{
    _bldgSelect = _bldgArray call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;
};

_bldgLoc = getPos _bldgSelect;

if (JTD_searchDebug) then
{
    _nameMarker = format ["srch_%1", str _bldgSelect];
    _marker = createMarkerLocal [_nameMarker, [_bldgLoc select 0, _bldgLoc select 1]];
    _marker setMarkerShapeLocal "ICON";
    _marker setMarkerTypeLocal "dot";
    _marker setMarkerColor "ColorRed";
};

// set new waypoint for near the building for the group
_bldgBB = boundingBox _bldgSelect;        // [[minX, minY, minZ], [maxX, maxY, maxZ]] 
_wpRad = ((abs((_bldgBB select 0) select 0) + abs((_bldgBB select 1) select 0)) max (abs((_bldgBB select 0) select 1) + abs((_bldgBB select 1) select 1))) + 10;    // gets the longest side of the building + 10
_wp = _group addWaypoint [_bldgLoc, _wpRad];
_wp setWaypointPosition [_bldgLoc, 1];
_wp setWaypointType "MOVE";
_group setCurrentWaypoint _wp;

//_group lockwp true;
waituntil {unitready _leader};

_group setbehaviour "combat";

// find building position max
_p = 0;        // will end up being the total number of building positions
while {str(_bldgSelect buildingPos _p) != "[0,0,0]"} do {_p = _p + 1;};

// check if more units than positions (or equal), if so, select which ones to search
// gets the lesser of available units or positions

_totTime = _p * .009;        // roughly 30 seconds per position
scopeName "bldgSearchMainScope";
// loop through each unit to identify the searchers
if (_andOne) then
{
    _searcherCount = (count (units _group)) min _p;
    _s = 0;
}
else
{
    _searcherCount = ((count (units _group)) - 1) min _p;
    _s = 1;
};
//diag_log text format ["searchers = %1  (%2, %3)", _searcherCount, ((count (units _group)) - 1), _p];
    while {_s <= _searcherCount} do
    {
        if !(isNull ((units _group) select _s)) then
        {
            // start at #2 (which is select 1) and add searchers up to number of house positions
            _searchersT = _searchersT + [(units _group) select _s];
        };
        _s = _s + 1;
    };

// shuffle
//diag_log text format ["searcher temp array = %1", _searchersT];
_searchers = [_searchersT] call JTD_arrayShuffleFunc;
//diag_log text format ["searcher array = %1", _searchers];
// loop to string out the units

_activeBP = 0;        // building position iterator
while {_activeBP < _p} do
{
    _s = 0;            // searcher iterator
    _loop = 0;
    // searcher assignment loop
    _cycle = _activeBP;    // cycle through searchers based on house position number
    while {_loop <= _activeBP} do
    {
        _bldgPos = _bldgSelect buildingPos _cycle;
        _unitSelect = _searchers select _s;
        //diag_log text format ["unit select %1 bpos %2 %3", _unitSelect, _bldgPos, _cycle];
         if (unitready _unitSelect) then
        {
            _unitSelect commandmove _bldgPos;
            //_unitSelect domove _bldgPos;
            _unitSelect spawn 
            {
                sleep 5;
                waituntil {unitready _this};        // try without this, too?
            };
        };
        _s = _s + 1;
        if (_s >= (count _searchers)) then {_loop = _activeBP};    // break out of loop if out of searchers
        _cycle = _cycle - 1;
        _loop = _loop + 1;
        
        // time check
        if (daytime > (_checkTime + _totTime)) then
        {
            breakTo "bldgSearchMainScope";
            if (JTD_searchDebug) then
            {
                diag_log text "Building search taking too long, exiting";
            };
        };
        if (! alive (leader group (_searchers select _s))) then
        {
            breakTo "bldgSearchMainScope";
            _occupy = false;
            if (JTD_searchDebug) then
            {
                diag_log text "No leader of search group";
            };
        };
    };
    _activeBP = _activeBP + 1;
};

//diag_log text "Out of bldgSearch loop";

_group setbehaviour _behaviour;

// check if occupy is specified
if !(_occupy) then
{

    // need some sort of wait to make sure they are ready
    //waituntil {sleep 3; {unitready _x} count _units == count (units _group) - 1};
    _ldrPos = getPos _leader;
    {
        //diag_log text format ["srcher loop  %1", _x];
        _x doMove _ldrPos;
        waitUntil {moveToCompleted _x};
        _x doFollow _leader;

    } foreach _searchers;
};
// waituntil ??

//_group lockwp false;
JTD_lockedSearchGroups = JTD_lockedSearchGroups - [_group];
//diag_log text "bldg srch ended";
true 

Edit:
The arrayShuffle script that is also necessary now:

// JTD_arrayShuffle

private ["_array", "_count", "_arrayT", "_arrayN", "_c", "_r"];

_array = _this select 0;
_count = count _array;
_arrayN = [];
_arrayT = [];
_c = 0;
_r = 0;

while {_c < (count _array)} do
{
    while {_r in _arrayT} do
    {_r = floor (random (count _array));
    };
    _arrayT = _arrayT + [_r];
    _arrayN set [_c, _array select _r];
    _c = _c + 1;
};

_arrayN 

Block search script:

// JTD block search

private ["_groupSelect", "_posSelect", "_radSrch", "_houseArray", "_c", "_searchFunc", "_nameMarker", "_marker"];

diag_log "Block search started";

if (isNil "JTD_bldgSearchFunc") then
{
    JTD_bldgSearchFunc = compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "JTD_buildingSearch.sqf";
};

// needs group, position and radius
_groupSelect = _this select 0;
if ((typeName (_groupSelect)) == "OBJECT") then {_groupSelect = group (_this select 0)};
_posStart = _this select 1;
_radSrch = _this select 2;
_houseArray = [];
_c = 0;
diag_log text format ["groupSelect: %1", _groupSelect];


while {alive (leader _groupSelect)} do
{
    // building check
    _houseArray = nearestObjects [_posStart, ["HOUSE"], _radSrch];

    {
        _posSelect = getPos _x;
            diag_log text format ["selected position: %1", _posSelect];
        _searchFunc = [_groupSelect, 10, "NEAREST", _posSelect, true, false] execVM "JTD_buildingSearch.sqf";
        if (JTD_searchDebug) then
        {
            _c = _c + 1;
            _nameMarker = format ["srch_%1", str _c];
            _marker = createMarkerLocal [_nameMarker, [_posStart select 0, _posStart select 1]];
            _marker setMarkerShapeLocal "ICON";
            _marker setMarkerTypeLocal "dot";
            _marker setMarkerSizeLocal [10, 10];
            _marker setMarkerColor "ColorGreenAlpha";
        };        
        waituntil {scriptDone _searchFunc};
    } forEach _houseArray;
    sleep (random 60) + 60;
}; 

This is very much a Work In Progress, but the 7z contains a test mission and the current version of the script. With the test mission, the player has a couple minutes to move around. An array of his positions is created. The 6 opfor groups will randomly select one of those positions and search a nearby building. The mission is rather slow (there is also a playable civilian, if you want to watch), but you can get an idea of how it works.

The parameters used in the mission are:
_searchFunc = [_grpSelect, 20, "NEAREST", _posSelect] call JTD_bldgSearchFunc;
Edit: there are several now!

Oh, and the mission will spam your rpt with information. That's why it is a test mission.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

============================
JTD:
-- DMarkwick
-- ReconPathFinder
-- TRexian

[ray243]

If there is enemies inside, would they engage them?

[TRexian]

That depends on certain AI settings, but from my own experience, they sure shoot me!

Now, having said that, I usually run the betas, and some betas have the AI more aggressive than others. With one of the recent patches, I could (as blufor) walk around and through a group of opfor for several seconds before getting shot. With the most recent one, though (the one from yesterday), I was shot almost immediately.

This script will put the group into combat mode. However, it is also dependent on the ROE/weapons free status, which this script does not change. Also, if they are engaged from outside the building during the search, they will react according to the BI FSMs for contact.

I have not explored all the permutations of what happens during significant contact during the search. With the test mission, I am eventually tracked down, and can take out a couple of the searchers, but am relatively soon afterward killed.

But, I am not a particularly good player.

[ray243]

Downloaded, and its fucking awesome!

[TRexian]

haha

Thanks, but don't worry - that feeling will wear off.

When you get to the point where you have ideas on how to improve it, let us know.

[Foxhound]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

JTD Building Search script

[Demonized]

This looks very promising

Downloading for sure

[Hunter123]

great! Will this be initialised by default in any misison or does it have to be activated by the creator of the mission?

[TRexian]

Thanks Foxhound!

It must be initiated by the mission creator. In fact, I'd say it is probably for somewhat advanced mission makers, although I tried to make it as easy as possible.

The main problem is, what to do with groups after the search? Any existing waypoints are deleted, so new ones have to be re-generated.

I suspect that one thing I will need to develop is a 'wrapper' of some sort that allows mission makers to easily craft after-search behavior. Perhaps the easiest way is to have a waypoint that runs the script, after which the group returns to the waypoint system.

Or, as DMarkwick has tried, I believe it can integrate rather well with DAC3 behavior.

[Demonized]

I suspect it will work very well with ups and upsmon aswell since those create their own wps in runtime, when current wp/wps are completed.