Handy Tools new releases WIP

[geloxo]

Hello everybody. I´m back!

It´s a long time since I last posted on the forum but I have good news for you: I´m working on an upgraded version of the already released Handy Tools addon for those who are fans of the operations with helicopters.

I´ve been working on this for some weeks and I decided to post info about my WIP after seen some nice videos of other people trying to reproduce the rope insertion in ArmA. Yeap, I fully agree that´s a must have for a modern game and I was quite disgusted too when this was not yet implemented in ArmA nor planned for Arma II. So, here comes my "baby":

Handy Tools Rope System: Rapel insertion + Cargo Pick/Drop

Downloads:

Handy Tools Rope System pre-release with hotfix included(3 MB)

http://rapidshare.com/files/15629582...pre_hotfix.zip

Mirrors:

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=4049
http://www.assaultmissionstudio.de/infusio....did=214
http://www.eprison.de/files/147/4835

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">Installation&#58;

Copy @HT folder to your ArmA folder and the demo mission to your missions folder &#40;please do not modify the folder names or scripts won´t work&#41;.
Delete any previous versions of HT.pbo from your hard disk cause this one includes a hotfix in 3D model that caused servers to crash.[/QUOTE]



I created a simplified physics model for a rope made of several bones, which are anymated via configurable formulas for advanced users but don´t need more than a 5 entries array call to work for lazy users.



Cargo or troops attached to the rope will follow each bone movement tracing an accurate path either on the transportation or in the rappel operation.



Rope configuration allows users to set 1 or 2 ropes, their attach position, lenght and also dynamically change the lenght of the rope while in game to ease the operation or even manually drop cargos when desired.



If you are familiar with basic physics you will know a rope is one of most difficult systems to reproduce, and that´s why I had to reduce its features to some basic ones to ease the design but anyway I think the result is quite nice: the rope oscilation and weight on the rope provided by cargo or troops change its shape and oscillation properties.



As you see on those pics, once the soldiers start to move on the rope, that one becomes more rigid, like in the case of transporting a cargo



This fully configurable system works with all choppers and allows multiple squads rappel on both sides of the vehicle. It´s also designed to match with existing which, like in the case of the spanish FAMET AB212 from FFAA mod above.

But due to some game engine limitations (setpos command) you will suffer the typical glittching when moving along an irregular map and also the attach points will move a little bit from their former location when the chopper pitch/bank is drastically increased. All addons which I knew using this method had the same problem, but there´s nothing we can do as the reference position of objets in game is measured from a surface which is not flat. Anyway I think this is a minor issue in normal operation, when turns and speeds are standard...

I hope you like it cause it´s almost finished. I´ll try to prepare a video in the following days for you to see that mathematic caos working in real time ***

Cheers

[Eble]

wow mate, what can I say, this is amazing, looking forward to this for sure.

BIS are lucky they have poeple like you to finish there game for them. ***

Southy

[Loki]

hell yea&#33;.. when&#39;s the beta coming?

[_BARNS_]

wow cool work m8, any ideas about a release date and in which mode is this green Bell helicopter included?

greetings

[.kju [PvPscene]]

Impressive

[layne_suhr]

looks sweet.. any pics of UH-60 insertion???

Do you have to put in extra codes to change the position of the ropes (like UH-60 has different parts to where the rope is attached than UH-1)

[geloxo]

Rope configuration is made easily by providing the attach point [x, y, z] offset from pilot´s position. If you like it just copy and paste that config to an existing config file in the scripts to use it in the future and that´s it. After that you call the sctipt with the config name as a variable and rope will be placed where you wanted. You can use infinite configs you create or use some of the default ones I have added.

I´m finishing testing so it could be ready by this weekend...

[NoRailgunner]

Looks nice, would be great to see an addon version and replacement for BIS helo transports (UH60/Mi-17) too&#33;

[Namikaze]

Wow, this is amazing. I&#39;ve worked with rope physics before, and yeah they&#39;re a total biznitch to get working properly unless the engine has some sort of physics implementation designed to handle ropes already (Havok, for example). Hopefully this will make it out of beta, because I have a feeling that this will make a much bigger impact than we may realize at this point. Very good work&#33;

[Kremator]

Fantastic work. Looking forward to using it.

[TAO] Kremator