Scuba Diver - different experiment

<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:DarkRed'>Scuba Gnat</span></span>

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:DarkBlue'>Alpha 1</span></span>

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:DarkBlue'>October 2008</span></span>

<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:DarkRed'>VIDEO</span></span>

A half-day addon.

I was inspired by Spooners brilliant Scuba units, to create something that would be MP compatible.

This is an Alpha release but could result in something a little better.

It has advantages and disadvantages. Its not perfect so don't whine.

I am providing the PBO and source.

Things that work;

- East and West Units

- Uses BIS default crew (Pictures and video are not standard units)

- Can change depth to 4 different settings

- Swim at reasonable speed

- No splash on the water surface when moving

- You dont loose your weapons

Things that don't work;

- It is really a vehicle, not a man

- Can't use weapons

- Can't get real close to shore

- If you speed up time it can jump about

- no bubbles

- no ability to blow stuff up

- Swim animation doesn't stop

- Can make man disappear into seabed

- Bottles dont move with swim animation

Things I dont know;

- MP Compatibile (should be, there are no script tricks)

- Visibility to enemy (not tested)

Find it in "Men" - called "Scuba Gnat"

CLASS NAMES

GNT_ScubaW and GNT_ScubaE (of Zodiac)

I used Astradeus's nice French Combat Divers in the pics and video

http://www.armedassault.info/index.php?cat=addons&id=56

To do similar yourself;

- Place your man anywhere on the map

- type in his INIT field

****** ****** ******this moveindriver A1

- Now place an EMPTY "Scuba Gnat" anywhere in the water

- Name the EMPTY Scuba Gnat "A1"

done!

You are free to experiment and release (improved) versions, I only ask that you credit me as is approapraite for the OFP/ArmA community.

Scuba Gnat - Addon - Filefront

Scuba Gnat - Source - Filefront

wow great work Gnat.

These units may interest u

Combat swimmer

They have been created by a membrer of ADo clanado site link

cheritto, thats a 300k + picture, you'd better remove before the moderators do.

Thanks, I saw them, but wasn't interested in a large PBO download just for some testing.

Why not make them wear rebreathers? That'd avoid the

bottle animation and bubbles problems in one go. I don't

think many military divers wear open-circuit SCUBA rigs

anyway.

wow! that looks friggen awesome!

but is this coincidence or what? first Spon-scuba, and now this?

Not wanting to bust your bubble (Diver...bubble...geddit?) but

why bother with this? Untextured bottles, no semblance of a

2nd stage DV, weird underwater breast-stroke (I've been

a "sport diver" for just over a decade but I've never, ever

done a breast-stroke under water - well maybe once when

someone ambushed me and popped my fins off for a laugh;

forward velocity = zero). Massive restrictions...

It's a good start but a very, very long way to go before it's

even partly worthwhile.

Boo to BIS, though, for not making the underwater world

more accessible.  

Nice downloading. 

whoot!... i love seeing plans come together... now all we need is some underwater vehicles and weapons.

great job!!

Well, I believe that this technique, or something similar (invisible vehicle) was used for the CoC Combat Divers in OFP. Never used them myself, but you might be able to convert the scripts that came with them to move forwards with this version.

This method has a lot of advantages and disadvantages over my script-based solution (In spite of what Gnat said, I have no "units", just scripts that work without addons). The killer advantage for this though, is the potential for better MP compatibility really...

Well, at least even if my version is forgotten by next month, I can say I've encouraged a lot of people to jump in the water and get very, very wet ;P

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the animations wouldn't be MP compatible (anims are local-only), but with a bit of work, you could broadcast the changes for everyone to sync up at the right depth (and without any of the stutter of setPos solutions).

Not wanting to bust your bubble (Diver...bubble...geddit?) but

why bother with this? Untextured bottles, no semblance of a

2nd stage DV, weird underwater breast-stroke (I've been

a "sport diver" for just over a decade but I've never, ever

done a breast-stroke under water - well maybe once when

someone ambushed me and popped my fins off for a laugh;

forward velocity = zero). Massive restrictions...

It's a good start but a very, very long way to go before it's

even partly worthwhile.

For fCUK Sake !! No pleasing you bastards.

And you wonder why I haven't released my ships yet .....

1 - Its an Alpha for public release for others (if they wish) to take further.

2 - I've posted in the DISCUSSION thread, not the Released thread.

3 - The bottle IS textured ffs, simple as it may be.

4 - Getting that animation (the default BIS swim animation) to work "inside a vehicle" is A MINOR MIRICLE (if you bothered to think about it).

5 - From what I can tell this particular method has NEVER been used before, even in OFP (CoC)

And bullshit! There is no reason this addon couldn't be used in a "Covert" mission, as is.

@Spooner

Sorry mate, I'm not trying to take anything away from your more polished work.

The animation should work in MP, its not "forced", its actually Config'ed as the default "cargo" animation for the unit in the CPP file.

... maybe the best solution for an ArmA Diver is a combination of this method and yours.

..... more thinking time for me

No problems with you doing this, Gnat. I released mine because I'd hit a technical brick wall, but I had added enough features that it was actually quite playable. If nothing else, better the bird in the hand rather than the two in the bush and all that...People can start making diving missions right now, at least in SP, and hook in a better implementation when it is sorted out. Hell, people could even use it in MP now if they don't mind ignoring the graphical inaccuracy (in this case, perhaps best for just the flavour of water insertion/extraction rather than diving-centred missions; could even just use it in intro/outros if people wanted).

If nothing else, I have a fair bit of code that would be useful for any system, so even abandoning much of the movement aspects of SPON Scuba would leave a lot of re-usable stuff (e.g. air tank scripting, which is now a lot more complex; reading up about consumption rates based on depth and exertion right now ;P ).

Oh, did you consider trying to just set the diver to not float, rather than the invisible boat solution? Would prevent the surface-glitching I have, but you'd still have setPos stutter (Personally, I'd be happy enough with setPos stutter; people are happy with stuff like Mando Hitch after all). I think yours might be the best solution overall though, but we'll see what goes on.

@GNAT /SPOONER

Both well done !! All i can say is thank you for making arma even more worth playing it is people like yourselves and others (RKSL, VXR Manadbole) that really bring this game to the forefront and make it the best

I Know i am only one person, but i would very much would like to encourage the both of you to develop this further or even perhaps work together

Hi Gnat, I have tried this and I did an small mission where a group of SF have to land near a dock and eliminate the guards.

The guards detected me while diving at about 200 meters. I have taken a look at the config and now I understand how you have done it.

BTW: If you are diving at 2 m depth the bullets are stopped by water so you are not damaged by them.

Some questions now

Would it be possible to add user animations so the crew plays an specific animation while using an action?

I'm thinking about putting satchels

Gnat @ Oct. 26 2008,02:43)]For fCUK Sake !! No pleasing you bastards.

You tell 'em Gnat !!

Some people need to think before they post 'constructive criticism'.

[TAO] Kremator

Gnat please dont listen to anybody that moans about this its a fantastic addon blah blah...

I just want you to release your ships in whatever state they are in please... do you have any subs, now we have divers we need subs so I can stick all of mando scripts onto them and recreate dangerous waters sub game in arma.

Please keep up the good work...

ocramweb posted a screenshot of his minisub model in my SPON Scuba thread and I know other people are working on full-sized subs. No doubt Gnat is too, but he can answer for himself ;P

Would it be possible to add user animations so the crew plays an specific animation while using an action?

I'm thinking about putting satchels.

Hi mankyle, probably not, as the "driver" position has only 1 animation assigned (the swim) I doubt that can be interupted to do another. Its a bit different from the typical "man" type animations, where you can call and stop them at will.

@Spooner

I'd be surprised if the "float" parameter even works on a "man" object, but hey, funnier things have been found. I'll drill down in the BIS configs and see if its there.

@Loki

I'll see what other small sub addons I can make.

@warpuppy, Kremator, colligpip

Thx guys.

Gnat @ Oct. 26 2008,14:30)]Hi mankyle, probably not, as the "driver" position has only 1 animation assigned (the swim) I doubt that can be interupted to do another. Its a bit different from the typical "man" type animations, where you can call and stop them at will.

Let's get evil

Can you have different animation per cargo seat? I guess yes, so you can switch the player to the special cargo seat when for example placing a bomb.

Let's get evil

Can you have different animation per cargo seat? I guess yes, so you can switch the player to the special cargo seat when for example placing a bomb.

ooooh ... that might just work evil i0n0s

If we can keep people from jumping in the "cargo" first ...

Gnat @ Oct. 26 2008,17:13)]If we can keep people from jumping in the "cargo" first ...

In choppers it works, so you can't switch between cargo and pilot seat.

Good work, i loved the COC Divers in OFP...

I guess the critizism should have been put into more positive words. Of course it would be nice to have proper animations and objects, but a addon needs to work first, then second it should look "good and proper".

If I want something maybe asking for it politely or just learning to animate,model, texture, whatever ... might be the way.

I learned scripting and modelling (as simpletonian it might be right now) because i wanted X and Y in the game, so i think its a good motivation to learn it!

I haven't had chance to look at this yet but is there/could there be an action to drop the air tanks?

Also the exploding backpack script by (I think) Johhnyboy would go great with this while you had the air tanks attached.

I'm thinking of making a mission with these and that oilrig addon