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blakeace

Blake's PRADAR

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Blakeace, any chance for a signed add-on and a server key? We would like to certify it on the Comrades in Arms coop server.

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Blakeace, any chance for a signed add-on and a server key? We would like to certify it on the Comrades in Arms coop server.

They are included in the download. Are you saying the current included signature files are not working?

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They are included in the download. Are you saying the current included signature files are not working?

Damn... My bad. Didn't remember they were included. I'll send them to our server admin. Sorry :)

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Damn... My bad. Didn't remember they were included. I'll send them to our server admin. Sorry :)

No worries, would be nice if issues were this easily fixed :)

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I have prepared this short explanatory video in order to demonstrate how Blake's PRADAR (Player Radar) may assist in team leading, making it flow more easily and more realistically, allowing to quickly issue orders more effectively, and enhancing the overall leading experience.

The main PRADAR feature I use is the command bar name tags. PRADAR adds the name of each player in two places, below the corresponding symbol on the leader command bar and below the actual player. This allows the team leader to associate between each role (as represented by the command bar) to an actual player name. From now on, no need to ask "Who is number 2?", "Who is the medic"?, or "Who has the AT". Just hold space bar and the names will show under each soldier symbol of the command bar.

In Arma 2, unless you see the player's face directly, you won't recognize him even if he is close to you, but with his back turned, which is rather absurd considering the fact that in real life it's rather easy to see who stands next to you, or even a few meters away, even if their faces are not completely revealed. Blake's PRADAR will now make it easier to associate between each player and his character in-game. All of that is performed on request only (holding space bar) and using a somewhat transparent blueish text to maintain immersion. Only units that in close proximity will show the name under them to keep it realistic.

The PRADAR also includes peripheral dots indicating nearby units. Personally I feel that the dots are more of an immersion killer so I just turn them off at the beginning of every mission.

dct7IdSn2Vs

Edited by Variable

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Awesome video Variable! Much better than my ones, so added it to the first post thanks :)

Looking forward to watching one of your CIA night videos with it enabled!

Edited by blakeace

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Awesome video Variable! Much better than my ones, so added it to the first post thanks :)

Looking forward to watching one of your CIA night videos with it enabled!

Thanks mate :) and as soon as I have more time I will edit the too many gigabytes of raw footage I took during CiA coop nights and make a nice video (subscribe in order not to miss it ;))

Is there an option to permanently show the bottom names bar? It's so useful I think in some cases I would like to leave it on permanently...

Not at the moment, but it wouldn't be hard to implement a menu option to toggle between on and while holding space.

Do you still plan to enable a permanent command bar names?

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Thanks mate :) and as soon as I have more time I will edit the too many gigabytes of raw footage I took during CiA coop nights and make a nice video (subscribe in order not to miss it ;))

Do you still plan to enable a permanent command bar names?

No worries.

I'll try and remember to have a look at it. TOH has been distracting me of late :p

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Update:

Edit HotFix 0.4.1a uploaded

First page updated with the new version.

History:

0.1.4.1a

Changed Menu variable initialisation to span multiple missions.

0.1.4a

Changed how I store the menu options so players only need to set once per mission. Values are retained through respawning. Thanks to Variable's friend Mike on the how to for that.

Changed the short names below the icons to be either permanent on, or shown while force commanding pressed. If the equipment list stays visible when changing the setting tap force commanding again to remove it.

Thanks again to Variable for all his constructive feedback, and also to his friend Mike for his input into retaining menu preferences during a session :)

Cheers Blake

Edited by blakeace

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Thanks a lot! Checked it today and indeed the preferences saved until Arma 2 is turned off even if many missions are played.

The bottom name list is permanent (can be set to off) and that's just great... Thanks Blakeace!

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Update:

0.1.4.3a

Fixed problem where a report file error "Bad conversion: scalar" occurred if a player had a short name. (Thanks to Variables friend Mike for the find! and solution) .

0.1.4.2a

Fixed stray dot if only one friendly present at start of mission.

First post updated with new version.

@Foxhound - Thanks as always, sorry here comes another change!

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Hi Blake!

Thanks for this great addon! It really helps in locating your men :)

Is it possible though to save my settings? (list on/off, list position)

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Hi Blake!

Thanks for this great addon! It really helps in locating your men :)

Is it possible though to save my settings? (list on/off, list position)

I'm glad you like it. At this stage, you need to change the items when you start you first mission. The settings should then be persistent until you end arma.

I actually have some code in there from playing around with parsing data from a file that contains user settings, but then an error occurs if that file isn't present. I haven't found a way of intercepting the error and preventing it from displaying. So didn't finish it and have many people start missions with an error every time.

I didn't want to setup a user config for the following reasons

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1911930&postcount=2

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Updated

Version 1.0 available from the first post.

pradarlist.jpg

Version 1.0

  • Fixed a logic error where unless there were people that created a dot(outside of view), the names wouldn't appear until there was somebody.
  • Increased the view distance by 10m.
  • Turned the dots off unless force commanding held to be the default starting option.
  • Rewrote some code to increase the robust nature of PRADAR, where the limited number of layers with displays will always be a source of conflict between scripts and addons that use displays. Now each time you engage the force commanding button it reloads the pradar display.
  • Removed the reboot menu option, no longer required because of the above change.
  • Slightly optimised the code.
  • Removed the background of the brief names that appear under the leaders icon. Sacrificed clarity as I found the bar a little annoying.

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This is excellent, Blakeace. Well done!

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Looking forward to try the new version!

Blakeace, by the way, have you fixed the disapearing floating names while bleeding?

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@Foxhound - Thank you!

@Tankbuster - Cheers I'm glad you are enjoying it.

Looking forward to try the new version!

Blakeace, by the way, have you fixed the disapearing floating names while bleeding?

I hope you like it.

I haven't had this issue, is it vannila, ace, ace wounding? For proper MP testing within my group we currently use ACE with R3F revive. I'm a real bullet magnet and haven't had an issue yet.

Just guessing, but is there a display resource when you get injured? (As in some sort of bloody imagery?) It would depend on how the display of this other mod/script was implemented. The new version will try and retake the layer each time you press it. The wounding code will probably either stop displaying, or take back over depending on how it has been written.

That is unfortunately a limitation of how I am displaying the infomation. There are only two layers available, being used by more than one mod/mission.

This is the only example image I could find to see if your wounding effect is something similiar?

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4848/arma2008090323590737yb9.jpg

Hopefully the effect is short term when you are injured, in that case the new version should be ok, because it re initialises the resource each time you press the space.

If it is persistent then there probably isn't a solution unfortunately, more a choice of which you prefer.

Looking forward to your feedback as always, I hope the change in implementation has a positive result to your above issue.

Cheers

Blake

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Hey Blakeace, sorry for the late response.

No, it happens on vanilla. While bleeding (BIS first aid module), the floating names show Err.

And now after the 1.62 patch I have these phenomenas:

pradarbug.jpg

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Hey Blakeace, sorry for the late response.

No, it happens on vanilla. While bleeding (BIS first aid module), the floating names show Err.

And now after the 1.62 patch I have these phenomenas:

Cheers mate, I always appreciate your feedback.

I only updated to 1.62 last night, and only tested after seeing your post. I played around with a number of different things, and finally found if I slowed to process down it eliminated the freezing affect with the overlay.

I was almost about to release my next version, I would have preferred to do a little more testing, but feel it better to release the new version now as the old one no longer works.

I haven't tested the Arma 1.62 patch fix much, so hopefully I haven't broken anything else in the process.

Regarding the firstaid module, I am not sure but try the all factions options as a test, maybe the module is doing something like setting your unit to captive true causing an issue? I'll have a play and check, I had similar issues with vehicles that had been used by members of your side, once they jumped out the vehicle retained your sides identity and also labeled itself as Errr as it no longer had a valid name.

Updated

New version available from the first post.

Version 1.1.01

  • Added: Ability to switch between Side and friendly factions. So if you have a player who is civilian or independant you have the ability to have them show up on PRADAR.
  • Added: Ability to display the compass cardinal points. Action menu toggles them on and off. Visible only during depression of space.
  • Added: Popup list - If you hold your cursor over a unit or vehicle a pop list will display details of that unit.

  • Vehicle - Displays who is in which position in the vehicle, including the cargo area.

  • Man - The units primary and secondary weapons.

  • Added: Made the popup list text box size dynamic so it alters depending on how many lines of information are displayed.
  • Fixed: Issue where an empty vehicle if used by a person of your side would display Errr as its name.
  • Fixed: Issue where names were intermittent when players were upstairs in buildings.
  • Fixed: Ability to change groups which broke in the last update.
  • Changed: The checks for screen limits to cater for Multi monitor setups.
  • Fixed: Arma patch 1.62 issue where the labels and dots stopped updating properly by slowing the loop down slightly.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks for all the help testing:

  • Vairable CIA
  • Variable's friend Mike
  • The Colonel ZSU
  • Victim ZSU

Thanks for hosting PRADAR:

  • Old Bear
  • Foxhound
  • SickBoy

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hmmm still having the same issues after updating to 1.1.01...

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