Arma2nitmitz

[TeTeT 1520]

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Although, whether or not this became "a community thing", I'd also want the support-from-modders to include even more documentation, i.e. the exact scripting command(s)/init line(s) for placing stuff (vehicles, units, objects) onto the flight deck, in the hangar deck or other interior spaces, i.e. getting to the "Zodiac station" to utilize the boats, where exactly does one have to put stuff within interior spaces to correspond (since we're still lacking a proper 3D editor), what affects what so to speak as far as the init lines or scripting commands will do... and maybe some more "how to" documentation for players, whether for take off/landing or for stuff as simple as operating the towing UGV. (I admittedly ask this because of all the times that I have to look up the syntax for setPosASL to place stuff onto ship decks!)

I think that would be best left to some scripts, maybe residing in Nimitz_fnc, and providing a basic API to the carrier's places and functions. For placing objects a call like

["flightdeck", [10,20], object] call Nimitz_fnc_setPos;

would be nice to have.

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#1: Is there any way that you can 'properly' configure the Nimitz-class carrier to be able to trap incoming aircraft without them necessarily having to be "individually" compatible with the carrier? For example, with the unmodified Arma 2 Nimitz I was able to trap the Arma 3 F/A-18E/F (at least using All in Arma) but not the Rafale M from Arma 2's Operation Frenchpoint... so I would find it preferable if there's a way that the Nimitz-class mod can do a trap for any incoming fixed-wing aircraft with gear down and touching down within the wires at the appropriate angle and airspeed, and definitely any that does so with a lowered tailhook!

Hmm, maybe just try to add a handler like that to the plane:

_enableArrest = _jet addEventHandler ["LandedTouchDown", {_this execVM "\JDG_carrier\scr\arrest.sqf"}];

The handler is added to planes on the Nimitz via the client_deckChecks.sqf script.

In theory one could add this handler to any plane with a tailhook point in the model, if there's a way to check if an object's model contains one.

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#2: Any way that you can get the carrier to support acting as a/the runway for the purposes of landing autopilot and "normal Arma 3 line-up lines on the HUD", in a way where such can be irrespective of the carrier's Azimuth? I ask this since right now in my testing both of these always default(ed) to the Stratis Air Base runway -- but only from the south! -- meaning that for the Nimitz I was having to run CBA_A3 and AiA in order to get access to the Arma 2 Nimitz's IFLOLS...

I admit to have never used the landing auto pilot, so I know next to zero on the subject. Any takers?

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#3: Any plans for fleshing out the interiors beyond air ops, naval ops, hangar, Zodiac station? Because if I could nominate what I'd most want to be able to get into onboard a Nimitz-class CVN in Arma, I would have to say... Pri-Fly!

Having a command station would be great, agreed. But first the briefing rooms.

T

[LykosMactire 298]

Now that you have Jdogs permission, we can all say, good luck, and bring the Nimitz back, also hope you remember to replace the A2 CRRC with the assault boat NATO

[mistyronin 1181]

Agree, with Jdog's permission it can be published, so this can be one of the most awesome mods for A3.

[TeTeT 1520]

Now that you have Jdogs permission, we can all say, good luck, and bring the Nimitz back, also hope you remember to replace the A2 CRRC with the assault boat NATO

The Zodiac has already been replaced by B_Boat_Transport_01_F in the scripts.

[[aps]gnat 28]

I admit to have never used the landing auto pilot, so I know next to zero on the subject.

ArmA runways are config entries with static coordinates. IF the Nimitz was going to be in static position on a terrain/map, then it probably possible to add a BI runway that works for the carrier. It's easy to add "new runway" addon to the game, but its location is set in concrete at time of each loading of ARmA3.

But for Nimitz that can be placed at random / in editor locations then there's no known effective way to "move" a runway so no Auto-land except highly scripted OK'ish solution like Mando's pack.

[JDog 11]

On the CV textures, it would be great if new hull textures could be found that give the vessel a slightly weathered look

Probably doable. Unfortunately, at the time I made this, I was pretty inexperienced with modeling and so the uv mapping really isn't the best, and leaves some to be desired. Not sure just how much you'll be able to fix by swapping out texture files.

Hmm, the thing is that JDog's post reports that some of his PMs were requests for permission to distribute by those who'd already done work on the Nimitz mod, so if anything I'd want some degree of "putting everyone in touch with one another" so that they could hash out what work was already redundant and what could be incorporated into... well, TeTeT's release, since TeTeT is the only one named as permitted to do a public release, so it sounds like JDog's left the choice to cooperate (or if so then the degree of cooperation) with anyone else solely up to TeTeT.

^This is correct. I didn't want to name anyone I'd been in contact with and subject them to PMs from random forum members haha, or have anyone feel guilted into working with someone else now. Obviously it would be great if some people contacted TeTeT and got together to work on this, but we'll see what happens. TeTeT seems to have a firm grasp so far of the scripts I wrote and scripting in general, so the Nimitz is in good hands.

#1: Is there any way that you can 'properly' configure the Nimitz-class carrier to be able to trap incoming aircraft...

I don't 100% remember but I'm pretty sure it already does this for everything derived from the Plane class within a certain range at mission init (honestly not sure how far that range is).

#2: Any way that you can get the carrier to support acting as a/the runway for the purposes of landing autopilot...

As far as I know, no one ever got AI landing working 100%, and AI take-offs were also just work-arounds. As for it being an actual recognized airstrip for auto-landing, see what Gnat said.

[chortles 263]

I think that would be best left to some scripts, maybe residing in Nimitz_fnc, and providing a basic API to the carrier's places and functions. For placing objects a call like

["flightdeck", [10,20], object] call Nimitz_fnc_setPos;

would be nice to have.

Thanks for the explanation; basically right now any time I want to do carrier testing I have to find a certain video that has a copy-and-paste init line in its description, and the methodology of adjusting it is currently trial-and-error (i.e. using the same line to stick vehicles onto the flight decks of other warships such as CV Kuznetsov, Charles de Gaulle (R91), San Antonio (LPD 29) and mankyle's Independence (LCS 2) "technological demonstrator"), so what I was asking for was more publicly-distributed-with-the-mod prepared documentation immediately at hand and instructions for adaptation of the lines -- most importantly the "placing on deck or interior" -- for use on other ships (if not necessarily that ship's specific numbers)... basically a "So You Want To Stick Stuff Onto Or Inside A Warship". :p

Hmm, maybe just try to add a handler like that to the plane:

_enableArrest = _jet addEventHandler ["LandedTouchDown", {_this execVM "\JDG_carrier\scr\arrest.sqf"}];

The handler is added to planes on the Nimitz via the client_deckChecks.sqf script.

In theory one could add this handler to any plane with a tailhook point in the model, if there's a way to check if an object's model contains one.

What I'm interested in is something akin to Alwarren's "rails" rants about attachments but with aircraft catching -- and maybe catapult launches if possible? Basically something where the aircraft may need to have "arrested landing" compatibility (whether for specific carriers or carriers in general) in its config, but the carrier itself doesn't need to specify individual aircraft as being compatible, so that you don't have to keep adding individual aircraft mods to the carrier's "arrested landing compatibility list"... hopefully in the long run less work for you. :D

I admit to have never used the landing auto pilot, so I know next to zero on the subject. Any takers?

In real-life an approaching aircraft is tracked by precision approach radar and guidance info (azimuth/localizer and elevation/glidescope) is sent and received via data link from the carrier to the aircraft, which is what "the HUD lines" (technically "needles") seem to represent in-game (similarly to how the IFLOLS' "ball" is utilized except with the horizontal as well), while the "landing autopilot" seems to represent pilots' ability in some aircraft such as the Hornet -- although in Arma 3 it seems to be all fixed-wing aircraft -- to couple their autopilots to these signals, allowing an automated approach all the way to touchdown, called a "Mode 1 approach", although in-game "Landing autopilot" can be engaged from anywhere on the map after takeoff, with full pitch, roll/bank, yaw, flaps, gear and throttle automation until disengaged. (A "Mode 1A approach" has the pilot takes over at 3/4 mile, and a "Mode 2 approach" has the pilot manually flying throughout, although in accordance to the visual presentation of these needles.)

I'm also left thinking of Mando Missile Arma's landing functionality that Gnat alluded to, specifically MMA providing approach paths for "certain modern airplanes and all the runways present in any island and you can also add MMA ILS to other objects added to the map as carriers, Kuznetsov included."

's a video demonstrating this in Arma 2 on Utes with USS Khe Sanh, USS Nimitz and Utes' own runway, although for the latter it also includes a "3D on-HUD projected ILS landing paths for most modern planes (see docs)" (quote is from the penultimate MMA changelog, which also mentioned "a mechanism to add more extra MMA ILS destinations at mission level (see docs)".)

In-game "Landing autopilot" is essentially coupling the autopilot to the runway's landing systems from anywhere on the map, with the game automating pitch/roll/yaw, throttle, gears, and flaps until touchdown. Right now on Stratis though, this functionality is not only only on the Stratis Air Base runway but also only with a northward approach from the south -- engaging the landing autopilot from the north (heading south) will cause your aircraft to fly over and past the runway, then turn around to do a northward approach towards the south end of that runway!

Although Gnat and JDog explained the issues with landing autopilot, so I understand and accept the limitations of that, I'm hoping that you might be able to at least get the built-in "needles" on the HUD (for visual approach to a landing by following-the-lines) so that this 'ILS' can be compatible with the carrier and not just Stratis Air Base, instead of having to use the "IFLOLS" action menu option. :)

Having a command station would be great, agreed. But first the briefing rooms.

I would like to ask though what you mean here by "the briefing rooms", when you previously said "air operations room" and "a naval operations room"... just what exactly did/do you mean by those? The reason I ask this is because of just how many such rooms there are... :p

If you're thinking of my request as a singular "command room", what I was looking for specifically was primary flight control ("Pri-Fly") atop and in front of the 'island' tower... mainly for the view of the flight deck. Here for example is the refitted Pri-Fly of Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in 2009, with as much as "a 270-degree view of the flight deck below during air operations"... and here's an external view of Pri-Fly from none other than Nimitz (CVN 68) herself! :D (Here's eight more views of Nimitz's primary flight control, mostly internal.) Finally,

's views of pri-fly on John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as well, whereas the video on page 5 was to represent the sort of view that I intended, using the Stratis Air Base ATC tower as a "placeholder" of sorts. :)

Although, if you put a digital "ouija board"-style HUD or some sort of flatscreen showing something like this, whether or not it's in pri-fly, that's be cool! Admittedly I'd also find it cool if the IFLOLS was a physical object on the carrier that the player had to actually look at.

^This is correct. I didn't want to name anyone I'd been in contact with and subject them to PMs from random forum members haha, or have anyone feel guilted into working with someone else now. Obviously it would be great if some people contacted TeTeT and got together to work on this, but we'll see what happens. TeTeT seems to have a firm grasp so far of the scripts I wrote and scripting in general, so the Nimitz is in good hands.

This is why I accept TeTeT as "porter" and distributor (thereof), but in the interest of completeness I would like for you to privately put them -- please don't name names publicly! :lol: -- in touch so TeTeT can contact them and touch bases with each other, keeping in mind that you've named TeTeT as sole public distributor.

[TeTeT 1520]

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Although Gnat and JDog explained the issues with landing autopilot, so I understand and accept the limitations of that, I'm hoping that you might be able to at least get the built-in "needles" on the HUD (for visual approach to a landing by following-the-lines) so that this 'ILS' can be compatible with the carrier and not just Stratis Air Base, instead of having to use the "IFLOLS" action menu option. :)

Sounds interesting, but right now I still wouldn't know where to start with that. Yesterday I experienced two anomalies in the current mod, first my jet exploded when moving into the cat position and then I fell through the 'cracks' in the room on the way to the hangar, where the picture is located. I guess it's best to iron out any issues with that before starting to work on automated landings and such.

I would like to ask though what you mean here by "the briefing rooms", when you previously said "air operations room" and "a naval operations room"... just what exactly did/do you mean by those? The reason I ask this is because of just how many such rooms there are... :p

In the aft section of the Nimitz there is one briefing room, with chairs and a whitetable. Close by is a second room, unequipped. While I had some hope to equip these from scripts, I'm not sure if that's feasible with the engine. In a sample mission I noticed some pretty weird hickups with placing planes in the hangar that are not present on the deck.

If you're thinking of my request as a singular "command room", what I was looking for specifically was primary flight control ("Pri-Fly") atop and in front of the 'island' tower... mainly for the view of the flight deck. Here for example is the refitted Pri-Fly of Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in 2009, with as much as "a 270-degree view of the flight deck below during air operations"... and here's an external view of Pri-Fly from none other than Nimitz (CVN 68) herself! :D (Here's eight more views of Nimitz's primary flight control, mostly internal.) Finally,

's views of pri-fly on John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as well, whereas the video on page 5 was to represent the sort of view that I intended, using the Stratis Air Base ATC tower as a "placeholder" of sorts. :)

There is an unequipped room in the tower in the under construction area. I think that's the best bet for such a room right now. Anyone interested to provide the equipment for such a room? Not sure if the Stratis tower objects can be utilized easily.

Interesting idea to tie the IFLOLS to an object that's placed in your inventory. While not terribly realistic, such an object could enable carrier ops for any plane vehicle the player uses, namely the IFLOLS and tailhook. Right now the scripts that add these action entries are run at initialization time and through the client_deckCheck script periodically during operation. Thinking out loud, I wonder if this system can be replaced by a broker that deals out these actions. Planes that support the broker will request them in their initialization (probably), other planes can be supported through the above mentioned object, working as a sort of proxy.

T

[BadHabitz 235]

I fell through the 'cracks' in the room on the way to the hangar, where the picture is located

The hangar seems fine, and the flight deck seems fine, but if you go into any of the smaller rooms you take the chance at falling through.

[[aps]gnat 28]

Sounds interesting, but right now I still wouldn't know where to start with that. Yesterday I experienced two anomalies in the current mod, first my jet exploded when moving into the cat position and then I fell through the 'cracks' in the room on the way to the hangar, where the picture is located. I guess it's best to iron out any issues with that before starting to work on automated landings and such.

Speaking as the more experienced Carrier mod'er & experimenters here(OPFOR, ArmA1, ArmA2) (but not ArmA3 because I'm waiting for the tools); "holes in the deck" can be related to exactly where you place the carrier on the terrain/map.

Evidence suggests this, likely because the size of each model section of the carrier can be very close to (if not exceed) the maximum allowable horizontal dimension (~50m) of a model and the terrain simulation seemingly having an invisible grid.

Usually by moving the carrier in-map just 10 meters can suddenly make the deck problem (and other weirdness) disappear.

Shit like this can drive you bonkers, chasing your tail .......

[TeTeT 1520]

A small mission showing the different locations on the Nimitz:

http://tspindler.de/arma/arma3/nimitz/%5bSP%5dNimitzTestLocs.Stratis.pbo

It's meant for testing and also somewhat documenting the existing points for scripters.

[JDog 11]

Surprised I missed this earlier...

I'd also want the support-from-modders to include even more documentation, i.e. the exact scripting command(s)/init line(s) for placing stuff (vehicles, units, objects) onto the flight deck, in the hangar deck or other interior spaces,

Maybe I misunderstand but I'm fairly certain I explained in the readme (which I spent a good deal of time on as well) how to set planes on the deck. Even so, if you're making a mission with this, using something like setPos or setPosASL is one of the most basic things in scripting for this game. I even made the editor icon specifically to show the elevations at which to set objects. You shouldn't have to look up videos to copy/paste from for something as simple as this.

[saul 24]

TeTeT, how for are you planning on taking this mod?

[TeTeT 1520]

Saul, I pretty much put all the info in the thread: Preview Release: Nimitz for Arma3, http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?166706-Preview-release-Nimitz-for-Arma3

[painlesshadow 8]

Man i cant wait for this new Nimitz.

[chortles 263]

Go straight to the Nimitz mod link on this page... it's already here.