AH-64 Pack

[nodunit 397]

@ Banderas: thank you for the words, I probably will only remake the longbow due to previous work with it and in hoping to once more release a "Franze apache" pack.

@ CameronMcDonald: I most certainly will..will likely need to do some poly removing before the end of it.

@ Franze: Well that is one way to cement it.

Feel free to talk about the longbow real or no how much you want or about what you want, since the thread is generally about the Longbow, not JUST the model it won't be considered derailing.

I'd love to make it multi national with body adjustments included, not just re-texture but this all depends on the completion of the project so don't get your hopes up just yet, even after the model is done there will be much to do.

Edited September 25, 2010 by NodUnit

[eggbeast 3673]

awesome work

can i suggest a few ideas?

making the pilot responsible for the FFAR's (flechette, AP and HE) and hellfires

make the gunner responsible for 2 sidewinders/ stingers, cannon and laser marker

we have been using this feature in OA by adding a GSH302 to the lynx, which means that the copilot can turn on his laser marker then the pilot can track the gunners firing eye and pop in CRV's on top. makes for an awesome dual trigger firefight.

in the apache would be nice to have the gunner sighting with cannon with LM on, sothat the pilot can pop in a hellfire or CRV flechette on top of it...

think about combat gameplay - most important way of making your mod fantastic and well loved.

lastly, having potential to add the FAB250's is good, not sure what authentic bombs it might carry. we scriptthem on, but they dont appear on pylons natch.

oh and finally - embedding the IHADDS mod wouldbe good as the DTV camera is great and with OA the FLIR is now fully possible to implement.

and really finally, increase the armour as its not up to it atm

and absolutely finally, tracking the gun to the pilot monocle would be good - so no camera but the basic head tracking... the IHADSS mod almost achieves this.

go for it!

lol sorry for demands. we just been gunshipping all day and night today... enthusiastic

egg

Edited September 26, 2010 by eggbeast

[franze 196]

The gunner will have to control all weapons. While we'd like to be able to have the pilot control some weapons, the arming system requires all weapons to be central to the gunner. There's also some other concerns such as pylon elevation, which is controlled by the gunner.

The weapons will be a variety of AGM-114 types, 70mm rockets with various warheads, the M230, and possibly AIM-92. The AH-64 is not cleared for any bombs IRL and other weapons such as Sidewinder and Maverick are not used operationally.

Other plans such as IHADSS, M-TADS, etc. are still in progress. We'll talk about those as we get close enough to workable versions.

[Binkowski 25]

who cares if it's already in arma2, this is bad ass.

[NoRailgunner 0]

Will you implement a player feature to fully override AI control/input?

[SmokeyTheLung 10]

I've been drawing up a proper reticle image for the MFCDs and gunners view. It is based on the lockheed martin sniper pod, which is what the AH-64 uses if I am not mistaken. Unfortunately nothing is animated (because I am clueless in that regard) but it will be quite realistic and feature all the on screen clutter that the gunner/pilot would see in real life.

I would be more than happy to make this small contribution to your project. Heck, I'd love to do more as this aircraft is about as mean as they come but I'm afraid I would be too clueless to be of any use.

Let me know

[franze 196]

The AH-64 has used TADS since the 1980s, so unless Sniper was based on TADS, I doubt there's much in common between the two. ;)

We might be interested in Sniper for other projects though.

Will you implement a player feature to fully override AI control/input?

You'll have to define what you mean by this. I'm not sure if totally overriding AI controls is possible.

[nodunit 397]

http://www.tpub.com/content/ahapache/TM-1-1520-238-T-2/css/TM-1-1520-238-T-2_032.htm

http://www.tpub.com/content/ahapache/TM-1-1520-238-T-2/css/TM-1-1520-238-T-2_033.htm

Sorry for the lack of updates, I wound up staying at my friends for the weekend but I'll be back with some updates and closeups tonight.

[SmokeyTheLung 10]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTFcmlbn1GQ

When lockheed lists platforms that the pod is mounted to a picture of an apache is shown (at 3:47) Perhaps the on screen symbology is created by a 3rd party contractor and used in most current US targeting pods, but it sure does look similar. I'm really not sure on this one, but i think TADS is just an acronym and not a specific targeting product (?)

@nodunit; This is exactly what I'm working on. Stock BIS reticles lack a lot of the important information (obviously) but there main flaw, in my opinion, is that they constructed with hard white lines. If you find quality guncam footage you can see that the reticles are drop shadowed in black. I assume that this is to delineate the white lines of the crosshairs from objects that glow white hot when using FLIR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTFcmlbn1GQ

I'm thinking this last point should really go in the addons request page but I'll throw it out there anyway;) While engaging with FLIR sensors in BIS apache the splash effects are tremendously understated. Not only is the smoke generated by the round very hot, but the ground should glow white after the shells go off. I've heard pilots refer to this as the goo (tasteless I know:eek:). Not trying to make demands here just pointing out a few things I think the community could really improve on. I'll post a shot of the reticle here when I'm done y'all are more than welcome to use them.

Edited September 27, 2010 by SmokeyTheLung

[franze 196]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTFcmlbn1GQ

When lockheed lists platforms that the pod is mounted to a picture of an apache is shown (at 3:47) Perhaps the on screen symbology is created by a 3rd party contractor and used in most current US targeting pods, but it sure does look similar. I'm really not sure on this one, but i think TADS is just an acronym and not a specific targeting product (?)

Sorry but LM marketing is way out of their league there. The AH-64 has never and will never use the Sniper targeting pod. I'm guessing they threw the helicopter shots in there to try and interest international customers. Given that LM also makes the M-DSA and Arrowhead, Sniper would be in direct competition with those systems.

The AH-64 has used TADS since TADS won that competition in the early 80s (TSS was the other system). Prior to that, YAH-64s used the AH-1's TSU as seen in this picture.

Have to take a lot of defense contractors with a grain of salt. The marketing people and the engineers don't always see eye to eye. ;)

[SmokeyTheLung 10]

Good to know.

It's quite easy to get misled by all the crap floating around the web. Thanks youtube!

edit1: I'd been thinking this the whole time but just realized that I forgot to say it; This addon looks awesome! Don't listen to the nay sayers, this will make an amazing addition to ARMA 2

edit2: Not trying to argue, just spark a friendly debate ;) but I found this online (so you know its true...)

The target acquisition designation sight, TADS (AN/ASQ-170), and the pilot night vision sensor, PNVS (AN/AAQ-11), were developed by Lockheed Martin. The turret-mounted TADS provides direct-view optics, television and three-fields-of-view forward-looking infrared (FLIR) to carry out search, detection and recognition, and Litton laser rangefinder / designator. PNVS consists of a FLIR in a rotating turret located on the nose above the TADS. The image from the PNVS is displayed in the monocular eyepiece of the Honeywell integrated helmet And display sighting system, IHADSS, worn by the pilot and copilot / gunner.

http://www.army-technology.com/projects/apache/

This seems to explain the similarities in symbology, its obviously not the sniper pod, which seems quite a bit larger than whats mounted on the nose of an apache.

Edited September 27, 2010 by SmokeyTheLung

[nodunit 397]

Not quite the u

pdate I was hoping for, I'm not happy at all with any of the pictures I've taken so I'll just use what there is for now.

Pylon weaponry is for the most part finished, I have to make the fuel tanks and hollow out the hellfire heads to make room for the sensors. The rocket pods do have holes and they will be filled, much like Franze Su-17 each rocket will dissapear from the pod when used to give a better visual in general. Pylons will also be able to... hence the extra....to the pylon, what you see of the wires may become normal maps later at least to a point.

A sneak peek of the Alpha model, as it stands only things have moved around and the EFABS are high poly yet to be rebuilt, but it gives an idea. If you look closely you can see the TADS dayside is more 3D, stepped extrusion with a hollowed inside and 3D sensors in it. You can also see the chisel in the night side. The TADS is also more rounded than the default OA longbow, the dayside also has a chisel and the gyro in between them has more detail. If you look even closer you can see the nose also has a chisel, much like the real thing this is a detail I wanted even if not necessarily 'high priority' it is still well visible.

The extra pieces below the nose are there as well the plate on the right side and the sounded rounded sensor on the left, and to follow up one side of the bottom is smooth whereas the other sharp...I'll make a colored picture later to better point these out when I'm feeling more uppity.

Here are some frontal comparisons of A and D, again A is a temp, the only real difference is the EFABS atm.

I used a silder lighting to better show the way the light acts with it, it obviously wont be the same ingame but it gives an idea. The engines are a major change from the BIS model, whereas the BIS model has squareish lighting and a wide gap at the intake mine is more rounded but still retains the squareish shape at the top and sides. You can also see how the D can look so much bigger than the A by mere EFAB change, it really does square it out. Curiously after inspecting, it appears the OA longbow's EFABS are as wide as my A models, which isnt right. The EFABS of the delta should be around the middle of the engines at their widest point, the bulkier side a bit farther.

And finally for those of you that said something about rotor detail..actually what you see came later, the first result much earlier had even more detail..bonus pic. http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/?action=view&current=Rotor1WIP.jpg

Another bonus pic. I will be giving some detail to the area behind the TADS, it won't be plain like the apache we have now. I had made a previous mesh to build the parts and get an idea of how they looked packed together and I came up with this. http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Nosehousingwire.jpg obviously such would be suicide for model but I'll find a way to do something with it, I'm sure a simple texture would do the trick.

Edited September 28, 2010 by NodUnit

[ei8ght 11]

AWESOME:eek::eek:

good work guys:yay:

[roberthammer 582]

Really epic looking apache model - i like it more and more :)

btw if you want guys - i can do Apache sounds - also i have somewhere original startup and shut down sounds :p

Edited September 28, 2010 by RobertHammer

[nodunit 397]

Sounds are definately something we're missing on, I'm pretty sure the sounds used in the OFP package wouldn't go over so well today. What all sounds are you referring to? If possible I'd like to hear some samples before making any decisions.

Also good luck with that TADS SmokeyTheLung

Edited September 28, 2010 by NodUnit

[roberthammer 582]

Sounds are definately something we're missing on, I'm pretty sure the sounds used in the OFP package wouldn't go over so well today. What all sounds are you referring to? If possible I'd like to hear some samples before making any decisions.

Did you tryed RH Helis sound mod ? -

(old video and fraps recorded it too much loud) Edited September 28, 2010 by RobertHammer

[nodunit 397]

I have not yet, I haven't messed much with sound mods or many mods in general for that matter.. It all sounds great but its hard to say what we're looking for yet..for reasons I cannot say we may need a longer..more varied startup. Engines without rotors and then a slow build, one of the thing we definately want is a longer time to get the rpm's at the least.

If you are interested in still trying out for it when the time comes you're welcome to give sounds a shot, but I should warn you, we're looking for a more branched effect, again seperate parts rather than altogether or within seconds of eachother.

Do you by chance also work with weapon sounds?

[nodunit 397]

Pardon the double post but I have an update. The tail rotor is something I really wanted to have similar to the main rotor in detail, to distinguish from the default..I think I might have had a little too much fun when making it.

I couldn't decide what lighting or angle may be good so I just did a quick light, took some and tossed em, I am by no means good at posing great pictures.

Do those interest you? Want to see more at a higher resolution?

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/TRHD4.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/TRHD1.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/TRHD2.jpg

http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/?action=view&current=TRHD3.jpg

And to clear up what I meant on the nose chisel and extra parts last time. Chisels speak for themselves, red is the extra parts.

http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/?action=view&current=TADS-4.jpg

http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/?action=view&current=TADS-2.jpg

Want to see some 'poses' of the WIP model in high res? (you strange person) http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/?action=view&current=poseB.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/PoseC.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/PoseD.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/poseA.jpg

Edited September 29, 2010 by NodUnit

[roberthammer 582]

Really awesome details :)

I can try with sounds mate - send me PM - with MSN or Skype if got

[wolfbite 8]

Crap... that is stunning :o

[TomatoArden 0]

This is ridiculously nice and has been done quickly!

[NoRailgunner 0]

I'm not sure if totally overriding AI controls is possible.

Yep full overriding AI controls is what I meant. For example to fly the helicopter back to base (as gunner) or to center the canon (as pilot). :)

[Touch Off 10]

Absolutely brilliant, NodUnit! What a talent! Can't wait to see this in Arma against a sunrise with a couple of missiles launching...

Keep up your great work!

[SmokeyTheLung 10]

Here's the TADS reticle I've been working on (WIP very low res);

edit; sorry resolution too high too post, Doh... :q:

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g347/SmokeyTheLung/APACHERETICLE3JPEG2.jpg

It's still a little rough, I could use feedback if any of you gents are in the know. For instance, I'm not 100% sure how much of the writing is visible to the gunner. I'm also not 100% on the symbology, I've pieced this together from a few sources.

It's still missing a few things and frankly I'm not quite sure if anyone can even use this (this will officially pop my mod-making/contributing cherry and as such I really don't know what it would take to actually get this ingame). If you do think It would be of use I will happily get this out there in hi res. I've created a number of images, with designator off and in the varying stages of FOV (moved brackets)

Edited September 30, 2010 by SmokeyTheLung

[ray243 11]

Isn't this the same one as the arma 2 one? Or better? Any difference?