ARMA mission editor newbie with a few scripting questions

[Agent_Orange 3]

Hi all, I am a Linux user who is new to the ARMA franchise.

 I have been having a crack at putting together a simple, vanilla mission whilst waiting for the game to be updated from version 1.42 to 1.54 and am wondering if someone could help me sort out a few  issues I have encountered during testing.

1. I found that 2 missiles from a chopper will take down a Military Cargo Tower. I can't have that and am wondering if there is a script to make a building indestructible?

 

2. Is it possible to restrict the use of artillery, so the Scorcher, Sandstorm and mortars are not available?

 

3.  AA units that I have placed on the side of a mountain do not change weapon and fire when an enemy chopper flies past. Is there a script that forces them to use the AA missile launcher as their primary weapon AND actually fire it when an enemy air unit flies into range?

4. I have a speedboat on patrol and would like it to refuel/re-arm when the patrol is complete. I am having difficulty in getting the boat to manouver alongside the pier where I have a Taru fuel pod and 2 boxes of vehicle ammo stationed using the "move" waypoint. ( I could probably get it so that it works with more tweaking and previewing but am hoping that there is an easier way or some kind of "refuel" option).

5. Finally, could someone please tell me if the mission I am creating using version 1.42 is going to transfer successfully to version 1.54 when my version of the game is updated?

Thanks for any assistance that can be provided.



 

[whiztler 135]

1. Put in the init of the object:

this allowDamage false;

2. You have them in your mission but players are not allowed to use them? You can lock the vehicle in the editor. Also has an option to lock for just players so that AI can still use the vehicle.

 

3. AA units should fire with AA missiles. Note that it does take a few seconds to get a proper lock. Perhaps they cannot lock on target?

 

4. I would fake it. At the re-supply waypoint, in the waypoint statements:

this setFuel 1; this setVehicleAmmo 1;

5. Should work fine

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thank you very much for taking the time to lend a hand whiztler.

 

I am not able to use the script for the buildings, each time I hover the mouse over the name of the building and double click  it brings up my last action (in this case  , a vehicle ammo box) and not the building itself.

Seems like the buildings that are already placed on the map are locked - cannot edit them. If that is the case, it is pointless proceeding with my mission - too easy to wipe out a building that has a lot of units and eqiupment stored in it.
 

In respect to the AA units - the guy just sits there with his Akiba - does not change to his AA Launcher and therefore , does not fire at the enemy chopper as it passes - not sure why that is.

I am going to assume that when you say " I would  fake it"  that AI do not need to refuel/rearm vehicles.

 

One more if I may, do you know how to get a unit to stand in the "careless" or "safe" position, the stance where they have their weapons lowered and look relaxed?

I found this script.....this setBehaviour "SAFE";......however it does not work when I use it - only seems to work on waypoints when they are moving somehwere.

Thanks again for your help.
 

[barbolani 198]

Hi!

 

Then it seems you are very new to Arma editing. I will give you for free the best advice: read some Arma editing tutorial, there are lots around (google it). Indeed as the editor hasn't changed in ifferent versions, any old tutorial is ok.

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thanks barbolani, but it will be quicker for me to complete a degree in Computer Science and make my own game.

[barbolani 198]

No man really! It's easy!!!! I am not talking about scripting, I am talking about editing!!

 

Check this: http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=4847

 

It's Arma 1 but, as I said, perfectly valid.

 

And believe me, it's easier to begin this way than asking in the forum for every unresolved gap you find in your way.

[SavageCDN 231]

Barbolani is correct - read the Mr. Murray's editing guide (if you can get in the editor already and do the things you described in your first post then you will have no problems with the guide).  It will save you time and headaches  :)

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thanks for your help guys, I have downloaded "Fockers Arma Scripting Guide" and will also take a look at "Mr Murrays Editing Guide".


 

[Agent_Orange 3]

Ok, I have looked through Mr Murrays guide and found it to be very useful in helping me with some apsects of editing and that it will be a good resource to have on hand.

One thing that is still bugging me is unit animations, I simply cannot get them to work.

I tried this script from Mr Murrays guide to attempt to have a unit sit down........

 

this playMove "AmovPsitMstpSlowWrflDnon";   

 

That did not work so I tried......

 

this switchMove "AmovPsitMstpSlowWrflDnon";

 

This did not work either so I tried giving the unit a name first......

Unit1 playMove "AmovPsitMstpSlowWrflDnon"; and again with.......

 

Unit1 switchMove "AmovPsitMstpSlowWrflDnon";

 

It seems like a simple enough command to execute , I really do not understand why it does not work for me - I have followed the instructions verbatim from the manual and no joy.

 

[jshock 512]

For sitting down at least, you could also use:

this action ["SitDown",this];

And you can do the same for all other actions listed here.

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thanks for your help jshock,

 

I checked to make sure that I had copied everything correctly.......this action ["sitDown",this];

 

(The example from the link that you provided has a lower case letter "s" for sitdown.)

 

But like most other scripts I am trying - nothing happens - does not work.

So far, the only scripts I have been able to use succesfully are...

• This setunitpos "middle";  to set the stance of the unit to crouching.
• this setVectorUp [0,0,+0.1] to make a building sit level on uneven ground.
• ClearWeaponCargo this; ClearMagazineCargo this; to clear an ammo box of all weapons and ammo
• this addMagazineCargoGlobal together with the name of the ammo, in my case the 5Rnd_127x108_APDS_Mag

Everything else I have tried simply does not work for some reason with the exception of Waypoints.

With the waypoints I can have the unit walk in a "relaxed manner" with weapon lowered by his side, however,  if I try to make him do that when standing idle with this script "this setBehaviour "SAFE"; , nothing happens, it does not work. As far as I can see that is the script to do just that so have no idea why it is not working for me.

 

With that example I am trying to have a Helicopter Pilot & Helicopter Crew standing near a Kajman, but relaxed and as though they are talking to each other rather than being on alert with weapons raised.

Thanks again for your help.

[jshock 512]

Hmm, I see your issue, and it's not that it's not sitting, its that it is sitting then standing up right after, I had success with this:

 

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/BIS_fnc_ambientAnim

[this,"SIT_LOW","ASIS"] call BIS_fnc_ambientAnim;

And it is getting late here, and I can't debug the issue as to why the action/playMove/switchMove commands are being unsuccessful, as I tried: doStop and disableAI "MOVE" to no avail. I'm sure it's something simple, as always, but at the moment, no lights are turning on :p.

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thanks for taking the time to lend some assistance jshock, I appreciate your help.

I did see something about using the following script....this disableAI "ANIM"; in Mr Murray's guide for stopping an AI unit from reverting back to its normal animations once the scripted animation has been completed.

I will continue to do what I can with my mission and see what else I can find out whilst waiting for some help to sort the issues out.

 

Thanks again and have a great weekend!

 

[f2k sel 164]

Are you running the scripts in the units init box?

 

some things won't run directly and will need to be spawned and sometimes need a delay.

 

won't work in init box

this action ["sitDown",this];

 

should work for most things

null=this spawn {_this action ["sitDown",_this];}

 

If in still won't work add a delay

null=this spawn {sleep 0.1;_this action ["sitDown",_this];}

[Agent_Orange 3]

Hi f2k sel, thanks for your help.

 

 

Are you running the scripts in the units init box?

Yes, all of the scripts that I have used so far have been run from the init. box.

I do not want to get too caught up on the "sitdown" script as I was only testing that to see if i can get animation scripts in general to work but can see that this is a good one to use for your example.

 

 

 

some things won't run directly and will need to be spawned and sometimes need a delay.

 

Ok, well, that helps me a lot  as quite a few scripts that I have attempted to use simply have not worked and left me scratching my head as to why.

I may have to ask someone from Bohemia this question.....

Does anyone remember using version 1.42 and if so, can you tell me if "Objects [small]" was new at the time and not finished or working correctly.

The reason that I ask is that I am finding it impossible to place some of the items like  a laptop, pc monitor & keyboard on a desk located inside a Military Cargo Tower.

I select "flying" under the "special" tab, however,  no matter what elevation I set the object to (everything else like ammo boxes are set to an elevation of 15 metres and are working fine) the monitor sits half way through the desk and falls over and the keyboard simply falls straight through the desk and onto the floor. I get the same result if I attempt to place a can of Franta on the desk and even changed the desk to a Camping Table, same result.

Anyone got an ideas on this one?

[whiztler 135]

Try this: name the desk 'objDesk'.

 

In the init of the object that needs to go on the desk put:

this attachTo [objDesk, [0, 0, 0.72] ]; this setVectorDirAndUp [[1,0,0],[0,0,0.72]];

Leave the settings of the object that needs to be placed on the desk as default (no altitude, no special, etc)

 

If you need to place more objects on the desk than you need to change the offset. See attachTo for more info

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thanks whiztler,

I gave it a try, the laptop is hovering approx. 10-15cm above the desk.....lol...this Editor is like using some kind of electronic witchcraft - who knows what the hell is going to happen when I invoke one of these scripts......"All I wanted to do was get my unit to stand in a relaxed manner but when using the script for that it changed into a Balrog armed with a flaming sword"

So, I checked the link that you provided to see if I can figure how to adjust this myself......

 

The offset is applied to the object center unless a memory point is provided. If no offset is specified, the offset used will be the current relative positioning of objects against each other.

 

 

Unfornately I cannot as I do not understand the description or the math behind how it works, it might as well be a code to launch nuclear ballistic missiles from a submarine located near the coast of Siberia.

 

Further reading from the link I came across this post from a chap who calls himself "teaCup"

 

 

Some objects you cannot attach anything to. To be more precise, you can attach objects to them, but the behaviour is unexpected. For instance: SuitcaseObject attachTo [FoldingTableObject, [0,0,0]]; You would expect the suitcase to jump to the pivot point of the table, and stick to it. Instead, the suitcase will freeze in it's original position. Even if the table is moved, the suitcase will be unaffected: it will not follow the table, it will not even respond to actions it reacted to prior to being attached: pushing, being shot at, etc.. It's just an object frozen in space. In MP it's even weirder, the suitcase would turn invisible. Dodgy objects when it comes to attaching things to them: most in Objects(small), Objects(signs), all of Objects(helpers) categories, etc..

 

 

I will use "Objects [small]" when I can just drop the item on the ground, like a water bottle next to a unit that is manning a post for now.

Thanks again for offering some help.

[R3vo 2652]

I gave it a try, the laptop is hovering approx. 10-15cm above the desk.....lol...this Editor is like using some kind of electronic witchcraft - who knows what the hell is going to happen when I invoke one of these scripts......"All I wanted to do was get my unit to stand in a relaxed manner but when using the script for that it changed into a Balrog armed with a flaming sword"

So, I checked the link that you provided to see if I can figure how to adjust this myself......

 

 

You want to attach a laptop to a table and a unit should stand besides it in relaxed position?  I can provide you an example mission if you want.

[avibird 1 141]

Wow I think we just lost one boys. I would give my left nut for an example mission R3vo. With an example mission your eye's just open up and you say wow that easy lol.  @ Agent_Orange don't give up this is a hobby it's more then a game. People hear on this fourm are hear to help. This is the best part of the ARMA community hands down not so much with the majority of the gaming community. Did I just say that at loud my bad :rolleyes: 

[Agent_Orange 3]

Thanks Avibird,

 

 

don't give up this is a hobby it's more then a game

 

For me it is a game.

 

So far, none of answers or suggestions that people have posted work, not one.

I appreciate what you and the other people who posted here have tried to do (i.e simply lend a hand,answer a question). The ARMA community seems like a good one.

 

If I ever get to play the multiplayer aspect of this game and see you around - I will be sure to stop and say hi.

Thanks again and all the best.

[R3vo 2652]

Example Mission: