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Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:
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Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.
By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.
The compass and points of Interest switches
- Thread starter Jib01
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Wow - that is definitely a lot! 
I finished the mission today and got 250kb in the end - without any dialog action because I use sfx in this special case. So the file ist just triggers, triggers, triggers...
I finished the mission today and got 250kb in the end - without any dialog action because I use sfx in this special case. So the file ist just triggers, triggers, triggers...
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Equally impressive.
A LOT of mine is dialogue, of course (over 100 in Earthquake! Almost lost my voice!)
A LOT of mine is dialogue, of course (over 100 in Earthquake! Almost lost my voice!)
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749k of a mission? Since when do you work on it?
And may I ask whay it's so incredibly complex? Is it just long or full of objects or is the logic so tricky?
And may I ask whay it's so incredibly complex? Is it just long or full of objects or is the logic so tricky?
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Hi Folks
Horst -
I've replied in different order to your original questions.
Overall it's not that complex.
Basically, a gated course as per MS Tutorial missions.
Comprising -
3 gate approach/lead-in
37 gate circuit
1 gate for course exit
User to perform 3 timed laps of the 37 gate circuit.
It's really not as impressive as it sounds,
though is unweildy to work with in the OPT.
Long - Nope, 20 minutes duration max.
Objects - No scenery added at all, (there will be some eventually).
Logic - Not really.
Circuit gates are reused for each lap.
A gate consists of red & green models, POI, prox trig, rect area, & associated dialog.
Both on & off 'activation actions' are used where appropriate.
Group on & off 'activation actions' are also used.
With 41 gates, the lines of XML very rapidly mount up.
I'd also implemented a slightly different approach to the logic for the gates,
which allowed greater useage flexibility,
and is also extensible to incorporate additional functionality.
As it's organically grown,
some of the methods could probably be implemented more efficiently.
It's my first mission,
and based on a local area I now often fly.
Been playing with it on & off between other projects.
I'd had a look at how to create gates whilst waiting for B3.
B3 OPT didn't work.
Didn't try again till post SDK SP1.
Given the time it takes to develop a mission,
I've gone for reuseable code,
and it's also a template for for other missions.
I could cut some of the extra logic,
but I'd rather get the 'core code' working correctly,
rather than trying to amend multiple mission versions.
There's probably been more hours expended now,
on debugging, and trying to resurrect,
than actual creation.
HTH
ATB
Paul
Horst -
I've replied in different order to your original questions.
Overall it's not that complex.
Basically, a gated course as per MS Tutorial missions.
Comprising -
3 gate approach/lead-in
37 gate circuit
1 gate for course exit
User to perform 3 timed laps of the 37 gate circuit.
It's really not as impressive as it sounds,
though is unweildy to work with in the OPT.
Long - Nope, 20 minutes duration max.
Objects - No scenery added at all, (there will be some eventually).
Logic - Not really.
Circuit gates are reused for each lap.
A gate consists of red & green models, POI, prox trig, rect area, & associated dialog.
Both on & off 'activation actions' are used where appropriate.
Group on & off 'activation actions' are also used.
With 41 gates, the lines of XML very rapidly mount up.
I'd also implemented a slightly different approach to the logic for the gates,
which allowed greater useage flexibility,
and is also extensible to incorporate additional functionality.
As it's organically grown,
some of the methods could probably be implemented more efficiently.
It's my first mission,
and based on a local area I now often fly.
Been playing with it on & off between other projects.
I'd had a look at how to create gates whilst waiting for B3.
B3 OPT didn't work.
Didn't try again till post SDK SP1.
Given the time it takes to develop a mission,
I've gone for reuseable code,
and it's also a template for for other missions.
I could cut some of the extra logic,
but I'd rather get the 'core code' working correctly,
rather than trying to amend multiple mission versions.
There's probably been more hours expended now,
on debugging, and trying to resurrect,
than actual creation.
HTH
ATB
Paul
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The compass does change size and it is quite aggrevating. This is happening because of some strange deal with the way panels work. The mission compass is a 2D panel gauge and depending on how much window space there is (or something like this) it will draw larger in some aircraft.
You'll notice that in missions where you can change aircraft during the mission, that the mission compass will change size during the mission. That is because we sized the mission compass based on the starting aircraft but when the aircraft change is made it defaults back to whatever the native size is for the aircraft that was switched to.
The size we set it to is defined in the panels cfg. We adjusted each flight files with some special entries that would re-scale it for the aircraft used in that mission. Take a look at the flight files for the default missions for some screen coordinates in the panel section. I think you'll be able to figure it out from there.
You'll notice that in missions where you can change aircraft during the mission, that the mission compass will change size during the mission. That is because we sized the mission compass based on the starting aircraft but when the aircraft change is made it defaults back to whatever the native size is for the aircraft that was switched to.
The size we set it to is defined in the panels cfg. We adjusted each flight files with some special entries that would re-scale it for the aircraft used in that mission. Take a look at the flight files for the default missions for some screen coordinates in the panel section. I think you'll be able to figure it out from there.
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Thanks, Paul! Didn't think of that yet.
I think I came across another thing:
If I start FSX and load some missions I find that the distance of the spot plane is much closer than it should be - I think this maybe the same issue as the size of the compass.
Because if I reload the mission the distance of the plane (not the zoom factor) is correct.
I also have problems with AI on a platform above the water: Same problem here: If I start the mission right after fsx-start the AI sink into the platform and dworn in the water. Anytime I reload the mission, though, they're well on the platform.
Do you know more about this problem?
I think I came across another thing:
If I start FSX and load some missions I find that the distance of the spot plane is much closer than it should be - I think this maybe the same issue as the size of the compass.
Because if I reload the mission the distance of the plane (not the zoom factor) is correct.
I also have problems with AI on a platform above the water: Same problem here: If I start the mission right after fsx-start the AI sink into the platform and dworn in the water. Anytime I reload the mission, though, they're well on the platform.
Do you know more about this problem?
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Hi Folks
Thorsten -
I'd lost track of where you'd originally posted this -
Look in the mission .flt file
[SimVars.0] section
and set the following appropriately
[SimVars.0]
SimOnGround=False
OnPlatformHeight=-9999999999
AFAIK for the distances,
they're also saved in the .flt file
as camera positions.
Reset your views to required positions.
Save as a different .flt.
Copy the settings into your mission's .flt file.
HTH
ATB
Paul
Thorsten -
I'd lost track of where you'd originally posted this -
Look in the mission .flt file
[SimVars.0] section
and set the following appropriately
[SimVars.0]
SimOnGround=False
OnPlatformHeight=-9999999999
AFAIK for the distances,
they're also saved in the .flt file
as camera positions.
Reset your views to required positions.
Save as a different .flt.
Copy the settings into your mission's .flt file.
HTH
ATB
Paul
Last edited:
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Doesn't work either. I guess FSX is having troubles placing AI at startup. The curious thing is: after restart of the mission it works fine.
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Thorsten,
I've fought this issue over and over (and lost). Seems to me if you place AI on a raised platform that is "landable" then no problem.
A lot of the raised platforms (bridges, buildings, etc) are not landable.
I had this problem in Earthquake! where I wanted to drive a bus onto the Golden Gate bridge and then have it plunge off. Took me 3 days to figure out a way to do it.
I ended up using a MoveableSceneryObject (whole new set of problems using that method).
That didn't work very well, but it did the trick once I added a bunch of people screaming bloody murder the moment it left the bridge.
I love plunging people from altitude!
I've fought this issue over and over (and lost). Seems to me if you place AI on a raised platform that is "landable" then no problem.
A lot of the raised platforms (bridges, buildings, etc) are not landable.
I had this problem in Earthquake! where I wanted to drive a bus onto the Golden Gate bridge and then have it plunge off. Took me 3 days to figure out a way to do it.
I ended up using a MoveableSceneryObject (whole new set of problems using that method).
That didn't work very well, but it did the trick once I added a bunch of people screaming bloody murder the moment it left the bridge.
I love plunging people from altitude!
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Oh, don't give the boy this sort of toys!
The platform is landable: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4325
As I said: it's just a matter of starting the mission right after fsx startup.
The platform is landable: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4325
As I said: it's just a matter of starting the mission right after fsx startup.