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Creating 'flyable' Ships in CFS2 (Read 5658 times)
Jan 31st, 2005 at 6:29am

Padser   Offline
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~S~

I am currently working on the creation of a 'flyable' aircraft carrier for use as a target in online bombing scenarios for CFS2.

By flyable I mean that it should be treated as an aircraft by the game, although in actual fact all I want is for a player to be able to CFO to a location and then sit still and bob around on the water Wink

I've been experimenting with the stock Essex, and, by including an airfile and a little aircraft.cfg file tinkering I can get it to appear in the game. My assumption is that the damage profile provided in the original will still work and that the model/texture files will allow other players to see the ship in the normal way. The fact that I can see the ship offline would appear to bear this out.

I'm having some difficulty in controlling the contact points in the aircraft.cfg file. This is a similar issue to the seaplane issues I was having some time ago, but my experiments so far are not proving successful so I'm here begging advice again... Wink

I can get accurate enough reference points from the dp file to give me a reasonable idea of where the ship 'ends' and 'begins', what I wonder is how many I will need to make the ship float placidly and level while on the sea.

I'm using contact point class 4 and am assuming a 'scrape' (float?) point in each corner of the bottom of the hull, one on each of the port and starboard sides amidships and one slap bang in the centre on the underside of the hull.

At present, however, the carrier performs something of a cartwheel and explodes when placed on the water... ahem.

Eg.

point.0=4, 460, -40, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,2,0,0 //port bow
point.1=4, 460, 40, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,3,0,0 //starboard bow
point.2=4, -430, -40, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,2,0,0 //port stern
point.3=4, -430, 40, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,3,0,0 //starboard stern

point.4=4, 0, 7, -40, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,4,0,0 //port midships
point.5=4, 0, 40, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,4,0,0 //starboard midships
point.6=4, 0, 0, -40, 1574.8032, 0, 0, 0, 0.896361, 2.5,0.9809,0,0,4,0,0 //hull midships

point.7=2,   460,-108, 67, 1200, 0, 0.00,  0.0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.00, 0.0,  0.0, 5 // deck port bow
point.8=2,   460, 100, 67, 1200, 0, 0.00,  0.0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.00, 0.0,  0.0, 6 // deck starboard bow
point.9=2, -430,  -108, 67, 2400, 0, 0.00,  0.0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.00, 0.0,  0.0, 9 // deck port stern
point.10=2,   -430,  100, 67, 1200, 0, 0.00,  0.0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.00, 0.0,  0.0, 4 // deck starboard stern

static_pitch=0.000000
static_cg_height=0


I've not started playing with any of the other values yet, just points 0, 1, 2 & 3 - I'm assuming the others will either not matter or can be fixed once I'm properly afloat...

Any thoughts?

~S~

Pads
 
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Reply #1 - Jan 31st, 2005 at 7:04am

Hagar   Offline
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I haven't tried this myself but a CFS2 ship starts life as an aircraft. It shouldn't be difficult to make it "flyable". There are several examples of "flyable" ships for FS2002/4. If I was doing this I would check out the AIR file/Aircraft.cfg of one of these for reference. The flight dynamics might not be fully compatible with CFS2 but would give you the basic idea.
 

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Reply #2 - Jan 31st, 2005 at 9:28am

Bombardier101   Offline
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Pads, Pads! I know what your 'sinking feeling' problem is with the CV-9 exploding. If you have DPEd (if you don't, get it from Simviation in utilities) then change the ammo weight on all guns to 0.0, otherwise the ship is 'overloaded'. Just give me an IM to keep in touch. A ship project together would be good. Look out for my CFS2 IJN player submarine on Simviation. Cheesy Wink

<<<<<--------------------EDIT------------------>>>>>>>>>>

Hi again Pads! Sorry actualy, I thought it was about the DP. Get the US PT boat from Mark Walsh at Simviation. His aircraft.cfg and airfile will work for all CFS2 ships, I've tried it! So just get that....

I'd love to do a ship project with you Cheesy, I'm realy into the ships, I've tried the Soryu as a player ship, it topped 30 knots and worked, just as you modify the DP (see the upper part of this post!) Grin


Regards,

Bombardier
 

Need a DP for your new aircraft? PM me for one!&&&&My CFS2 Addons&&&&Schleswig WW2 Base Scenery: http://www.simviation.com/cfs2scenery16.htm&&IJN Bomber Force Campaign http://www.simviation.com/cfs2missions22.htm&&WW&C France WW1 Scenery WORKING ON&&Nachtjaeger! Campaign WORKING ON&&British Nightfighter Campaign LATER&&Atlantic Martlet Campaign LATER&&Iwo-jima scenery RESUME LATER&&&&UPLOADS COMING TO SOH SOON
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Reply #3 - Jan 31st, 2005 at 10:35am

Padser   Offline
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~S~ Bombs

I'll try the ammo weight - you're right of course, it must weigh a tremendous amount! 

I'll look into the pt boat air file etc., too. Though I have now located the CFS2 ships for FS2002 conversion that Hagar mentioned, so will try this first. I've had a look at them and (provided they can be ported back in CFS2 Wink) they look about right and seem to have appropriate speeds and handling.

To be honest, B, my technical abilities are pretty much limited to combining bits and pieces of stuff that other far more proficient and talented people than I have already made - not sure I'd be much use in any project requiring anything more sopphisticated than that...

Thanks for the input!

Smiley

Pads
 
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Reply #4 - Jan 31st, 2005 at 6:50pm

Padser   Offline
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Mmm - fixing ammo weight doesn't seem to help and the CFS2 ships for FS2002 are proving problematic, too.

Still, that's why we like doing this right?  Roll Eyes

Giving it up for the night

Pads
 
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Reply #5 - Feb 1st, 2005 at 8:39am

Padser   Offline
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I take it back - Mark Walsh's excellent adaptation of the PBT Blackcat aircraft.cfg and air.file do indeed seem to work! Hurray! Cheesy

Thanks all for the assistance.

Now for some testing and tweaking and some more testing and some more tweaking and some more .... Wink

~S~

Pads
 
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Reply #6 - Feb 6th, 2005 at 3:57am

Bombardier101   Offline
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Gosh Pads, glad you like it Wink I'll try post a Soryu on Simviation LOL! Grin Grin Grin


Regards,


Bombardier
 

Need a DP for your new aircraft? PM me for one!&&&&My CFS2 Addons&&&&Schleswig WW2 Base Scenery: http://www.simviation.com/cfs2scenery16.htm&&IJN Bomber Force Campaign http://www.simviation.com/cfs2missions22.htm&&WW&C France WW1 Scenery WORKING ON&&Nachtjaeger! Campaign WORKING ON&&British Nightfighter Campaign LATER&&Atlantic Martlet Campaign LATER&&Iwo-jima scenery RESUME LATER&&&&UPLOADS COMING TO SOH SOON
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Reply #7 - Feb 17th, 2005 at 10:36am

Bombardier101   Offline
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Hmmmm, might do a mission with you in a carrier or some other Japanese ship, and you have to stay close to the non-'aircraft' ships for protection (they fire flak, you cannot). Smiley
 

Need a DP for your new aircraft? PM me for one!&&&&My CFS2 Addons&&&&Schleswig WW2 Base Scenery: http://www.simviation.com/cfs2scenery16.htm&&IJN Bomber Force Campaign http://www.simviation.com/cfs2missions22.htm&&WW&C France WW1 Scenery WORKING ON&&Nachtjaeger! Campaign WORKING ON&&British Nightfighter Campaign LATER&&Atlantic Martlet Campaign LATER&&Iwo-jima scenery RESUME LATER&&&&UPLOADS COMING TO SOH SOON
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Reply #8 - Apr 23rd, 2005 at 12:33pm

marick626   Offline
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I tried that once with a tube I created just to see if it worked

It doesnt
It crashes when I take it to the water Shocked
 
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Reply #9 - Apr 24th, 2005 at 6:01am

Bombardier101   Offline
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Quote:
It doesnt
It crashes when I take it to the water Shocked

When you said 'it crashes' did you mean CFS2 crashes or the ship crashes?
 

Need a DP for your new aircraft? PM me for one!&&&&My CFS2 Addons&&&&Schleswig WW2 Base Scenery: http://www.simviation.com/cfs2scenery16.htm&&IJN Bomber Force Campaign http://www.simviation.com/cfs2missions22.htm&&WW&C France WW1 Scenery WORKING ON&&Nachtjaeger! Campaign WORKING ON&&British Nightfighter Campaign LATER&&Atlantic Martlet Campaign LATER&&Iwo-jima scenery RESUME LATER&&&&UPLOADS COMING TO SOH SOON
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Reply #10 - Apr 30th, 2005 at 10:35am

marick626   Offline
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Quote:
When you said 'it crashes' did you mean CFS2 crashes or the ship crashes?


what I mean that it goes splash
 
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Reply #11 - May 6th, 2005 at 10:08pm

Padser   Offline
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Ah ha! I see.

My ships are here: http://www.spikespage.com/downloads/ships.html (we had to move the C15 site)

You can land them on the water after an air start - let them descend and maintain around 50kts (if I remember rightly) as you touch down. Keep the nose (bow) up and hold it nice and level. It should just glide onto the water and slowly come to a stop. Full throttle should give you around 30kts on the water (but you'll need plenty of rudder to hold it steady on course).

Alternatively, when you first enter the game, bleed some speed off and then CFO to a water-based location. If you try to CFO at entry speed, you'll certainly crash when you touch the water. The ship seems to retain the speed it was travelling at just before you CFO - as long as you're not travelling too quickly, it will just come to a stop when CFO drops you on the water.

~S~

Pads
 
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Reply #12 - May 26th, 2005 at 9:08am

Bombardier101   Offline
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Great, I've downloaded those, I'll try'em soon!

Like those ships! I'm gonna try get that Tidori PB on Simviation. Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy
 

Need a DP for your new aircraft? PM me for one!&&&&My CFS2 Addons&&&&Schleswig WW2 Base Scenery: http://www.simviation.com/cfs2scenery16.htm&&IJN Bomber Force Campaign http://www.simviation.com/cfs2missions22.htm&&WW&C France WW1 Scenery WORKING ON&&Nachtjaeger! Campaign WORKING ON&&British Nightfighter Campaign LATER&&Atlantic Martlet Campaign LATER&&Iwo-jima scenery RESUME LATER&&&&UPLOADS COMING TO SOH SOON
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Reply #13 - Jun 8th, 2005 at 6:30pm

Padser   Offline
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We had a lot of fun with our multiplayer bombers and these ships in online bomb runs, when I was with CAW-15 (I fly PF on Hyperlobby these days, so don't get in here so often).

Be sure to watch out for that crash bubble though... Wink

You can find the bombers at the same site: http://www.spikespage.com/downloads/multiplayer.html

All the best,

Pads
 
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Reply #14 - Aug 20th, 2005 at 6:12pm

Demo   Offline
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maybe you could make it landable as in a player is controling the vessel and another player could land on the deck... giving you a realistic landing situation (ship in motion)
 
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Reply #15 - Aug 22nd, 2005 at 6:36am

Padser   Offline
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I don't get in here very often anymore and just came across your posting.

I very much wanted to try and make a landable player controlled ship, but came to the conclusion that it is not possible (or at least that it was beyond my capabilities). This would have added such a great dimension to online carrier operations, but it was not to be, alas... Sad

The landable area on an AI controlled ship is defined in the ship.cfg file - I tried transferring the data to the aircraft.cfg, but the game does not read it. It may be possible to 'harden' the deck in some other way, but I never found a satisfactory solution.

The other issue is the inaccurate modelling of collisions in CFS 2's online environment. Online, the player-controllable ships are treated by the game as very large aircraft and have a crash bubble extending several hundred feet all around, making it impossible to land on with out exploding before reaching the ship...

When the crash bubble is reduced the damage profile is affected to what I felt was an unworkable degree and, of course, aircraft simply pass through the deck until they reach the limits of the crash bubble or hit the water anyway...

Best of luck with this if you find a way of achieving it. There were some clever guys in CFS1's H_Squad who I think made a helicopter landable player-controlled CFS1 PT Gunboat - used to be at www.navyair.com, but can now be found at http://www.hsquad.org/

Never tried it and don't know how (or if!) they made the landing surfaces 'hard' during online play - but it might give you some ideas.

All the best,

Pads


« Last Edit: Aug 22nd, 2005 at 9:16am by Padser »  
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Reply #16 - May 31st, 2006 at 6:05pm

The Mooster   Offline
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i remember a site way back that had converted all cfs2 ships for player use. wish still had the link, they were stock, flew, and landed fine on water.
 

i enjoy long walks on the beach, yummie thai food, and obliterating my enemy's aircraft around them with a hail of bullets from 12 .50s. and/or a 75mm cannon.
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Reply #17 - Jun 2nd, 2006 at 10:41am

Jeph   Offline
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me and an old friend tried doing the landable carriers in CFS2, and also came to the conclusion it couldnt be done...

pads, maybe check out raf662.com? i know they had a couple of guys who were kicking the idea around a while back of a landable carrier.

good luck Smiley
 

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