F/A-18 Improvements/Modifications
-
@LorikEolmin said in F/A-18 Improvements/Modifications:
@Aragorn said in F/A-18 Improvements/Modifications:
@FoxBMS Hey, dude…
Are you working with the Other Jets Mafia group…?
Popcorn?
Fox played a huge part of getting the Mafia started, but he hasn’t been active with us for awhile. Buddy, it’s good to see you back, and we would love to work with you again.
One thing- The Art files we made way back when do have multi-page kneeboard hotspots -
Hey! )) Really thanks for that. Yea, i don’t have much free time but i recently installed BMS 4.36.1 to test it how it looks and yea, cool, F-16 great improvements and great overall game improvements. Really impressive but at the same time (what is logic) i found many misconfigurations in F-18 pits or hotspots missing completely, so i decided to help again. Yes Sir! )) Please if someone will test the last version of this zip pack, please let me know if something wrong there or any other suggestions. Thanks.
Btw, Let’s ommit attention about F/A-18 A/B since it has no datalink, digital flcs, etc, etc…and servers will kick you out when try to change sim/acdata files. Happy flying gentlemen.
-
@FoxBMS ,
Welcome back! I am really enjoying learning to fly the Hornet, thanks to your work and that of @drtbkj at the OFM. Well done, gentlemen!-
I took the liberty of updating the cockpit documentation for the F-18C. Its available for download in .pdf format here: F-18C Cockpit layout
-
FoxBMS, is there a way to “enlarge” the F-18 HUD slightly so that when info from the DED or PFL is displayed, it can be visible, along with the STPT and timing info in the lower right corner of the HUD? I can provide a screenshot of what I mean if you wish. Being able to see that info is really useful and valuable to the pilot, but right now, the info is mostly cut off at the bottom of the HUD. If HUD enlargement can be done by altering a .dds file (a mask, perhaps) and if you let me know the filename, I’ll give it a go to try to fix it myself.
-
What file(s) would need to be altered to change the lights on the Carrier’s island? I have changed the stencils to be for the USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) rather then USS ENTERPRISE, to match training scenarios I developed for Carrier Air WIng 2, but the lights on the island overlaying the “70” are still in the shape of “65” (USS ENTERPRISE). If I know the files, I might be able to make that change myself. Though I am not too adept at 3D artwork, I know someone who is very good at it who could give me a hand.
-
Is it feasible to develop a color moving ground map for the MPCD? I’d help on that if it is possible.
Once one gets to know the knob-ology I the pit, the aircraft is a lot of fun to fly! I used to enjoy doing carrier traps for fun in Jane’s F-18, but this is so much better in Falcon, especially when combined with @Tyrant 's outstanding LSOBot Carrier Landing Grading Program.
Thanks for your great work on bringing the F/A-18 to FalconBMS.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
-
@Tomcattwo Thanks, T2. The F-18 E/F/G is also now a more flyable option, too
-
@drtbkj
My pleasure. Cockpit layout for the C/E/F are pretty similar, so my Cockpit Layout .pdf is still usable for those aircraft.On my #2 above, I altered the Y position of the F-18E/F HUD in 3Dckpit.dat for …Add-On OMFKTO\Art\CkptArt\F-18E-type and 1958 to move it up (by 618 units), and the DED lines became visible. However, when I did that, the steerpoint diamond was also raised (should have been right on the carrier when the homeplate steerpoint was selected, but it was displaced upward on the HUD). So was the waterline (though flyable). So, unfortunately, that solution did not work
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
@Tomcattwo said in F/A-18 Improvements/Modifications:
FoxBMS, is there a way to “enlarge” the F-18 HUD slightly so that when info from the DED or PFL is displayed, it can be visible, along with the STPT and timing info in the lower right corner of the HUD? I can provide a screenshot of what I mean if you wish. Being able to see that info is really useful and valuable to the pilot, but right now, the info is mostly cut off at the bottom of the HUD. If HUD enlargement can be done by altering a .dds file (a mask, perhaps) and if you let me know the filename, I’ll give it a go to try to fix it myself.
Exactly, find and edit dds mask. Don’t edit hud coords.
It is somewhat easy, decompress database, find hud parent in 3dcockpit.dat, open that parent LOD with lodedit or whatever works this days, see texture number… photoshop.
(actually, since there is only one texture for simple lod’s, … textures are in hex at the end of the lod file, just convert the hex,… view lod with hex editor)Sadly, I had that fixed once (already found and edited alpha-mask)… now I can’t find that tex file … damn.
@to devs - suggestion for editor - list model textures used in model-viewer ? Neat ha ?
p.s … FOUND IT , it was in my old Balkans 4.35 theater (keeping old installs , eh…) …
Anyway, rename number if needed., this was, as said, for old Balkans.
Tex number was 3993.dds -
@white_fang
Thank you. Am on a sshort vacation right now. I’ll look into it when I get back home.
Regards,
TC2 -
@Tomcattwo Hey!) very nice to hear that). I tell you if it would bring better feel in game just for few players, then this work has a sense, thanks. To be honest i don’t fully understand what you asking in point 3. but I try to answer your questions.
-
Really impressive work (+_+) ! YOU had that time and YOU made this time difficult work, well done! veery very nice ). When i have some time, i have to study that pdf because by the quick eye i saw there are some hotspots which we will have to re-adjust (ILS, Anti-Ice, IFF master…maybe more…) or let’s make some deal where will be the final positions. The god knows what changes brings next updates in the future and how it will mix our cards here…
-
Regarding the files around HUD, i have been also faced to this issue thus i pulled out the TrackIR from the cabinet and it solved my problems ). I also triend to inspect files and found this in the file 3dckpit.dat (folder 1799 in this case)
hud 24154 -2750 -618 24154 2750 -618 24154 -2750 4902 287 314 573 600 c;
Same here like you. Yea, that’s so cool, we see now the whole hud with all info as we wanted! But Houston…we have problem… later i found out it’s not possible because the TD Box of the locked target in HMCS or even on HUD i think,it has a different position. Simply it messed up well. So yea, you have to stick with default values anyway. Only solutions for me is the trackir.
For people who does not have TrackIR, you can also adjust the position in cokcpit with mouse wheel, hold and scroll/move the mouse wheel button or both and adjust the position, you probably know that. It’s like adjusting the seat position up or down.Points 3. and 4. Sorry but can’t help much with this unfortunately.
Once one gets to know the knob-ology I the pit, the aircraft is a lot of fun to fly! I used to enjoy doing carrier traps for fun in Jane’s F-18, but this is so much better in Falcon, especially when combined with @Tyrant 's outstanding LSOBot Carrier Landing Grading Program.
Thanks for your great work on bringing the F/A-18 to FalconBMS.
Regards,
TomcattwoKnobology is not hard)) easy to familiarize quickly. Thank you too. I’m Glad to help.
Anyway as WhiteFang saying, 100% stick to that because this guy has great knowledge about falcon bms structure). Cheers.P.S. Did u tried to edit the mask in that recommended dds file? I don’t see any difference in game…
-
-
@FoxBMS Is there any way to modify the text in the UFC/DED of the F/A-18 cockpit? Right now, the text is so small, pilots have to zoom in just to read the UFC/DED Text. It would be nice to perhaps double the vertical size and make the font 3x wider.
-
@Chuckles I sacrificed not little time for this but did not find any easy/usable or presentable solution so far ((
-
My 2 main problems with the Hornet now is the cockpit lights don’t line up and look a bit funny.
Hornet RWR doesn’t show ships. If those 2 would be fixed I’d be pretty happy with it. Used to fly it a lot in 4.33. Would be good if those could be fixed up in the stock install.
-
@Hubert3000
'bout RWR ,… yup Hornet’s rwr (type 5 , I think, from mem) doesn’t show ship’s … since never? - raised that question maybe 5-10 yrs ago… well, it is what it is.
It is hardcoded, unfortunately.It will show something - I think type of EW radar, but not exactly the ship…
BUT!!!, it will register SARH type of SAM launched , even from the ship. eg… Sea-Sparrow, or some SA-N-x counterpartYou can change type of rwr in sim/acdata/ in plane, but then you loose original Hornet’s HUD RWR symbology…
At least is functional… If you see EW in the middle of “nowhere” (sea) , you know it is not land-based
Cheers
-
@FoxBMS said in F/A-18 Improvements/Modifications:
Anyway as WhiteFang saying, 100% stick to that because this guy has great knowledge about falcon bms structure). Cheers.
P.S. Did u tried to edit the mask in that recommended dds file? I don’t see any difference in game…Hello FoxBMS,
I just got around to trying what @white_fang recommended - thanks @white_fang for the file and recommendation.
It worked, mostly. 3993.dds is still the correct file for the HUD mask (for F-18 E/F at any rate - did not test with any other aircraft). I was able to clearly see the steerpoint info now in the lower right. However, I can only see the first line of DED info unless I lean in using TrackIR (not optimal when refueling to see the fuel onboard). Here’s the view from the F-18F cockpit…From the pic, you can see the first line of the DED, partially blocked. 2nd and 3rd lines of the DED have a line space in between them, and are well-below the canopy front, unless you lean in with TrackIR.
Nevertheless, this is still better than it was. Much appreciation to @white_fang for the file and the recommended instructions.
Here’s a pic of the front of the carrier island, looking aft, now bearing the USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) moniker. I altered 1757.dds in the …\TerrData\Objects\KoreaObj\ folder to switch the placement of the ENTERPRISE and the VINSON decals (had to redo the alpha channel, also). However, I still do not know how to change the location of the lights on the island’s port side (the side facing the deck). I suspect it is in the 3D model, but I haven’t the skill to go there.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
There is an old trick in the Hornet if you’re using head tracking. When you enter the cockpit lean back as far as you can then F12. When you return to you normal position more data will be displayed.
-
@drtbkj
Naaaahhhh.I was expecting from you, Fra’, that you were suggesting “Made her returned to the manifacturer and pick another one presto!, before CAG notices it.” instead.
This one would be a noticeable improvement indeed.With best regards.
-
@drtbkj
Thanks, Joe! That’s a great trick!
Regards,
TC2 -
are there any f/a-18 online
squadrons ??? -
There will be . . .
-
@TGW i hope so that is why i came to bms for the hornet and because DCS is too big on file storage killing my space.
-