simonu
SOH Staff

Fibber, I looked on Google Earth, and found the evidence of a Sub Pen and breakwater that you described. Is this what you had in mind?

Tobob, Getting closer...this is with the WC_030_020.bgl and LC_030_020.bgl in the Scenedb\World\Scenery folder. I was also able to fix Dakar's harbor island by moving the watermask file into the Scenedb\World\Scenery folder.

Yes, that's true. My solution to that, because I have all of his scenery packages installed, is to have a common folder called "Tobob land and watermasks" for those files, and then have the "TB_xxxxx" folders separately. Yes, as you correctly fixed. I correctly anticipated, because the layout box is about six miles in rectangle form, that it would be a multi-gob GSL file. Before using GSLedit, I ran it through Gob checker, which split the layout into three parts. I hadn't done that yet with the layout file because I wanted some input and feedback from Kelticheart, and now Jagdflieger, and if possible, Xavierb.

Stefano, I am well, though I had a meeting before the school board recently because some parents didn't like the content I was teaching. (The Banana wars, Sanford Dole and US economic interests Vs Hawaii, US occupation of Haiti, putting the Shah in power, Eisenhower sending the Marines into Lebanon, etc.) Because I was not espousing my own beliefs on the students and was well entrenched in the facts, the school board, the teacher's union, and the school principal backed me 100%. Mom's also been reasonably stable in dialysis, so that's a plus. And, my eldest daughter is going to be five soon! Yikes, huh? I am attaching a beta testing package here for you. I don't think you'll have problems with this, but you need the scenery for the layout to work properly. I included a couple of modified files I use that were given to me by Robert John at my request. Let me know if you can't find anything, or if something looks funny!

Stoney, Try downloading it again, I included the textures this time. When Tobob sends the files to me, he knows I have the textures, so he doesn't send them anymore. My fault! :banghead:

Tobob, If you look at the St. Nazaire thread, I was able to fix the .dp files so that they will load in missions, so there is no rush. I included the fixed .dp files in the La Rochelle package on June 15th. Were you able to look at the Bermuda pics in the "success" thread?

Good morning, Here is the GSL scenery package, as promised. Many thanks to tobob for the files! :salute:

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Scenery Add-Ons Description: This is Tobob’s St. Nazaire scenery, with contributions from Rami. This package is for CFS2, & is used in the Battle for Europe campaign. Tobob has graciously donated his coastlines and land class to the project, allowing for me to build GSL scenery for the port & sub pen areas without the interference of detatched coastlines resulting from the interaction between Sander's Europe scenery and Rhumbaflappy's newer world water masks. Tobob deserves much of the credit for this scenery package, he did more than the lion’s share of the effort, in that the land class, coastlines, water masks, and elevation mesh were all created by him. A credit also goes to Talon, who walked me (Rami) through analyzing the .dp file to figure out the naming flaw that was preventing the object from generating a .cdp file. My contribution to this scenery package was the placement of objects from our various designers to create the placements for the dockyards, sub pen, and lighthouses to bring some measure of life to St. Nazaire, and then use those layouts to create the GSL scenery. The additional layout for ship, vehicle, and anti-aircraft gun placement was also created by me.

Hey guys, I just finished updating that two "Battle for Europe" missions that were specifically waiting for St. Nazaire. I just have to write a readme for the St. Nazaire package, and I will upload the scenery package tomorrow. I had a wonderful father's day today! :wiggle:

Panther, In Tuukka we trust, baby! :ernae:

Kurt, You don't put flak batteries in the GSL layer, silly. :icon_lol: But believe me...in the mission, St. Nazaire is heavily defended.

Good evening, I finished the work on Saint Nazaire, and turned it into GSL scenery tonight. It's not quite historically accurate, because I put the sub pen in a different place than it was in reality. In addition, CFS2 lacks dry docks as objects, so I did what I could here. All in all, I'm happy with the results. Also, as a favor to kdriver, I included the oil refinery at Donges, France, which was targeted by Allied bombers in World War II. I should be able to upload the package tomorrow morning.

Hello again, I put the corrected .dp file in the La Rochelle package...so now I can do the GSL package forthwith! :salute:

Good evening, Talon and I discussed this and he helped give me a lead. Comparing it to a .dp file that was working, I found this in the original file... ; Created or Modified by DPED. ; 3/7/2011 7:02:31 PM box.0=%box_name.0%,-15,0,-15,15,30,15

F de Bressy, Thank you once again for all of your efforts repainting these aircraft. They look fantastic! :salute:

Yes, so I can test the scenery before making it into GSL. I did not use the wharf this time...it's TB_build3 that will not generate a .cdp file. I tried running the mission in "normal" mode...same result.

Aeronca1, Okay then...how does Marian Hossa, another ex-Senator, fit into your anti-Eurocentric paradigm? Lest you forget, he signed a big-money contract (twelve years) and plays for the (GASP) Blackhawks?

Aeronca, Don't be shy, my friend. Tell me how you really feel...:icon_lol: P.S. - Switching sports allegiances based on frustration is a shame. It's kind of like getting caught cheating on your wife/girlfriend or being busted in a really bad lie. You really can't be trusted again to be genuinely sincere for a long, long time.

Hey guys, Now that I was able to get Tobob's landclass and scenery modifications working properly, I am building sub pens and facilities at St. Nazaire and Trondheim. When constructing these facilities, I am using the building objects found in the La Rochelle scenery package. http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=45&id=4071 The problem is that at least a couple of the damage profiles appear to be flawed, in that they do not generate .cdp files. This means that in Mission Builder, I can build the scenery, but I cannot fly over it to test and examine it, because when I try to fly a sample mission where I have the scenery, the mission will not load because it cannot generate the needed .cdp files, so it just sits there and does nothing. Specifically, it's the tb_build3.dp that gives me the most trouble, though I'm wondering if there are others as well.

Finn, Geographically, you're right. The British used Bermuda as a training/practice area for the Fleet Air Arm, well away from the carnage of Europe. Tobob made this scenery for me when I revamped the campaign in 2011, and because the training exercises took place in 1940, I include it in my Early European Theatre of Operations. (1939-1942) Tobob, Regarding Bermuda, I'm having a problem. For all your ETO sceneries except Bermuda, I have placed the flattens in the Scenedb\World\Scenery folder and have gotten the desired results. This includes the Bermuda land and water flattens. When I put the watermask files in the correct folders as instructed for Bermuda, the result is what you see depicted on the second shot. When I place the flattens in the Scenedb\World\Texture folder and then put the Bermuda watermask in with the rest of the Bermuda scenery, the result is shown on the left picture. Oddly, what is wrong in the first configuration gets corrected through the other configuration. Any ideas?

TW, That's not even the half of it...they used the following as major types... Gloster Gladiators, Hawker Hurricanes, Fiat G-50 Freecias, Morane-Saulnier Ms-406s, Messerschmitt Bf-109s, Brewster Buffaloes, Curtiss P-36 Hawks, Fokker DXXIs, a plethora of repainted, captured Russian types, Bristol Blenhiems, Dornier Do-17s, and Junkers Ju-88s. In short, the Finns became the airborne version of the Salvation Army in World War II. And they were dammed successful! P.S. - Although this has never been documented, bear in mind that the Russians used lend-lease American and British fighters, so the potential existed for dogfights between Curtiss P-36 Hawks (Finnish) and P-40 Kittyhawks, (Russian) or Hurricanes (Finnish) against Hurricanes. (Russian) Brewster Buffaloes could have also fought Russian Hurricanes or P-40s, if you really want to throw your mind for a loop.

Typhoon Willy, Take a look at this screen, my friend. The first picture represents where the countries are. The second depicts what you would need to do for the end of the Polish campaign, to have Germany and the USSR fighting on the same side against Poland. The final pic represents what you would need to do to have Finland and the USSR fighting on the same side against the Germans. It's all done through mission builder, you would not need to alter any aircraft. As I said, it can be done on a per-mission basis. You'd think after a full day off the hockey malaise would be behind you...lol :icon_lol:

Typhoon Willy, That's a complicated question. For the purposes of CFS2, you would leave Finland on the side of the Axis until the conclusion of the Continuation War, and then switch them on a per-mission basis to the Allies to fight on the side of the Allies against the Germans for the Lappland War. No one has attempted to cover the Lappland War. There's a similar issue for the last few missions of the Poland campaign when the Soviet Union pushes in from the east. For the purposes of those missions, both Russia and Germany are on the same side. That has to be done on a per-mission basis in Mission Builder.

Allen, This looks fantastic, great work! :ernae:

Good evening, Here is another mission completed. For this mission and for the last one, (11 and 10, respectively) I'm using large formations to simulate the size of the raids. For mission eleven, there are three formations of twenty-four bombers each, with sixteen fighters for escort. With three formations, that totals some one hundred and twenty aircraft, not including enemy planes. The skies are quite literally full within the bomber stream....and it makes for some careful flying when you take the middle position, as you do in this mission. "title_string"=20th Fighter Group - A "big show" over Frankfurt "summary_string"=Listen up, airmen! Our last attempt to raid the city of Frankfurt was aborted because of the horrible weather. However, our officers are determined to run the mission today, no matter what! You'll help escort a massive bomber formation, with plenty of help from P-51 and P-47 escorts. Do not expect an easy ride during this mission; once Jerry figures out where we're heading, he will send up whatever he has! "objective_string"=January 29th, 1944 saw the second attempt by the 8th AF to pummel the industrial cog of Frankfurt, Germany. The first attempt on January 24th, 1944 was recalled due to terrible weather. The raid on the 29th saw some 700 bombers, escorted by some 600 fighters, pound the city of Frankfurt despite a strong appearance of about 80 German fighters near the target. The bombers suffered significant losses, but the escorts got their share of Jerries! "intelligence_string"=After taking off with a flight of Mustangs, you'll head southeast out over the North Sea to meet up with the bomber stream. You will be escorting the second formation in the stream with the Mustangs, responsible for the 'Firehorse,' 'Greyhound,' and 'Relentless' flights. Over Frankfurt, the formation will separate, and it is absolutely critical that you keep your head on a swivel over the target areas, because we are expecting Jerry will be out in full force. Above all else, you must keep the bombers safe, and get them home! "player_aircraft_name_string"=Lockheed P-38J-25 Lightning "airfield_string"=England - Methwold

Allen, These look great, and I'm sure for out model designers, these will be very useful. Outstanding work! :salute:

Yeah...but the Bruins won't make that mistake again. I'm more concerned about Nathan Horton. If he really injured his shoulder badly and can't go, we lose a very good offensive threat. Hortie is one of the best we have.

Panther, I'll raise ya...:salute:

Boatz, Thank you very much for this! :salute: Here is the link: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=55&id=16610

Good evening, Here is another mission, I thought this might interest you... "title_string"=20th Fighter Group - Milk run over Pas-de-Calais "summary_string"=Listen up, pilots! Today, we will assist the 8th Air Force's effort in the Pas-de-Calais with a fighter sweep over the Dieppe-Rouen sector, looking for & engaging Jerry if he decides to fight. If the skies are clear in the sector, we'll head over the target area & assist the efforts of our escorts to protect the bombers. Let's help them put the "doodlebugs" out of commission! "objective_string"=On January 14, 1944, & again the following week, 8th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attacked German V1 & V2 rocket sites located within the Pas-de-Calais region. The sorties were flown at medium altitude, and were heavily escorted by P-47 Thunderbolts, along with a smattering of P-38s and P-47s. A few skirmishes between the 8th Air Force escorts and German fighters took place, but on the whole, they did not put up much resistance. "intelligence_string"=Upon leaving Methwold, both flights of P-38s will head south & cross the French coastline at Dieppe. You will then continue south to Rouen, acting as a diversion to try and bait the Jerries into a fight, keeping them busy & away from the heavies. After departing Rouen, you'll fly back right through the Pas-de-Calais, heading through the target areas on your way home, lending assistance to any bombers or engaging any enemy fighters. Good luck! "player_aircraft_name_string"=Lockheed P-38J-25 Lightning "airfield_string"=England - Methwold

Graham, That one is missing, but we'll see if someone has it and can upload it for you.

Kurt, As promised, I took care of it. :salute:

Erufle, Thanks for saying that. I find more and more that I end up doing about a 50 / 50 split between campaign projects I really want to do, (Frantic / Corpo Aereo Italiano / RAF Vs Regia Aeronautica / 20th Fighter Group, etc.) and ones I feel obligated to update / overhaul for the betterment of the CFS2 community. It's also why I always have multiple projects going on at the same time; it satisfies my severe ADHD. If I get bored with one campaign, I work on another for a while and come back. It's the "shiny red ball" syndrome. Also, Talon said to me once that campaign and mission building should be projects that you want to do, and what interests you. I post progress threads and things like that to keep you all informed, but I don't get devastated when I don't get feedback on it. It's just more of a "FYI" principle.

Kurt, Just give me a holler. I'll take care of the rest. :icon_lol:

Kurt, This is outstanding, thank you so very much! :ernae:

Boeing, Thank you very much for your hard work on this, and also thank you to The B24 Guy! :salute:

Good evening, With a few minor adjustments, the mission works! Onto the next...

Hey guys, I've really been testing my knowledge with this one, and I hope it works. During this mission, your flight of eight P-38 Lightnings, together with another flight of eight, remain in orbit over Kiel, Germany while B-17s and B-24s attack the shipyard and airfield there. You arrive four minutes ahead of the first wave, a formation of sixteen B-24s and sixteen B-17s. As they depart, a formation of twenty-four B-17s arrive and attack the target two minutes later. As they depart, a final formation of sixteen B-24s, together with an escort of sixteen P-51s, arrive over the target area. They are again separated from the previous formation by two minutes. It is when this formation arrives, with their escort, that you will be able to leave the area. I think I'll have to toy with the dynamic elements, including random chance elements, to make it all work. I still have to include the German opposition, and I'm using Captain Kurt's 354th Fighter Group campaign as a guide, after he gave me the go-ahead to use it as a resource. I'm not relying on it as a source for the missions, though. I'm building those mostly from scratch, with the assistance of a 20th Fighter Group campaign for CFS1 which I converted, together with another unexpected find. Like the 354th Fighter Group campaign, though, this will be broken into two campaigns; the first will cover use of the P-38 until July of 1944. The second part will cover the remainder of the war when the group switched over to the P-51 Mustang. "title_string"=20th Fighter Group - Sweeping the skies over Kiel "summary_string"=Listen up, airmen! The New Year's parties are now behind us, and today our bombers will head out to strike the docks and industrial areas of Kiel. Your assignment is to perform a fighter sweep ahead of the bombers & clear out the area for them. We are praying for some clearing in the overcast over the target, right now the conditions are overcast, with low-level cloud cover and snow showers. A blanket of fresh snow has covered everything here at the base. Good luck today!

Captain Kurt, This is outstanding work, thank you so very much! :applause:

Fibber, I'm working on the 20th Fighter Group right now! That was a CFS1 campaign...and "Beaus in the Sand" for the MTO falls in that same category.

Fibber, http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=49&id=4549 This is a guide / tutorial written to assist Mission Builder writers in learning how to convert CFS1 missions to CFS2 through methods of both straight conversion in mission builder and the hand-editing often required to reach that point. It is being released strictly as a beta version, and encouragement is given for any suggestions and improvements that can be made to it for the betterment of the CFS2 community. It is meant for those who have a reasonable understanding of mission builder, and is meant as a companion to Cody Coyote's handbook.

This seems to be quite interesting can you share how you did it? I'm not very familiar with AFCAD. T.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=50&id=7112

What a great looking aircraft. T.

Discus, What airfield are you having problems with? Bordeaux-Merignac? I think that one needs a retouch, I'll mention it to Achim once he's done in Afrika. :mixedsmi:

Good morning, I have completed the first eight missions, and have been steadily building the intensity. Here are the other two missions that I finished... "title_string"=20th Fighter Group - Baby steps into the Reich "summary_string"=Listen up! Today, we will perform our first escort mission into Germany, bringing B-17s to attack the Bessemer Steel Works in Duisburg. This city lies along the Lower Rhine, so P-47 Thunderbolts will be able to stay with you & assist you in escorting these B-17s to and from the target area. However, there are many German airfields in the area, so be sure to keep your eyes open for German fighters. Let's show 8th Air Force commanders that we are ready to protect the heavies over the Reich itself! "objective_string"=8th Air Force Fighter groups are steadily growing in force, particularly with the arrival of the new P-38 fighters. The addition of these new fighters means we can now hit the Germans hard and where it hurts! The P-47 Thunderbolt can engage German fighters on equal terms, however, their restricted range, even with drop tanks, means that they only have the ability to accompany bombers to targets within northwest Germany. With the P-38, we now have the range to bring our bombers to Berlin and back! "intelligence_string"=After taking off, head southeast to meet the B-17s as they cross onto Belgian soil. This mission into Germany will be at high altitude to decrease their exposure to heavy flak, but this will place you at a disadvantage against German fighters. Your task is to protect the bombers and keep enemy fighters off their tail so they can make an accurate strike. Because Duisburg is relatively close to Holland & Belgium, P-47s will also participate in this escort mission. Make sure that these bombers come back alive! "player_aircraft_name_string"=Lockheed P-38h-5 Lightning "airfield_string"=England - Methwold