mdlnames.txt , airbases.dat and descript.dat

[highpockets]

Anyone want to try to educate me on these files and how they interact etc.

I just D/L missions and fly. I do not try to add anything.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that some of the files you don't need to add if you are just flying the missions.

I am lazy when loading up the old missions that are not zipped.

Thanks to all you mission builders!

[Allen]

mdlnames.txt is used for when you target and objects, select weapons and in Mission Builder for names. This just lets things have long fancy name

airbases.dat is used by Mission Builder for runways that you can take off and land from. This is NOT the Free Flight or Quick Combat runway list.

descript.dat is used to add descriptions to anything you can place in Mission Builder.

[Rami]

Highpockets,

The mdlnames.dat and descript.dat you can basically ignore, it's gotten to the point where editing those files had proven to be more trouble than they're worth.

As far as the airbase.dat is concerned, while it is true that you only need to edit them if you are using mission builder, editing this file properly and adding the base entries in the airbase.dat file can be used as a navigation aid to help you figure where you are, where the front line is, and where a safe landing field might be, either in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, Europe, or the Mediterranean.

You will be only be able to see the airfield markings "the X" when you have the corresponding entries in the airbase.dat file. When front lines are included the mission, friendly bases will marked in blue, while enemy bases will be in marked in red.

[highpockets]

Thanks guys. Appreciate you schooling. I know some of it but wasn't sure about all.

[Ravenna]

Highpockets,

After ignoring mdlnames for a while I have gone back to using it as a tool for Mission Builder. I looked at the descriptors (after the "=" in each entry) and changed them so that the first word was the category of the object. So...all bridges have the word "bridge" after the "=", all hangars start with "hangar", all trees start with "tree" etc. It just helps me to avoid trawling through the infrastructure list when I want to place a particular object. Looking at the dropdown menu in MB Infrastructure I can tell by the names which objects are not listed in the mdlnames file because they don't (usually) fit that pattern.

[Cody Coyote]

That's an excellent suggestion to pass along Ravenna. Taken for granted by some of us but really helpful to mission builders.