Mission Builder CTD When Editing D/Ld Campaigns and Missions

[Buzz Flightline]

Heyya gents... This has probably been asked and answered a dozen times, but I can't any in my searches. Either I'm using bad keywords or there just isn't any chatter recently.Anyway, I've downloaded several campaigns and missions, and, since I don't want to download EVERY Aircraft, Infrastructure file, object, and Palm Tree in the CFS2 world in order to fly a mission, I usually substitute an aircraft I have for one called for in the mission. Oftentimes I have to sub vevicles as well (or find a Zekes in odd places) but with several of the campigns and missions I have, the MB crashes to desktop as soon as I click on an aircraft or try to change the time of day, or something similar.The biggest culprit is the Papua New Guinea Campaign built off the RAAF Defense of Australia Campaign. I've actuially gone into the mission files and hand-edited aircraft and vehicles, with SOME sucess, but I wonder if there's an easier way and anyone knows what it is. Oh, one other thing, while I'm at it... The airbases that are supposed to be in the DoA and PNG Campaigns don't show up. I've been taking off from the grass somplace near Port Moresby...

[tobob]

Not sure about the mission builder CTD problem, however if you don't have it already, check out this great utility for swapping aircraft and ships. I also use it to see what I'm missing in each mission.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/page.php?lloc=downloads&loc=downloads&page=info&FileID=2586

[Ghostrider]

I second tobob's recommendation. Morton's utility will make your life so much easier!

[mariereid]

Hey Buzz, did ya use Rami's PTO master airbase.dat? I have both those missions and they work fine. Did ya use penn's af_pm_lc2? Jeez, I have 1115 items (with cdp deleted) in my OBJECTS DP. It's nice not to have to go searching for stuff all the time. :ernae:

[Rami]

If you neglected to add the airbase.dat entries or use my "master" list, whenever you attempt to edit a mission that does not have the corresponding airbase.dat entries in your INFO folder, it will crash the mission to the desktop. (CTD)

With regards to Pen32Win's scenery, check the instructions again and make sure that you didn't forget to activate the scenery!

[Buzz Flightline]

Thanks for the replies and help...
Hey Buzz, did ya use Rami's PTO master airbase.dat? I have both those missions and they work fine. Did ya use penn's af_pm_lc2? Jeez, I have 1115 items (with cdp deleted) in my OBJECTS DP. It's nice not to have to go searching for stuff all the time. :ernae:

No, sure haven't. I'll look into it... Thanks.. And thanks, Rami..

[Devildog73]

Buzz, I am with mariereid. It got to be a real pain to have to go searching every time I downloaded a new mission or campaign. I collaborated with Rami and we both use the same airbases.dat, inf structures, scenery etc to make sure everyone would have what is needed (other than aircraft and ships). In any case, it is always a good thing to have more library objects than a specific mission calls for.

I absolutely HATE CTDs. Currently, I cannot fly some installs' freeflights or QCs. I am sure it has something to do with the number of ships, aircraft, scenery, something unbeknown to me. But, I can fly missions, campaigns, and work in MB, so I will sacrifice FF and QC.

[bearcat241]

WRT CTD's, i found that the CFS2 MB is not the most reliable tool for replacing defo aircraft, objects and ships (AOS) in an exisiting mission file. When dealing with an existing mission, its great for modding order of battle, waypoints, base locations, battlefronts and installing additional AOS, but once these things are fixed in place, replacing AOS is best done with hand edits, or Morton's aforementioned utility.

Once the hand-edited AOS replacements are done on a file, i never re-engage MB on that same file...its my best plan for keeping the MB CTD's away.

[Buzz Flightline]

Dunno what I did, but I managed to dump all my aircraft out of the library...Luckily, I had another install that I just copied & pasted, but I don't think I think I like the program... Not saying it's bad or anything remotely like that, but I don't think I'll use it again... I think I'll just give up on trying to change those particular mssions, lol...'Thanks anyway, gentlemen...

[mariereid]

Hi, Buzz. I have never tried messing with missions that I downloaded. I only use MB to make my own (not worthy of uploading) missions. I keep all my planes and ships in "favorites", and copy and paste them where ever I need them. It's not the best method, but for now it works. :salute:

[braveheart77521]

I have been following this thread because I had similar problems with CTD's. I used Rami's airfield files and this helped tremendously and I added the program for exchanging aircraft.

I may be a profectionist, but in Luzon1941, the aircraft line up for take-off either to the left or right just off the paved runway. Is this correctable? I have no problem in free flight. Is this a problem in MB? Maskrider! In your mr. philippines, must you use PI or write out Philippines in the airfield entry?


Braveheart77521

[Rami]

Braveheart,

A way to fix this is to do the following...

Zoom in very close to the runway in mission builder and place your pointer directly over the spot where you want the takeoff point to be.

Make sure to write down the longitude and latitude points that you'll see on the bottom left of the mission builder screen.

Then look for the corresponding entry in the airbase.dat file for that base. It will look something like this...

[runway.xxx]
id=xxxx
name=(Your base here)
base_lat=N50 33.68
base_lon=E3 51.31
base_alt=230
heading=260
allegiance=0
units_across=2
takeoff_start_pos=-0,0
takeoff_stop_pos=1600,200
landing_start_pos=5000,350
landing_touchdown_pos=600,0
landing_stop_pos=-250,0
; NDB 372

The bold-faced entries are your longitude and latitude markers for the "X" marker that you see identifying the base. If it's not centered over the runway, you'll want to adjust the numbers, using the coordinates you just wrote down.

Exit the sim before adjusting the airbase.dat file.

Then, go back into mission builder, open up the mission which troubles you so, then "reattach" the player flight so that it corresponds with the new marker which you created to center the aircraft on the runway. It takes a bit of practice, but you'll get the hang of it.