Thanks Seahawk!!
Priller
Thanks to Kea I was able to access the 17.1 version of tactical.
See his notes and info on the page about possible issues.
I took the 17.1 "Model.Tactical_D" folder and placed it into the newest "FA-18C_FSXBA_BA_18.3.00" folder.
Then associate aircraft to this model.
http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/ind...html#msg120358
Get needed texture fix for "blue cockpit" issue. See earlier notes on link and file name. Just drop the texture file into
repaint folder you associated and the problem will be solved.
Call up the aircraft and you will now see a "D" model, load-out manager will let you handle all but the center tank.
well looky there...never say never
Noisey bunch these Blue Angels, flew right over the house this morning arriving for this weekends airshow. Scared the crap out of the dog too As per usual the camera was in the basement.
https://www.abbotsfordairshow.com/ev...18-performers/
Intel i5-10600K 4.10 GHz 12 Core CPU
Asus ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming LGA1200 Z590-E Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Water Cooler - CORSAIR iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT
Corsair 850W PSU
MSI RX580 Radeon Armor 8Gb
Windows 10 Home Premium 64
3 x 21" Acer LED screens
Fly Free, always!
Sgt of Marines
USMC, 10 years proud service.
Inactive now...
Intel i5-10600K 4.10 GHz 12 Core CPU
Asus ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming LGA1200 Z590-E Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Water Cooler - CORSAIR iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT
Corsair 850W PSU
MSI RX580 Radeon Armor 8Gb
Windows 10 Home Premium 64
3 x 21" Acer LED screens
I wasn't sure what glass file was being used so I checked out v15.6 tacpac aircraft.
http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/ind...?topic=14916.0
Checked one of the "D" aircraft (FA-18D_FSXBA2015 15.6 A-A) and it looked good.
Grabbed the glass file from the version folder "Texture.VMFA-533_Hawks" and dropped into the 18.3 versions I am using.
Been really enjoying the latest (v18.3) Hornet in a big way - and have been watching the thread over at FSDT - there's another update coming!
http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/ind...opic=16514.225
dl
Yes, there's a new update in the pipe-line, but Jimi and team have a LOT of things to work out. ATM, they're concentrating on the TacPack system, and getting it fully integrated with the plane.
Jimi has also correct the COM and NAV radios to properly utilize ILS and TCN setups. Including the TCN and ILS for carriers.
I can't give any details, other than what Jimi posted, though. Suffice it to say, it will be a huge improvement to the entire plane. Including the FDE, Avionics systems, TacPack, the whole nine.
He's also included an auto-installer for both FSX/P3D v3, and P3D v4 and up. Should prevent the current confusion with what goes where when.
It will probably be finalized and released about the end of September/middle of October.
Have fun all!
Pat☺
Fly Free, always!
Sgt of Marines
USMC, 10 years proud service.
Inactive now...
So I've been playing with the v18.6 D model, where, for simplicity' sake, I simply dropped the A-G model into the main v18.3 C FSXBA folder.
I aliased to the C model panel, added the C model vc interior model to the D model's model folder / model.cfg.
The results:
- Model displays reasonably well.
- Canopy is not quite invisible, shows up like Skyhawk's, though not as nicely finished as the C.
- Weapons - most show up when shift+7, except for wing tanks. Those refuse to show up.
- But there's a funky code issue: as weapons are added, the air brake begins to extend; the more weapons are added, the more extends, to a max of approx. 30% extended.
Anyone else got this? I could live with the canopy and weapons issues, but the air brake is a bit of an issue. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
cheers,
dl
I'm fairly sure that'll be the drag gauge.
If you're familiar with using MCX you may be able to change the animation of air brake to the one that displays correctly. Presumably you'll also need to swap in the relevant air file entry's for the virtual air brake(weapons drag).
Not easy.
Have a look at
DragManagement.xml
in the weapons gauge folder.
The reason for that drag gauge is to add drag to the aircraft as you add weapons and/or tanks. Weapons and tanks do add drag to the aircraft, depending on shape and size, and that's what it's simulating.
The actual speed brake shouldn't SHOW as being deployed until it's commanded open by the pilot. It won't deploy past 30° until commanded by the pilot with the / key. It will retract, if deployed by the pilot, under certain conditions. Like during the transition from UA to PA modes. It will remain deployed to a certain point relative to the weapons/tanks still loaded, however.
It shouldn't SHOW as deployed for weapons and tanks, though.
You can disable this feature by simply opening the Panel.cfg, in the Panel.Fleet folder, with NotePad. Make a back-up before you do ANY editing, naturally. Once it's open, look down through it till you find a section labeled [Vcockpit01]. Under that, look for two lines, in a section labeled //AVIONICS > WEAPONS, that read
gauge39=Avionics\Weapons!Dragmanagement, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge40=Avionics\Weapons!BallastStation, 0, 0, 1, 1
Just comment them out by placing two slashes (//) in front of each line.
Save the file, close it out, and the weapons ill no longer add drag, or weight, to the plane as you add them with the SHFT+7 menu.
A small note about the SHFT+7 menu, BTW: BEFORE selecting any weapons, select GUNS ONLY, then go on the select the weapons you desire. It will ensure that the pylons show properly.
Hope this helps a little...
Pat☺
Fly Free, always!
Sgt of Marines
USMC, 10 years proud service.
Inactive now...
Thanks Pat,
There is no issue with the v18.3 C model. The question is how to adapt as much of that one's "guts" to the v18.6 D model.
I think I better understand what's going on. The drag effect uses a "virtual" airbrake input to introduce weapons drag that doesn't visibly show the actual airbrake moving on the C. When I port that functionality over to the D, that call to the airbrake is both virtual AND physical.
So my choices are either
1) to remove the drag realism by the panel edits you suggest, or
2) what I was originally trying, which is to modify the model to decouple the drag input from the virtual airbrake to the physical airbrake.
In pursuing 2), I mucked about with MDX last night - it kept crashing from low memory every 5 min or so, so didn't get too far in familiarizing myself with the tool. Specifically how to get the movement properties for that surface.
For now, I'll maybe just live with the drag feature removed, as I don't add a lot of weapons to the D.
If anything, I'd love to figure out how to change the canopy material to something that looks as good as the C canopy. That may be a simpler introduction into MDX.
I'll try the panel edits tonight and advise.
dl
Rob Barendregt pioneered this innovation on Dino's F-35,
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/100895-Update-for-Dino-s-freeware-(V2-41)-F-35-package
I've just checked his air file edits, there's only one;
FIELD 0x1101 0x36 INT16 250 <36h> Spoiler Drag (Cd_ds)
instead of
FIELD 0x1101 0x36 INT16 122 <36h> Spoiler Drag (Cd_ds)
The animation reassignment in MCX looks relatively simple so I need to try these mods on something myself.
Thanks - so are you saying I need to make the change to the .mdl in MCX and the .air file too? I've never edited one of those either. Is AirWrench the tool for that job? Will the freeware version work?
Am travelling at the moment - no access to my flightsim pc till later tonight.
thx,
dl
Hi, dl
If I were you, which I'm not, I would leave the .air file entries alone for now. Try just the model animations.
The speed brake controls and functions, as well as the automated retraction of same, and so on, are all controlled by xml files in the Panel.cfg. I don't know, yet, what the entries in the .air file are for, but I'll look and see.
If you don't have TacPack, I would either get it, all headaches adding missiles aside, or simply comment out the two gauges I pointed out. But really it was a lot of calculating and testing, and re-testing...and re-testing...
You get the idea. It wasn't easy getting the .air file right, and matched up to a) how the real plane actually flies, and b) the FCS' PID controller settings. There's another complete headache subject all on it's own.
I'm just trying to keep your copy of the plane flying as best it can. I'll take a look at those .air file entries and make sure I'm not talking out my tail-pipes. I would stick to the model file for right now, though. Can you maybe compare the animation to the C model model file? It might tell you why the D model animation doesn't work right with the TacPack files.
Speaking of, does the D model use the Panel.Fleet folder, or does it have it's own? You probably said something about it already, but I am getting senile, and forget easily. Have you tried using the Panel.Fleet folder for the D model's cockpit? It shouldn't show the speed brake extension until commanded by the pilot, regardless of the weapons load. Even the gauge Rob created has provisions in it to keep the speed brake from showing extension due to the weapons. That's what makes me wonder why the D model you've got does show it.
Just some thoughts. I get so very few of them...
Pat☺
Fly Free, always!
Sgt of Marines
USMC, 10 years proud service.
Inactive now...
Hi Pat,
Great input - thanks.
So we're clear, my C version works just fine.
My D model has the air brake issue. So as I mentioned earlier, I did exactly what you just described - I added the D model to the C aircraft folder, and pointed it to a copy of the latest C model panel.fleet (I called it "panel.fleet-D") and aliased the D fltsim panel entry to that, with that particular panel .cfg edited as per your suggestion. That left C fleet panel unaffected, and allowed my D to show correctly.
Now the air brake on the D stays closed unless commanded. So while aesthetically, that's sorted, I acknowledge that I've also now lost the aforementioned performance accuracy on the D. Unfortunately, given where my initial efforts with MDX led me, I concede I'm not able to address the problem correctly by figuring out how to disable the "physical" air brake response and only have the dynamic response. Basically to do for the D what Jimi et al did for the C.
I'm not giving up on MDX yet, I just think I need to explore a simpler problem to fix with MDX than the animation. For example, I'd like to see if I can change the D canopy texture to something a bit more accurate, glass-like. I'll see where that bit of exploration takes me and if I make meaningful progress, will advise.
Thanks so much to all.
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