How to add stand alones

[Shafto]

I can add repaints but have trouble adding stand alones. I read the documents but still doesn't help. I did add two but can't do these well. Thanks for any help. Shafto

 

[BorekS]

I can add repaints but have trouble adding stand alones. I read the documents but still doesn't help. I did add two but can't do these well. Thanks for any help. Shafto

hi,
if I get it right, you can make textures just like original skin replacement, but you would like to make standalone aircraft slot, right?

its not so hard, but you will need to do some kind of hex editor work, to make the ariplane model clones working. I personally use Notepad++.
basicaly needs to add a new airplane slot into the aircraft.cfg, create a clone of the airplane model (m3d), where you have to edit the texture name (the lenght of the texture name must be same) and create its own xdp definition (text editable file).

 

[grizzly50]

Quick standalone checklist



1.) copy the aircraft folder you wish to make the standalone out of and give the folder a new name.

2.) rename the model file to suit your new plane. ie spit-IX.m3d to say Spit-JAK.m3d also change the cockpit.m3d file to suit ie
spit-IX_cockpit0.m3d to Spit-JAK_cockpit0.m3d



3.) rename the xdp file from spit-IX.xdp to Spit-JAK.xdp



4.) open the newly named Spit-JAK.xdp file (using notepad) and change the model name from spit-IX.m3d to Spit-JAK.m3d

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<UnitData>
<General Allegience="0" LongName="John Kent Spitfire" ShortName="Spit-JAK" ModelName="Spit-JAK.m3d"

For MP functionallity it is important that your new model name does not exceed 14 characters in lenght. this is also the case for the short name in the .xdp file

for completeness I usually use the same name that I have used for the model file as the folder name for the new standalone.



5.) Airfile editing, simply rename the spit-IX.air file to Spit-JAK.air (no internal edits for the airfile)



6.) Aircraft.cfg file edits- open the aircraft.cfg file (using notepad) and change the 3 entries at the top to reflect your new aircraft model name. see below for example

[fltsim.0]
title =John Kent Spitfire

sim = Spit-JAK

model = Spit-JAK



7.) chaange the main texture names for use in the m3d file. your new skin you wish to use needs to have a name that has the same amount of charecters that the original skin has. ie if the skin is called spit-IX_t.dds your new skin needs a name like spitJAK_t.dds this new name has exactly the same amount of charecters as the original. (important for how the m3d file will interact with it.) do this for the _s.dds file as well. Note: most planes use shared files for the VC etc. if your new spit has the same VC images then you can leave the VC texture sheets as they are. however if you want your new spit to have a repainted VC texture maybe add a girly picture to the dash etc, then rename the VC texture sheets then repaint the texture in question to add your picture to the image.

****Important note never add characters to the texture name or shorten the texture name. they must remain the same number of characters in lenght.*******



8.) editing the m3d files.

using a hex editor (I use hex32) open the Spit-JAK.m3d file, then use the search function to locate text string .dds this will show you the first line of text that has .dds in it. from here you need to read through the couple of lines and identify the original name spit-IX_t.dds and simply overtype the name to Spit-JAK_t.dds do the same for the _s.dds file as well.



now open the cockpit.m3d file Spit-JAK_cockpit0.m3d and do the same search, this time your going to change the main texture name as we did for the main m3d file. but in addition if did decide to rename the VC texture sheet then you need to identify the VC texture sheet and change the entry to what ever you changed the name to.

****Important note never add characters to the texture name or shorten the texture name. they must remain the same number of characters in lenght.*******



Additional notes.

AI aircraft if you open the airfile using AirEd you will see one of the first lines of text is aircraft type=2 (2 =AI)

if you change that entry to type=0 (0=player craft) the ai plane will then be visible in the player list in game.



and vise versa should you wish to make a standalone but only have it as an ai craft for missions. example I like BoB but I really only fly for Britian so I made a heap of standalone me109s for missions but made them ai only so I didnt end up with 10 pages of me109s to sift through before I got to me110 in the player list. I then edited the mission files were the enemy plane types were detailed. instead of 7 lines of text all pointing to one particular me109 model I edited every line to point to a different me109 model based on my standalones.



This means in the mission when I meet jg27 I see 7 individual jg27 109 fighters, like meeting the real Abberville boys (for those who know BoB history)



sorry I digress, I hope this helps you with your standalone works.

 

[Pat Pattle]

I then edited the mission files were the enemy plane types were detailed. instead of 7 lines of text all pointing to one particular me109 model I edited every line to point to a different me109 model based on my standalones

Sorry to change the subject a bit... Kasey, I've tried doing this exact same thing to the player flight so that my wingmen are all different but it never works. Have you tried this?

 

[grizzly50]

Actually, Clive, I have not. I got this procedure from Rob.

 

[italflyer]

Sorry to change the subject a bit... Kasey, I've tried doing this exact same thing to the player flight so that my wingmen are all different but it never works. Have you tried this?

I guess it's in the MissionBuilder? Unlike in the AI formations, all aircraft in the player flight have to be the same, AFAIK.

 

[Capt. Winters]

Sorry to change the subject a bit... Kasey, I've tried doing this exact same thing to the player flight so that my wingmen are all different but it never works. Have you tried this?

Hi Clive,

It wont work on player flight, player flight is hard coded to whatever plane you are flying.

regards Rob.