More ATC and Callsign fun with EditVoicePack.

[Sbob]

Recently, I was digging through my MAIW downloads and tripped over their F-14 Top Gun package.

Besides FINALLY installing the "AARDVARK" callsign for VF-114, I found two more callsigns that can be "retooled" for you F-101 and F-16 drivers.

Specifically, the callsigns are "Voodoo" and "Viper" and it doesn't take much to change them into ATC Models.

For the "Voodoo" call sign, just open the .vcpmod using Notebook and make the following change:

<custom_voicepack_modifications>
<custom_modification identifier="AIRLINE VOODOO" use_variation="False" variation="0">

to

<custom_voicepack_modifications>
<custom_modification identifier="AC_MODEL VOODOO" use_variation="False" variation="0">

then save the .vcpmod file and Import it into Edit Voice Pack.
You'll also need to change a line in your F-101 aircraft.cfg file(s) [general] section from

atc_type=MCDONNELL DOUGLAS
atc_model=F101

to

atc_type=MCDONNELL DOUGLAS
atc_model=VOODOO

and you'll be able to check in with ATC as "Canforce one five is type McDonnell Douglas Voodoo".

You can also make the same changes to the VIPER callsign for your F-16, I think the Air Force officially made this change last year?

MAIW's Top Gun package also contains some of the harder to find VF-/VFA- callsigns.

 

[Sbob]

While I'm on the subject of ATC comms and Edit Voice Pack, let's take a minute on how to keep your EVP edits clean and tidy.

It happens, you find that elusive call sign and import it into EVP only to find that "tree" in the top left corner has words that have turned red.
EVP is telling you that something in that last batch of EVP files wasn't Kosher.
You can expand the red tree of text to locate which edits were "bad".

I'm going to use two vpcmod callsigns as examples of what can go wrong (and it doesn't take much).
The new voice files may work fine in FS, but EVP just doesn't like them.

First example, the FINN FORCE military call sign. EVP kept showing a message that the comment line of the vpcmod file wasn't in the right format.
Here's the edit I did to fix it:

<comment>Finnish Air Force (Finland)</comment>. All it needed was the "(Finland)" part tacked onto the end of the comment line.

How did I notice this? Its easy, just load a good call sign from the same country and export it out to your desktop.
Open the good vcpmod file in Notepad and compare it to its red-highlighted brother. This was an omission even Nick Black and MAIW could make.

The next one is a little more tricky. The callsign "Wyvern" was used by a Seaking squadron operating out of NAS Atsugi.
This callsign kicked my rear for a while before I found the problem. Note that I already made some changes before I found the culprit:

<custom_voicepack_modifications>
_<custom_modification identifier="AIRLINE WYVERN" use_variation="False" variation="0">
_<_author>B*** H******</author>
__<comment>MAIW NAF Atsugi (Japan)</comment>
_<voices>

See the problem? I sure didn't. Again, I compared this text to other callsigns that were fine. The "grammar" that EVP uses was fine. I double checked it.
Finally, the light bulb clicked on:

<custom_voicepack_modifications>
_<custom_modification identifier="AIRLINE WYVERN" use_variation="False" variation="0">
_<author>B*** H******</author>
_<comment>MAIW NAF Atsugi (Japan)</comment>
_<voices>

See the problem now? The darned carrots weren't aligned properly.

This also brings up a quick reminder. EVP has a nifty Back-up option. Use it. There's nothing worse than re-building your entire EVP after you installed 50 new callsigns last night.

 

[Sbob]

Here's a first (from me).

Attached is the "Ugly" callsign for the VF(VFA)-151 Vigilanties stationed at NAS Lemoore (KNLC).
Just import using Editvoicepack then update the aircraft,cfg file for any VF-151 repaints with:

atc_airline=UGLY
atc_flight_number=123 (or whatever number you want)

Original VCPMOD by Graham K Jackson.

 

[Sbob]

Here's a new one that's hot off the presses.

Its the traditional "Tap House" call sign for VF(VFA)-143, aka "The Pukin' Dogs".

Just unzip the file named TAPHOUSE.vcpmod to your regular location for EditVoicepack installs.
Then run EditVoicePack and IMPORT the new file into EditVoicePack.
SAVE and also update your "airlines.cfg" file in your main AIRCRAFT folder in FS if you want.

Next, find your VF-143 repaints and edit the aircraft.cfg files as shown below:



atc_airline=DOG
atc_flight_number=15

to

atc_airline=TAPHOUSE
atc_flight_number=15

SAVE and then fire up FS.

Tested in FS9 and FS2002, should also work in FSX.

 

[Desert Rat]

It's quite good fun messing around with the editvoice pak, I remember creating a few back in the day, two that stay inmy memory are a couple of 'callsigns' from the Battle of Britain movie.

 

[Sbob]

Well, I have a plan to make a set of basic "colors" VCP's for Axis WWII and Warsaw Pact planes.

Stuff for callsigns like "Red 5"*, "White 2", "Black 1-4", etc.

My only question is if anyone will use them or if I'm just wasting bandwidth?

*- Yeah, I'm an old Nigel Mansell fan boy.

 

[Sbob]

Meanwhile, OOPS.

That Tap House callsign is wrong. It should be "Tap Room".
This is what happens when I spend months working on a VCPmod and trying to find the right voice segments.
I'll get back on it unless anyone knows a good voice segment for "room". Worst case, I can do "Tap Rum" which is pretty close.
BTW, this is why I suggested being able to edit our posts.

 

[Sbob]

OK, here's the correct "Tap Room" callsign for VF(VFA)-143.
Some of the "voices" may have an accent, I spent a lot of time flogging on this VCPMOD and, as it turns out, that "Roo" voice segment is a bear to isolate. I may work on a Ver. 2.0 later, but this is probably as good as I can make it.