Turn off crash detection in a model ???

[Mick]

Since putting the Virtual Navy's USS Wolverine in Lake Michigan off Glenview I've been fiddling with some of the other CFS-2 aircraft carriers in FS9. Some (CV=-4 Ranger, CV-7 Wasp) work just like the Wolverine. Others show up in the sim but can't support flight operations because as soon as a plane gets close to the ship, FS9 detects a crash and the flight ends in a fireball.

Does anyone know how to turn off crash detection in a model? Specifically a CFS-2 ship model? I ask in the hope that there's some simple little tweak that can be done with a hex editor, something like we can do to make an external model visible in VC view to make a non-dynamic "VC" for planes without real VCs, that sort of thing.

I would dearly love to make a CFS-2 Yorktown and Essex class carriers landable in FS9. I'm guessing that this is going to be either really easy or impossible.

 

[UncleTgt]

Mick,

This might be what you are looking for...

taken from CFS2 mdl notes, but may work for FS9 crash check too.

You need to remove the "g_lightStates" variable from the DICT section of the mdl.
It just can be done with a hexeditor, but it's not so hard:


- First, locate the DICT section, close of the CFS2 tag.
- Then, you need to locate the following sequence of bites inside it:


9d e9 f0 57 23 05 9c 4e bc b6 12 bb 2f e7 3f 06


That is the "g_lightStates" ID number. Just replace the bites with zeros. Don't be tempted to remove the data, as it will mess up the mdl.


For crash_check bytes = b4 ad ec 0e 24 17 c6 41 b9 77 d8 7a 4c 95 44 e8


That is the "crash_check" ID number. Just replace the bites with zeros. Don't be tempted to remove the data, as it will mess up the mdl.


Search 68 00 02 for VC view. Change 02 to 03 = now you have a vc cockpit view in mdl

Hope this helps.

 

[Mick]

Thanks for the reply. Alas, I'm rather fuzzy about parts of it.

This is what has me scratchinj my head:

"First, locate the DICT section, close of the CFS2 tag." I have no idea how to do that. I know how to search for a string of values, but not a clue what you mean by, "First, locate the DICT section, close of the CFS2 tag." I gather that I must do that before I just start searching for that string, or those strings.

I just opened the model in my hex editor and searched for those two strings. It couldn't find the first string, the one beginning with 9d, the DICT section (which I don't understand at all.) I did find the second string, the crash check section beginning with b4, but I gather that just editing that string is only half the job. Is that right?

I don't know much about using a hex editor. The only thing I know how to do is make a pseudo-VC view in a model that doesn't have a real VC, or to remove a VC view from a model with a terrible VC.

All I want to do here is turn off crash detection so I can set up the ship models as static AI, to be used like scenery objects, add a hard deck and make them landable. Like I did with the Wolverine (also Ranger and Wasp.)

Do I understand that I need to do both the g-light states string and the crash string, or just the crash string?

I know how to do the VC view, but that's not relevant here. I just mentioned it as an example of the sort of very simple things I can understand and do with a hex editor. I'm afraid that my mention of it in my inquiry, prompting your mention of it in your reply, has confused me somewhat.

Maybe I'll get a chance to experiment a bit by the time you read this. If I find success I will post about it immediately.

 

[Mick]

OK, I've determined that just doing the crash string isn't enough.

Head-scratching continues about how to locate that other string that now appears to be essential. (Well, I thought it was essential before, or you wouldn't have mentioned it, but now I know it for certain.)

 

[UncleTgt]

Mick

Sorry for the confusion - my experience is limited to making things work in CFS2. I've found that I need to replace both g-lightstates and crashcheck strings with zeros to get some FS9 aircraft to work without CTD in CFS2.

Usually these strings only occur once, so a simple search & replace using a hex editor usually does the trick.

Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

Of course, if you were flying in CFS2, you'd find it a cinch to do touch & gos from a moving carrier ... just sayin'

 

[Mick]

Mick

Sorry for the confusion - my experience is limited to making things work in CFS2. I've found that I need to replace both g-lightstates and crashcheck strings with zeros to get some FS9 aircraft to work without CTD in CFS2.

Usually these strings only occur once, so a simple search & replace using a hex editor usually does the trick.

Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

Of course, if you were flying in CFS2, you'd find it a cinch to do touch & gos from a moving carrier ... just sayin'

Ah, OK - It appears that we misunderstood each other.

I wasn't referring to a CDT. What I mean is that with some CFS carriers set up as AI "planes" in FS9 I can add a hard deck and take off or land on them. With others, when the piloted plane gets close to the carrier deck, FS9 detects a crash. It calls it an "aircraft crash," since it thinks the carrier is another aircraft. It happens with some ships but not others.

Since it happens with some ships and not others, the difference must be in the various models, not anything inherent about FS9 or how it handles CFS ships pretending to be AI aircraft while being used like scenery objects. So I was hoping that there might be an easy way to turn off the crash code in the model. I suspect that there is such a way, if only someone knows it and reads this thread.

Still hoping...

Anyone ???

 

[UncleTgt]

Mick

Which ship models?

I know some of Collin's carriers have animated guns - in CFS2 they follow the player a/c - maybe this animation is screwing up the definition of the object in FS9? You could delete the animations using MCX & export the model to see if that fixes it?

Or

Viewing some carriers in MCX I can see some have multiple crash boxes way above the flightdeck, whereas others only have a single crashbox for the overall object dimensions. Presumably there are rogue parts assigned to these crash boxes in the model?

 

[Mick]

Mick
Which ship models?
I know some of Collin's carriers have animated guns - in CFS2 they follow the player a/c - maybe this animation is screwing up the definition of the object in FS9? You could delete the animations using MCX & export the model to see if that fixes it?
Or
Viewing some carriers in MCX I can see some have multiple crash boxes way above the flightdeck, whereas others only have a single crashbox for the overall object dimensions. Presumably there are rogue parts assigned to these crash boxes in the model?

Thanks for sticking with me on this!

There are a few carriers that act like this, but the one I really care about is the VN's CV-9 USS Essex. I have been wishing for a straight-deck Essex for FS9/GW for as long as there's been an FS9, and before there was a GW. I'd be pleased to work the same "fix" on the VN's Yorktown, but there is another CV-5 that I can use though it's less repaintable into pre-war colors. CV-9 is the one I really desire. (I our quotation marks around "fix" because there's probably nothing "wrong" with the model for its intended use.)

I don't fully understand your comments, as I'm not very well educated about this stuff, but your remark about crash boxes way above the flight deck in some models, while others have just one that corresponds to the object's dimensions, seems to describe what I've experienced.

With the VN's IX-64 Wolverine, CV-4 Ranger and CV-42 FDR, I can make a hard deck (just an ADCAF runway) that the ship will load under when it spawns as an "AI aircraft." I can then land or take-off from the ships as though they were FS9 scenery objects. But with the VN's CV-5 Yorktown and CV-9 Essex, when the flyable plane spawns on deck or flies above the deck at low altitude, FS9 detects an aircraft crash.

So I guess what I'm looking for is a way to make crash boxes disappear. My skill and understanding with a hex editor is limited to being ale to search for a string and edit it according to directions someone else can provide. I really have no idea what I'm actually doing.

If there is a way to remove the crash boxes from the Essex I would dance with joy. If the same technique works with other ships, that would be icing on the cake.