Who would be interested?

gecko

gecko

Charter Member
I am just wanting to gauge the interest on a new project I've been working on. Please read the entire post before responding. I have been using Auto Hot Key (see website: http://www.autohotkey.com/) to create aircraft specific scripts that allow the systems on individual aircraft to function more realistically or even add systems that CFS3 doesn't model at all. So far I have developed scripts for Borek's Me 163 and a Spitfire I (neither is ready). The basic concept is that the autohotkey script runs alongside CFS3 and uses your keyboard and controller inputs to play sound effects or send strings of inputs to CFS3 in a way that replicates the operation of aircraft systems more realistically than is possible normally. Here are examples of what I have done with it:

-Spitfire gear warning horn.
-Spitfire pneumatic emergency gear extension (compressed air bottle is punctured and actuates the gear, breaks gear if gear UP is selected).
-New sound effects for switches and gyros.
-Canopy open results in increased volume, closing it reduces volume.
-Gun jams, can be based on firing time, random failure, or control inputs simulating g-load.
-Me 163 droppable dolly and skid operation.
-And others

Here's the catch, the set-up is kind of complicated for most of these features. A simple version will be released with the Me 163 that uses stock key assignments and should be easy for anyone to use. However, the more complex systems will require either an extensive reconfiguring of your keyboard assignments or extensive editing of the scripts (I would include the source files). Some of them also require a joystick with rudder and throttle axis. I am by no means a programmer, so these scripts are not bug-free and may result in some odd game behavior. I also don't have a ton of extra time right now, so for the most part, you will need to figure it out on your own with the help of the documentation I'll provide.

If you're not comfortable opening up files in notepad and changing things then this may not be for you. But if you think you can deal with it and find the idea interesting, I'd like to hear how many of you there are to see if it would be worth preparing the scripts for public release.

Daniel
 
Seems to have interesting possibilities. Nice to see what you do with the Spit. Turret rotation on bombers. Bomb door opening, and ? extra wind noise but not sure anyone would actually hear it with head phones on. My / is, what would one actually hear above the loud engine noise? Maybe plane damage noise??
 
It's worth the effort. The only thing I ran into with the Me 163 script was remembering to terminate it when I was done with the game, because it can cause some real weird things to happen to other programs.
 
mongoose said:
Seems to have interesting possibilities. Nice to see what you do with the Spit. Turret rotation on bombers. Bomb door opening, and ? extra wind noise but not sure anyone would actually hear it with head phones on. My / is, what would one actually hear above the loud engine noise? Maybe plane damage noise??
Click to expand...

Gecko,

Will this only work in CFS3?
 
Probably not turret rotation, but bomb bay doors are certainly possible, including changing their operation for something like a Blenheim which had spring loaded bomb bay doors that were forced open by the weight of the bomb falling on them. A lot of the sound effects you don't hear in flight, but they make the plane come to life when the engine is off, and replicating realistic system operation for each aircraft makes them feel much more unique. The question for all of you is, given the complexity and potential for frustration, would you use it?
 
I'm sure the concept could apply to any sim, and it would likely be fairly straightforward to use my scripts with little or no change required.
 
I'd say give it a shot. I took a computer science course in my first year of university. Maybe I can be of some help?
 
I've always thought autohotkey had potential so good to see it being put to use ingame. Always good to have new opportunities.

(NB what I was trying to achieve was to edit xml files whilst in-game. Specifically the _mission.xml file to affect the way a campaign mission ran).

Love that innovation :encouragement:
 
grover, I'm happy for any help. I had a basic course in python quite some time ago, but that is the extent of my formal learning. I barely know what I'm doing, so I hardly know what help to ask for, but if you have ideas either involving autohotkey or an entirely new approach I'd love to hear them. I do have one question though: do you know how to create a GUI that can save forms and run .exe files?

To all, sounds like I'll go ahead with it then. Expect a very simple version to be released with Borek's Me 163 and another, more complicated Me 163 script shortly thereafter.
 
Not off the top of my head, no.

I will ask around tomorrow morning.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to do any work or see what I can do for a few months because of school

I do, however, think that the best option would be to use Borek's Me 163 script as a model and build up from there.

The extent of my Python knowledge is probably what they teach in a first year science course.

But, I do have a friend who knows Python inside-out and I could certainly ask him to go over your coding.

If you want to create a GUI, you'll have to make sure that you have the proper framework for it.

Take a look at this website. It basically has a step-by-step guide on creating a GUI and run as a .exe file

http://www.pythoncentral.io/py2exe-python-to-exe-introduction/

I'll ask my friend tomorrow and let you know this week.

Chris
 
Sorry to confuse, I haven't touched python since I took the course about eight years ago, and my current work is all in autohotkey. I'll have a look at your link though - if it is written for the nearly braindead then I might have a chance! I understand on the school, I'm there too, again.

The current version actually uses about a dozen individual scripts all called up by running a .bat file that I converted to an exe. Running the exe starts all the scripts as well as CFS3, and kills them all when you exit the game. The one with Borek's Me 163 will only be a single script.

The GUI is a separate but related idea that would give us more control over how the game is set up for each mission.
 
For the most part, creating separate applications for CFS3 might not be a bad idea and is feasable.

Have you considered using .dll extensions in conjunction with the .bat file? Might be easier and a bit simpler to use too.

What language are you using mainly?

What are you studying, Gecko? I know how you feel. It's keeping us on our toes, hey?
 
Yes, I think using separate applications, perhaps all housed under a slick GUI would open up a lot of new possibilities in CFS3.

As far as dlls and such are concerned, I honestly have no idea how to do anything like that. I have only written very simple batch and autohotkey scripts, so my programming knowledge is essentially nil compared to anyone whose's had more than the most perfunctory of introductions.

Currently I'm in full time flight school working on my instrument rating and they're pushing a pretty fast pace. CFS3 is a good way to decompress on the weekends for me.
 
A .dll is an application extension file. If we could attach the program you're trying to create to start up and shut down when CFS3 loads, that would make it ideal.

However, we would have to make a universal program for all aircraft. I'd have to look at Borek's coding to truly see how he set it up to work with his Komet.
 
It's not available yet, but I'm the one who wrote it as part of my work with him on the project. PM me your email and I'll send you the script, it will work independent from the model. Your idea sounds interesting and perhaps a smoother solution than what I've got right now.
 
well, the geckos macro script available for our CFS3 Me 163B Komet (compiled into a small .exe file there), allows to jettison the dolly and retract the landing skid with a single event on input. the file uses stock CFS3 key assignments for gear and weapons to make this happen.

the only unhappy thing, which also MajorMagee is mentioning, is the running script should be terminated when the CFS3 game exits, because it can cause some really "funny" things to happen to other program usage :)

to terminate the script needs to press a [WINDOWS KEY] + [M] now. if the macro is still running or not can the user check / stop with a Windows Task Manager aswell.

if there could be a way how to solve this... :)
 
Steve, would you be interested in something similar for your Fulmar and Spitfire projects?
 
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