PWCG Normandy Beta 2 Released

[Raptorattacker]

1 hour ago, PatrickAWlson said:

There is no winter Normandy map.  I am probably designating the season in the mission file as winter.

THAT makes sense. That would explain a lot. Cheers!

 

Rap

[PatrickAWlson]

1 hour ago, ssn650 said:

I've now completed a half-dozen missions in September 1944 with the Spitfire MK XIV (Squadron 41) and have yet to encounter any enemy aircraft, which is as far as I know historically accurate (weren't only 2 JG-26 Focke-Wulfs able to sortie over the Normandy beaches on June 6th?) but not as much fun! 

 

I think I'll switch to JG-26 and try my luck in a BF109-F in the summer of 1941 with drop tanks to see what difference they would have made if they'd been available during the Battle of Britain (drop tanks are an option with the F variants, aren't they?).  But with those 109's capable of 660 km/h at 6.000 meters I don't think it's going to be a fair fight!

 

Edit: I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't seem to load my first mission because I don't own my plane.  Can anyone help please?

 

 

 

Cheers and thanks again, Patrick!

 

On PWCG's main page there is a "Planes Owned" screen.  Go to Planes Owned and designate the 109-F2 as a plane that you own.  Please be sure that you actually own the plane.  If you do not PWCG will generate the mission but you will not see it as available in the game.

[ssn650]

Thanks Patrick!

 

I thought the BF109F-2 would have been available since I've got the Battle of Stalingrad installment but I was wrong.  I'll need to move forward to a time when the F-4 becomes available and start from there. 

 

Cheers

[PatrickAWlson]

54 minutes ago, ssn650 said:

Thanks Patrick!

 

I thought the BF109F-2 would have been available since I've got the Battle of Stalingrad installment but I was wrong.  I'll need to move forward to a time when the F-4 becomes available and start from there. 

 

Cheers

 

PWCG has no idea what you own.  You have to tell it.  That's what the Planes Owned screen off the main menu is for.

[71st_AH_Rob_XR-R]

On 10/3/2022 at 2:49 AM, Stonehouse said:

The one aircraft that did have an RAF skin (in fact it was a 56 squadron skin I think hurricanemkii_skin_03.dds) was a 74 squadron aircraft looking through the mission file. Checking back to the squadron folder I couldn't see a 74 squadron json nor a json for the other squadron in the mission 73 squadron. Could these missing jsons cause the skins issue?

I think No 73 Squadron was renumbered No 193 when it re-equiped with Typhoons and 73 wil be in the 193 file

11 hours ago, Rudolph said:

Good catch, thanks, but it seems that it is a broader problem as I have tested several other squadrons and they are not generating squadron codes correctly for RAF. For example when I start the Normandy campaign as RAF fighter, the 41, 56 and 66 squadrons generate the squad codes correctly, the others miss the prefix with the squadron code. Even correcting this error in the 193 squadron json hasn't helped me. Hopefully Patrick will be able to solve it quickly  It is maybe a small detail, but for me tactical codes connected with particular aircraft add so much immersion, I just can't play stock careers where all airplanes are anonymous. 

Having the same problem with creating No 438,439 and 440 squadrons, all Typhoons. Thought it was something I was doing wrong.  Probably best left until the release of 5.002 that will add codes and new generic skins for all aircraft and no doubt change the way they are implemented.

@PatrickAWlson having some trouble creating RCAF squadrons. I started with 438, 439 and 440 since I already had them done for Bodenplatte, they just needed the earlier war a/c, skins and airfields added. My first problem is getting the skins to work mentioned above but that can wait for 5.002, the more immediate issue is correct airfields. All three squadrons moved from Hurn to Funtington and back to Hurn before heading to France. Funtington was fine and I figured out B-9, but Hurn is on the map and I can't get it to work. Any clues? 

[MAJ_Raptor]

Hi all sorry to ask but I keep getting absolutely swarmed by 109's as 74 Squadron.  Not sure if it is something I am doing wrong or a box I didnt check.   But lately there seems to be 7 or 8 109's to my two poor Hawker Hurricanes.  

 

Any idea what I need to adjust or just run away?

[PatrickAWlson]

3 hours ago, 71st_AH_Rob_XR-R said:

I think No 73 Squadron was renumbered No 193 when it re-equiped with Typhoons and 73 wil be in the 193 file

Having the same problem with creating No 438,439 and 440 squadrons, all Typhoons. Thought it was something I was doing wrong.  Probably best left until the release of 5.002 that will add codes and new generic skins for all aircraft and no doubt change the way they are implemented.

@PatrickAWlson having some trouble creating RCAF squadrons. I started with 438, 439 and 440 since I already had them done for Bodenplatte, they just needed the earlier war a/c, skins and airfields added. My first problem is getting the skins to work mentioned above but that can wait for 5.002, the more immediate issue is correct airfields. All three squadrons moved from Hurn to Funtington and back to Hurn before heading to France. Funtington was fine and I figured out B-9, but Hurn is on the map and I can't get it to work. Any clues? 

 

I have Huen and not Hurn

 

About the codes: I think I have a fix for it.  I noticed that there is a provision to add a code for the squadrons as they are defined in the squadron history section.  I was setting the code to blank if there was not a code in the  squadron history entry.  I changed that code to keep the squadron level code if the squadron history code is blank.  Hope that makes sense.

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by PatrickAWlson

[Stonehouse]

3 hours ago, Raptor82 said:

Hi all sorry to ask but I keep getting absolutely swarmed by 109's as 74 Squadron.  Not sure if it is something I am doing wrong or a box I didnt check.   But lately there seems to be 7 or 8 109's to my two poor Hawker Hurricanes.  

 

Any idea what I need to adjust or just run away?

Possible suggestions. Campaign configuration you have air unit density under simple config, I think low would reduce aircraft to have less ambient aircraft and more just be the mission related ones, but this would both sides. Alternatively, under advanced campaign config there is a mission limits section. In there you can set the max flights by side as well as max fighter flights by side. If neither work, do the real-life thing and run away and try to regain an advantageous situation. 

[PatrickAWlson]

Alpha 2 Fixes
Russian skins on British planes
Inappropriate smoke
Inappropriate damage to radar towers
All radio call signs not enabled before August 1941
P-51D introduction too late.  Moved it up to April 1944.
Sometimes unit codes are not used (when a squadron has more than one name over time).
Winter track marks and other winter stuff on Normandy map
Airfield "Plane" is now "Maupertus"
 

[Stonehouse]

19 hours ago, giullep said:

hi, I would use it....where must install it!?! any instruction? thx

 

Here probably will help you. Installing and Using Pat Wilson Campaign Generator - Installing and Using Pat Wilson Campaign Generator (c6-squad.ovh)

[71st_AH_Rob_XR-R]

2 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

I have Huen and not Hurn

 

About the codes: I think I have a fix for it.  I noticed that there is a provision to add a code for the squadrons as they are defined in the squadron history section.  I was setting the code to blank if there was not a code in the  squadron history entry.  I changed that code to keep the squadron level code if the squadron history code is blank.  Hope that makes sense.

 

So far the following RAF Stations appear to be missing from the AirfiledLocations.json:

 

Hurn 0802

Christchurch 0802

Andover 0304

West Malling 0217

Detling 0219

Kingsnorth 0421

 

Not sure how to get the loc data or I'd give it a try.  I can do it reliably in DCS though...

[Stonehouse]

1 hour ago, PatrickAWlson said:

Alpha 2 Fixes
Russian skins on British planes
...............
 

 

Do I need to start a new campaign, Pat? 

 

I removed all folders other than user and overlayed alpha 2 over PWCGBoSNormandyAlpha and generated a new mission and still seeing 56 sqd Hurricanes wearing VVS skins. <edit> Starting a new campaign didn't change the VVS skin situation.

 

 

Also minor one if you can do anything about it, I am seeing a camo netted aircraft on the cross runway at Newchurch in the new mission. It isn't a priority, however.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Stonehouse

[PatrickAWlson]

@Stonehouse No new campaign should be needed.  If Hurris still have VVS skins then something else is going wrong.

[Stonehouse]

9 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

@Stonehouse No new campaign should be needed.  If Hurris still have VVS skins then something else is going wrong.

Ok will try a completely fresh install and see what happens. Possible side issue, looking at the 56 sqd json it seems like there is a gap of about a year between typhoon withdrawal and tempest intro as below. Not sure if that matters?

 

    "planeAssignments": [
        {
            "archType": "hurricane",
            "squadronIntroduction": "19390801",
            "squadronWithdrawal": "19430101"
        },
        {
            "archType": "typhoon",
            "squadronIntroduction": "19430101",
            "squadronWithdrawal": "19430331"
        },
        {
            "archType": "tempest",
            "squadronIntroduction": "19440401",
            "squadronWithdrawal": "19450601"
        }

 

<edit> Ok new install makes no difference. Passing observation, checking the aircraft json I see you have set it up as having mirror and +14lb boost as default mods. I only see the mirror ticked when I go into my aircraft setup. Not sure if the fact that the boost is not getting set on indicates code failing and so perhaps the skin not getting done?

 

Also, not sure if it makes any difference but the primarily used by is set to only Russia. Looking at the P39 for example of a similar situation I see both Russia and USA shown.

 

Another aside of low importance I think the UK used the P39 mk1 in 601 sqd from 6 Aug 1941 to March 1942 when they re-equipped with Spits. Mind you I think they only did one sortie over Dunkirk and then spent the rest of the time training, so it isn't a big deal really unless you want the variety. If so, perhaps the P39 file should say Britain as well as Russia and USA.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Stonehouse

[parkerc341]

I have a weird glitch (maybe) where despite the fact that I have my settings allowing me to load unlimited structures, my p47 attack mission proved that for some reason on the other side of the channel all the buildings were not there, simply shadows. Bizarre.

[Stonehouse]

1 hour ago, PatrickAWlson said:

@Stonehouse No new campaign should be needed.  If Hurris still have VVS skins then something else is going wrong.

Might have found it Pat. Looking at the generated mission file I am seeing the skin line for the aircraft look like:

Skin = "hurricanemkii/hurricanemkii_skin_03.dds";

 

looking at a mission created outside PWCG I see:

 

 Skin = "hurricanemkii\hurricanemkii_skin_05#1.dds";

 

"/" versus "\" in the path. So if I am correct the game cannot find the nominated skin and so gives the default. If this line is constructed by code - which I am guessing it is by concatenating plane type and "\" and skin name - then it probably is impacting a lot of things.

 

Could this be the issue? I might try hand editing the mission file I have and see what I get. Still don't understand why the 14 lb boost is not getting set on.

 

[Stonehouse]

Ok getting somewhere now. I seem to have got the skins working for 56 squadron and also made some headway with the +14 lb boost issue.

 

Some background for skins (note that to see most of this you need to use ungtp to unpack various gtp files):

 

The default skin is found in location \data\graphics\planes\plane name\textures

The other official skins are found in location data\graphics\skins\plane name

The translation between the name in the drop-down list in game for selecting the official skins is found in location data\graphics\skins in file skins.tab.eng (for English language)

You can see the thumbnails for the official skins in location data\swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\plane name\skins and the filenames of these thumbnails match the file names of the actual skin files except for the default one which is called default.dds here and planename.dds in \data\graphics\planes\plane name\textures

If you look in skins.tab.eng you can also see the skin description eg below for Hurri skin HurricaneMkII_Blank_07 is valid for mid 1944 between Jul 6 and Aug 25:

 

Spoiler

// Hurricane skins
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_01.dds" "EAE1566F" "1" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "VVS White" "Winter camo, 14th ORAE (Independent Reconnaissance Squadron), Moscow Front, Winter 1942-43."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_02#1.dds" "94189854" "2" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "VVS Green and Grey" "RAF A-pattern Day Fighter Scheme with Soviet markings painted on top of the British ones."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_03.dds" "C6216937" "3" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "RAF Early" "RAF A-pattern Temperate Land Scheme, pre-May 1942."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_04#1.dds" "8CD21CCA" "4" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "RAF Late" "RAF A-pattern Day Fighter Scheme, post-May 1942."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_05#1.dds" "82EE7416" "5" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "RAF Desert" "RAF A-pattern Desert Scheme, post-May 1942."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_06.dds" "5E738758" "6" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "RAF D-Day" "Default RAF markings with June 6th - July 6th, 1944 invasion stripes."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_07.dds" "98E7DDC4" "7" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "RAF Mid-1944" "Default RAF markings with July 6th - August 25th, 1944 invasion stripes."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_Blank_08.dds" "E6607D90" "8" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "RAF Late 1944" "Default RAF markings with August 25th, 1944 - January 3rd, 1945 invasion stripes."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_06.dds" "BDA3D1A2" "9" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "For VKPb" "Lt Amosov, 78th IAP, Northern Fleet Air Force, Winter 1941-42."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_07.dds" "1D980334" "10" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "Efimov" "Guards Captain M.A. Efimov, 3rd GIAP, Sinyavino, Autumn 1942."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_08#1.dds" "0697A7FD" "11" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "For Motherland, For Stalin" "Junior Lt N.A. Beletsky, 609th IAP, shot down near Tikshoozero (Tiiksjärvi) airfield on April 6th, 1942."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_09.dds" "1D90872E" "12" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "Operation Benedict" "Hurricane MkIIb Trop, 81st Sqn 151st Wing, Force Benedict, Vaenga-2 airfield, September 1941. The wing flew against the Luftwaffe and the Suomen Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force) from Vaenga (now Severomorsk) in the northern USSR and trained Soviet pilots and ground crews to operate the Hurricanes, when their British pilots and ground crews returned to Britain."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_10#1.dds" "D44BAD20" "13" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "Night Reaper" "Hurricane MkIIc, F/L K.M. Kuttelwascher, 1 Sqn, Redhill, May 1942. Kuttelwascher shot down three He 111s over France during one mission."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_11#1.dds" "CF78B5FD" "14" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "Tank Buster" "Hurricane MkIId, 6 Sqn, Egyptian desert, 1942. The squadron enjoyed much success during the Battle of El Alamein, having destroyed sixteen tanks on October 24th."
"graphics\Skins\HurricaneMkII\HurricaneMkII_skin_12#1.dds" "E366648A" "15" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\HurricaneMkII.txt" "Jessie" "Hurricane MkIIc, No 1697 (Air Despatch Letter Service) Flight formed with the specific purpose to deliver secure communications and correspondence in to the beachhead during the D-Day invasion period, Northolt, June-July 1944. The Flight's Hurricanes did not carry any ammo for its four 20mm cannons to save weight."

 

So, the two issues I have found in the alpha2 build is that

• the wrong skin names are used. hurricanemkii_skin_03 has become hurricanemkii_blank_03 for instance and hurricanemkii_skin_02 has become hurricanemkii_blank_02#1 as another example. I think this is right across the plane set except perhaps for the Axis ones. Guessing that Axis skins may well change in the next patch, however. The new ones like the Arado are already set up for tactical codes. Unfortunately, this is probably a lot of work to fix in PWCG.
• The slash used to construct the string for the skin is the wrong one and needs to flip from / to \. This impacts all aircraft and I believe all aircraft are probably getting default skins presently.

When I corrected 56 squadron.json and hurricanemkii.json and used notepad++ to do a bulk replace of / to \ in the mission file and renamed the msnbin file so the game couldn't see it the skins appeared to work correctly. I am attaching these updated files. I also added BRITAIN as one of the primary users of the Hurricane MkII in case it helped. I made quite a few changes to the skin set up for the hurricane to make it align with skins.tab.eng and what I believe was Pat's intention to have mostly generic skins for squadrons and let tactical codes do the work to differentiate the units. The ones I didn't change were the last two which point to specific aircraft (non generic) skins. I actually think these need to be removed as they have been set up with tactical codes turned on in the json and so may look odd with codes in the skin and codes applied via tactical codes.

 

For the 14 lb boost I changed the stock modification line from LB_14_BOOST to 14LB_BOOST. When I did this, suddenly I got the 14 lb boost option listed as well as the air filter where previously I only got the air filter. I think there must be somewhere else that needs changing because I understood that the stock mods were selected by default by PWCG and not listed as optional. So, the mirror is the other stock mod, and this is not listed for me to tick in the mission set up in PWCG.

 

So far, I haven't found the other location so it may be embedded in PWCG code. As best I can tell the syntax I used in the hurricanemkii.json for the plane setup is the same as other similar planes like the P51 which have multiple stock mods loaded by PWCG. However, that said - if I ticked 14 lb boost I got it in the mission as did my squadron mates that had it selected. Attaching this file too. 

Plane setup

hurricanemkii.zip

 

skin setup

hurricanemkii skin.zip

 

squadron setup

56 Squadron.zip

 

Hope it helps

 

<edit> 

Not sure if you can use the attached xls file to create a mapping of the existing PWCG skin name to new skin name and end up with a delimited file that you can use along with a self created tool to parse the pwcg files looking for matches on existing name and get new name and do a string replace. I never learnt java sorry or I'd have a go but all my experience is in mainframe and mid range stuff in large financial institutions. I could do it in my work environment so know it is possible just don't know if it would take more time than it is worth in your pwcg env. I saved it as xls as that will be more compatible with older versions of excel or open office type stuff. It is essentially a conversion of skins.tab.eng to pull out the plane type and skin name.

skin table converted.zip

Edited October 6, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Robi89]

7 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

Alpha 2 Fixes
Russian skins on British planes
Inappropriate smoke
Inappropriate damage to radar towers
All radio call signs not enabled before August 1941
P-51D introduction too late.  Moved it up to April 1944.
Sometimes unit codes are not used (when a squadron has more than one name over time).
Winter track marks and other winter stuff on Normandy map
Airfield "Plane" is now "Maupertus"
 

 

There's still smoke rising in southeast England and the CH towers are still damaged, mission date is 08/06/1941.

[Russkly]

41 Sqn. Spits still have VVS markings in Sept. 1941

[Letka_13/Arrow_]

9 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

For the 14 lb boost I changed the stock modification line from LB_14_BOOST to 14LB_BOOST. When I did this, suddenly I got the 14 lb boost option listed as well as the air filter where previously I only got the air filter. I think there must be somewhere else that needs changing because I understood that the stock mods were selected by default by PWCG and not listed as optional. So, the mirror is the other stock mod, and this is not listed for me to tick in the mission set up in PWCG.

 

I am also having troubles with modifications. I removed the stock modifications - four blade prop, +11lbs boost and dust deflector from tyhpoonmkib.json file. After that I unchecked them in PWCG to get 3 bladed prop for early typhoon career, however in the mission, the planes still have dust deflectors and four blade props, so what I deselect in PWCG does not matter for the generated mission. Patrick would it be please possible to have typhoons without mods, so the user can choose appropriate mods for each era? (Four blades, dust deflectors, +11 boost only in later campaigns). Thank you.

 

Moreover a small error, the planes in 193rd campaign stationed at Kingsnorth airfield are not aligned with runway. Good job with correcting the squadron codes, they work properly now.

[PatrickAWlson]

I appreciate experimentation on my behalf, but be aware that the files in the input section are not meant to be edited.  I do not and will not support user edits of these files in released versions of PWCG. Just putting that out there.

 

If you do want to experiment then by all means go ahead.  Understand that it might not do what you want it to do.  If the experiment does not go as you would like I would suggest abandoning it quickly and reverting to the old fashioned method: tell me in English what you are trying to accomplish  

[Letka_13/Arrow_]

12 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

I appreciate experimentation on my behalf, but be aware that the files in the input section are not meant to be edited.  I do not and will not support user edits of these files in released versions of PWCG. Just putting that out there.

 

If you do want to experiment then by all means go ahead.  Understand that it might not do what you want it to do.  If the experiment does not go as you would like I would suggest abandoning it quickly and reverting to the old fashioned method: tell me in English what you are trying to accomplish

I am sorry, I just wanted to maybe help finding the problem and definitely not report anything with any modified files, sorry. Anyway, what I wanted to say and ask typhoons should not have dust dome deflectors prior to D-DAY and four blade airscrews sooner than April 1944 when they started being adopted.

[Patricks]

All I can say is don't fly low over Calais in the early war.. watched two planes fly straight in and I can honestly say i've never seen so much MG fire, was coming at them 360 degrees... Both down in about 30 seconds. Really enjoying the Hurri vs. F2 matchups!

 

 

 

[Vastarien]

I'm having an issue with my me410 ZG 26 campaign (8/1943), planes don't have enough runway to take off as they're placed on the field currently and just crash into structures on the opposite end.

Also, I'm not having tactical codes. Is that correct?

 

Thanks for all your work Pat.

[PatrickAWlson]

2 hours ago, Rudolph said:

I am sorry, I just wanted to maybe help finding the problem and definitely not report anything with any modified files, sorry. Anyway, what I wanted to say and ask typhoons should not have dust dome deflectors prior to D-DAY and four blade airscrews sooner than April 1944 when they started being adopted.

 

I do appreciate it, but don't go too far down a rabbit hole.  The data in input interacts with code.  Sometimes changing the data might not be enough to accomplish a task.  

No dust dome deflectors prior to D-Day

No four bladed props prior to D-Da.

[Letka_13/Arrow_]

12 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

I do appreciate it, but don't go too far down a rabbit hole.  The data in input interacts with code.  Sometimes changing the data might not be enough to accomplish a task.  

No dust dome deflectors prior to D-Day

No four bladed props prior to D-Da.

Thanks, I understand that and truly appreciate your hard work. +11 lbs boost should probably also come only around D-DAY or even September, but I do not have much data about it. There is a ton of argument around Tempests using +11 lbs boost in anti diver operations and if it was really limited, but I have not seen the data and practice for Typhoons. 

[PatrickAWlson]

13 minutes ago, Rudolph said:

Thanks, I understand that and truly appreciate your hard work. +11 lbs boost should probably also come only around D-DAY or even September, but I do not have much data about it. There is a ton of argument around Tempests using +11 lbs boost in anti diver operations and if it was really limited, but I have not seen the data and practice for Typhoons. 

For Typhoons I made four bladed props and dust deflectors available after June 1 1944.  11lb boost was already set to June 28 1944.

31 minutes ago, Vastarien said:

I'm having an issue with my me410 ZG 26 campaign (8/1943), planes don't have enough runway to take off as they're placed on the field currently and just crash into structures on the opposite end.

Also, I'm not having tactical codes. Is that correct?

 

Thanks for all your work Pat.

 

I don't think that I did the tactical codes for the 410.  Good reminder.  I'll look into the field.  

[Stonehouse]

5 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

I appreciate experimentation on my behalf, but be aware that the files in the input section are not meant to be edited.  I do not and will not support user edits of these files in released versions of PWCG. Just putting that out there.

 

If you do want to experiment then by all means go ahead.  Understand that it might not do what you want it to do.  If the experiment does not go as you would like I would suggest abandoning it quickly and reverting to the old fashioned method: tell me in English what you are trying to accomplish  

Sorry Pat, my lengthy post with files attached was intended to reduce your workload. The files I added so you could see what I changed to get skins and 14 lb boost working in 56 sqd and let you use or discard as you needed. Understand completely that edits of input files are unsupported as just as any other dev team you have enough to do supporting the std version. I probably should have sent the info via PM but it was very late for me when I did that post and the brain wasn't thinking beyond finding the root cause and proving it.

[UlyssesCockmore]

Just want to say that this is a fantastic experience again, Pat.

 

Did a couple of co-op missions with a friend this evening, starting with Hurris in 1941. Two fantastic flights, with loads of action - the first time getting in a tangle with a four ship of 110s getting into formation to strike southern England, and in the second bouncing a load of Ju-88s doing anti-ship work over the channel. 

 

The only issue we're having (apart from the known reported ones about skins, AAA in the Channel, etc.) is the limitation of IL-2 not tracking 'Probable' and 'Shared' claims for PWCG to pick up - we're solving that with a spreadsheet to keep an 'authentic' track record of our overclaiming. 

 

Absolutely fab to be able to do RAF from early war through to late - keep up the great work!

[PatrickAWlson]

Thanks to @Stonehouse,  I'm finally cluing in on the skins.  They added a bunch of blank skins for this release.  I thought that they reused planename_skin_## but instead they added planename_blank_##

 

Going to take a bit of work to get this straightened out but it will get done.

[Stonehouse]

37 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

Thanks to @Stonehouse,  I'm finally cluing in on the skins.  They added a bunch of blank skins for this release.  I thought that they reused planename_skin_## but instead they added planename_blank_##

 

Going to take a bit of work to get this straightened out but it will get done.

I'm hoping you can somehow automate the skin name updates using that xls I uploaded or similar as a start point with some sort of string-matching/string replacing java pgm. I know the thought of that much data entry and checking gives me a headache almost straight away. It's one of the worst things about doing big implementation packages for work as at least the first time is always manual.

[PatrickAWlson]

I posted this in skins but I'm reporting here:

 

Newer blank skins are named planename_blank_##.  Skins with markings are named planename_skin_##

Two questions ... the default skin is 00

1. Where are the default skins?  I have unpacked every skin related GTP (skin and camo GTPs) and they are the only ones missing,

2, Are 00 skins named "blank" or "skin"?

 

If anybody can answer #1 then #2 answers itself.

 

 

[Stonehouse]

2 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

I posted this in skins but I'm reporting here:

 

Newer blank skins are named planename_blank_##.  Skins with markings are named planename_skin_##

Two questions ... the default skin is 00

1. Where are the default skins?  I have unpacked every skin related GTP (skin and camo GTPs) and they are the only ones missing,

2, Are 00 skins named "blank" or "skin"?

 

If anybody can answer #1 then #2 answers itself.

 

 

 

As far as I know default skins are in location \data\graphics\planes\plane name\textures and the filename is plane name.dds (except for P51s which are P51d15na.dds instead of P15d15.dds as I just discovered so there may be more exceptions to the general rule of thumb)

 

So, for example, the Bf110g2 default skin is found in location IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\Planes\Bf110G2\Textures and is named bf110g2.dds

 

Based on what I saw last night leaving the skin entry blank in the editor results in the aircraft getting the default skin. I believe this is why Hurris got the VVS red star skin as it is the default HurricanemkII.dds found in IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\planes\hurricanemkii\textures and because of the incorrect slash the skin shows as empty in the editor. I figure the game interprets an unknown skin as no skin chosen and so you get the default.

 

So I think that for aircraft which are only for a single nationality like the bf110g2 to get the default skin you need to end up building the mission file such that if you opened the mission in the editor the bf110g2 would have an empty box where the skin chosen is. I'm not sure how your code works so don't know if that just means you don't need to define a skin in PWCG for bg110g2 units or you need to define an empty string ie "" and fiddle the logic. I hope it is the former as that would save you a lot of work for single nation aircraft.

 

I think the 00 skins you previously defined give you the default because the game cannot find the skin and so just gives you the default ie there is no hurricanemkii_skin_00 or hurricanemkii_blank_00 skins to be found so game automatically gives you the VVS skin mentioned above.

 

The aircraft which are problematic are those which are flown by multiple air forces.   Like the Hurri or P51D. For the Hurri the default is VVS so for RAF situations you must define a skin like hurricanemkii_blank_03 to avoid getting the VVS skin but for VVS situations you could skip defining a skin in PWCG and I think you'll automatically get the default VVS skin. Ditto for the P51D - if you don't define any skin in PWCG I believe you will get the p51d15na.dds found in IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\planes\p51d15\textures which is the USA skin. So that would mean you must define a skin for RAF usage of the P51D or else you'll get the US one.

 

default skins are in the planes.gtp family of files but I don't think you need them as I tried to describe above. 

 

Good - someone posted in the other thread confirming what I believed so I think you are very likely to be ok if you assume that if the default skin is what you want to see in PWCG missions then you don't define a configured etc skin and the game will automatically assign the default. Which is great news for you in regard to Axis aircraft and units.

 

Hmmm although you may have to assume that use tactical codes is always true unless specifically set to false from now on because you carry that flag on the PWCG skin definition. So would need to make use tactical codes a global default of true and override it in the skin configuration for unique skins. Even though it means code changes it actually would likely simplify the skin handling as going forward you would only want to configure a skin in PWCG where you did not want the default or you wanted to switch off tactical codes and/or define a unique non generic skin.

Edited October 7, 2022 by Stonehouse

[PatrickAWlson]

@Stonehouse  I am not seeing any skins in the directory that you describe.  Just plane part textures like engine, exhaust, etc.  

 

I do agree with you that "00" is probably just dropping to the default, however, that might be a perfectly decent solution.  

 

 

[Robi89]

I just flew two Intercept missions with 41 Squadron out of Westhampnett and both times the bombers we were supposed to intercept turned back before coming into range, never having dropped their ordnance. If they hadn't shown up on "radar", we never even would have seen them.

 

Could it be that the flight path generated for Intercept missions is out of whack?

 

(Apparently, I am unable to attach the mission files due to size constraints. If you need the files, Pat, I'll upload them somewhere else and send you the link.)

[PatrickAWlson]

17 minutes ago, Robi89 said:

I just flew two Intercept missions with 41 Squadron out of Westhampnett and both times the bombers we were supposed to intercept turned back before coming into range, never having dropped their ordnance. If they hadn't shown up on "radar", we never even would have seen them.

 

Could it be that the flight path generated for Intercept missions is out of whack?

 

(Apparently, I am unable to attach the mission files due to size constraints. If you need the files, Pat, I'll upload them somewhere else and send you the link.)

 

Are you sure that they weren't bombing ships?

[Robi89]

5 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

Are you sure that they weren't bombing ships?

 

Pretty sure - in the first mission they turned around directly over Portsmouth, in the second one they went back as they reached Newport on the Isle of Wight. I redid both missions to have a look the bombers via Ctrl+F2 and both times they still carried their bombs when they went back home.

[308PFS_Waffen]

There is still a problem with skins, i started a campaign as Luftwaffe in 1.06.1941 and every one is using default skins, my squadron, friendly squadrons and there are Russians A20 in Normandy.

[Dusty926]

3 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

Are you sure that they weren't bombing ships?

I'll add briefly myself that I've been operating in both a 109 and 410 squadron, and basically every intercept has the bomber squadrons turning back as soon as they spawn too. In fact there's a fair few missions that involve at least a few flights beginning the mission heading back to base with their payloads. It's just most common on Intercept missions.

[PatrickAWlson]

16 minutes ago, Robi89 said:

 

Pretty sure - in the first mission they turned around directly over Portsmouth, in the second one they went back as they reached Newport on the Isle of Wight. I redid both missions to have a look the bombers via Ctrl+F2 and both times they still carried their bombs when they went back home.

 

Targeting ships, ports, etc. is definitely high on the  list of priorities.   Of course, they are supposed to actually bomb the target.  

 

The issue might be in the intercept coordinates.  On intercept missions an enemy flight is chosen and your flight is supposed to fly to the area and do a search pattern.  

 

25 minutes ago, Dusty926 said:

I'll add briefly myself that I've been operating in both a 109 and 410 squadron, and basically every intercept has the bomber squadrons turning back as soon as they spawn too. In fact there's a fair few missions that involve at least a few flights beginning the mission heading back to base with their payloads. It's just most common on Intercept missions.

 

PWCG flights move virtually until you get close enough.  They spawn at any point in their flight.

Not saying there's not a problem but a lot of the behavior being reported could be normal - or not depending on circumstances.  I am still cleaning up a bunch of stuff but I'll look at flight patterns at some point.  If somebody can make an offending mission available (zip file) it will help.  I need the .mission and .eng files only.