Mission editor crashing with large missions

[Stonehouse]

I'm doing some work on EMG templates and as you may know these are quite large mission files. The work I am doing is to update a modified version of the Normandy template from EMG v84 to 85 and to do so I need to copy and paste from one mission to another. I find that I can open one and do my copy but when I go to open the v85 mission to do my paste that the editor will quite often crash immediately after the mission loads. I've been getting around it by saving the objects I select to copy to a group file and doing an import after closing and opening the editor but due to the number of changes from the stock EMG template this is a big overhead from a workload point of view. I wondered if there was any tips or techniques out there for working with large missions to minimise chances of the editor crashing. 

Edited July 28, 2024 by Stonehouse

[kraut1]

58 minutes ago, Stonehouse said:

I'm doing some work on EMG templates and as you may know these are quite large mission files. The work I am doing is to update a modified version of the Normandy template from EMG v84 to 85 and to do so I need to copy and paste from one mission to another. I find that I can open one and do my copy but when I go to open the v85 mission to do my paste that the editor will quite often crash immediately after the mission loads. I've been getting around it by saving the objects I select to copy to a group file and doing an import after closing and opening the editor but due to the number of changes from the stock EMG template this is a big overhead from a workload point of view. I wondered if there was any tips or techniques out there for working with large missions to minimise chances of the editor crashing. 

Hi Stonehouse,

You could try to open both files simultaneously.

Seems to work at least for small test missions:

video-2-files-open-copy-from-sourse-to-destination.zip

 

ADDED LATER:

Or alternatively you could try:

1.) Copy the objects in the source file

2.)Closer the editor

3.)Start the editor and open the destination file and paste the objects

Edited July 28, 2024 by kraut1
2nd suggestion added later

[Stonehouse]

15 hours ago, kraut1 said:

Hi Stonehouse,

You could try to open both files simultaneously.

Seems to work at least for small test missions:

Thanks Kraut1 - I've been doing your 2nd method but as all the airfields and many of the objectives have to change opening and closing the editor between each copy and paste is making the time involved blow out to a huge amount. I'll try your idea of having both open and see if I can make it work. I also decided last night while waiting for the Belgium F1 to start to save each airfield from the v84 template as a group and that way there is a little less overhead to fixing the airfields on the v85 template. However, I don't know if that approach will be viable for the objectives. 

 

Passing fyi for you (as I know you do a lot of template stuff) when doing the paste I found I needed to know the exact co-ords of the group header object from the old template so I could ensure that the pasted objects end up in the same locations. So your 2 missions open at once is quite attractive from that viewpoint as it is easier to get these coords.

 

PS thinking I will do up a Tunisia AAA EMG mod based on your last EMG setup once Rob releases his updates

[kraut1]

5 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

Thanks Kraut1 - I've been doing your 2nd method but as all the airfields and many of the objectives have to change opening and closing the editor between each copy and paste is making the time involved blow out to a huge amount. I'll try your idea of having both open and see if I can make it work. I also decided last night while waiting for the Belgium F1 to start to save each airfield from the v84 template as a group and that way there is a little less overhead to fixing the airfields on the v85 template. However, I don't know if that approach will be viable for the objectives. 

 

Passing fyi for you (as I know you do a lot of template stuff) when doing the paste I found I needed to know the exact co-ords of the group header object from the old template so I could ensure that the pasted objects end up in the same locations. So your 2 missions open at once is quite attractive from that viewpoint as it is easier to get these coords.

 

PS thinking I will do up a Tunisia AAA EMG mod based on your last EMG setup once Rob releases his updates

A total update of a template mission means really huge work.

When I updated my Papua New Guinea from v75 to v84 I updated everything too, by exporting / importing groups.

But I have to admit that before an update I test if the update can be done maybe in a simplified way:

For Papua New Guinea v84 to v85 because the extremely modified generic template I did only a very simplified update:

I used the new v85 EMG exe, the v85 planes_ai_only.json, and because I wanted to have the new v85 bomber-flight definition I copied from the generic template the new v85 Flight_Bombing into the existing template. This works. (Ta152 not required for Pacific).

 

Great if you want to create an updated Tunisia AAA EMG.

I think for Tunisia is a total update required too.

What I have still to do for Tunisia:

When I created this mod I was a total novice with the airfield definitions.

The airfield are working in respect of the take off from runway.

But I was not aware of the taxying waypoints in the fakefield.mgm

For Tunisia I have to update the fakefields to have at least a better path for taxying after the plane has landed.

(when I flew last year Tunisia missions I observed very often  that landed plane rolled in the tower, tents,... and were damaged.)

 

 

Edited July 29, 2024 by kraut1

[Stonehouse]

5 hours ago, kraut1 said:

What I have still to do for Tunisia:

All good - so probably best to co-ordinate it once the update to the Tunisia mod is released. I've found that using the flak generator in conjunction with EMG templates very successful at creating a more immersive and believable environment.

 

[jollyjack]

If you have a 4k monitor ..? I figured this out a while ago, and still use it

Very rarely i have a crash, mostly with large missions with a lot of groups while zooming around on a non-scaled ME display.

When so i load the mission, and directly EXPORT all stuff with the goups included as they are, as one group file.

Then empty all from the ME and import the saved stuff.

Seems the ME relocates all the id numbers as it takes a while.

Then save all (maybe with a new name).

 

If you look at complex missions (made by experts or IL2 AQMB, not possible with cmpbin files alas) it seems they don't use that many groups.

Bob Vander uses a lot of groups BTW, probably the best way for his EMG sytem. Dunno ho Pat Wilson works, seems also with less grouping.

Edited July 29, 2024 by jollyjack

[Stonehouse]

Interesting. Only a 2k monitor here but will keep it in mind thanks

[Stonehouse]

@kraut1 FYI running two sessions of the editor seems to be working well for me so far and I've been able to update about 7 or so airfields in about 20 mins as opposed to one per 10 mins when it kept crashing on me. Much appreciated and thanks!

[IckyATLAS]

One way to transfer is to save a groups, then load a new map or restart the editor with anew map and import the group.

It crashes less than by copying switching map and pasting.