Another Chopper problem

[reddog4]

Thanks for all the help with the last question. I've done a fair bit of reading since, but I'm having a little trouble with a mission I'm working on.

I have an officer with playergrp=group this in the init field, with 4 other soldiers in his command.

They then board a helo which is stationary on the ground, and it takes off and flies to the LZ. However, my transport unload waypoint is only kicking me off the chopper, and if I manually order the guys off, half fall from chopper which has already taken off again! I have in the activation

helo1 land "LAND"; "_x unassignVehicle Helo1" forEach units playergrp;

what am i doing wrong?

[macguba]

You can't have another chopper problem.   There is only one chopper problem, and that is that they are mad, bad and dangerous to know.   ;D

There are chopper tutes and scripts in the Ed Depot.     Triggers and waypoints are frequently the best way to do things, but not in this case.  

[reddog4]

Can you point me in the right direction with a tute or script, as I think I've exhausted what material I have. As I'm only just getting into OFP editing for more than sniping practice (!) I don't want to be downloading a load of over complex stuff. I want to try and keep within my capabilities and not burn myself out too fast  

[dmakatra]

Choppers ARE complex stuff. I find it easier to script a command system then to make a bloody chopper set down right.

It's ironic isn't it? All beginners have choppers in their missions but the skilled dudes have got the scares and avoid 'em like the plauge. So we only get advanced chopper use in beginner missions...

:beat: *Gets Shot* :beat:

[macguba]

Try snYpir's Quick Helicopter Landings.    

If you've never used scripts before read snYpir's Friendly Intro to Code Snippets first.   Johan Gustafsson's Scripting Tutorial is also very worthwhile.

You are at a tricky stage in mission editing.   Everything you need to know depends on something you don't know.   It can be a bit frustrating and we've all come through it so we know how you feel.   The secret, is not to be persistent.   If you get stuck on something (after a few attempts, not the first time, you always get stuck the first time) give up and do something else.   Come back to it later, you may find that somewhere along the way you've picked up some trivial but vital snippet of information that just make all the difference.

My advice to beginners is to forget choppers altogther.   Redesign your mission without them.    At this early stage they are not worth the trouble.  No, wait, that's my advice to everybody.

[dmakatra]

Just to add to macca's post.

Re-Read Larger Tutorials!

At first, you may think you get everything but in fact you don't. Re-reading tutorials doesn't just give you refreshment of the knowledge but you'll also learn stuff you missed last time. First time I got in contact with a OFP editing tutorial was in PC Gamer. They jumped kinda much. Had four lessons, the first one was about placing units and the fourth was camera scripting... I understood about half third and just about nothing in fourth. When I got more meat on my legs I re-read the tutorials. I understood more and more. I re-read it like two or three times to understand it all.

:beat: *Gets Shot* :beat:

[reddog4]

But I want a chopper, please daddy! *Sob*

OK, I guess I can play around a bit without them.

I'm a bit stuck on ideas now though!  

AND this is going to bug me. Like forever. So if someone has an answer, I'd love to hear it.

I've read the scripting intro by Johan although not much touched the side first time round. I'll have a look at snypirs code. I've just downloaded some guys (memory like sieve at moment!) windows breifing and script wizard. What else should I be looking at? Like I said, I want to have on hand the basics, but I don't want to be worrying about cutscenes or custom sounds just yet. And while I'd love to play with all the addons out there, I think I'll be best sticking to a pure version for the time being.

Cheers

Gavin

[dmakatra]

Well, I learnt editing in a weird way sorta. I never got in contact with OFPEC until after 6 months of editing or something. So I really never touched the beginner stuff in ed depot. But some quite basic tutorials I like are:

Variables and Arrays in OFP
Johan Gustavssons Scripting Tutorial
SnYpirs Camera Scripting Tutorial (followed up by Messiah's Camera.sqs tute)
Macguba's How To Make Good Missions

And of course the only decent thing I ever done for OFPEC:

The Switch Trigger Tutorial. ;D

Any other submissions by me can be overlooked. I won't be mad at you. In fact you save me the embaresment. ;D

:beat: *Gets Shot* :beat:

[macguba]

Study more or less everything[/b] in Tutorials - Getting Started.    The things in there were carefully selected to give you a basic grounding.    In fact there is some overlap between tutorials so you can skim some bits, but have a look at absolutely all of it.

And experiment.   Lots of experimenting in the mission editor.     Use the search functions for the FAQ, tutes and forum when you get stuck.

Edit:   no, no Armsty, most of these are too advanced for what he needs.     Mine and yours yes, the others are good but save them for just a little later.

[dmakatra]

Yeh, like I said I learnt everything backwards.

You listen to macca though, he knows this stuff about beginner tutorials much better than me. In fact he knows much stuff better than me. But he doesn't know that 'cause he's never seen my work. Nobody have. Sometimes I wonder if I have seen it myself. ;D

:beat: *Gets Shot* :beat:

[macguba]

Yes, it was snYpir and me who decided what went in there in the first place and we both wrote tutes to fill in gaps.

It looks like a lot but it's not really that bad.     Two are in Dutch, one is a duplicate we've never been able to get rid of and one is totally obsolete.

And yes Armsty, I'm very much looking forward to seeing something of yours.   ;D  

[MrN]

In a rare moment of altruism I feel the need to help, I've been there and feel sympathy!

Choppers as most people editing are aware, are like herding cats.  Such a PITA. But worth it.

The only thing that helped me was to de-pbo some of the older BAS missions and look at how they did them.

If in doubt, search. Still don't know? Search. Your question has been answered somewhere, finding the answer can be easier and less time-consuming than trying to get choppers to do what you want them to do.  

The answer for me was to use the "fastins.sqs" script , by TJ, that was included in a couple of the BAS addons (BAS_MH60 was one) and sit at the pc for hours whacking my head against the monitor trying to figure out what was going on.  It took bloody hours but it does come. You're using stuff like "helo1 land "LAND"; "_x unassignVehicle Helo1" forEach units playergrp". A script is not much more than that.


If you need help looking into missions read the Mission Editing FAQ at http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?s=3c45958532ba70c92d44e4f1b950f7a1;act=ST;f=7;t=26723

It's a handy bookmark to have.

Also, looking into missions and addons requires:
http://ofp.gamezone.cz/utilities/pbo_decryptor15.zip

and Chris' OFP Script Editor (do a quick search at Ofpec).