Splash

You yell, we shell ... redux.

1 hour ago, Sean said:

If the download is changed, it will float to the top of the list.

Yes. I was looking to avoid that. Several of my uploads are now obsolete (not complaining), and I didn't want to displace actual new content on the front page with files that essentially say, "Hey, look at me! I don't work anymore!"

FWIW, updates don't float to the top of the "Whats New" pane on the downoads page ... only the "Files" pane on the front page. I guess I was hoping maybe that could be made uniform. After all, I only really want to add a line of text to the "About This File" field -- which isn't even part of the actual file download --  a simple way to flag my own outdated content, saving unsuspecting users from downloading the files, installing per the instructions, and wondering why they don't see them in-game.

And yeah, on some of this stuff I'll eventually be uploading new versions. 

1 hour ago, Sean said:

I think we added a version field to the downloads a long time ago that should really cover this. 

Not really. All that tells a user is which SBProPE version the mod was created with. One skin created for 4.019 -- my Opfor Griffon for example -- might work in 4.357, while my EagleIV, made for the same 4.019 version, will not.

I could just delete the files, I suppose. But I'm actually kind of proud of some of that content, and deleting would deny them to the tiny subset of users who might run older versions. 😇

I'll see later today about submitting an update of one in the way I've described for you to try.

@Sean, Would it be -- or is it -- possible to allow for the author to make text updates to the "About this file" section of files without the file showing up in the "Files" pane of the forum home?

I'd love to update some of my offerings with a note something like "Works in Versions 4.268 and earlier only" but really don't want to spam the front page with a bunch of now-obsolete downloads. The only change to the download , after all, would be in the text description of it.

My best option at this point seems to be adding a Comment to the file(s) ... but the user has to go looking for those. Easily missed.

Hmm. Still no workie for me.

I suspect it's because I use a PDF reader other than Acrobat. It opens all other downloaded PDF's without issue ... including all previous versions of SB Release Notes. Must be something different about this one. 

No matter. I can still read them online, and I've discovered I can open the file using my web browser. Thanks.

I can open the release notes in a tab on the eSim site online, but tried to download a copy and the file can't be opened. Password protected. 😕

Try this: Traveling at the "slowest" forward speed (1 press of W), press the X key to slow down. You'll have about 8 progressively slower speeds until you reach stationary.

57 minutes ago, RooksAndKings said:

Now mouse and keyboard isn't an issue, except that when I am in "View Here" mode, when pressing W or X to move forward and back, they move at a predetermined speed with no way for me to control that speed and it's just nearly impossible to create shots when you're flying at Mach 1 speed and have to be super zoomed in to every shot if you record that way. 

You might want to check this again. For me, the speed of the free camera during a mission can be controlled by multiple presses of the W and/or X keys, and of course S to stop. Similar to vehicle speed control.

The speed of the camera with the Camera Animator is governed by the time increments between keysets ... which, from lack of experience, I find difficult to finetune and control.

2 hours ago, BlackDeath said:

...but it would be possible in the AAR : you stage what you need while in game and do your camera work in the AAR.

Exactly. I used to do all my screenshot work in the AAR because, even for static screenshots, staging/setup/framing is sooo much easier and more flexible in the AAR than in real time during gameplay.

(Side note: the loss of movement/traveling dust in the AAR has really neutered that ability).

So, regarding improvement/expansion of the tool for 5.0, I wonder if maybe a more robust record/replay function tied to the AAR, with camera animation improvements focused there, might be the way to go?

There will be debate about file sizes, etc., and I know, too, this can't come at the expense of loss of the analytical information the current AAR method provides.  

4 hours ago, DK-DDAM said:

Here is the newest episode of showcasing, hope you'll enjoy it.

Yay. Model upgrade for the ASLAV-PC. Nice.

Also, is that a new interior for the Eagle IV, or were Recon using a different vehicle? I noticed in an earlier vid that the Eagle can now be doorless.

And, it might be my imagination, but are the physics different as vehicles (particularly those Leopards) travel over uneven roads & terrain at speed? Looks like they actually have "weight" as they come down.

I've had some unexplained shutdowns too. Haven't been playing much, but have been using the mission editor and map editor in 3D world view. Suspected its my aging system. I do have a 700w PSU, though. Not top-of-the-line.

I mention it just to agree ... you're not alone.

42 minutes ago, Ssnake said:

Upgrade prices shall be

$40.- from version 4.1
$70.- from version 4.0
$95.- from version 3.0 and older

What about from 4.2? 😕

Ah..NM. I see you're referencing from the last paid upgrade version. Thought for a moment I'd slipped into a time warp or something.

15 minutes ago, Mirzayev said:

... play some of the great scenarios that come with the game

Judging from the screenie, this appears to be what he's attempting. That's the "Classics" scenario menu. Probably an installation problem where the needed map either isn't installed or is not in the expected location.

Depending on who the artist was, they often make them available when asked. At this point I don't see them in the "Vehicle Templates" area of the downloads section.

The new externals are "cv9040_hulls" and "cv9040_turrets". 

If you're proficient with PhotoShop or similar, you might be able to craft one of your own from the desert version of the skin.

The CV90/40 B&C models recently received new 3D models from eSim. So unfortunately, those older pre-update skins no longer work.

1 hour ago, Major duck said:

and in the same vane the ability for the server to push camo/Skins for the vehicles out to the clients so that if somebody makes a certain skin for either INF or TANKS or whatever and include it in the scen then it will be used by all players

 

MD

I'd like to see this accomplished by distributing custom vehicle and infantry skins embedded with the map package -- as virtually all other object textures can be now. That way, there's no additional net traffic to transfer large graphics files.

We can already put custom building, roadsign, plantlife etc. skins in an "actors" folder in a map package for distribution ... but this does not appear to work with vehicles, infantry & civilians. (Maybe I'm not constructing the file path correctly). 

But in any case, I would still want files in my mods folder to override.

Yeah. You could do the same in earlier versions. There are at least a couple available for download, for example, for Leopards. None that I know of for the BMP2. 

Possible. Yes. Just requires editing of the relevant texture(s) and placing said edits into the appropriate mods folder.

Does it still appear that way after exiting the map and re-entering?

I had that happen once when traveling over a long distance in the 3D view with WASD keys in the Map Editor. Thought it was a memory thing. Exited the map, re-opened and all was fine.

Yup. That fixes the problem with the 70's dude. 

While you're looking, I noticed the Uniform1970RU normal file suffers -- to a lesser degree -- from the same issue. (Buttons, collar insignia, portions of leather rig)

Yeah, already done on my end. There's a minor difference:  the 80's version has a 2nd Cav patch while the 70's guy has a 3rd ID patch + PFC rank.  Since those are included on the normalmap, the shadowing shows up on the model. Gotta look close for it, though.

The NORMALMAP file for the Uniform1970US infantry model is the inverse of what it should be. I temporarily installed a blank white skin for both 1970 and 1980 to help visualized the issue.
 

OT

Oh. My. God.

That is epic. Hope my computer's got the nuts to run it.