Splash

The other possibility is that you might catch a shot of AI using the Cal. 50 ... but that doesn't seem the case from your description.

51 minutes ago, iamfritz said:

And how do I make it happen more?

I've been able to get commander-out-of-the-hatch shots only when using the AAR. The position/state of the commander (and gunner, too, if he has a hatch) is recorded in the AAR, so you can force it (QQ) in a vehicle you crew, then get the pic in the AAR world view after ending the mission. But I don't recall ever seeing an AI crew model in the exposed position -- even when no enemy is present on the map.

I'd like to get shots like that at runtime, which it looks like you have. 

Assuming it only happens in user-crewed vehicles, I wonder if maybe it could be done while running two instances of SB (with two screens). Crew the commander's position of the vehicle in one instance; get the screenie or record the vid on the other screen in the 3D world view? 

Is it possible you were doing something like that when you got the above shots?

Might be worth some experimentation.

Submitted to the upload gods.

@Ssnake I don't know what "acquiring the rights" would entail, but if it meets your standards, it's yours.

Yes, I made it using eSim's interceptordress Photoshop template. The camo pattern is what I believe Taiwan's army is currently using. I figured the request was made based on current events, rather than something historical. I created it from an internet-sourced photo of an actual garment. 

I'm not happy yet with my depiction of jungle boots, but after fixing that of course I'll make it available.

Using modded infantry skins is generally pretty simple in SB: You place your file(s) in the chosen nation's "camo" mod folder, then, using the Mission Editor, make sure that nation is the desired party in your sce. It gets a little more complicated when SB does not feature the nation you want to represent. That's the case here; there is no mod folder for Taiwan/Republic of China, so you'd have to use a proxy nation. That might sooner or later change, based on Ssnake's inference in his post above. (Would be interesting to see how that plays out, considering the dim view China takes to even the suggestion that Taiwan might be a nation.)

The screenshot was taken using South Korea (KR2000) as the proxy folder, because its interceptor troop model and M4 carbine looked the part. 

I see VideoStudio Pro is on sale. I toyed with Resolve a few years ago and took an online introductory course in Premier. I remember them being very similar in layout/function but really overkill for what I wanted to do.

Next I need a real video editor.

9 hours ago, Ssnake said:

But we really need to get that video out about the Camera Animation Editor (there's a section in the Mission Editor chapter of the User's Manual to get you started, though)

Looking forward to this. It seems a bit complicated, though I haven't experimented with it yet. I'd kind of like to get into making SB cinematics when I get the time.

I only recently discovered the existing "Detail Cam" in the System drop-down menu with its half-dozen pre-set camera pans. I used that feature alone to create that short vid and was thinking about making short YouTube clips like that as sort of a "walk-around" to link with my skin downloads ... in addition to or in lieu of screenshots.

1 hour ago, Koen said:

(where can I buy one ?)

That's the sweet part: Now available for no money down and no monthly payments!

Just for sh*ts and giggles, I thought I'd try something new. Go easy on me; I'm kind of new at this, and the video apps that come with Windows aren't very sophisticated. 🙃

Recon.

The "M1P" skin is named wrong, if it's supposed to be the IPM1. It's also not the IPM1 skin, but rather the base M1 skin. If it's supposed to be for the base M1, it's also named wrong for that tank. I don't see how it could have worked for either before the update.

No guess on the problem with the other one.

mmkay. Seems I can't add as an attachment, for some reason, but I can link from an image site. So, here you go.

You yell, we shell.

Unable to post an image here for some reason. (Error code: -200)

😕

5 hours ago, Ssnake said:

Unhitching requires no change of its position. Hooking up another unit means it needs to drive there, this changing its position.

Ah, OK. Makes sense, and I see now this is consistent with similar waypoint-based "if" scripting for Troop mounting and dismounting.

Strangely, the unconditioned "Mount" command (no "if") on a no-tactics waypoint results in the vehicle departing its route to pick up nearby troops and then proceeding to the next waypoint. Hmmm. But I'm muddying the waters from my original post. 

Thanks. As mentioned, also interested in why a "None" tactics waypoint's "Hitch if" order is ignored when it has an attached unconditioned route, but an "Unhitch if" order is not ignored when it has an attached unconditioned route.

After watching the recent eSim tutorial vid on the subject, I was experimenting with scripting ARV recovery actions and noticed the following: The ARV AI will recover and tow a disabled vehicle when the ARV-conditioned waypoint has HOLD, DEFEND, GUARD, SUPPRESS or NONE tactics ... but not if said waypoint has STAY tactics. 

That might be intended (Stay means stay?) but is contrary to instruction in the video at about the 5:00 mark where it says you need a "Stay" or "Hold" command on the hitch waypoint. 

If not a bug, maybe the vid is wrong or unclear.

In my testing, as I said, the AI performs the recovery under all tactics except STAY, and you do not need to give, as the video seems to say, a manual "Proceed" command or put a delay condition on the route proceeding from the hitchpoint. You just need an "Embark if" condition on said route.

The attached .sce example shows all this.

On another related point, I noticed the AI ARV will blow past an ARV "Hitch if"-conditioned, no-tactics waypoint if there's a nonconditioned route leading from it ... but will stop and unhitch at an ARV "Unhitch if", no-tactics waypoint before proceeding on an unconditioned route. (This can be tested in the attached .sce by adding a nonconditioned route to WP21.)

Hitching_test.sce

Aww. I missed it. What was No. 10,000?

11 hours ago, Apocalypse 31 said:

I'd be ok with more PLA skins (not skin mods*) for vehicles in game without actually having new vehicles.

 

*Nobody downloads mods so it would look weird when you used a vehicle without a PLA skin.

The sim does come complete with 17 PLA vehicle skins, which covers a lot of possible proxies. But I'm guessing the point here was to ask for more to be included in the stock installation -- maybe for some of the newer vehicles? -- because apparently "nobody" can be bothered to download and install separate mods, like those offered by @cata. 

There's truth to this. Maybe not "nobody", but  two or three dozen seems to be the typical download interest in vehicle and infantry skins. Present company excluded, I don't think 'most' players really care what skin or markings SB's troops and vehicles have. And I suppose with thermal optics and long engagement ranges it doesn't really matter anyway.

So I'm not sure how it would be "weird" to not have a skin for some odd PLA variant. Skins are only seen on the user's frontend, and if that user is really bothered by an anachronistic skin, he/she will download a mod, if available. Enter cata. 

Thanks for the explanation. I hope a better solution can be worked out.

With more testing I have noticed a minor, but perceptible, difference between maximum and minimum tile dustiness in bone-dry conditions, and some very limited scalability using ground saturation values.  
But with the current setup, Theme dustiness settings below .25 appear to me to be pointless -- an automatic 0 on dust kicked up by vehicles. And .25 still yields quite a bit of dust, IMHO. 

I've had difficulty achieving the effect I want because (traveling) dust levels seem to be either "on" or "off" rather than variable tied to a percentage. I see from Lumituisku's video at about the 1:10 mark that this (traveling) dustiness on/off switch seems also in effect with moisture levels.

I haven't experimented extensively, and don't have the capacity (or time) to work up a vid, but I'll post screenies later if wanted. But my experience has been that (traveling) dust when applied by theme for a ground type seems to be full-on from 100 down to about 20 percent ... then completely gone below about 20 percent. This is with soil moisture level at 0 in the map settings. Is that correct or intended? Or am I missing something?

What I've been trying unsuccessfully to achieve is less -- but still evident -- (traveling) dustiness for grassy areas than, say, gravel or a cultivated dry field.

Maybe these posts could be broken off into a separate thread in Scenario and Maps? I, too, have been struggling a bit with SB's dustiness settings and would like to ask a few questions .. but not derail the videos thread further.

OK. Scooped again.

Just took a look at the available eSim skins for the IPM1, and it seems the easiest/quickest way to get an all-green one is simply to copy the existing IPM1 skin from the Program Files\eSim Games\SB Pro PE\textures\woodland\red folder into the mod folder of whatever nation you plan to use it for (I assume us1980). Pic below.

Also, fun fact, all of the M1's except the A2Sep use the M1A1HA model for the roof and deck from the TC's position (F7 unbuttoned).
So, unless you want a NATO camo gun barrel and engine deck, you'll also need to copy the M1A1.dds from the red folder. That, combined with the green M1A1roof.dds I've provided below, you should be able to get what you want.

Enjoy.

m1a1roof.7z

.... We don't need no steenking badges.  

What's up with these? Do they have a meaning? And why is everyone a "Newbie"?

Woohoo. Seems like I earned 7 of them just for showing up. 🤣

9 hours ago, iamfritz said:

Is there a simple way to have the M1 IP use olive drab too?

Simple enough.

But, obviously, someone has to make and upload the skin, first. 😉

If @dpabrams doesn't come out of hiding and scoop me on it, I'll be happy to put one together. I've been looking for a project ... but eSim and others keep beating me to the punch. 🥺

Interesting. I guess upon install it links to the default Program Data location. (My own "packages" folder is in the same place with "height" "terrain" and "themes" that you picture.) C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts\maps

But I believe you could change the target of the Start Menu link under its Windows properties to direct it to wherever you have placed your map packages.

Of course, none of that makes it easier to explain to anyone who doesn't know where they put their map packages in the first place.