[PROGRAM] Dogfight Generator

Note that alterations to the YSFlight .EXE is forbidden
Kynan

Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Kynan »

I just wana do 50 against 50 ww2 dogfight same planes. Thats would be alright
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Grigor »

Wow. Good to be getting so much feedback. I am working on an updated version, coming out real soon, which will load air-to-air missiles... I was thinking of loading the weapons as stated in the LOADWEPN line of the .dat file, but thought maybe it'd be better to load as many air-to-air missiles as the plane can carry - whichever hardpoint has AIM9X, AIM120 or AIM9 capability (in that order) should carry one. Bombs and AGM's don't make sense in a dogfight.

Second new thing (which may help Kynan and Chunt75) will be a SAVE button, naming the output file 50xF-22_USAFvs50xMIG-29 or something like that. Or even a sequential Dogfight001 002 etc would be better than nothing...

Mr. Kynan... still puzzled why it won't run. Inside the program is a line saying RUN [script directory]fsmaindx.exe -flyyfs [script directory]\Dogfight.yfs [-autoexit] or something like that... I thought maybe it was Vista not allowing one program to be run from inside another, but then the mission file should be able to be run from within fsmain*.exe. Check the contents of the mission file... does it look like a mission file? Does fsmain*.exe throw up any error messages?

As for Dragon29's notion of different AI settings... It could be done, but would that not go against what it about? If nothing else, it does reveal where different plane's weaknesses lie, especially if it's your creation on the receiving end. I often use the Endurance Mode in YS to test my planes. Your other idea of mixed formations could also be done. I could easily put in a "randomise wingmen" checkbox, with a random pick for each individual plane...

Should have Dogfight 1.1 out before the end of the week.
CharleyHotel

Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by CharleyHotel »

I'm just not quite sure where to place the .exe. I double-click and it won't open. Other than that, I can't wait to use it.
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Grigor »

The Dogfight.exe and .ini need to go in the same directory as fsmain*.exe. Within the program it searches the path [(Current directory)\aircraft\air*.lst] and scans all the files for non-blank entries. Likewise with the scenery files: [(Current directory)\scenery\scn*.lst]

If you use anything other than fsmainDX.exe you have to edit the dogfight.ini file.

Dogfight.exe should open no matter where it's placed, with or without an .ini file. In any other directory it will simply come up with blank lists, which makes me feel that something in your OS is stopping DOGFIGHT.EXE from running. Do you have anti-virus? Some firewalls have exclusion / inclusion lists, where a program might need to be added (or checked, or unchecked) in order to allow it to run.

Having said all that, I just remembered you saying you use MAC. I'm afraid I know as much about Mac as I do about Ancient Sumerian rituals. If it's anything like Linux (which I know a little more about) then you might need a windows emulator or some such thing. I'm at the foggy boundaries of my knowledge here, I'm afraid.
Kynan

Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Kynan »

The mission file dont come up. As far as i can see it does nothing but see what planes and maps i have
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by =*=ToPGuN=*= »

@Grigor ..Thank you for this excellent little add-on..it really is amazing & works very well on my XP
I'm glad that missile selection & a save mission function will be available soon
...just wanted to ask a few questions though....
1.is there a way to maximize the Dogfight Generator window ? ....to make the full aircraft name visible when selecting them.
2.can you try to add something which can keep track of the number (total count) of installed add-ons in YS ?
3.Also, is it possible to include a box to be able to view the entire location path of the DNM file of the aircraft selected ?
4. and could this be extended to an aircraft preview pane ...perhaps in future releases?
my apologies if these are too many questions.
...anyways, eagerly looking forward to the next release :)
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Grigor »

Thanks for the feedback... Feedback is important. In answer to your queries...

I'm glad that missile selection & a save mission function will be available soon
...These AND MORE are available right now. Maybe you downloaded this a while back?

1.is there a way to maximize the Dogfight Generator window ?
- Rather than resizing the whole window I've put in an Info Panel which shows the whole name of the plane.

2.can you try to add something which can keep track of the number (total count) of installed add-ons in YS ?
- The total number of planes should be simple enough to do. Same with the path / filename... I could add all these to the INFO Panel.

However, a preview might be a little more difficult... I could possibly get Dogfight.exe to look for dnmviewer, say, and write the location into the .ini file, and then with a right-click (or something) run the program / .dnm. A little clunky, perhaps, but not impossible. Or to simply RUN the dnm file, as if it were double-clicked in explorer. This would work as long as you've got the dnm files set up to launch that way. Will definitely look into this...

Somebody else wanted a search function, which would be rather more complicated than anything you've asked for here. But all these things I shall take on board, and sometime within the next month there'll be another release. Other projects in the works are a Plane Organiser (tricky!) and, in the planning stages, a random mission generator.

Thanks again for the reply. You can never ask too many questions.
G.

LATER.... Check out version 2.0 at the beginning of this topic.
Last edited by Grigor on Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Gunny »

Grigor I must tell you I truely admire your can do attitude since you joined us.Keep up the fine work Sir. ;)
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Phoenix »

Grigor you are amazing.

Jolly good show!
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by =*=ToPGuN=*= »

@Grigor
Thank you for incorporating the feedback ..excellent job mate :)
..I commend your patience & programming skills ..also v2.0 was pretty quick...I wasn't expecting it till next month. A little more feedback for you..please refer the screenshot below

Image

Also, a few particular add-ons don't show up in the 'Planes :' list
for eg. the X-35B from Cep & AV-8B Harrier-2-Plus from Oranleed.
I tried loading just their 2 .lst files separately from the other .lst files..but they don't show up in the Generator...I even checked the .lst entries and the .dnm, .srf & .dat locations ..which seem to be correct. These planes show up in the YSF Game aircraft selection window, but not in the generator lists. Any idea on why this could be happening ?
Thanks again.
Kynan

Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Kynan »

Wooooooooooooooooooo! wooo Thats awesome
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Grigor »

Mr. Kynan... Does this mean you got it to WORK?! Fantastic!!

Mr. =*=ToPGuN=*=.... I have noticed some planes have trouble loading, especially if there's a space or other strange character in the IDENTIFY line of the .dat file.
-- Ah, but this is not the problem. I just remembered I use a filter - only load planes that are of category FIGHTER - this was done to avoid being lumbered with duelling C5 transport planes or 747's. The Harrier is an ATTACKER plane. Will sort this out soon.

Also, your screenshot hasn't come through.

Will tinker with it some more. Just realised all the planes except the main one start off with no throttle... no wonder they all got left behind. Also building in some more randomness, altitude shifts among wingmen, and a 50/50 chance that some will veer off into a holding pattern until the enemy are within range. This makes it look even more chaotic, maybe as though they're THINKING a little instead of charging at each other headlong. Randomness and surprises is what this game needs.

EDIT: I saw your screenshot. It makes sense. It's a doozy. As it is, the window has each element plotted out by X Y coordinates as well as width and height. Now, to make it resizeable, a line like ListBox x5 y5 w100 h300 would end up something like ListBox x5 y5 w((window_width/3)-25) h(window_height-50)... will have to re-think the layout for this to be feasible. But this is worth thinking about. A programming Demon to confront.

Later: a resizeable window would mean a huge re-think of the whole window. For now I'll make it just under 800 x 600 (for those who still run lower resolution / older machines) and change the program as the knowledge comes to me.
Last edited by Grigor on Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by mitout »

Grigor, this is an amazing program you've created. I believe this is the most fun I've ever had offline in YS. :D
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by =*=ToPGuN=*= »

@Grigor: Thanks for v2.1 ...Excellent work dude ..Keep it up ..what I have in mind is something like this ....perhaps a couple of versions down the line...(see screenshot below)..such that the dnm viewer can be implemented in some way...or even linked externally....
Guys...Please note that the image is Photoshopped & is just a concept idea for Dogfight Generator FAO Grigor & such a version IS NOT available yet....
I can at least dream ;)

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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Iceman »

=*=ToPGuN=*= wrote:@Grigor: Thanks for v2.1 ...Excellent work dude ..Keep it up ..what I have in mind is something like this ....perhaps a couple of versions down the line...(see screenshot below)..such that the dnm viewer can be implemented in some way...or even linked externally....
Guys...Please note that the image is Photoshopped & is just a concept idea for Dogfight Generator FAO Grigor & such a version IS NOT available yet....
I can at least dream ;)

Image
That would mean integrating YSFlight's core into this small standalone program...kinda unnecessary.
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Kynan

Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Kynan »

Looks good tho
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Grigor »

This was why I asked about dnmviewer / dnmtest recently in another post. I'm trying to get some sort of browser / organiser up and running, but it's slow and complex work. To integrate some sort of viewer into Dogfight would be great, but as far I can see so far, impossible.

By the way Top Gun, that's not the latest latest version you've pictured there. And I'm still tinkering - thinking of propeller / jet options, excluding helicopters (which don't dogfight too well) and maybe some double-click right-click functions. (As it is, if you set up explorer to right-click / edit your fld files with scenery editor, then double-clicking them in the Dogfight.exe list will do this for you. If you've just flown a mission and, say, the sky looks ugly, you can go straight in and change it. This kind of idea could be integrated more fully later...)
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Grigor »

Dogfight 2.2 is coming together, with checkbox options for propeller / jet / helicopter / fighter / attack planes etc, plus double-click to view plane (in separate window, but it works). Also a right-click context menu to open the .dat file (for those who like to tinker) or to open the containing folder for that plane.

Also working on a program to extract individual planes from other collections... something sorely needed, methinks.
Shutter

Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Shutter »

:D

Really looking forward to that grigor.

And I'm wondering if you might have considered adding the option to make the aircraft start in formations, instead of in a straight line? Or perhaps have different groups coming in from various directions?
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Re: Dogfight Generator

Post by Phoenix »

Then some historical dogfights could be re-fought. Like Epstein's 20 (Mig-21) vs 1 (Nesher) dogfight
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