Simulated Strobe Lights.

[Yobbo]

I heard there's an IL2 script to do this, but cannot find it for the life of me.
So I figured it's got to be a simple trick for the CM.

Does anyone know by chance the timing for that triple flash type sequence real aircraft use?
Or has anyone got a script that does this already?
If not, I'll trial and error it 'til it looks right and post it in here.

File this under "Unnecessary idjit options" :rofl:

[MichaelCHProd]

Are there lights on the aircraft in IL-2?

Am I missing out on something?

[Yobbo]

All aircraft in IL2 have "Navigation lights" (configurable key in controls) which shows up in game as your standard green port wing tip, red starboard wing tip and white under tail light. (even the non-flyables like B-17, B-24, etc.)

Some, though not all (especially not LW) have "Landing light/s" (configurable key in controls) this is your standard forward facing cowl or wing mounted 15°Down forward facing 'day-makers'. (very pretty on the big U.S. bomber non-flyables)

So essentially a toggle button on the stick/throttle setup that started a CM script looking something in the order of...

repeat until toggled off
sequence
// first of triple falsh
lights on
delay ??
lights off
delay ??
// second of triple flash
lights on
delay ??
lights off
delay ??
// third of triple flash
lights on
delay ??
lights off
delay (?? X 10)
endsequence

(forgive the crudeness, haven't used the newer CM yet)

?? = the very brief timing between and during lights on/off
Like that triple strobe we see on modern commercial aircraft, I'd just have it on the navigation lights and leave the landing light on permanently.

however identifying friendly (espec. same squad mates on ts) during a fight could use a single sequence button activated "unique" flicker code so they could quickly ID you and vice versa in a big furball.

easy scripts to make, mostly being lazy hoping someone already made that simulated commercial landing light one, guess I'll take a shot at it myself.

There's also internal cockpit lights, in case you didn't know, guessing you haven't done much night flying in IL2. ;)

[Yobbo]

I've found that with my Character Rate at 25 I can do this by creating a CMS button not in DX mode with 6 times the character I set to be my nav. lights toggle "D".

i.e. d d d d d d
(on off on off on off)

Together with these two sequences.

SEQUENCE
WAIT( JS2.B8 ); // Wait here until a button clicks
A4 = A4 + 1; // Add 1 to our On/Off counter
IF( [ A4 > 1 ] ) THEN // If the value is over 1 then
A4 = 0; // set it to 0
CMS.B24 = FALSE; // turns off the light flasher if interrupted in the next sequence
ENDIF
ENDSEQUENCE


SEQUENCE
WHILE ( [ A4 == 1 ] );
CMS.B24 = TRUE; // This is the button with "d d d d d d"
DELAY( 1 );
CMS.B24 = FALSE;
DELAY( 80 );
ENDSEQUENCE


There's probably an easier less messy way of doing this, but I'm only a programming necessitizer, if I can get it to do what I want I live with it being big messy and complicated.

However next I will have to make my pseudo morse code light flasher for ID'ing me in a crowd.
Because I plan this to have the equivalent of 'dots' . and 'dashes' - (maybe SOS) simply using the charcter rate will not be an option I believe.

[MichaelCHProd]

Be careful, I have noticed that some of my scripts I have to slow down a bit as they send commands so quickly to IL-2 that is misses some of them in the burst.

[Yobbo]

Been playing online in GreaterGreen with it for a few hours, it hasn't jumped or skipped a beat so far, that is it always ends the pulse in the off position. Though it's only really for personal amusement while landing so even if it did it wouldn't matter much.

The only problem I have noticed is while it's running if I press any button that's connected to a shift, ctrl or alt command the characters come out as that, which in the case of ctrl activated my reticle dimmer in my 109, though it activated it on and off 3 times so wasn't too much of a problem.

I was very interested in the thread with the guy wanting real time clock ability and so already had in mind the possibilty of skipping beats and getting into trouble that way.

Thanks for the heads up though.

[JNOV]

Hi Yobbo:

Did you get my reply to your message?

- JNOV

[Yobbo]

I certainly did thankyou, I've been waiting to find if my email will take the file size before I reply, and if not find an alternate location, hey maybe these guys could host it (hint hint) ;)

In short, I definately want it. Even though I play in OpenGL I might have to change that to DX just for this.

Thanks for the checkup, this place is by far the happiest and most helpful bunch of people I've ever encountered online.
:cheers:

[JNOV]

Revvin mentioned in the past that he might host it, so if you get in a pinch we can ask him if he'd still be willing to do so, even if only temporarily.

[Yobbo]

My provider still hasn't got back to me, so I tried sending a 10meg file, it failed returning a max size 5 000 000 error.

That is on send though, not receive, but I'm guessing it's probably both.

If Revvin can I'd be very grateful.

I've PM'd revvin the request.

[Bob Church]

>> The only problem I have noticed is while it&#39;s running if I press any button that&#39;s connected to a shift, ctrl or alt command the characters come out as that, which in the case of ctrl activated my reticle dimmer in my 109, though it activated it on and off 3 times so wasn&#39;t too much of a problem. <<

It&#39;s always a potential problem with characters, they don&#39;t really stay attached to a shift, alt, or ctl, and any key that comes along is likely to get associated with the modifier. If you can remap the keys so that nothing (or at least as little as possible) takes a modifier, that&#39;s one way around it. If you keep the modified keys to a minimum, you might be able to enable the flasher logic based on the other buttons being release, e.g. any time you pushed one of those, it just disabled the flash while the other command was sent. If it was only a few keys that generated modifiers, it mightn&#39;t be to bad. The third method would be if you can assign a DX button to do the flash. DX buttons never really collide like characters do, and you can create as many as you need. Put 32 bogus buttons on your pedal device, or just create a new CM Device to hold them.

Anyway, sound cool! A little like squad markings, but visible in the dark.

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[Yobbo]

Thanks Bob I&#39;ll be sure to try the methods you&#39;ve mentioned, I think reworking it to be a DX button sounds like the best solution, though probably the most coffee & headbanging requiring. I wouldn&#39;t want it to cut out mid flashing for if it were between on and off cycle the lights would remain on which irritates people sometimes.
I&#39;ll let you all know how it goes.