DCS Mission Editor Questions 2023 Edition

Is there a way to hold the AI from taxing until told to do so?

Basically I have an F18 and an F14 starting on a carrier, Im in the 18, can I have the 14 hold until i say taxi so we can take off close to the same time?

1 Like

Late activation?

1 Like

Are you familiar with flags, trigger rules and all that jazz?
If so, you can try to use the “Group AI Off” at mission start and then use “Group AI On” (either after a defined time or through the F10 radio menu) to bring it back to life.

1 Like

I thought about late activation but i would like the 14 on ramp with engines running if possible.

Ill.look into group AI, never really used that one.

The F10 menu is kinda what i was looking for, sort of a radio call to the 14 saying im ready lets go.

I’ve just checked and it doesn’t work with aircraft. My bad.

1 Like

Its all good, might need to read up on uncontrolled aircraft.

Oh right, I completely forgot about that. It should do the trick.

1 Like

@schurem late activation set to a hot start works. I added a F10 option that I het when im ready to taxi.

Was going to do an uncontrolled aircraft but you cant do a hot start with that.

1 Like

I’m assuming you are referring to other AI flights and NOT your AI wingmen, correct? If so, the way I do it is I give all AI Flights on the carrier an “Uncontrolled” condition, so they sit there all fat and empty in their slots. I then create in the “Special Commands” section of their waypoint tabs “Start Commands.” I then create radio commands for my F10 radio menu and link those to the “Start Commands.”

I go through my start up procedure on what-ever aircraft I’m flying and when I’m ready for the show to begin, I then go to my F10 menu, look for F10 Radio command for the specific AI Flight I want to taxi to catapult first and give them the command. The AI Flight begins their start-up process, I sit and watch like I’m a real pilot on the deck waiting his/her turn. Once the first AI Flight is pretty much at their catapults, I’ll then F10 the second AI Flight and so on until I want to taxi to catapult and take-off. Works very well but you must take care of who you start first because some AI Flights may be blocking others from moving etc., so take care where AI Flights are placed and who you move first.

If you need, I can send you missions I’ve made so you can look under the hood and see how I’ve done this. Cheers.

2 Likes

FWIW, from my [growing] list of DCS scripting “Tips and Stuff” section pertaining to this, with AI group flights…

Late STARTUP (Not LateActivation) for acft groups
If you want the plane to wait on the ramp prior to takeoff, select the group and check the “uncontrolled” box next to late activation. In triggered actions add PERFORM COMMAND → START. The plane will appear unoccupied on the ramp at mission start. When an AI TASK PUSH activates their start command, a pilot will appear inside the jet and it will spool up and perform its assigned tasking.

I have some lua code to do the above too if you need it. I’ve kinda, sorta, timed various types of aircraft (small sample) and they all seem to taxi within, oh, about 2 minutes.

2 Likes

I do the same as @RedBravo65 with the uncontrolled AI triggered to start via the F10 menu. One thing to watch out for is the spawn/parking order. I like to space each group’s spawn time out 1 second or so (mission spawn, not start command) so they don’t block the Sixpack or otherwise cause taxi shenanigans.

3 Likes

Thanks guys,

Whats the timing on uncontrolled start up?

Right now i have late activation and i ise the F10 menu to bring them alive. Its instant when im ready. Which is what im looking for.

@NineLine
Is there anyway to get these period correct Barriers into The Mission Editor? They would be fantastic for FAB’s and Forts


2 Likes

Is there anyway to get AI aircraft Not to use a certain Catapult on The Ship?They keep running through static aircraft parked on CAT#1

2 Likes

You will have to use statics to block off the spawns associated with the cat you want disabled. Set AI to spawn 1 second after mission start to keep them off the Sixpac. Bad news is it reduces spawn slots and causes spawn slot issues on MP, particularly for Tomcats, which don’t like to spawn unless you have >4 open spawn points.

It’s…a mess to be honest.

6 Likes

Now that is just doing my head in…

3 Likes

Yeah when it comes to the AI I just remove all the static eye-candy except for stuff around the superstructure, Junkyard, and Patio.

3 Likes

Same. Less headaches in the end. A common theme that keeps coming up (in my head anyway) with DCS is it’s either, a) sparse, requiring a lot of work to spruce things up, or b) lot of work to spruce things up and then live with that forever.

3 Likes

Thank You…I’ll look into this.

1 Like

:eyes:
This Looks Super Easy…has anyone tried it?

4 Likes