How to make helicopters land???

I am creating maps for quite some time now, but there is one thing that never worked, no matter how hard i tried.

As long as i am creating maps, i tried to put the insertion point far from the hot zone so that the player has to jump on a transport to get to the battlefield, without running for hours :smilegrin:

But in DF:BHD as well as in DF:LW i encounter the same problem.
The Helicopters don´t land !
In DF:BHD there is the Map "desert insertion" which has up to 4 Black Hawks
ready, to carry Players to a destined landingpoint, and back again.

But if i try to create a HelicopterTransport
they fly to the final waypoint, but they don´t touch down.
So the flight can be taken only once.

I hope that someone has a solution to this problem.
:help:

Knallfrosch-CEG

Personally, I find it useful to - 1) give the choppers a long stretch to come to a stop 2) keep their last few waypoint Z values close in height 3) and slow them down between the last two waypoints - especially if the mission starts with the soldiers flying to insertion.

To get your helicopters to land, have their single AI attributes change to Land upon reaching the last waypoint.

FYI. To have them take back off after insertion, you'll probably need to change the heli's state to follow waypoint before redirecting it to it's next destination (waypoint list).

Hope this helps.

in dflw z point height dont matter , i havent played with helos in bhd yet but for dflw try this

author message
helo ??? (6 read)


Ed
Veteran
in Registered Members

posts: 177
since: 11-24-2000 1. helo ???


what event command is used for makeing the helo wait untill i get there before it starts its engine {what i want to do is i start to host hop on a helo and fly 2 and land in the battel field ive done this np.but after i destory and kill something lol i want to get on a different helo and fly around the battel field and reland.like i said i have the waypoints down np.any help would be very oh and hey bc the wolf sound is the Snd: LEBANON_GROUND by itself they add a very nice touch to my night map he he thx
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Date: 02-23-2001 on 13:54

Loki
Newbie
in Registered Members

posts: 28
since: 02-19-2001 2. Re:helo ???


Working with a very similar issue Ed. Here is what I have for a single helo taking off and landing in the same spot, only to take off again when I hop back in. What you want to use are area triggers. Two area triggers inserted with the same number listed in the waypoints area of the Edit Item Attributes box will give you a square box as your area trigger.
Since you have the waypoints already set up I will forego listing them. I have an area trigger set up where the helo is sitting, an area trigger at the last waypoint which redirects it to a second set of waypoints. I have three events set up, one for Launch, one for Taxi and the third for Landing. The events are listed below:
The first event coupled with the area trigger sets the helo in motion towards the battelfield.
BHLaunch
If Group1 (Blue Player) is in Area1
Then Redirect Group3 (Blackhawk) to Waypoint List1
Set Group3 Velocity to 80kph
The reset event item is also checked and set for 30 seconds

The second event is intended to slow the helo down so it doesn't overshoot it's landing spot, which is the original point of take off. The second set of waypoints end up in the original take off point.
BHTaxi
If Group3 is within Area2 (second event trigger area)
Then Set Group3 velocity to 10kph
Redirect Group3 to Waypoint List2

The final event causes the helo to hit the second waypoint and land in it's original position.
BHLand
If Group3 reaches Waypoint 2,2 (second waypoint in list two)
Then Set Group3 velocity to 0kph
The reset event item is also selected and set for 30 seconds

The principal is the same, although you will have a little different set up. With two helos and two different area triggers to set them on their way. When your first helo reaches it's final waypoint (make sure they are not set to loop), you want it to land. The statement in the events will be:

If GroupX reaches Waypoint X,X
Then set GroupX velocity to 0kph

Of course the X's will be replaced with your Group# and Waypoint List #'s.

Then simply haul arse over to your next helo where you have also set up an area trigger, hop in and commence to killin!
Ed -
To say again ... In an MP Game, No-one but the Host of the Map will be able to ride in a Helo.
It's just a connectivity/timing problem, and at present, there as yet remains no way to transcend this negation.

As Re: the rest - that's not so difficult.
I'll take a shot at laying out the steps for you here ...
_______________________________________

Setting up a Timed-Trigger is quite simple and easy really.

You have the WP List (path) already established.
You have the Helo Start location established.

Now just create a Small Area Trigger zone either within the Helo's Transport Bay - or around the Helo (doesn't matter) - actually, you can place the AT where-ever you like: the nearer to the Boarding location the better, though.

Once this AT is established, Create the EVENT to Launch the Helo in the following manner: *

1) IF Group 1 is in Area "X" -- THEN
a) Redirect Group "Y" (Helo) to Waypoint List "Z."
b) Set Group "Y" Velocity to mn kph

At the Top Right of the Events Window, with this EVENT Still selected - look at the options stated as: *

(radio button box) Reset after (seconds) (Box with default "0")
Delay (seconds) (Box with default "0")

This latter box and attribute value is your delay timer.
The number of "Seconds" you enter here will be the number of seconds Counted down by the Game Engine between the time that a Player from Group 1 enters the AT, to the time the EVENT will trigger.

As a general rule, I always place my AT's for such Event within the Helo's Transport Bay and set the timer to either 3 or 4 seconds ...

Although you CAN also check the "reset" box and enter a "Reset Timer" value - I recommend against it for this event: it is more apt to cause problems with the Event Sequencing than leaving it at the default "0" and the box un-checked.

Hope this helps clarify some ...

To add to the two excellent examples above here's a sample events list for landing.

----------------------------------------------------

Event 0

IF (Triggers)
(0) SSN 110 has reached waypoint 7,3

THEN (Action)
(0) Change SSN 110 AI: AI state to Land

----------------------------------------------------

Make sure if your useing "follow waypoint z" then set the last waypoint marker closer to the ground so it doesn't take the Black Hawk forever to land. I useally put it at about 5 or 10.


[Edited on 4-7-2003 by Charger]

Depending on whether you wish to enter a 'busy' map or not - if you want the engines running and rotors spinning immediately upon entering the map, check the 'hovering' box in the helicopter's attribute box.

If you want the helicopter to wait upon your arrival to crank up, you'll need to have a pre-mission event putting it in the land state -- and then have a trigger event, like Ed's post was referring, to get it 'started'.

Thank you for your great help!!! :thumb:

@Bluetiereign
Its right ... there is a command in the AI State menu which tells the helicopter to land ... that solved my problem .
BUT ...
I realized, that the chopper won´t take off again. but i get to this later in this post :D
Your hint with the AI state "follow waypoint" was exellent!

@Edward
I read this Tutorial , but it doesn´t seem to work with BHD Choppers :(

@Charger
Right, but the"if reached Waypoint" command brings some difficulties ...see my
explanation at the end of this post .

@Etapus Rex
The Choppers are grounded by default , when the mission starts. But good to know this feature ;)

OK ... after reading your postings
I started to update my map.
I had some difficulties , to get the chopper airborne after he landed ... and another problem was the resetting of the landing event ... here is the solution , that works for me.

To get the Chopper started i used:

IF Group1(Player blue)is within Area1
(Starttriggerarea) and
IF Group3(Helicopter)is within Area1

THEN Redirect Group3 to waypoint1,0
(waypointlist)
THEN Change Group3 AI: patrol speed= XX km/h
THEN Change Group3 AI: use waypoint Z
THEN Change Group3 AI: AI state to follow waypoints

This means the chopper AND the Player has to be inside the Startareatrigger to get the chopper in the air. This also means, if the player does not jump off at the battlezone, the Chopper will not land in the startarea. I think i am going to work on this ;)
I use the Command "use waypoint z"
to make the Blackhawk fly at an altitude
that I want... he seems to have a default
flying altitude wich is to high to jump off :D
When flying with a Little Bird, this command is not necessary.

To make the chopper land i used :

IF Group1 is not within Area1 and
IF Group3 is within Area1

THEN Change Group 3 AI: AI state to land

This means the Chopper lands at the
startarea if the player is not aboard the chopper. But starts again , if the player enters the startarea again.

I tried to land the chopper after reaching the last waypoint, but that caused problem when the landingevent was reset. The Chopper landed right where he was. By using the Areatrigger the reset of the landing event seems cause no problems.

Big Thanks to ALL OF YOU! :icon_super.gif:

Knallfrosch-CEG

[Edited on 4-7-2003 by Knallfrosch-CEG]

[Edited on 4-7-2003 by Knallfrosch-CEG]

i did say the tut was for dflw ya said you had same problem in dflw . but glad ya seem to have it workn , i would be on top of this but most of my time right now is spent with my son and his cancer and lookn for a new home lol . but i will have handel on bhd soon :smilegrin: