Post by Sa8Gecko on Dec 4, 2005 9:12:26 GMT -5
As ARMA will take about six months before being available on the shelves, and we still don't know if the car class will be made less limitated (as the armor class is now, for example),
we decided to proceed in the development of the MCAR engine.
The MCAR engine will contain exclusively a collection of scripts, that is the vehicles currently available in MCAR will be put in separate addons, and no one will be compelled to download them if he/she hasn't use for them. Or he can download only those that interest him. The compulsory download will be, of course, the MCAR engine pbo: just about 100kb in size.
All necessary functions are grouped (as string) in a stringtable.csv file in the MCAR engine pbo. The functions are accessed by the scripts, these in a separate subdirectory, with a little more elaborated call command. Calling functions from inside another function coded as a string in stringtable.csv is also possible (it actually works and has been tested).
All scripts will be customizable, some more some less. This will allow the addon maker to use his own missile models and different parameters as missile's max speed, acceleration and so on.
These parameter will be stored themselves in a stringtable.csv file in the addon pbo. Since these parameters will be named in a unique way for each kind of vehicle, there cannot be any confusion if more than one kind of MCAR vehicle is in the game, at the same time. Of course the scripts and functions in the MCAR engine can reference univocally to these parameters (this has been tested and works).
We will provide some templates to help addon makers compile their own stringtable.csv files, that is we'll provide some stringtable.csv file to be insterted in the addon pbo with the necessary variables for the selected guidance code script.
Also, it will be possible for the addon maker to use his own guidance code if he wishes, and he can use the MCAR engine functions to evitate to code some new doing the same work.
One thing required is to use the custom 'mcar_logic' gamelogics, but this is done automatically by putting a certain function in the init EH of the unit, to properly initialize the engine. To be more clear:
Of course the init EH can contain other reference to some other initialization scripts the addon maker needs to add, for example for starting custom animation on the vehicle, etc.
The fired EH will contain a reference to the script to be started when the unit fire, of course, being a custom one or another already present in the MCAR engine.
The MCAR engine can be updated, without the need to update all the MCAR addons already released. This will allow to integrate new scripts and functions, but to remain user friendly without the fear any new version of the MCAR engine can ruin the working of older MCAR addons.
If possible, that is it there's time, a complete manual will be released.
All the addon makers interested (or any people interested, btw) can leave their suggestion/critics here below, to help us develop the engine as friendly as it can be.
we decided to proceed in the development of the MCAR engine.
The MCAR engine will contain exclusively a collection of scripts, that is the vehicles currently available in MCAR will be put in separate addons, and no one will be compelled to download them if he/she hasn't use for them. Or he can download only those that interest him. The compulsory download will be, of course, the MCAR engine pbo: just about 100kb in size.
All necessary functions are grouped (as string) in a stringtable.csv file in the MCAR engine pbo. The functions are accessed by the scripts, these in a separate subdirectory, with a little more elaborated call command. Calling functions from inside another function coded as a string in stringtable.csv is also possible (it actually works and has been tested).
All scripts will be customizable, some more some less. This will allow the addon maker to use his own missile models and different parameters as missile's max speed, acceleration and so on.
These parameter will be stored themselves in a stringtable.csv file in the addon pbo. Since these parameters will be named in a unique way for each kind of vehicle, there cannot be any confusion if more than one kind of MCAR vehicle is in the game, at the same time. Of course the scripts and functions in the MCAR engine can reference univocally to these parameters (this has been tested and works).
We will provide some templates to help addon makers compile their own stringtable.csv files, that is we'll provide some stringtable.csv file to be insterted in the addon pbo with the necessary variables for the selected guidance code script.
Also, it will be possible for the addon maker to use his own guidance code if he wishes, and he can use the MCAR engine functions to evitate to code some new doing the same work.
One thing required is to use the custom 'mcar_logic' gamelogics, but this is done automatically by putting a certain function in the init EH of the unit, to properly initialize the engine. To be more clear:
...
class eventHandlers
{
init = "[_this select 0] call (localize ""MCAR_createProxyAT"");";
...
Of course the init EH can contain other reference to some other initialization scripts the addon maker needs to add, for example for starting custom animation on the vehicle, etc.
The fired EH will contain a reference to the script to be started when the unit fire, of course, being a custom one or another already present in the MCAR engine.
The MCAR engine can be updated, without the need to update all the MCAR addons already released. This will allow to integrate new scripts and functions, but to remain user friendly without the fear any new version of the MCAR engine can ruin the working of older MCAR addons.
If possible, that is it there's time, a complete manual will be released.
All the addon makers interested (or any people interested, btw) can leave their suggestion/critics here below, to help us develop the engine as friendly as it can be.