I always wondered whether there were any possibilities in transforming the airbase 3dz files. These turn out to be very dissimilar to the aircraft 3dz files. Essentially they are built up from sections of the airbase layout, each section calling a different skin file. Unlike a plane 3dz, an airbase 3dz can call a number of different skin files.

This however makes it possible to remove the parts you don't want.

I started with RAF Hawkinge, because I love the place.

Firstly substituted the default Hawkinge with airbase 3dz no.6 with the single long runway, and one long continuous segment skinned by one file. Then removed anything not relating to that section of the runway, and killed off any other parts of the base skinned by the same file.

This left one rectangular section of runway visible, including the section where the aircraft park for take off.

The next job was to skin this in some way to look like a carrier. I scanned a plan view of the WWII USS Independence (the only relevant plan view I could lay my hands on staright away). The next trick was to compensate for the fact that the rectangular section is being skinned by a square skin file. I therefore compressed the long rectangular scan into the usual square skin shape such that when the skin was applied to the rectangular area, the shape would assume more or less proper proportions. This worked more or less okay and I had a plan view of a carrier visible on the blue pacific ocean terrain.

Next the Tmods. I thought the position of these had be controlled by one of the DAT files, and it would be useful to move the control tower so that it formed the superstructure of the carrier, replace some of the mods (say the hangars) with the destroyer and cargo ship files to represent the carrier group and the fleet train. The remainder of the mods can be hidden by the various ways already available. I tried changing them into very small ordnance items (snallest bomb) skinned in the colour of the sea, therefore invisible unless up very close indeed.

Succesfully broke into tardata.dat. This dat file is organised as 3,826 records, one for every target mod in the sim, each record 32 bytes long. They are all in groups apparently relating to the general target names (airbases or towns) which are listed in targets.str and the 302 x 32 byte records in targets.dat

The group of records relating to Hawkinge is at offset 17784(h). These records all have the code "5E". Each record relates to one mod. It identies the number of the mod 3dz file, and has a number of sets of coordinates which control the position of the mod on the airbase, and the orientation, and some other stuff I couldn't fathom.

The first record in an airbase group relates to the airbase itself, with the unused mod file number 05. Take this out and you start a mission apparently underground! Tardata.dat doesn't control the locations of the airbases, only the mods on the base (or in the towns).

Punching in some alternative numbers I managed to move the control tower to the approximate place of the carrier superstructure and turn it round the right way. I killed of the mods I didn't want by zeroing off the appropriate records in tardata.dat. I changed the hangars into destroyers and the HQ into a cargo ship by changing filenames. I then had a rough and ready bash at enlarging the control tower shape in the 3d editor.

So there we have one carrier group. Rough and ready for more work by those who are better at skinning and 3d editing than I am.

Corsairs lined up on deck:

Devastators take off:

Davastator passes by:

Back on the deck after safe landing:

>>>>Current problems (there's always some):

Although the deck is just about long enough to take off from, it isn't long enough for the AI aircraft to land on, although human pilots can do it with low enough speeds and good use of landing breaks. No obvious way to mock up arrester wires, unless anyone else has any ideas

>>>>Further development

The airbase flak gun mods could be relocated on the carrier gun turrets. Need a turret shape however.

Someone skilled at 3d editing and skinning could probably make convincing superstructures of various shapes; the radar tower mod could be brought in etc

different carrier shapes could be created for each of the airbase 3dz files

If we can get a better understanding of the airbase 3dz files, we may be able to make use of the panels to each side of the "deck"

It must be possible to find the table that controls the location of the airbases, whether in the dat files or the main exe. Then we can move these things about. Haven't yet figured out what the numbers are in targets.dat, but I wonder if they do this.

>>>>Anyone interested, please shout and I'll let you have the files to muck around with

Now, I've got some loadouts to do.

Moggy

One point...on arrestor wires. I beleive there is a setting within planes.dat that relates to braking power. That should be resetable to a low number which would give you quick stop. I'm at work right now, but I try to find my notes on this and re-post later.

Keep up the good work!!!!!

That is great news!!! I cant wait to see how it develops. Thanks for the hard work. Question though? Dont the aircraft on the right side of the runway crash into the tower on takeoff?? It looks they would.

From Charles Gunst's Notes on EAW Editing

On page 11, where Charles talks about the *.FLT files:,

Landing Gear Data
35c Float height ( I assume he means height of landing gear)
360 float pitch (followed by string of settings for different planes)
364 (3 floats: max, min, rate)

Max, min and rate, this could be braking power? If that's the case, then make a small change to the flight models of all carrier based aircraft and presto, you have a tailhook!

Hope this helps.

All the best and good luck,

Lex Morton AKA BAzookaJock

quote:

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Originally posted by Storm:
Moggy,

That is great news!!! I cant wait to see how it develops. Thanks for the hard work. Question though? Dont the aircraft on the right side of the runway crash into the tower on takeoff?? It looks they would.

Storm

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First time I got the superstructure exactly where I wanted it, this did happen. I invented some new words! I've had to offset the mod a bit more than I would like to prevent this happening.

Interesting stuff about the brakes. I'll check it out.

Where can I get it ??????

Woolf--

quote:

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Good Job, Moggy

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What do you mean good job!! MARVELOUS!! BLOODY MARVELOUS!!

Too bad I won't be able to play with it, though (even with the old 427 hooked up, I'm not sure how the (even older) 486 would run EAW )

Ajax heads to a remote place in his backyard, and, between two shrines marked "Sir Charles" and "Woolfman", drops a large chunk of soap and begins to carve out Moggy's likeness.

S!

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-Ajax out

quote:

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The first record in an airbase group relates to the airbase itself, with the unused mod file number 05. Take this out and
you start a mission apparently underground!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sulla:
Can you sink it???

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I haven't tried, but I suspect if you crash a couple of Zeros into it it might make a bit of a mess. The tower goes up in flames quite well, with its occupants running for cover. I haven't edited the damaged tower file though, yet!

Thanks to all for the positive response to this. It seemed crazy to start with.

I'll pick up on the ideas thrown in. The question of raising it above the level of the ocean had occured, having fallen through the ground after deleting the base record. I was hoping to find in the tardata.dat file something that controlled the height of the mods (and the airbase is many purposes another mod). There are some numbers I don't understand. Some file must hold the height of the terrain above sea level.

If we can mock up some funnels and put them in place (using Tmod file names) and crack the smoke sprite there's another possibility.

I'll try punching some of the brake numbers in the flight models to see if we can get the wingmen down safely!

Thanks to all,

I had another bash at the tower, made it thinner and longer, and (very) broadly like the Yorktown superstructure.

Now for some breakfast.

and I sent him the files a few minutes ago.

In the readme I put this:

"I had in mind producing something like a Coral Sea/Midway "blue water" type scenario.

Having broken into tardata.dat and targets.dat it is possible to move/remove airbases, towns and all associated targetable mods.

We could produce a cleaned up pacific map which has (for example) just 10 airbases left, in appropriate positions. As there are 10 airbase files, all could be different US, Japanese, (and British Task Force 57!) carriers. There would be plenty of single mission possibilities here. I don't know what could be done with a campaign."

It seems clear to me that the EAW engine maps out locations of everything by numbers, not graphics. It's been demonstrated that the map graphics (ie, the map you see when you're selecting bases, targets, etc.) isn't linked in any way to the locations, it's just a background, so changing the map is just a cosmetic exercise. The trick is changing the mapping locations in the game itself, and changing it in the interface...

Man, I wish I could understand this programming/editing stuff... Graphics I can handle, but the heady bits, I must leave to you geniuses with a head for logic!

Speaking of radiotxt.str-anybody notice the "Dive Brakes" entry? Intriguing

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-Ajax out

Wonderful work man, that's too much, step by step we are returning to PAW feeling
I LOOOOVE THIS

Anyway, thanks for all, this work is mervellous and incredible

quote:

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Originally posted by Seigfreid75:
Great Job... Ark Royal in the Med. would be very cool.

This is an idea I have been toying with,
Place a 3dz/tpc object (ie Mod airfield) at a certain coordinate. For example at (-2576,+1228) have Lonbon Bridge crossing the Thames! Or the Tour Eiffel in downtown Paris.
An Idea that I will continue to work on in light of these developments!

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I'm sure this is possible Seigfried. I've put with the carrier download package a note on what I've found out about the target location files. It might be of interest to you.

Jycceboy

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You know you've landed with the wheels up when it takes full power to taxi.

HOLY HOPPING SNOT!!

or better still,

Seigfreid75@hotmail.com

I was just looking at your notes, It confirms my suspiscion that TARDATA.dat is the subordinate to TARGETS.dat. This, theoretically would allow a city, ie PARIS in TARGETS.dat to placed with a structure found in TARDATA.dat, This is how Ia have bee tinkering, I manged to get a bridge across a river, but the orientation is not corret, I'll keep on it. Oh, by the way what program do you use to read the .dat files ? I just want to make sure I am using the correct program.
Thanks again

quote:

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Originally posted by Seigfreid75:
I was just looking at your notes, It confirms my suspiscion that TARDATA.dat is the subordinate to TARGETS.dat.

Oh, by the way what program do you use to read the .dat files ? I just want to make sure I am using the correct program.
Thanks again

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Yes - Targets.dat puts down the big markers on the grid system across the whole EAW world. These "big markers" are named in targets.str and are what appear on the map when you choose "home bases" etc for single missions. Tardata.dat then maps out where the target mods (airbases, buildings etc) will be in relation to that marker.

I use AXE, a freely available hex editor with some useful things like hex bookmarks. Very useful for doing loadouts.

To change the subject, anyone got any good scans of colour drawings of plan deck views of the USSs Enterprise and Hornet, and the Japanese carriers Akagi and Soryu. Kaga and Hiryu I've got.

Moggy