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[agracier]

Is there such a thing at all? If it is, what's the exact figure? Is it a button limit or air.ini text limit?

I don't know if anyone has ever calculated how the limit is reached. It does not come down to the number of new planes added, nor to the number of new vehicles added or even to the number of mods added. It does have to do with the classfiles or java files (so i gather), those odd numbered files without suffixes that are contained in mod folders. The more of those, the faster you approach the limit.

For instance, the Plutonium Effects mod has almost 80 while other plane mods can have as few as 3 or 5 ...

There is no way to set a limit, cause one mod can pass the limit by a lot, while maybe 5 or 6 other mods will not get you there. It all depends on what you have installed.

Once you start getting crashes while starting up a mission (NOT the game, but a mission) then you can take that as a sign you had better start to cull your mos folder.

[Benelli]

EDIT: I started an explanation topic if we want go further on the subject. Hope it will help.
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,21101.msg228855.html#new

Memory limit==> I repost here my post I wrote for another topic (Hs-123 411 mod).

As I learned by my direct experience and by the teaching of modders more experienced than me, the so called "plane limit" is, in reality, a memory limit caused by the number of classfiles loaded by the game (the same number of classfiles that influence the starting loading time of the whole game).

Said that, all mods that add classfiles in the MODS folder (not only planes, but also vehicles, effects, etc etc etc...) can lead to exceed the memory limit.

We usually talk about "plane number limit" because, instead of removing/disabling visual-structural-effects mod, it's easier (and got more sense) to "disable" a plane putting // in front of the plane line in the air.ini file (without the entry line, the game will not load classfiles for that plane). This also give you the "solution" for this "problem": you don't have to delete mod folders, you can mantain all your effects and structural mods, and create different themed air.ini files (by now I have 7 air.ini, characterized by containing planes of a specific period or theatre of war) that you can choose before starting the game. This also give you a little more speed in game starting time (at least I think).

Just an observation: disabling a plane does not works exactly like "remove a plane and add a plane": the mod weight is essentially given by the number of classfiles (and, if we go further in analysis, the dimension of the classfile).
So, for example, a mod with 6 classfiles and 4 air.ini entries could be lighter than a mod with 1 air.ini entry and 14 classfiles, and consequently disabling many "light" planes could not prevent from a memory error when you add a "heavy plane".
This is useful to keep in mind when you will split your air.ini in many little "themed air.ini".
Hope this will help, I tried to be as clearer as I can with my poor english.

[cgagan]

Many thanks, Benelli, this will (unfortunately) prove very useful from now on!

[agracier]

This is useful to keep in mind when you will split your air.ini in many little "themed air.ini".

I've read that a number of members here split their air.ini in a number of themes or theaters of operations. Which is a good way of keeping the number of plane mods to an acceptable level. It is a straightforward method.

But I have also read that classfiles will be read anyway for a particular plane, if there is a stationary plane of the same name.

So, my question is, when you make separate air.ini's, do you also make corresponding separate staionary.ini's to accompany the air.ini files?

[redfox]

That's what I'm doing at the moment agracier. Creating separate air.inis for different theatres of operations and when I remove an a/c from an air.ini I have been removing the corresponding a/c from the stationary.ini. Therefore as you mentioned both separate air and stationary inis for each theatre loaded in DBW via JSGME.

Early days yet but seem to getting more modded a/c in than I would dare otherwise...

Cheers - Redfox

[agracier]

That's what I'm doing at the moment agracier. Creating separate air.inis for different theatres of operations and when I remove an a/c from an air.ini I have been removing the corresponding a/c from the stationary.ini. Therefore as you mentioned both separate air and stationary inis for each theatre loaded in DBW via JSGME.

About loading air.ini in jsgme. How does that work?

What I do is keep different versions of the air.ini handy, and then rename one of them into air.ini whenever I wish to load a particular one ...

[redfox]

The one I'm working on at the moment is a Pre-War air.ini and the folder that's dropped into jsgme is called #DBW_PreWar the full path for the inis are:-

#DBW_PreWar/#DBW/STD/com/maddox/il2/objects/air.ini

and

#DBW_PreWar/#DBW/STD/com/maddox/il2/objects/stationary.ini

and any new or additional a/c folders required are dropped in the #DBW_PreWar/#DBW folder next to the STD folder.

Using it via jsgme I can switch between the normal air and stationary inis and the new ones easily.

Cheers - Redfox

[Mangas]

Summarizing all the said above, I wonder is it possible to make a switcher -- like ModAct Options switcher -- for that?
I don't mean the different instances of the game  -- just one with the ability to load, let's say, "Early War" or "Late War" or "JetEra" objects?
Or, for example, PTO or ETO stuff?

[Radoye]

At this point it might be even worth getting deep into the core game engine code itself. A frighteningly huge and complex task, but possibly the only way forward.

I have next to none experience with Java but i did dabble with C/C++ which is sufficiently similar, what i suspect is the issue here is that originally when the engine was designed 10+ years ago nobody suspected it will be stretched this far. The programmers set a reasonable limit on the max number of classes being loaded based on the availabe technology at the time (what a top line PC would be able to crunch) as well as on their own plans for the game which they probably didn't even dream would be still around in 10 years time.

Basically you'd load your "objects" into an array-like structure with a pre-defined size which is initialized on game load. The size of this array (or whatever type of data structure they actually use) would determine how much total "memory" is there available for all objects to load. Once the maximum number is reached the following objects won't load, and if you're unlucky that scenario you're trying to fly needs exactly these you get a crash due to object not found error.

If one could locate the initializing routine for all these structures that hold all objects and other goodies, it would be then possible to change their allocated size (instead of say 1024 to 2048 or even more, as much as modern hardware is able to cope with) thus enabling the game to be further expanded without the need to have separate installs for different time periods or enabling/disabling multiple ini and properties files through JSGME each time you play the game.

It has been done before by modders of some other old games which exceeded their initial design parameters using similar techniques, most likely it would be possible to do the same for Il-2 too, at least in theory. But i cannot even begin to describe how difficult this would be to do without the source code with a code base of this size and this complex.

And modders are human too and have their own lives to live, they don't get paid for their modding work but do it on their own time. So i wouldn't hold my breath someone will volunteer to tackle this issue anytime soon...

[agracier]

But you have explained it in a manner that I can understand ... for which my thanks.

[Paulo Hirth]

 I notice IK-3 is a agile oponent, need be hits like a P-47, and dont show real damage on wings.
 Maybe SAS can fix this and do the cockpit.

[Hound Dog]

We would like to fly on this plane, once it is included in 4.11
 Maybe somebody will be able to tie him to the cabin?

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   Sorry for my English. I use elektornnym translator.