Special Aircraft Service

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 ... 13   Go Down

Author Topic: UQMG 1946 Max - Development Log & Updates (7 Apr 2024 - Update 2)  (Read 10676 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

UberDemon

  • UberDemon/danzigzag
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1451

Greetings mates.  For those of you familiar with the UberQuick Mission Generator (UQMG) I developed starting over 20 years ago, well, I have put a lot of thought as to what I would like to do next.  Let’s face it, VB6.0 will eventually just die, and it is an antiquated interface.  It would cost a couple of thousand pounds to convert (I had a company specializing in that kind of work give me a quote), because there is so much in the code.  It is complex and I hate how I made it so draconian to create templates, and make updates… at least when there is such a huge modding community.

Back in 2013 I tried to write a new, more streamlined version of UQMG, but I went through so many professional life changes and moves that it just died.  That was in VB2010.NET, one of the first versions to be (finally) released for free to Hobbyists, students and Individual developers.  It lacked some of the sophisticated elements of an enterprise version, but still, pretty darn good.  Although I have programmed in Assembly, Fortran, every version of C/C++ and Java, VB was just something fun to use especially for developing modding tools.

I made some progress porting that version to the newer versions of VB, currently the VB2022 Community Edition, but it is limited in .NET support because of how I wrote it.  Moreover, I felt victim of “making it pretty”, so because it has so many controls, it behaves like a beast with over-a-thousand aircraft in multiple controllers it is super slow.  So, I decided to jump with both heads and feet into a new project.

The good thing is that the work I used in the UQCT (UberQuick Conversion Tool) which allowed UQMG to be compatible with BAT WAW 4.1, will be used in my new project.  Basically I want to use as much of the work from SAS to make updating a little easier.  Even updating UQCT is hard because I keep on running into problems converting everything to the old UQMG classic format.  Forget ever being able to create new map templates.  It is too complex and crazy because of how I developed it.

So, well… TADA…, this is the first concept of the new UQMG I’ll be working on…  UQMG 1946 Max is the name.  I have been doing a lot of discovery with some of the more modern features of IL-2 BAT so that I can start writing a program that can capitalize on the newer features.  It will be hard; it will take time, but… I am in a point of my life (having retired from at least one of my careers), that I want to get back into the fray… not in an obsessive manner, just for fun.  I already started taking creating documents with my plans, so that is good-ish.  And I am working in native VB2022.NET.  Dot Net is great because for the most part, you can write applications which pretty much work the same because they all use the same compilation engine… so C# and VB produce similar results… again, for the most part.



I know this does not look too impressive, but my concept is that I will have multiple forms to do the work, and I want to avoid the program working as slow as some of my other failed attempts.

Here are some basics:
  • In the main Flight Interface, you will have a summary of the mission features (more to come, including reference)
    Total Number of Flights per Team:  In general 4, with the capability for 8 unique flights per team, so 8 different types of planes per team… which is not too bad
  • Clone Engine to make copies… so even though you have the potential for 8 unique flights for each team, in truth you could have hundreds or thousands of planes
  • My plan is to include advanced features, such as a Taxiing to takeoff.  I am still thinking of how my mission templates will fit that, but that is part of the challenge
  • Advanced datasets (for time based scenarios)
  • Same concept as UQMG classic, when you generate a mission, 3 versions will be made, one of SP, one for DF and one for Coop
  • A new concept in Composite flights:
  • This UQMG will no longer have the special flights as pre-sets… takes way too long to setup.  Instead, there will be a relationship between flights in each team.  1 to C1, 2 to C2, 3 to C3, and 4 to C4.  You can setup the type of behavior between those flights.
  • This is how you can have up to 8 unique flights in each team.  If you do not use any composite combinations, you can have two separate flights which have unique planes and have a sort of relationship, for example, two flights with different planes like Bf-109G-2 and Ju-87D-3s who are flying together… you can even have the 109s escorting the Stukas… AND, with Cloning… you could have larges formations… say 9 Stukas (3x3) being escorted by 8 109s (4x2)… using only two of your 8 total flights in the team.  By escorting, I mean that would be a mission parameter, not just flying close by.  But you could also have, say, a combination of Bf-109s and Fw-190, for exemple, or P-51s escorting B-17s, all this would be done very quickly when creating a mission.
  • For Composite Flights, you will be able to setup behavior to allow features such as:  Historical Ace flights with only one Ace, Tug+Glider, V-1 and Baka Carriers, ZVENO, Flying from Dirigibles, Refueling, and setting up Clones/copies

Don’t get me wrong, programming all this is hard, but that is the plan, slow and steady

Well, this is it.  Hopefully this will work out, but it will take a while to develop the engine.  I won’t be able to do much until I successfully create all the Forms to use the Data from IL-2, basically a fully working GUI before I can work the mission creation engine, which will be more complex but better than the original UQMG.
Logged
Best Regards, UberDemon/danzigzag, Get UQMG at SAS BAT Mission area.  www.uberdemon.net no longer exists.  (** Alienware Aurora R7 / i7-8700 3.20GHz / 16GB RAM / Win 10 x64 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 **)

Knochenlutscher

  • Flying Ass Clown #10
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4579
  • aka Segfej
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2023, 02:53:50 AM »

Awesome work, knowing from some of you here
coding, professionally, my R/L Buddy, you get a glimpse
how complex it is. If you have the gutts, time, nerves,
it's awesome and will be for good.
I loved your old Tool by it's time, used it a lot.
It was a cool Tool, did exactly what it was told
and spent lots of precious moments with it.
After all, it was reliable.
Wishing your project the very best, keep it up

Tobias
Logged
Wiseman : "Did you speak the exact words?" Ash : "Look, maybe I didn't say every single little tiny syllable, no. But basically I said them, yeah."

Whiskey_Sierra_972

  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6438
  • In memory of my beloved hero: Saburo SAKAI!
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2023, 02:59:26 AM »

Looking farward to this new version!

Thanks for you work!
Logged

Frankiek

  • SAS Team
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2900
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2023, 07:28:17 AM »

I also use it a lot at the beginning then once modded maps started to come out everyday it become less attractive so great to know that you are still developping the tool.
Logged

UberDemon

  • UberDemon/danzigzag
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1451
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2023, 07:25:47 PM »

I also use it a lot at the beginning then once modded maps started to come out everyday it become less attractive so great to know that you are still developping the tool.

That is exactly one of the reasons I was got frustrated with my own coding.  I want to make creating new maps an easier affair without so many steps.  I would like something more akin to how easy it is to create a new template for QMB Plus.  One map should be able to have infinite variations, so I (and eventually anyone) could create a new template concentrating on an aspect of the map.  Some of the larger maps have many interesting areas of interest... so why not be able to create different templates for different areas of the map?  Of course you can do that for the classic UQMG, except that it takes a year to explain, and another year to create it...

Something else I want to implement is the ability to add aircraft mods.  So if you have the version that works for WAW, and a new beta or finished mod is released, like the E16A1, Swiss EKW C-36, you would be able to add that to UQMG 1946 max on your own following a few steps.  Why not.  There are some interesting mods out there like the driveable tanks and "driveable" PT boat...



Logged
Best Regards, UberDemon/danzigzag, Get UQMG at SAS BAT Mission area.  www.uberdemon.net no longer exists.  (** Alienware Aurora R7 / i7-8700 3.20GHz / 16GB RAM / Win 10 x64 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 **)

raf1659

  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 362
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2023, 03:44:11 AM »

Thanks you !  :)
Logged

UberDemon

  • UberDemon/danzigzag
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1451
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2023, 10:34:00 PM »

Begun work in the Flight editor.  I'll post a pic soon.
Logged
Best Regards, UberDemon/danzigzag, Get UQMG at SAS BAT Mission area.  www.uberdemon.net no longer exists.  (** Alienware Aurora R7 / i7-8700 3.20GHz / 16GB RAM / Win 10 x64 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 **)

UberDemon

  • UberDemon/danzigzag
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1451
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2023, 12:02:51 AM »

Added a couple of parameters...



Getting the features in the Editor going...


Logged
Best Regards, UberDemon/danzigzag, Get UQMG at SAS BAT Mission area.  www.uberdemon.net no longer exists.  (** Alienware Aurora R7 / i7-8700 3.20GHz / 16GB RAM / Win 10 x64 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 **)

PO_MAK_249RIP

  • CMON U SPURS!
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2093
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2023, 01:19:34 AM »

Looks amazing Uber
Logged
Corsair Carbide case, Intel core i5 4690 3.5ghz with Arctic Cooler, Asus Rock H97 performance, MSI Ventus XS OC 1660GTX 6GB DDR6, 32GB Patriot Viper 1600Mhz, 256GB/500GB Crucial SSDs, Windows 10 64bit.

RealDarko

  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2262
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2023, 05:13:08 AM »

So happy to see this post!! Really looking forward to it!
Logged

UberDemon

  • UberDemon/danzigzag
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1451
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #10 on: July 09, 2023, 09:49:55 AM »

Looks amazing Uber

PO_MAK, if you do not mind, I plan to use the pics you made for my classic version in some way... such as:










Plus you get the credit and get to share in the mad profit I will be making.  Zero Pounds/Euro/Dollars.
Logged
Best Regards, UberDemon/danzigzag, Get UQMG at SAS BAT Mission area.  www.uberdemon.net no longer exists.  (** Alienware Aurora R7 / i7-8700 3.20GHz / 16GB RAM / Win 10 x64 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 **)

UberDemon

  • UberDemon/danzigzag
  • Modder
  • member
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1451
Re: UQMG 1946 Max Concept
« Reply #11 on: July 09, 2023, 12:06:42 PM »

Some more Flight Editor GUI work, and also a clearer way to show how the Composite/Combo flights will work.  Keep in mind if you don't build Combo flights, you can have up to 8 distinct flight Groups in each team.





Things you can have:
* Tug + Glider (Fly either depending on non-AI planes)
* Zveno of TBM + I-16s (Fly either)
* Airship + Planes (Fly Either)
* Betty + Baka (Fly either)
* He-111H2 + V1 (Fly either depending on non-AI planes)
* Ar-234B2 + V1 (Fly either depending on non-AI planes)
* Tug plus Banner (US only, fly tug)
* Mistel Flight (fly 109 or 190)
* Docked refueling (fly on either depending on non-AI planes)

Other things you can do...
* Two independent flights flying close by... (any combination... like Bf-109G-2s and F-4s)
* Escort flight (any combination... like P-47s escorting B-17s on bomb run or IAR80s escorting Stukas on ground attack)
* Historical Ace flights (use one flight with one historical flight and one with 1-4 similar planes... escorting or flying close by)
* Combine Ground attackers (like P-38s and P-47s, or Fw-190Gs and Bf-110s)

Y MUCHO MAS!  Pretty much up to your imagination.
Logged
Best Regards, UberDemon/danzigzag, Get UQMG at SAS BAT Mission area.  www.uberdemon.net no longer exists.  (** Alienware Aurora R7 / i7-8700 3.20GHz / 16GB RAM / Win 10 x64 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 **)
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 ... 13   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.045 seconds with 27 queries.