European Air War - The Gen

I have now managed to get separate right and left wing prop control in the new hires B17, in both external view and internal cockpit view.

In the external view I did by arranging matters in the exe so that the B17 could use more of the spare transparency channels from the unused Bf110 slots. The B17 main wing files are therefore able to have their own transparency skins. I put the original prop mechanics back into the hires wing models, and they now get their skins abd transparencies from Psp2aE.tpc/Psp2aEtr.tpc and Psp2aG.tpc/Psp2aGtr.tpc files. A point p.3dz suppresses the code 10 prop hardpoint still in the model.

There is a new B17 zip file in the Midway aircraft folder which includes all necessary files incluing the new FM, and the updated version of Midway.exe which is the only exe at the moment which will support the transparencies.

Before loading the new B17 files, remove any previous sp2a slot 3dz and skinfiles.

On Manual take-off now it is necessary to start the engines on both port and starboard wings.

Please give it a whirl. Also be interested to see if anyone can actually hit any of those Japanese ships using Pobs' bomb sight.

Hooray! Er, sir.

Give it a run Woody, I want to see if anyone can hit anything with that bobmb sight.

Sorry, Moggy. Just had a computer disaster of my own.
My neighbor said he was also "into" 3D animation when I told him about the use of 3D in the game. He offered to let me use a very expensive 3d program he had. Hoping it might work better than 3DZ! Studio, I gratefully accepted. Fool that I am, I didn't check the CD carefully first.
When I tried to copy it, the whole system hung. Windows gone. Everything bollixed. Obviously this "malware" intended to protect its company investment.
I'm now operating off a spare 1 gig hard drive after two days of horror and frustration.
Still hoping to save my 60gig drive without reformatting and losing much of EAW. But it just WILL NOT re-install Windows.
I ran onto some insightful expert comments about WIN 98 I intended to pass on to you. Can't find them right now. Basically, it said Win 98 has trouble handling large numbers of files. It's responses include exactly the symptoms I was having with only a few thousand files--well, maybe more than a few--like being unable to shut down properly.
This may be of keen interest to you.
I don't like Win XP, though I have it.
The solution may be to do what I'm doing--use '98 off another drive and put the main materials on a "D:" drive or suchlike.
If I can get all back into some kind of order (at least I'm on-line), I'll try out the B-17. Congrats on straightening it up.
---W

Yikes - sounds horrendous. I wish the best of luck in sorting it out.

Basically 3dz file are only editable in EAW's own 3dz studio, it being a propritary format of Microprose as was.

I'm still hovering around updating the W98SE. Enough computer problems at the moment without creating a whole host more!

It looks like I saved the big drive--had to rip out ALL Windows files before a new Win98 install could take place, meaning much was lost and has to be re-installed. Time for a clean-out anyway
Temptation to go to XP is strong, but I'm resisting.

I suggest you download the "latest" 98 update from MickeySoft. If your system is functioning, go ahead with the "hot" re-install. Mine went fine--but I now believe I was pushing '98 to the limit. Then do the update.

Of course, there's the old saying, "if it ain't broke...don't fix it." Mine broke.
And now you tell me there's no way to use another 3d program

In a day or three the tide will turn, so it won't hurt to wait.

Well, I'm off to re-install FTP and try out that bomber of yours--maybe tomorrow.
---W

A number of people have tried to convert EAW 3dz between the more common 3d modelling formats, but I don't think anyone got good results. Might be worth raising it at SimHQ. At the moment we have Allessandro's 3DZ studio, a mammoth achievement in its time, and Gurney (I think) has been long time working on a windows version, but is constantly frustrated by getting something to work with the rendering sequence - see the BSP thread at SimHQ.

I'll check out the W98 stuff. The only reason for updating is that BT tells me the minimum OS its broadband will work with is W98SE.

Be grateful to have a report on the B17. The mod is very much more user friendly than in the original Midway version.

I'll try and check out your sound files ASAP. I'm playing around with some actual B17 engine sound files which I might try to make swapable for B17 missions.

Cancel that upgrade search. The update on the upgrade is that there isn't any of real value I could find at the MS site. Could swear I downloaded one last year. Will be looking through my stuff anyway, so if I run into it...

After all-night browsing through other private sites about Windows, I'm glad I haven't given in to XP. Many, many complaints. Especially over its nosy habit of requiring users to "notify" MickeyMouseSoft if they make significant hardware changes. Win2000 got thumbs-up.

Couple of interesting downloads. Will test when I have time--after doing your B-17, of course.
--W

Rgr

Sorry to say all results did not meet expectations, sir.
1. First tried the simple addition of new FM (two files)
--While instruments were correct, B-17 still had four-engine start.
2. Removed all psp2a slots and replaced them with your mod from FTP, as well as another copy of FM.
---No change. Will double-check that I have the right mod from FTP.
---Aircraft speeds still slightly low, though speeds pick up after bomb dump.
---Rebel Flight now waits about five minutes before dumping bombloads and RTB.
---At full throttle, found an instance where lead B-17 topped 300 mph. Helluvan aircraft.

HOWEVER---
---There is good news on the "bombardier slot" (note: for some reason the JPG image doesn't show the two ships in the target "yellow-red" area--I tried twice, but I'm leaving this here anyway)


It's very tricky, but it can be done:



That's the Jap carrier burning in the background. Rather proud of myself carrying on manfully with a crippled operating system --to say nothing of having to work out a new FTP program.
IT'S JUST A FLESH WOUND, SIR!
until I escaped my captors and got back to base to read my debreifing evaluation:



Whadda ya mean, TERRIBLE!

Two unsolicited observations and questions:
1. Have you thought of combining "Sighted Main Body" with Carrier Air War? It's a natural combination with plenty of variety for the flier. The Midway missions would come first, of course.

2. There's a Norden Bomb Sight in the old SWOTL program. It's much more realistic and attractive than a hole in the floor. I'll try a screenshot and maybe even a "mod" of it and send it along for Capt. Kurt and your consideration.
---Wudpecker

That was POB's bombing window, not Capt. Kurt's. Sorry for the error, Pobs.

Double check you got the right file from FTP Woody - "MidwayB17E-hires-beta-2.zip" this should replace all existing B17 model and skin files, cockpit, flight model, and Midway.exe files. Using them it should be be impossible to start all four engines at once!

The speed problem I haven't yet tackled.

Any bombsight replacement has to be a view you can access from that pilot's cockpit position. Unfortunately we haven't yet devised a way of switching to an alternative bomb aimers view (be nice to be able to pursuade the game code to do that!).

Midway will benefit from CAW, in that we will at last have proper 3d carriers, but the two will remain separate as CAW will be campaign based whereas Midway is historical single missions - and indeed from an earlier period.

"Terrible" ?? Looks like HQ has been infiltrated by ebemy agents

HOLD IT! HOLD IT!

I've found the problem.
It's my fault, sir.
In order to keep this old sim flying and into battle (as well as more than a few sightseeing tours to check my work), I've cobbled too many parts together in one scenario. There's a Rolls Royce Merlin in one wing, an Allison in another, and God knows how many hidden switches.

In desperation to get your aircraft flying properly, sir, I went all the way back to visit that canny old pilot, Black Adder. You will recall you introduced me to him some time back. I was quite dissatisfied with the aircraft views he put together and began inserting my own "mods" taken from various sites, new, used and dare I say it, junk.
However, by flying the whole thing just the way he made it, and inserting your new aircraft into the "pristine" version as directed....
IT WORKS!





So, Moggy, you were right all along.

P.S.--About that Norden Bomb Sight. I think I know a way (about on a level with my cobbling together aircraft and Windows programs) to use it. Sadly, three screenshot programs have failed to break through the dos-based SWOTL program. Still looking.
---Wudpecker

BTW-- I should mention that airspeeds now seem within reasonable levels--160 to 170 mph after take-off, and just over 210 when approaching target. At least in the Black Adder download.

Other observations I've been meaning to recount:

---Nice transparent B-17 aircraft shadows.
Wish that EAW had more intense "sunlight" shadows, since they
make a vast difference in believability. Any hope?

---Beautiful moon. Stars should NOT be random, however.

---Do all props on a B-17 rotate the same direction? Don't think so.

---Discovered the Dauntless has "night cockpit lights" and a tiny "running light" for early dawn missions. This pallette color could be used with advantage on other aircraft.

--Excellent Midway-era matching camouflage on B-17 wingviews (not yet on skin)

Okay, back to the spare parts pile.
---W

Good stuff.

The "light panels" on the Dauntless models are interesting - it was from another PAW model, the Wildcat that I first got the "luminous" colours to make i.e. the navigation lights.

I'm hoping Kurt can do a skin similar to that shown on the Midway sequence.

Good to hear that speeds are more or less right.

Prop directions - what should they be?