Il2 Mission Utility

[eszyman]

IL-2 Mission Utility — how it works

What it is: a program that is designed to help with generating IL-2 .Group files and multiplayer mission building.  This is a utility designed to be used with the mission editor.  The utility allows for simple creating of template unit groups, combining multiple random static units, or a simple fighter "packs" based on checkzone MCUs.  It also features a map mode which can help with quickly establishing a usable map.  You still have to have knowledge and use the editor, this app is just designed to take a lot of the tedious work out of setting some things up.

Right now there are 6 tabs, created for specific tasks that I needed to quickly create a mission.  Each one does one job, and some help each other:

1. Fighter Pack — airplane spawners

1. Pick your planes (from the Korea fighters), how many flights, skill levels, and which side (USSR / DPRK / PRC / USA).
2. Hit Generate. The tool copies the group as many times as you need and parks them on the map in a tidy grid (or at spots you choose).
3. The copies are wired so they take turns spawning instead of all dumping into the air at once.
4. Export → one .Group file. Drop it into your mission, move the groups to where you would like them to spawn and along with their their RTB waypoint, done.

2. Exclusive Activation — several plans, only one fires

1. Load any group that has checkzone trigger plans (e.g. three different bomber attack routes that have been pre-designed in the mission editor).
2. The tool copies each plan onto the map and links them together so only one can trigger at a time.
3. Export → one file containing all the plans, but just one will activate based on the checkzone mcu.
4. For best results in making your group compliant with this mode, use the template mode as a starting point.

3. Army Generator — tanks, guns, trucks, trains, ships

1. Pick your predefined ground unit templates (armor, ships, artillery, supply, trains).
2. Set how many copies of each and what % chance each type shows up or choose to use all of them.
3. Generate → the copies are parked on the map in a group and the randomizer decides which ones actually spawn at the time of mission load.

4. Map — full scenario base map helper

1. Pick a date from the Korea timeline (e.g. mid-July 1950).
2. Pick your area of operations on the map.
3. Use the Map Tools to draw a front line on the map (must be done from left to right), define salients, and place attack arrows.
   This automatically defines areas of influence, adds a front line onto the map, and makes those nice arrows.
4. Load fighters as defined in the fighter pack section automatically (no need to import the group)
5. Define areas of interest using objective markers to define ground unit targets.
6. Load saved groups or place them in directly from what is setup in via Army Generator.
7. Trains and single column convoys with waypoints will automatically snap to road and railways. 
8. Ground groups automatically place near the front line and units with a 'attackarea' mcu (with attack ground selected) will point towards objectives
9. Ships will automatically be placed in the water. 
10. Drag unit markers and waypoints around to your liking on the map directly to change the placement.
11. Load reference groups to import scenery blocks or specific airbases.  The AO box will automatically clip out the areas not in the zone with a 10km buffer. 
12. Export → a base-map .group file with a defined front and reference units. Drop the group into the editor and build your mission on top of it.

5. Template Builder — make your own unit group assign it orders

1. Pick a unit type (plane / tank / train / ship) and set it up: seats, orders, waypoints, trigger distance.
2. It generates one self-contained group: when units get close it triggers, spawns them, sends them on their orders, and cleans up after itself on zone out.
3. Note: This mode doesn't place the group on the map for you — import it in the mission editor (or feed it into one of the other modes).
4. Export → one template .Group you can reuse as you see fit.

This mode was initially designed to take the work out of creating the flip-flop check zone logic, but it has evolved into a fairly nice way to assign orders in a logical tree like format.  (for example, formation -> waypoint -> attack -> mission complete).

6. Airfield — make a single-player airfield multiplayer-ready

1. Load an SP airfield group (for example, make a group of the airfield of choice from the _gen.mission file from the task editor mode).
2. A summary shows what was found and removed (the player plane and all the single-player-only stuff, and fixes the coalition settings).
3. Export → a clean airfield, ready for MP missions. Position stays exactly where it was ready to be used in the map mode.
   You will need to set the location and plane type in the mission editor, but the difficult work of removing the unneeded clutter is done for you.

"Which tab do I actually want?"

• Need airplane spawners? → Fighter Pack
• Several detailed mission plan templates, but want only one to fire at a time due to limited server resources? → Exclusive
• Want a lot of tanks, guns, trains with the possibility of random spawns? → Army Generator
• Full map with a dated front line, unit placement, or quick setup? → Map
• Building a brand-new unit group and can't remember check zone toggle logic? → Template Builder
• Converting a cluttered SP airfield for use in multiplayer? → Airfield

If anyone uses this, please report bugs (or feature requests) here.
I have done my best to test this, but I am sure there are a lot of ways to break it.
I have tired to follow best practices, based on my own experiences, but if anyone can point out a better way to make groups or better templates please don't hesitate to speak up.

Latest Github release here: https://github.com/eszyman/IL2MissionUtility/releases/

[eszyman]

Quick video showing off template mode
 

https://youtu.be/qWGynDiH5NE

Edited September 13 by eszyman

[eszyman]

Video demoing the Army Generator and Map modes for the utility:

 

[eszyman]

Update pending here for V0.3
I've added support for infantry to the template, army generator, and map modes.
This should set us up nicely for bulk infantry to be placed, which I personally will need for corsair runs!
Also updated the map mode to "aim" units automatically at the front line when objectives do not exist, along with Waypoint and AttackArea MCUs.

[eszyman]

Skipped V0.4 and now V0.5 Alpha is out on github which allows loading previously created templates, some minor improvements to that feature, and loading previous map groups.  Also I have reworked the fighter pack which now resembles more of what the template mode produces, and this feature will be tested tomorrow (9/22) on broken props at about 6pm EST.

[eszyman]

Just wanted to thank everyone who came out last Tuesday to fly on BrokenProps, both missions worked well enough, but you could tell I was working on "The Push" well past my bed time.  Working on some more improvements to the utility to try and help more for past bed time mission creation so more to come soon.

Here's to the damage model in Korea, lost my wing over K-49, but managed to bring it back to Seoul! 
To the virtual crew chiefs out there I say, "Hey 3 Wheels down, this is exactly the condition it was in when I took off!  It's perfectly flyable!"

[eszyman]

One of the issues we had with "The Push" was that some units were clearly spawning / activating "under ground."  Even with the pin to ground feature sometime the mission editor forgets to properly pin pasted units.  This will be corrected in this release, as the entire Korean map has been probed to obtain height data for use in the utility!  This was an absolutely crazy task that was made possible through a custom macro and helper application to combine data sets.

[eszyman]

We played "The Push" again last night and finally had a good test of the new fighter pack settings.  There was plenty of action.  For me, with the new 1.004 patch, this was really a treat especially for a mission that took less then 20 min to put together.  With results this encouraging, more updates to the editor and 'how to' videos to come!