Cluster Bomb Script

[Pilot]

This is a relatively simple to use script to simulate a cluster bomb.  It creates a laser guided bomb at the pos of the specified plane, and once the bomb reaches a predetermined height, 30 shells of a specified type are created around the bomb and the bomb is deleted.  The shells fall to the ground and explode, simulating a cluster bomb.

I have not tested this in mp, so I do not know if it works in mp.

Details on how to use are in the readme.

[penguinman]

sounds very usefull, downloading now

[penguinman]

ok, i tried it, works pretty well, i have just 1 problem with it, the spreading patern is a little to close together, the bombs should be spread out a little moreIMO from what ive seen of gulf war videos.
other than that its perfect, except is the patern suposed to be perfectly square

[Pilot]

the spreading patern is a little to close together

Really?  I thought it was pretty good.

except is the patern suposed to be perfectly square

Yeah, it is pretty square!  I'll see if I can't adjust it so it's a bit more "random".

[Pilot]

Ok, I have increased the spreading pattern, and also added bit more "randomness" to the spreading patter.  I also changed the camera view in the mission to give the viewer a better view of the explosions.

[penguinman]

wow! the script is so neat, i never knew the actual bomblets came out, i thought they were just explosions set on the ground in the right place, i only found this out when i took the player and put him right where the bombs are falling, i think u should  delete the camra script(though it is a very good camra script) and just place the player on that marker that says t1. then make a litttle title text that says "look up, here it comes" save you some work of camra scripting(but i dont know anything about camra scripting so i dont know how hard that was for you to make, it looked hard. how do u make the camra folow the bomb?



 its better this time but when i said spread it out more i dint mean like this

                           
 
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i meant like this
                                       
       

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                                                .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            


lol that took a while                          


i dont know if u need to make a few more bombs, but i think it should look like that IMHO maby a little shorter than what i did.

thats just what it looked like to me when i saw the b-52s on CNN drop those bombs,   OOPS(im an idiot) yours is probably a diffrent kind because i know there are cluster bombs that fighters drop and much bigger ones with parachutes that bombers drop.  

thanks            
                                                           

[Pilot]

lol that took a while

I can imagine!

About the camera script:  No, it wasn't that hard, really.  I have done some camera scripting before, and this was a walk in the park compared to what I have done before.  I actually didn't make the camera follow the bomb, although I probably could with a little bit of tweaking.  When the plane dropped the bomb, I told the camera to take 6 seconds to pan to the target marker, t1.  This gave the effect the camera was targeting the bomb.

About the mission idea:  Hey, I like that! ;D *Looks up just as bomlets start to disperse* :noo:
:beat:

About the script:  I haven't modelled this script after any specific cluster munition.  I looked at your dispersion suggestion, actually counted the dots , and found out there are 102 dots you put down.  Unfortunately, my script only makes 30 clusters, which severely limits the dispersion shape.  Do you think I should increase the number of clusters?  And if yes, how many should I make?  (Please don't say 100! )

[penguinman]

99!    no  j/k


about 50- 70 should do it,



i can imagine how neat it would be in a mission,



using a machine gun to mow down charging enemy infantry,


then an enemy plane flys over head

u see about 100 yds away from you a wall of explosions, wiping out all the other MG nests on the defensive line,

the wall keeps getting closer and closer, slow moving  enough that you can see it aproaching, but to fast for you to get out of the way in time,

sudenly the wall is right next to you and you know your finished,

 BOOM!!!!




check this out
http://www.cursor.org/stories/steelrain.html


talks about the different types of cluster bombs


but those r for bombers and yours is for fighters. so i think about 60 or 70 is perfect.

thanks

[penguinman]

here is the way i think it should be IMO if you wouln't mind,
if you make it so the script does it like that but close up the  gaps in between the clusters,



by the way this script is so cool, i keep finding new ways to aply it in mission,


thanks

[Pilot]

Ok, I read the info.  Footprints from 150 to 450 meters!?  Wow, mine is probably 50 meters at best!

I will probably double the number of bomblets, making the total number of bomblets to be 60.  I will probably make the footpring somewhere between 100 and 150 meters.  But don't forget, the size of the footprint depends on the height of dispersion.  Do you like the ability to choose dispersion height, or would you prefer I took it out?

One question about your test mission, do you want one bomb to disperse bomblets over that area?

here is the way i think it should be IMO if you wouln't mind

No, I don't mind!  Thank you for your suggestions!

[penguinman]

ok,
i think, you should take out ability to chose dispersion height, set it for 75-100, and put in, an abilitty to chose the size of the footprint, or the distance the shells will spread out.

60 bomblets is perfect but change the rate at which they explode, IMO

see, when the main bomb explodes and sends out all the little ones, some of the bomblets fly up and some go down , some go right some left, and some arent propeled in any direction, so insted of,

bang, bang, bang,bang, bang, bang,bang, bang, bang,bang, bang, bang,bang, bang, bang,



it would be

bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bang,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


i hope you see what i mean, just edit it so it sounds right IMO.

i think it should be about 1/3-1/2(one third to one half) of a second between explosions, or for all of them to explode, it should take about 3-6 seconds. but it should be random, 2 could explode at one time, or 1 could explode and then 1/100th of a second later another. its just random, but on average it should take about 3 to 6 seconds for them all to explode IMHO.


so

[plane1,100,"grenade"]exec"clusterbomb.sqs"


plane 1 will drop the bomb, and the footprint will be 100 meters, and it will use grenades,   see what i mean,

thanks

[Pilot]

Ok, yeah, I see what you mean.  I'm going to rework my script, it will probably
take me a day or two to finish.

and put in, an abilitty to chose the size of the footprint

As my scripting isn't that spectacular, I don't think I will be able to incorporate this,
unless you have some suggestions.
Sorry. :-\

[penguinman]

hmm, is there a way to setvelocity the projectiles, if so then it shouldnt be to hard.

just send each one at speed 20 in a random direction.

[Pilot]

Ok, I have totally reworked the script.  Each of the clusters is given a random position around the bomb,
and is also given a random velocity.  I have also increased the number of clusters to 120.
The only "bug" I can find in the script is the pattern in the clusters.  While supposed to be random, it
the pattern of the shells appears to follow a loose pattern.  Also, the direction of the footprint is slightly
different than that of the plane.  Why, I don't know.

Anyway, here is the script:

EDIT
I have found a big bug with the script.  When the aircraft flies on east-west heading, the dispersion of the clusters still runs north-south.  I have removed the script until I get this sorted out.

[OFPfreak]

hey thats funny.... U 2 seem to be  the only 1 posting...

Penguin: if you want I'll teach ya some camera scripting

Other guy: downloading now !

[OFPfreak]

oh wait! wheres the download link!? Sorry if its there but the forum screwed up on my computer... will hopefully be better soon!

[penguinman]

wow, your fast, i hope you get the script fixed soon, i cant wait,

[johan_d2]

check Snypir's support pack, its already there and easy to use..

[Pilot]

Ok, here is the newest version of the script!  Read the readme on how to use, here is a quick overview of how the script works:
This is a relatively simple to use script to simulate a cluster bomb.  It creates a laser guided bomb at the pos of the specified plane, and once the bomb reaches a  predetermined height, 120 shells of a specified type are created around the bomb and the bomb is deleted.  The shells fall to the ground and explode, simulating a cluster bomb.  The shells are randomly placed and given random velocities, meaning, each bomb will have a different footprint.

I have also added the ability to choose the size of the foorprint!

The script is now called like this:

Code: [Select]

[NameOfBomber, FootPrintRadius, "ShellType"] exec "ClusterBombing.sqs";
The new value, FootPrintRadius, is the radius of the area you want the shells to fall in.

This version should work with aircraft flying in any direction!  Unfortunately, in order to fix this bug, I had to change the way the pattern is determined by the script.  As a result, the patterns may seem more square than rectangular. :-\

@penguinman

I have decided to keep the mission the way it is for now, so the viewer can see the effects of the script more clearly.  Maybe in a later version I will bomb the player.

EDIT
I forgot to mention.  I modified the script so a puff of smoke appears when the shells are dispersed.  I think I remember seeing this effect happen in some documentary when a cluster bomb disperesed it's shells.  If you don't like this effect, please tell me, if enough of you don't like it, I will remove it.

[penguinman]

ya i understand completely,

maby i will make a mission like as i descibed in my earlier post for u to use as ur demo mission. u know, with the machine gunners.
thanks

[penguinman]

woah, really good, its perfect.

the smoke is good too

but could u add the 2 halfs of the bomb that split relasing the bomblets,

i dont know how hard it would be but it looks like so



maby u could paste 2 together and then be able to delete the laser guided bomb and have those, and then just split them when its time for the bomblets to come out,

i willl try to think of objects from the editor u can use

[Pilot]

I'm glad you like it!

About the casing, this is an interesting idea, but I don't think I will do this for two reasons:
1)I'm not sure if the effect would be noticeable enough to attempt, and...

2)more importantly, I don't think my scripting skills are good enough to do this!

I would have to split the two objects apart, and to do this I would have to find the direction the bomb is going.  This is the easy part.  The hard part will be to setvelocity them to split in the proper direction.  Maybe some scripting Guru knows how to do this, but I sure don't.

Sorry :-\

[penguinman]

thats ok,


i see a bug in the script though, after the smoke puff apears, the laser guided bomb continues to fall, and explodes among the little bomblets,

the laser guided bomb isnt being deleted for some reason, do u know how to fix it.

[Pilot]

I was afraid of this happening :-\

I will adjust the script and see if I can fix it.  Right now the script makes five clusters, waits for a random period between 0 and .2 seconds, and makes another five clusters.  I will try reducing the random number to .1 and see if that helps.

[Pilot]

Ok, try this.

[penguinman]

works, fine, nice job

i think you should submit it now

[Pilot]

Ok, thanks penguinman!

I will wait another day or two and see if anyone else comments on it before I submit it.

Thank you for your beta-test, penguinman.  Your suggestions have made this script much better than I originaly thought possible!

[Pilot]

EDIT:
The script has been unpended and added to the Editors Depot under AIRBOURNE CRAFT, RAPELLING, PARACHUTING:
http://www.ofpec.com/editors/resource_view.php?id=767