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[KevinHoggard]

When using the C&C aimpoint for AI level bombing, do I place the icon on the object to be bombed or slightly in front of the object to allow the bombs to walk across the target?

[SAS~Malone]

why not try it in FMB, and let us know your findings? ... 

[KiwiBiggles]

I had a crack at covering this topic many moons ago (here) but wasn't really happy with it, and now the game has moved on--so the ground attack tutorial really needs to be done over from scratch.  Might give you some ideas though KevinHoggard:

Example D: You're going to love this!    In Examples A to C, the AI is so designed that it performs very nicely indeed for 'cab-rank' style fighter-bombing, say of the type that 2nd Tactical Air Force Typhoons performed over the Falaise Pocket in 1944.  Your AI fighters and fighter-bombers will make multiple, shallow diving passes until there are no more targets, or their ammo is expended... or they're shot down.  But... what say you want to build a mission for a Luftwaffe 'Jabo' unit in 1942/3; or recreate a low-level presicion strike, such as that by the RAF Mosquito 'Gestapo Hunters'; or a 'One-Pass Haul-Ass' jet era mission?  Well then... you need this:

CY6 Command and Control Mod

If you don't already have this astonishingly clever mod, give yourself an uppercut and get it now.  Right now! If you've made it this far in the FMB tutorials, you can consider yourself a true fan, and that being the case, I'll guarantee you spend months exploring this treasure chest of mods - or you'll get your money back.  From CY6.  Kidding.  Major kudos to CY6 - these mods are simply brilliant.  For now, we need to look closely at the 'Aimpoint' object.

What does the Aimpoint object do you might ask?  I can't explain it better than the 21 page (!) readme that comes with this mod/s, which says the aimpoint is amongst other things a "level drop-point for fighter bombers".  The readme explains how it works: "Place over the target you wish to bomb, and make sure the friendly a/c you wish to drop over the target will pass over it. Do NOT set a GATTACK waypoint, just a NORMFLY waypoint, preferably somewhere past the object, so that the plane will simply overfly it. Fighter-bombers will release all ordnance and continue on their way. This is a good way to simulate 'one pass, haul ass' type strikes."

Let's add the Aimpoint object to our mission template and see how it looks.  I've saved the template as a new mission: the first thing to do is swap the Bearcat out for a 'proper' fighter-bomber - by which we mean an aircraft that has been modelled with the appropriate java class as we discussed above.  How do you know which planes?  Like we've been saying, you need to test 'em and see.  Let your intuition guide you to a degree, then jump in and test your bird right here in our evaluation template.  It's this, or learn java.      Hopefully, the point of this tutorial is making more and more sense?  The Aimpoint object doesn't work for the Bearcat mod, which (as yet) doesn't include the 'fighter-bomber' code, and is in that sense a 'pure' fighter.


OK.  I chose the AD-4 Skyraider ('cos I could!) for this example.  Of course, the Skyraider is another fab CY6 mod, which is only fitting.  I've also made the primary flight an AI only job, and given myself an observer Bearcat so I can keep an eye on things in-game.  I've swapped targets to the stationary column at the secondary range at map ref DH-67 - the primary range is too close to the airfield for this mission so that the Aimpoint object can trigger a bomb release while the Spads climb out of Haleiwa.  I've also extended the flight plan to the north, since the 'AI only' flight needs a little more room to maneuver than a player controlled flight does.  The bomb run (initial point, normal waypoint filling in where the GATTACK point would otherwise be, and rally point) is from the north, directly over the target at 100 metres (300 feet) and 400 kph (250 mph) with 7000 metres (yards) between the three bomb run waypoints.


Here's the setup in detail: the centre of the range and stationary truck 'column', the Aimpoint object (the '?' icon), the normfly 'target' waypoint, and the DESTROY GROUND target objective.  The AI flight will come hurtling down the flightplan directly over the target at low level (no shallow dives this time) and the Aimpoint object will trigger release of all bombs onboard the AI fighter-bombers.  Then, the fighter-bombers will immediately egress to the next (rally) waypoint and depart the area.  And how does it work in practice?





Spectacular! 

[KevinHoggard]

Thanks Kiwi

[SAS~Monty27]

That's a lovely tutorial Kiwi.  Would you consider getting your FMB Tutorials together for the next CUP Manual or a CUP FMB Supplement, this is great stuff!

However, I should like to make something clear for newbies: 

Command and Control 412 is included in all CUP Modules as standard.  In addition the C&C used in CUP is a UNIQUE UPGRADE, made by Sputnikshock, adapted and fitted to CUP by me.  We call it C&C 412 and, since I only work on CUP projects, it isn't available anywhere else that I know of and it won't be necessary for anyone flying CUP to have to go looking for it either.

It is also very important not to mix C&C 412 with earlier versions.  -  To avoid confusion I would recommend taking out the link above, which refers to the old pre-412 version of C&C.

TD 412 broke many elements of C&C because of the altered AI detection code.  This what Sputnikshock fixed.  However, Recon and Rescap features remain down and AFAC has also changed.  Although the 'cameras rolling' was a lovely touch for recon missions and the rescap was just beautiful, they are still marginal features which we can, for now, live without.  We can even do them in different ways with 412 FMB, using hidden recon points for example and a landing requirement for rescap.

My working FAC/AFAC can been seen in the Screaming Eagles Campaign.

The main Aimpoint, Arty g/n, GCI, weather effects, GNR, SPR, NAV, SLD, etc are back in and working as before.  The full suite is part of #WAW and #JTW and a cut down version (no radar or GCI) is now part of #DOF and #TGA.

*****************************************

About placement of Aimpoint:  Other variables in 412 FMB are wind direction and speed, plus the AI flightpath parameters.  The best way is to play the mission at the stage you place the Aimpoint and watch the AI.  You can use time speed-up to get them their and note the effects.  If necessary stick temporary cameras at the target and watch from there too.

I always need to do a little 'by eye' correction with Aimpoint and you need to check it in this way several times.  This is especially the case when you are playing with really slow bombers, and WWI stuff, these guys can be tricky to predict.  With a few such tests you can easily tweak the Airmpoint this way or that and get it spot on.

[pilotpimpf]

That's a lovely tutorial Kiwi.  Would you consider getting your FMB Tutorials together for the next CUP Manual or a CUP FMB Supplement, this is great stuff!

Now that would be a fantastic idea if at all possible, having used some of kiwibiggles great tutorials.
To have them all in one easy to access place for CUP would be the bees knees.