In creating the BoB Game Hub Weekly Missions for Cliffs of Dover I tried to find a simple guide to the FMB but never really found one which was super basic. Even the most basic seemed to assume I knew stuff from IL2, for example I had to search for ages to find out how to 'deselect' an object which I had selected! Nothing is intuitive in the FMB! But I have now learned a thing or two which other novice mission builders may also benefit from. So here is Heinkill's Full Mission Builder for Dummies. When time permits, I'll add a few screen captures to illustrate this guide.

INTRO

Want to create a 1 vs 1 mission for a Beaufighter vs a Bf110? 8 Ju88s vs a Sunderland? Ground attack on a Luftwaffe airfield in Belgium? You can, using the full mission builder (FMB).

The FMB is found in the EXTRAS menu.

CREATING A NEW MISSION

It is easiest to create a new mission from an existing mission - such as those that are in the existing Single Missions menu, or, by creating your own missions in the Quick Mission Builder, then saving and adjusting those. If you do this, you can avoid a lot of the work to set up all the waypoints, altitudes, airspeeds, skill levels etc etc as many of these will already have been created.

I will explain both processes then outline some FMB basic commands.

A. Modify an existing single mission

This is easiest, just open the FMB (EXTRAS menu) and choose FILE>LOAD MISSION and you will see a list of the missions that are in the Single Missions menu and folder. Load one of these that is close in design to the type of mission you want to create, and start modifying it! (See example mission below)

B. Create a quick mission and then make it accessible to the FMB

This requires a little more manual intervention but gives more flexibility.

1. Choose a Quick Mission type that fits the mission type you want to create (eg dogfight, ground attack, bomber intercept etc)
2. Adjust the parameters to the extent possible in the QMB (aircraft type, altitude etc) and 'save as' a new mission. It will appear at the bottom of your Quick Mission list.
3. Go to the folder: 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Mission>Quick and COPY the mission and briefing files for the mission you have just created (note this folder is 'mission', not 'missions')
4. PASTE these files into the folder 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Missions>Single (note, this folder is mission's' with an 's'. Confusing, I know).

You can then start the FMB and you should find your newly created quick mission in the list of missions available for you to open and modify.


The 11 Commands You Need to create or edit a mission

Pan around the map with mouse: left click and hold

Zoom in and out: mouse wheel

Selecting an object or flight: Point and left click

Editing an existing flight or object: Select and right click, then click Properties

Delete an object: Left click to select, and hit DELETE

Unselect a flight or object: right click when selected, and choose Unselect. Or just hit Ctrl+Alt

Add a new flight or object: Ctrl and left click. This gives you a circle that you can either change to an object via Properties, or turn into a flight with waypoints by pointing at another part of the map and repeating Ctrl and left click.

Moving an object or waypoint: Left click, hold and move

Changing object type and properties: Select a flight or object, right click and choose Properties. Now you can change the object or aircraft type, the side (axis or allies), waypoint actions and altitudes, formation type and size, squadron etc.

Setting time of day and weather: You can't save time of day in the Quick mission builder, so don't try. And you can't set weather. To do this go to the FMB main menu bar, choose VIEW>MISSION PARAMETERS and then you can change weather, time of day and cloud altitude.

Writing mission briefings: Go to main menu and choose EDIT>BRIEFINGS. Here you can write the briefings for each unit in the mission, and add the screenshot which will be shown on the briefing screens.


EXAMPLE 'MISSION FOR DUMMIES': FROM QUICK MISSION BUILDER TO FMB

Scenario: You want to create a mission where a squadron of Beaufighters and a squadron of Hurricanes attack a squadron of Bf109s and a squadron of Bf110s. Over France. At 9pm in the evening.

1. Choose the 'Dogfight Even' quick mission from MAIN MENU>SINGLE>QUICK menu
2. Change the aircraft to Hurricane vs Bf109 by clicking on their pictures
3. Save As 'Mymission' using save button in bottom right corner

Alt+TAB out. Go to Windows File Explorer, navigate to 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Mission>Quick and COPY all the files which start with 'Mymission'. PASTE the files to 1CSoftclub> IL2CliffsofDover >Missions >Single. Now the 'MyMission' files should be visible to the FMB.

4. Alt+TAB back into the game. Go out of the Quick Mission Builder and go to the main menu>EXTRAS>FULL MISSION BUILDER
5. Go to FILE>LOAD MISSION


6. Open the file 'Mymission'

The map should show a red flight and a blue flight, over the Channel

7. Left click on a red flight waypoint, hold and move the waypoint over France. Do the same for the other waypoints to put the flight where you want it to be.
8. Crt+Alt to deselect the flight
9. Click on a blue flight waypoint and move it so that the flights will intercept each other ie overlap some of the red and blue waypoints. You will see times next to each waypoint showing you when the aircraft should arrive there, so you can ensure enemies meet each other by getting the times to 'line up' by moving the waypoints around, especially the start waypoints.
10. Right click and choose PROPERTIES for either flight if you want to adjust waypoint height, flight speed, altitude etc


Now you need to add your other two (Beaufighter and Bf110) flights to the mission

11. Hold Ctrl and Left click where you want the flight to start. If it is a Red (RAF) flight, put it next to the start waypoint for the other Red flight.
12. Hold Ctrl and Left click for the next waypoint (suggest putting this near the other Red flight waypoints). Repeat to create all the waypoints for this flight.
13. Right click and select PROPERTIES. On the TYPE Tab choose Beaufighter.


14. On the GROUP tab choose the number of aircraft in the squadron
15. On the WAYPOINTS tab, choose 'Engage Fighters' for each of the waypoints.
16. On the #tabs (representing each aircraft) choose the pilot skill. I never choose Ace because the Ace AI is, in my opinion, broken. Veteran is fine.
17. When you are finished adjusting the Red flights, Ctrl+Alt to deselect
18. Repeat from step 11 to add a Blue (Bf110) flight. You change the flight from Red to Blue and choose the country etc in the GROUP TAB
19. Go to VIEW>MISSION PARAMETERS and set the time to 9pm (21:00 hrs).


20. Go to FILE>SAVE to save and then FILE>FLY to fly the mission.

Ready to get dirty? A lot of the CoD commands are the same as they were in IL2. I found this site a good guide to some of the more advanced options.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030219235959/www.il2center.com/technika/builder01.htm

Other help is starting to appear on Airwarfare.com FMB section: http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=99&Itemid=164

Advanced discussions take place on the 1C FMB forum: http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/forumdisplay.php?f=203