i don't know whether there are still people who play this old (and small) game. but i still like it, and i recorded a video of this game to show its feathers. here is the video:
http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTA3NTA3OTM2/v.swf
the web page functions just like YouTube.
before the video starts, there is several seconds of advertisement, don't mind it.

Yes sometimes I get back and play with F/a-18 PSF and ODS. But with Precision Strike Fighter I have problem, it works very slowly on newer system, don't how to resolve it. F/a-18 Operation Desert Storm works without problems.

i think FA-18 PSF is one of the most realistic flight sim in flight model and avionics. just the graphics are too much outdated.

i notice there is another title of F/A-18 series which is produced by Graphsim - Operation Iraqi Freedom.
the story background seems like F/A-18 ODS, are they the same in the content, only different names? or are they 2 different games?

Its only different name. This sim was released in Europe under a different name for marketing reasons.
Pity that Grapshim did not truly new version. OIF/ODS was only remake... new terrain, but old 3d models, flight model, effects, sounds, still only few weapons etc...

right. especially that the sound is really plain and simple.
i found that the appealing side of ODS is the 3D cockpit, look more realistic than that in PSF.
1) in padlock view there is no Helmet mounted HUD(ladder etc.) anymore, only front HUD in ODS.
2) and the viewpoint can't rotate infinitely anymore, that's more realistic than PSF, and adds some difficulty in dogfight.

but there seem to be a little bug in ODS, the viewpoint doesn't really switch to padlock when i press the F2 key, i need to switch viewpoints several times to have that view.
i haven't found a bug in PSF so far.

Hello,
I still mess around with it..

Here is the Mig-29 I made for the game.


Here is the Mig flying along with the SU-27


Some paint and fog mods...

WOW, how could you make new 3D models for PSF? and how to change the texture?
please tell me how? i am really interested in modding this game.
i wish the graphic is better, the sound is better, and the padlock view is better in PSF.

Pretzel are those mods only for PSF version?

mlracing have you experiencing problem with the "SEA" radar mode? Radar doesn't detect sea contacts in missions created in the mission editor, in both games - PSF/ODS...

i haven't had problem with SEA radar mode, because i have never used that mode
for AAA boats on water, i use HARM to take them out.
i haven't gone through all the missions, so i haven't encountered that problem.

hi all, i found a way to freeze the padlock FOV in F/A-18 PSF.
the original padlock FOV is too large so that the objects in padlock view are every small. although the game provides "SHIFT" + "=" key to zoom in, the customized FOV is not saved. for convenience, there is a way to freeze the FOV. the FOV value is stored at memory cell 00532FD1, so just use any tool to freeze the value of memory cell 00532FD1.
for reference: the original padlock (press 4 or shift 4 or ctrl 4) FOV is 63, front cockpit view (press 1) FOV is 42.
now i freeze the FOV at 52, it looks really good, especially in a dogfight!

Hello Guys,
It took me a long time to make the Mig-29. What I did is take the SU-27 shape and move all the angles around with a hex editor. Then take that data and add it to the main DAT file.

The game textures are TGA and can be repainted with any paint program. Be sure to make the texture larger for more detail. Todays computers can handle it.

to change the colored polygons, such as the SU-27 you need to open the DAT file with a hex editor and find GSC1SU27. The color (hex) will always be in groups of 7 seperated in the middle by FF.

XX XX XX FF XX XX XX

You will see groups of these in the dat file.

example: FA FA FA FF FA FA FA is the color WHITE on the SU-27 nose.

3E 5B 7C FF 3E 5B 7C is the top of the wing BLUE

Find those with a hex editor and change them to get you started. Remeber the 1st 3 set of number/letter has to be the same as the 2nd set. between FF.

Ive had problems with SEA moving radar outside of trainning too.

I`ll try the padlock adjustment mlracing

Cheers !
Pretzel~

With the Hex editor you and add may objects to the scenery beyond the capacity of the game mission editor.
Changing code I figured how to make a Hornet Bolter! on land and sea landings. Seeing the Hornet do touch and gos is neet.

Im working on a folded wing (parked) Hornet shape for the Carrier deck. But having a slight problem with it.

My Crowded House mission: Full deck!

i love the crowded deck! Pretzel, you must be a great fan of F-18.

to me, the best part of this game is the feel of flying, especially that the plane is unstable and requires frequent adjustment, and the inertia of any movement. those make me feel like floating in the air instead of driving a vehicle on hard ground.
but i found my plane in PSF often rolls slowly to the left without any input, but it never rolls to the right, seems like a bug.

BTW: you are so good at HEX editing, is it possible to change the default FOV in padlock view by editing the EXE file? using my way of memory freeze, the FOVs in all views become 52, and there is an interval between view switch and memory rewrite(it doesn't really freeze, just that a trainer program is continually rewriting the cell)

another topic: have you tried JANES F/A-18 game? some people say it's very realistic. for sure the JANES game has better graphics and other effects and functions, but i am not sure about the feel of flight.

just now i enlarged most of the TGA textures. it turned out quite well, the game looks less pale now. later on i will try some interesting stuff on the textures, to make the game look more realistic, most importantly the cockpit in padlock view.

i spent several hours to modify the cockpit texture. now it looks less boring.
default cockpit: http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/cockpitold.jpg
modified cockpit: http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/cockpitnew.jpg

i also adapted Pretzel's idea about the runway, here is how is looks:
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/dirtyrunway.jpg

Whoaa mlracing it looks cool. I wonder why PSF for me works so slowly. Maybe difference in resolutions? Max for PSF is 1024x768, my native lcd is 1440x900... In Operation Desert Storm I can choose wide resolutions so therefore working faster??

screen resolution should not be a problem. if in doubt, you can set your screen res in Windows Display properties (in Windows control panel) at 1024 x 768, then enter the game. the game should not know what your LCD resolution is.
most likely, the reason is that PSF is an old software and your PC is new system(especially graphic card and windows system), they are not very compatible.
you can also try running PSF in Windows "COMPATIBLE MODE" : right click on FA-18 PSF.exe , select PROPERTIES, select COMPATIBILITY, and play around with the options.
if you are using WIN7 or VISTA, there are more compatibility problems.

hi all, here is another video clip of the game F/A-18 PSF.
1 vs 2 dogfight!
hope you like it.
http://player.youku.com/player.php/Type/Folder/Fid/3573261/Ob/1/Pt/2/sid/XMTEyNjk2NTY4/v.swf

i made another video of PSF. it is stunt flight demo. a must see for F/A-18 fans.

http://player.youku.com/player.php/Type/Folder/Fid/3573261/Ob/1/Pt/3/sid/XMTE0MDgxNDEy/v.swf

here is another video clip. it is 1vs3 dogfight demo, with tower view.

http://player.youku.com/player.php/Type/Folder/Fid/3573261/Ob/1/Pt/4/sid/XMTE0NTU4OTMy/v.swf

Pretzel, if you are still around, recently i have an idea - to make the missiles at wingtips produce smoke without launching them, or make the engines smoke without damaging them, so that i can see the trail of the plane in stunt flight.
i tried tweaking the memory but no success. i wish you can crack the codes that produce smoke.

Hey mlracing have you any idea how to repaint weapons?? Mainly this white Amraam.

the weapons don't have texture, their colors are defined in the 3D model. the only way to change the color is to modify the 3D model , as introduced by Preztel earlier in this post.
now i haven't gone into remodeling, the hex codes are still too complex for me.

i have figured out how to modify the viewpoints, here are some viewpoints that i just created.

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/bombing-view.jpg
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/wing-view.jpg
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/under-view.jpg
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/nose-view.jpg
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/rear-view.jpg
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/side-view.jpg

i have tried JANES F/A-18. comparing the JANES one and the GRAPHSIM one, it's like comparing NFS with LFS, graphical detail vs physical detail, quantity vs quality.

i have made some MODs for PSF, see my PHOTOBUCKET album here:
http://s868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/

there are some exciting new functions for the game:
1) press V to switch between new carrier views / new plane onboard views / 3D cockpit "pilot head search for bandit" mode, auto judging by the previous view
2) shutting off engines in the air (both / left / right), no practical use though, only for test
3) PageUp key snaps throttle to 80 or after-burner to 40, PageDown key snaps throttle to 60 or after-burner to 20 , auto judging by whether after-burner is on
4) FOV (Field Of View) from 1 degree to 93 degrees (applicable max angle for graphic engine)
5) NVG (Night Vision Goggle) mode, not perfectly alike to the real thing but practically useful
6) See-The-Trail mode, the plane silently releases red balls which don't move, one keypress releases more than 60 thousand pieces or until player stops this mode

UPDATE:
today i just added a one-key-switch for flying other planes in the game. technically i can fly anyplane contained in the game, but i just chosed F-16 F-14 SU-27 A-10 F-117 and B-2.
see my PHOTOBUCKET album for screenshots.

Hey mlracing,
Nice pics. How did you get the NVG mode? adj the gamma level on your monitor?

Nice stunt flying. I have a challenge for you. Land on the Crane near the Yongyu Do Bride. Some hints for ya. 1.) Keep your gear up. 2.) Lower your hook and flaps. 3.)Dump all of your fuel SHFT+D. 4.) Brake like H*ll when you stall it on.
If you do it right you wont hit the end and explode




TAAA DAAA!


Easter egg #1: Create a mission and add a boat.Save the file. Open the mission file with hexedit and change the word BOAT to ASLT Then fly out to it and see your new toy. BTW it moves. Also change BOAT to CARR = Carrier. Now you can have dueling CVNs

I did try to get wing tip smoke. What I tried was to fire the missile but not have it leave the rails. but couldnt figure that out

My wish list:
We need to figure out how to increase the LOD from far out. Details pop up to late for todays computer hardware.

More trees + variations

More clouds + rain/snow

Skinabe AI planes.

Seperate flare and sun texture - flare are pinkish/red

2 or 3 channel view. Hornet 2.0 was 3 channel view right out of the box. (For Mac)

Carry over structures from Hornet 3.0. I already know how to convert cockpit map and topo land but can get structures to work.

Folded wing Hornet for Carrier deck. <---- Almost there

Cheers for now,
Pretzel~

i didn't know about the crane before, there are many details in the game that i haven't explored. i haven't even finished the build-in campaign.

about the wingtip smoke, i guess even if it is made, it won't be in the correct form in some extreme conditions, like high AOA and tail slide. but it should be good looking in normal flight though. do you know how to triger an event in the game, like trigering the engine fire? if we can triger the engine fire, then change the fire and smoke texture, the effect should be good looking too.

yesterday i just figured out something new: "canceling" the AOA limit build-in in game(30 degree)(actually increasing the limit to very large angle) then see the plane stall (or do "donut" like a sportcar) not yet like the LOCK-ON style but still interesting. and i made a program to let Su-27 do "cobra", it's faked physics but still look satisfying. in fact, any plane in the game can do it, and can do any other maneuver, just that i like to keep it look realistic.
here is the "cobra" demo: http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTE2NDY2MTA0/v.swf

about the NVG, i changed the position of light source(a bit like in daytime) and then change the "global eye perceptive" color (like FF FF FF for white, FF 00 00 for red, 00 FF 00 for green), then i can see things clearly and the screen looks green . and luckily, the variables i found doesn't interfere with BLACK-OUT/RED-OUT. there are still some minor problem, but for now i don't want to fine-tune it too much. here are the code addresses for my currecnt NVG effect:
---------------------------------------------------------------
0049F5F0 - FF FF FF normal / 00 FF 00 - green ( tune it like 00 AA 00 / 22 AA 55)
004F67B3 - light source height - 7F top / 81 bottom / 3F above gnd / 40 below gnd
004F6794 - AA 00 (there are problems here)
LIGHT SOURCE CHANGER (disable them or NVG won't work)
0046CD86 - 89 0d b0 67 4f 00 - mov [004f67b0],ecx
0046CD95 - 66 a3 94 67 4f 00 - mov [004f6794],ax
---------------------------------------------------------------

the LOD is indeed a big problem, so far i only found a work around - disabling the Z-index(like Z-buffer in graphic card) function in the code, but that also show objects behind objects, like trees behind building, so that method is used in a temporary fasion(i can enable it or disable it anytime) my "stunt flight demo" video was recorded with this method, or the F-18 would look like boxes. and this method doesn't work well with other objects.

having seperate textures for objects is possible with ASM programming, but i am only at the surface, so i would live with the current graphics of the game.

right now i wish to move the position of the 2D MFDs to make them fit with the 3D cockpit (i like the cockpit of F/A-18 ODS but ODS has more shortcomings than PSF). i have made a program to disable the HUD and MFDs whenever the pilot is not looking forward - more realistic.
and the pilot head can rotate freely ( 180 degree backward? ) in PSF, ODS is more realistic in this aspect, but i more like the LOCK-ON style of view restriction.

i am still developing new features for the MOD.

mlracing,
The methode you discribe to change the color for NVG is the same to change the color of the map in the cockpit. I have the ref at home.
You mentioned the COBRA manuver. I figured the instructions to make the Hornet BOLTER off the Carrier. Touch-And-Go at land bases with a longer roll out.
Trey, Maker of PSF was surprised I figured that out.

Drop the fog to the floor is fun flying too. I can post the how to later.





Nice to see someone modding PSF in areas I donr know. We can pull our resources

Cheers!

Hi guys. I noticed that Agm-62 and Durandal bombs in ODS are carrying different than PSF and in older games. In ODS we can choose this weapon only for inboard pylons, ahhh and we can choose 2 flir pods to take under fuselage (but still with Amraam shape grrrr )
I have another idea with Amraams, what do you think about possibility to carrying 2 Aim-120 instead of a single missile?? Just like in rl

to Pretzel, i tried the ASLT. there seem to be a runway on it. but i can't land of it
when a BOAT is changed into CARR, it doesn't move anymore, too bad. if the carrier does move, landing on it would be more interesting.

to Fulcrum85, i guess having 2 AIM120 on one pylon is difficult, as each missile is assigned an ID to make it work, it requires programming, not just 3D modeling or change of quantity. and it is considered cheating if you use it in the game

mlracing,
The ASLT ship is for Helos, I did get the Carrier to move. It was a real challenge because the island (boss tower) would not. After I figured it out, I found it moved too fast to be realsitic.

Would hanging SAMs on my wing be considered cheating?

I looked into hanging 2 AIM-120s on one middle pylon. You cant yet........

:o these missiles can shoot down elephants!

today i made another new feature for PSF : LOCKON-style high AOA shaking. here is a demo:

http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTE3MDA1NTY4/v.swf

So maybe single missile on the inner pylons? Or modify to get 4 Walleye/Durandal bombs under wings.

Man that stall buffer is cool! I like it. GREAT JOB!

Fulcrum85,
Ive made some progress on the AIM-120s. You can hang what you want on each pylon for player. This was never a problem for AI aircraft.

Doubling the 120s on the wing pylon station dose work if I switch the shape files around. But they act like AIM-9s still? I will try to fix it.

TWIN AIM-120s


UNLOCKED AIM-120s

hi all, i have developed new features for PSF and to a satisfying(to me) extent. now i release the usable MOD. it can be downloaded here: http://rapidshare.com/files/277794247/f18psfmod1.rar.html

it is small , easy to use, and doesn't modify any files in your PC.
check my PHOTOBUCKET album for preview of some functions: http://s868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/


FUNCTIONS INCLUDED
====================================

GENERAL
=======
1) This MOD package is different from the one that I use, because I don't have a joystick and I use arrowkeys to control the plane, I constructed the MOD to suit my PC system. This MOD package is for the people who use joystick or mouse to control the plane, some functions are omitted.

2) There is no Cobra maneuver in this MOD, because it only works with keyboard control.

3) I mostly use 3D cockpit view and seldom use 2D cockpit, so the MOD is optimized for 3D cockpit.


FUNCTION LIST
=============
1) key ` (the one above the key Tab) - emulate 3 keystrokes of chaff and 1 keystroke of flare. In the air, 1 keystroke of flare releases 3 flares, while on gound, only 1 flare.

2) key V - depending on your current view, this key switches between 6 onboard camaras, 6 pilot head position (while you are at 3D cockpit view), and 3 carrier view position (while you are at tower view).

notes 1 - While at padlock view (the view locked to something), key V doesn't work.

notes 2 - If the pilot view position is looking forward, MFD will be shown, otherwise MFD will be hidden. ( realistic eh? )

3) key 4 - acts like the original key 4, but includes MFD auto show/hide function and auto zoom-in function (when padlock to enemy).

4) key W - tap shortly to switch waypoint, hold for 1 second to padlock to wingman (like Shift+4), also includes MFD auto show/hide function and auto zoom-in function.

5) key T - tap shortly to switch TACAN, hold for 1 second to padlock to threat (like Ctrl+4), also includes MFD auto show/hide function and auto zoom-in function.

6) key Ctrl+V - toggle Night Vision Goggle effect.

7) key Y - switch your plane among SU27 F16 F14 F117 B2 F18.

notes 1 - Press the key in briefing room.

notes 2 - different planes have different pitch up performances (try SU27 and B2).

8) key Ctrl+K - toggle See-The-Trail mode.

notes 1 - Press the key in briefing room, otherwise texture files remain the same until the next load. (and you will see some strange graphics until the next load)

notes 2 - with Trail mode ON, press the flare key (when you are in flight) to start the trail.

notes 3 - the 3 TGA files which come with this MOD are loaded with Trail mode ON, turn off Trail mode to load the original TGA files.

notes 4 - with Trail mode ON, the sun is red and boats don't wake. You can also modify the TGA files to your liking.

9) key Insert - toggle the built-in LOD function of the game. When your plane is close to your viewpoint, press Insert, then even if the plane flies far away from the viewpoint, or you switch to a far away viewpoint (try tower view), the plane remains at highest LOD (Level Of Detail).

notes 1 - if you activate this MOD function (meaning deactivate the built-in function) when your plane is at low LOD, it will remain at low LOD even if it flies close. In this case, press the key again to activate the built-in function.

notes 2 - the same theory applies to other objects.

notes 3 - the downside is that you can see objects behind other objects, that's why this key TOGGLEs, not for permanent use.

10) key Home/End - instantly set FOV to 1 degree/93 degree.

11) key PageUp - if AfterBurner is off, snaps throttle to 80, if AB is on, snaps AB to 40.

12) key PageDown - if AfterBurner if off, snaps throttle to 60, if AB is on, snaps AB to 20.

IMPORTANT NOTE - if you want to save the replay, don't press PageUp/PageDown keys, or the replay will be screwed.

13) key Ctrl +Insert/ +Home/ + PageUp - turn off both engines / left engine / right engine.

notes 1 - after turning off any engine, press = key to start the engine again.

IMPORTANT NOTE - if you want to save the replay, don't press these keys, or the replay will be screwed.

14) key Z or X - emulate 2 keystrokes of rudder key (Z for left, X for right) and emulate rudder center key (key / ) when you release Z or X.

notes 1 - these keys are for my convenience.

notes 2 - to change radar scan angle, press Shift + Z or Shift + X.

15) key Spacebar - first press emulates holding down Spacebar, second press emulates releasing Spacebar.

notes 1 - after the first press, you must wait for 1.5 seconds before pressing the second time, or it doesn't work.

notes 2 - after the second press, you don't need to wait for 1.5 seconds before the 3rd press.

notes 3 - after the 3rd press, you must wait for 1.5 seconds before the 4th press.

notes 4 - on ground or on carrier catapult, if the plane is totally stopped, it starts moving only after the 3rd press of Spacebar.

notes 5 - you can see a hint [Brake On] even when you are at 3D cockpit view, it flashes for 1.5 seconds. (this is why you must wait for 1.5 seconds before the 2nd press)

16) key C - first press turns on ECM, second press turns off ECM.

notes 1 - you can see a hint [ECM On] or [ECM Off] even when you are at 3D cockpit view, it flashes for 1.5 seconds. (so you must wait for 1.5 seconds before the next press of key C )

17) lastly, the SHAKE effect: this function adds more challenge to dogfight, especially if without a joystick.

When the AOA reaches approximately 25 degree, the plane enters shake mode 1:
a) the plane shakes
b) air drag is increased, which means flight speed will be down sooner
c) air support is decreased, which means the plane can't turn so fast and it drops to the ground faster

When the AOA reaches approximately 31 degree, the plane enters shake mode 2:
a) the plane quakes
b) air drag is increased even more
c) air support is decreased even more, which means the plane will drift away from the circle and slide down to the ground (it looks like stalling, beautiful!)
d) if you get into this mode within 2000ft from the ground, what you should do is quickly decrease the AOA and bring speed back on

hi Pretzel, i have your KOREA.DAT mod now.
the TAKE OFF training mission with lots of planes on the ground is fantastic, and the added jeep which doesn't move helps me understand why the original jeep is moving around.
the carrier looks alive with several windows lighted.
i also got the Crowded House mission, it's a spectacle with lots of objects around.

but why are the engine nozzles brown? will it be more realistic if they are darker metal?

mlracing,
Thank you for the EXEs I will be playing with them tonight.

I made the exhaust brown because at the time the color you painted on the outside was the same as was shown on the inside. I know why today.
If you want to try to re-color them to your liking I can give you thier location in the DAT.

Ive added other things to the DAT file. Is you parachute 3 color Navy regs now? I recolored the American Airlines DC-10 into a Military KC-10 refueler. No fuel probe though

Added a Carrier group around the Big E in the mission planner. Was a challenge bringing the frigates over.

I made a special EXE that re-maps the textures on the front of the Hornet. The original used the same FA18_TR.tga to cover the nose and rear of the fuselage. The new texture has anti-skit paint on the lex, canopy lines, warning placards on the side and antennas. (see pic) I also re-colored the pilot and canopy bow and removed anti-glare off the nose (USA Ver).
I ask GSC if I could relase it and was told no because I already had a modded DAT file out and releasing the EXE is the game. They are right.....

Cheers ! Keep up the good work and exploring PSF!

See prevouse pics of this paint scheme.

my current parachute is 2 colored, like this. you have many versions of KOREA.DAT ?


i modified the skin a bit based on your F18 skin: color balance to more blue and darker, and added some dirty spots and shadow spots, like this.


currently my MFDS can fit 3D cockpit, like this.

the downside is the HUD doesn't fit well with the 2D cockpit, like this.

but I seldom use 2D cockpit, so I like the current state.

speaking of refueling probe, can you add polygons to the 3D models? or only move the existing vertex?
if you can add polygons/vertexs to 3D model, i have an idea: we can add visual air turbulence (the white air behind/above the wing) to the game, like this.
http://www.1000pictures.com/view.htm?caircraft/F-18+f040925-n-0295m-113_1024x768.jpg+x1024+y768
this visual effect is a dream to me, wow.
if you can only move the vertex, we can make all the control surfaces move in the game, not just the elevators (the horizontal tail wings)

if fact, we can also make air refueling in the game, with an EXE which monitors all states of the planes. but in this way the program will become fat and takes up more CPU resources. i like to keep the add-on EXE simple.

my wish list which i can't do yet :
1) high-LOD visual range increase
2) all control surfaces move in game
3) high-AOA air turbulence visual effects
4) can do tail slide (currently the plane just drops the nose when air speed becomes near zero)
5) one key to activate wingtip smoke / engine smoke
6) reduced turning ability at speed lower than 200 (currently the plane turns too fast at low speed)
7) collidable trees!
8) the planes explode when collided with each other, not just damage and stall
9) velocity vector works in 3D cockpit
10) see arms, joystick, legs, chair in 3D cockpit

oh i forgot, yes i would like to recolor the exhaust, please tell me the location.

and do you know whether there is a layer of glass (canopy) for 3D cockpit? if there is a layer of glass , i would like to make it less transparent.

mlracing,
Ive made serveral modded DAT files and have tons of DATs as I was 1 of the the Beta testers for both Korea Gold and ODS.

The new Chute:


This was one of my 1st DAT projects before there was ODS. My ver of the Gulf War ver2
Recolored almost all the structures and ground equipment to sand as well as the fighters.
The KC-10 Tanker shown and the Color map (pasted) in the 3D Cockpit.

When Korea was moving to Korea Gold (aka PSF) Trey put in the bump collision and the falling leaf defeat as I call it. Privious ver you could cut players in half with your gun and collide with plane parts showring down. One of the Beta ver of PSF I have still dose this. As well as independent engine operation.

This is a sequence shot of a Hornet being cut in half with the cannon.

About adding shapes to a model....No can do. I can only move them. If they are not attached to another we can move them to reform like a refuel probe. The AA (American Airlines) Logo can possible moved to do this.

Re-color the exhaust (Turkey feathers)
Open a New DAT file DONT USE MINE or your will not find it because I already re-colored them. With any hex editor do a search for FA18y in text. Or go to Offset 16591383.
What your are looking for is a group of 24x 22 22 22 FF 22 22 22 this is the color BLACK You can do a batch replacement to go quicker. See pic to help you.



I dont think there is a layer of glass (canopy) for 3D cockpit......

I like how you got the MFDs to fit in 3D pit mode...I want it

hi, the way to make MFD fit the 3D cockpit:
1st, find "b8 e0 00 00 00" in the EXE file, and change "E0" to "9D", this modify all 3D graphic position in relation to the camara. this only works in 1024x768 res, i don't use other res so i didn't change the value for other res.

2nd, then modify the FOV in 3D cockpit to "0x30FF". 2 ways to do it:
1) modify memory value of the cell 00532FD0 to "FF 30", this requires a tool to constantly monitor the FOV in game.
2) find "c7 05 14 30 53 00 fc 3f 00 00" in the EXE file, and change "fc 3f" to "ff 30", this has global effect, the max FOV (built-in function of game) of any camara is now "0x30FF", unless you use memory tool to modify the value of cell 00532FD0, which has temporary effect.

notes, when the plane rolls or pitches, the 3D cockpit moves but MFDs don't move, so there will be offset between MFDs and 3D cockpit. but it's still better than the original setup.

with this change, i can fly at low altttude more precisely in 3D cockpit view, before the change, i crashed to the ground easily in 3D cockpit view because of wrong perspective.

i am trying to modify exhaust color now.

i like the sand colors of the Gulf War ver2, more beautiful than the green and blue colors.

i found that in ODS there are at least 2 colors for the Su27, one blue like in PSF, the other is sand color, the camouflage really works in ODS (when i did dogfights with Su27)

and i love the cut ahalf plane in beta version of PSF, don't know why GSC removed that feature.

i successfully changed the exhaust color


and modified the colors of Su27 too

Pretzel, i noticed that you added these boards on the carrier.

i can make them move up when launching the plane, if you tell me where are the positions of the vertexs.

and i can make the engine exhaust expand or shrink according to engine output, if i know the positions of vertexs.

mlracing,
The bast fence was always there on the Carrier. Its just the new texture make it show up better.

We need to figure how to add steam for the cat shot.

if you know how to generate engine smoke, then move the starting point of the engine smoke to the front wheel, then we can have cat shot steam!

mlracing,
I did the 3d/MFD cockpit fit and it looks really awsome!!! THANKS!
Did you find my Cloud textures on the net yet?
I didnt see them in any of your pics.

Id like to find a way to add more clouds and trees.

Big and fluffy

One more thing
Wing tip navigation light and nose taxi light.
I know how to make the nose strut forward polygon shine bright at night but need to figure how to move a white light there. I was close one time long ago.....

Some paint scheme ideas for you.
I did this for Korea in 1999 ..haha!

i found the new clouds look sharp edged. but now i have smoothed them a bit.


i figured out how to read the color values in korea.dat , and made some changes to the F-18, mainly the AIM120 color and the canopy color. now the canopy is a bit blue, no longer yellowish.


i like these navigation lights, much better than the default lights.

and did you change the color of the sea? i find it look more realistic than the default sea.

new feature for PSF: flashing navigation lights and formation lights
http://player.youku.com/player.php/Type/Folder/Fid/3573261/Ob/1/Pt/8/sid/XMTE5MDEwMDU2/v.swf

mlracing.
Have you been to MLK Airbase?
http://www.mlk-airbase.wz.cz/f18/f18.htm

I wondering if you were MLK ?

Cheers!
Pretzel~

mlracing.
Can you add a key to the lights to turn them off and on?

The water in the Nav light pic is Graphsims F/A-18 Korea.
Korea has wave caps on the sea, taken out in PSF.

See this link for more comparison between Korea and PSF
http://www.tok2.com/home/avionics/fa18psf/index.html

it's my first time to get to know such a fan site for Graphsim F/A-18 game. i used to search Precision Strike Fighter in Google but didn't found that site.


as for the lights, i can do anything to the existing lights. in the demo video, the lights were set to an automatic sequence. but why turn them off manually? the lights are only eye candy, i didn't find the use of the lights.


right now i am trying to move vertexs. there will be more features for this old game!

mlracing,
Id like to turn off the wing tip Nav light for combat and night missions.. like in real life

Another good web site is Masstadons
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Stadium/7540/

Horent 2.0 for Mac had a working and visable speed brake. We can proly move one of the anntenas and make it into that and get it to move up and down with the brake key ?
I cant find a picture of the Hornet 2.0 with the brake up. I have an old Mac with 2.0 on it.

Cheers !

Heres a link to the Korea Gold Demo. As I recall the joystick was a little messed up in the game.
http://ftp.isu.edu.tw/pub/Windows/softking/soft/en/k/KoreaGoldWinDemo.exe

i can make a key to turn off the lights.

as for the brake, i read the F/A-18 E/F manual, it says that on a F18, there is no seperate braking surface, F18 uses other control surfaces to do braking. i can make a seperate braking surface controled by a key though.

mlracing,
PSFs Hornet is moldeled after the F/A-18 "C" variant which has a speedbrake between the vertical stabilizers. And has the push button Up Front Controller and kidney shaped engine air inlets.

Hornet C Model with Speedbrake deployed.


Hornet C pit.



The F/A-18 E/F SuperHornet like used in Janes uses a combination of flight controls as speed brakes has the touch screen Up Front Controller, digital fuel and afterburnet display, bigger airframe/lex and square angled engine air inlets.

This is a great picture of the SuperHornet with the speedbrakes deployed on takeoff. Notice both rudders are defected inwards. Why on take off? This creates a air dam which rases the nose qicker for climb. It is not deployed on the "C" model for take as its to big.

Super Hornet


Super Hornet Pit.

thanks for these info. i will make the air brake and ailerons and the front edge of wings move, it takes programming.

look what i am trying to do now:


but there is something that i havn't figured out - any polygon is visible only from a certain range of angle, out of the angle, the polygon is hidden. and also the Z-index of polygon - something behind the polygon is shown instead of it.

here is the air brake WIP

it has the same problem. i can't fix that so far.

another aspect of improvement to PSF: to prevent the pilot head to turn backward. this makes the game less easy, but it's more realistic.
don't know why GraphSim allow the pilot head to turn infinitely in F/A-18 series (except for the version ODS). but now i have managed to add this function to the EXE itself.
with this modification, the pilot head can only turn to approximately 4'clock or 8'clock position. it doesn't affect other views, only affects the padlock view(press 4, Shift+4, or Ctrl+4). and it's part of the game process now, no need for add-on apps, which means high efficiency.

here is the way: in the EXE file,
find ....: 66 8b 46 26 66 3b c3 74 07
change to: e9 11 59 f8 ff 90 90 90 90

and go to offset 00000800 of EXE file, change a series of "00 00 00 00 ..." to
66 8b 05 08 30 53 00 66 3d 74 00 75 2c 66 8b 46
20 66 3d 00 a5 7c 11 66 3d 00 5b 7c 1c 66 c7 46
20 00 5a e9 d2 a6 07 00 66 3d 00 a5 7f 0b 66 c7
46 20 00 a6 e9 c1 a6 07 00 66 8b 46 26 66 39 d8
0f 84 b4 a6 07 00 e9 a8 a6 07 00

after the change, you can see the effect in game.

i made some more new features for PSF, some are very handy, such as the working brake light for 3D cockpit, also there are eye candys:

1) moving engine nozzles ! now only expand and shrink. all axis thrust vectoring is possible, but, not realistic and too much work.
2) moving ailerons !
3) moving front and rear flaps
4) controllable formation lights
5) pilot view restriction, mentioned at the previous post
6) working brake indicator for 3D cockpit !
7) corrected cockpit 3D model errors
8) new 3D cockpit colors
9) pilot seat and canopy symbols
10) new sound effect, only 1 so far

demo video will be up soon.

here is the demo video
http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTIwNTYxODQw/v.swf

Is it possible to run F/A-18PSF on resolutions above 1024x768?
mlracing and Pretzel, you doing great job with this sim! Thanks!

mlracing - one word - AWESOME!!! Will you publish someday your mod?

This is really looking good. Would your mods work with OIF?

to Borilius, it may be possible, i will try that.

to Fulcrum85, i will publish the MOD after i test it thoroughly. i already published version1 which had several functions. BTW, can you play PSF correctly on your PC now?

to Brownba, this mod doesn't work with OIF (or say ODS), but the same theory applies to OIF. it just takes work. maybe i will make a mod for OIF too.

mMlracing,
I watched the video. You got it right with the alierons and the wing leading edge devices.The afterburner has got to be the BEST mod for sure. GREAT JOB I LOVE IT!

I uploaded all the PSF sounds for you here. They are in the Dat file and easy to extract. 160 in all
I like when the wingman says "OHH SHII****" and "YOUR DEAD PAL" haha!
http://rapidshare.com/files/283308519/PSFsounds.zip.html

Have you figured how to add textures to polys yet? Like the ejection seat head box? You mentioned that and I was wounder if it was the same thing? I have hi res pic of the real headbox warning placards.

In 1999 I teamed up with GTT (Game Tool Technologies) to make the Net Changer for FA-18 Hornet Korea. It allowed you to change the theaters around for network play. Since players were getting bored of just flying Fallon. We also added the ability to fight AI for co-op. Change the weather enviroment and time of day. It was real fun to fly network in Hawaii and Korean theaters.



The splinter blue and sand aggressor paint scheme for the Hornet is cool.

IF you want to convert any 3DFX like textures on MLK site to TGA there is the Texus program in the PSFs Textures HRG folder.

I am able to double up the Hornet shape in the game. (notice the black nosed hornet for test) I was doing this to try to get differnt paint scheme on Hornets in the game at the same time.



Cheers !
Pretzel~

Pretzel, i got the PSFsound, it sounds really good, especially the voice acting.
seems like i can't replace the FLAP sound in korea.dat since it's a repeat of short sound, while my new sound effect is a single long sound file. what i do now is use the add-on app to play a sound file.
maybe in the future i will add voice of the Hornet One (the pilot controlled by player) to the MOD too. you will hear "Hornet Two, split high, Hornet Three, engage my target." etc.

i know how to apply texture to a polygon now, but i can't add extra texture to the game process, can only use or modify existing textures.

the problem i encounted is that, if i move a polygon to another place, it won't show or hide at the right time. in this pic, the brake board is behind the fuselage, but it's not visually blocked by the fuselage:


the GTT mod is great, especially it allows network players to coop fighting AI. i wonder whether it's possible to let network players to coop in the single player missions (bombing, intercepting).

mlracing,
SOUNDS for the flap sounds did you try to tag it to the SndServo 2 or SndShortServo 9 in the Dat? I did replace the sounds long ago but they have to be the same byte size or shorter to work.

TEXTURES In the EXE starting at around offset 662106 is where the textures are assigned to the polys. As you can see at the end is where most of the hornet textures are. Ive added my own called
CNPY that remaps the front. Compare my pic with your exe. I know when you add a TGA you need the X and Y to apply correctly.





This is the ressult. Again Antennas, canopy lines, warning placards and anti-skid paint on the lex


I think I might know why you speedbrake is always showing threw. let me look at my stuff.

NET CHANGER We did experiment with single co-op missions and found that the longer the battle things would start to go wrong. Mainly players would start to see diffent games. Example: player 1 would kill a SU-27 on his screen but that same SU-27 on player 2 screen would still be alive and still attacking player 1.
Then player 1 would be shot down by a gost. Funny sometimes.
So we limited the co-op to 2 AI at a time. We had no problems with Static targets.

Cheers !

i tried. i made 640 res (in game setting) work like 1024, but other than 640 800 1024 , other res (i tested 512x384 1920x1080) crashed the game. it's out of my range now.

the new flap sound is much longer than the original, so i can't replace it.

Higher res is PSF is hard because the 2D cockpit grafics are in the EXE at 1024. That is why in ODS or OIF the instruments are now a seperate TGA outside of the EXE for higher res above 1024.

I tried too long ago and it crashed......

here is another new feature for PSF : multiple target padlock capability.
by default, this game only padlock to one target, after shooting down the target, you have to spend some time locating another target, and the radar is not so effective in locking a target which is moving around.
now i have added the capability of remembering 3 targets: from far away, padlock to 3 targets, and in close encounter, just press one key to switch between these 3 targets.
it's now much easier to deal with multiple targets.

here is the demo vid: http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTIxMDgzODI0/v.swf

mlracing,
Where in the EXE is the hud glass tint? I seen yours is red in the video.
BTW. The video looks like tons of fun!!!!

in Korea.dat, look for the part where the 3D cockpit model is stored.
then find " 00 00 00 19 00 00 00 19 ", change it to " FF 00 00 15 FF 00 00 15 " will make it red. you know how to customize the color to green or blue.
and count back 0x1A (offset minus 0x1A) starting from the first byte of color ( "00" 00 00 19 00 00 00 19), change it to "00". then the glass is always red.

BTW, can you find out why the air brake board is seen through the fuselage? i can't make the air brake because of this major graphical error.

mlracing,
I just emailed Jon B**m about your speedbralke problem. He is the creator of every 3D shape in PSF.
He will know for sure. Sometimes he stays up late

I notice on my Mig-29 I had a poly dissapear at a right angle view. See right rudder in pic:


Thanks for the Hud info.
Cheers !

mlracing,
I have a reply from Jon,
The most likely reason the speed brake doesn't sort is because it's not being properly BSPed. There's no z-buffer in the engine, so everything is a binary space partition. The edges of the poly (perpendicular to the normal) can't "cut" through any other polygon on the model unless it's first been BSPed by some other polygon. This removes any convexities that would otherwise occur. It doesn't even have to be touching another poly, it can't intersect on any plane without first having been eliminated by some partitioning polygon. This is usually done by the build program as it generates the B-tree (pre-sort), but that's obviously impossible in this case. We would build the model, making sure you don't have any concavities, and then the build program would tell us if it sorted or not. If it didn't, we'd have to go back, find the conflicting polygons and make sure they were constructed so that every poly on the plane could be removed (BSPed) without slicing onto any other poly.

.\........./
..\..O../
..._____


The top of the fuselage (_____) is basically what's being used as the space partition for the Vstabs. The top of the fuselage doesn't "cut" into anything, so it's responsible for correctly separating the Vstabs from the rest of the aircraft in the tree. It also needs to separate off that new brake, but unfortunately the B-tree doesn't know about that poly. It might be possible to insert the poly into the sort order if you can find the right place, but other than that I really don't know what to suggest.

Great mods, but I gotta say you're nuts...:)

--Jon
VRS

i am trying to find out where that info is stored.

although there are still some errors unfixed, but it's usable and much better than the version1.
now i release the PSF MOD version2.
new features are mostly mentioned by the demo videos in the previous posts.

the MOD can be downloaded here: http://rapidshare.com/files/285742377/psfmod2.rar.html

Im trying to track down the trees (conifers) in the EXE right now.
I`ll try your new mod tonight. thank you,
Pretzel~

Wow this is cool mlracing but how to activate nozzles, flaps, and shake mod? F key doesnt work. I mean i heard flaps sound but without animation?

each time you enter a flight, press Ctrl + / (the key on the left of the R-Shift key) , this activates F18KEY3.EXE, which controls all moving parts and shaking.
and press Ctrl + Q to exit a flight, this closes F18KEY3.EXE

there are many HOTKEYs in this MOD, the README.TXT explains most functions.

right now i am not convinced of the turning capability in this game.
i think the F-18 turns too fast - completing 1 circle in like 10 seconds?
are there any data about the turning capability of a real F-18?

look at this video: http://www.vimeo.com/1647773
the F-18 can do level flight at AOA of higher than 30 degree, which else fighters can do this?

I have the Turning data for the real Hornet but im sure the photobucket wont post it large enough for you to read.
Example: The bottom chart says Speed + Bank angle = Rate of Turn
So: 300knts at 45deg bank gives me 4deg per sec.
But close to 90deg like real combat at 300knts its 30deg per sec and your pulling 8Gs
At slower speed 240kns + 85deg bank angle it gose to 40deg per sec = 10 sec to do 360deg turn.

And at the end he climbs out from that angle!! I think at the time the F-18 was the only fighter able to pull itself out of a stall just by advancing the trottle (ie not lowering the nose too)

The SU-37 dose do some crazy alpha flights, not to mention the Cobra maneuver.......

how splendid is the performance of an F-18 !

I forgot to tell you about the Fog mod. In the EXE find glFogf glFogi next to each other. Just swapp the i and f around. Maybe you can add it to your next mod to turn it off and on?
The fog will be to the ground in all missions. Go to night time and you wont see anything. Great for navigation skills Also do a auto-land on the Carrier, you see the wake at .6 of a mile and the Deck at .4

Thanks,
Pretzel

does the "turn capability" graph say that:
at speed of 180 knot, if the plane pulls 8G, the plane can turn 50 degrees per second? so it takes 7.2 seconds to complete 360 degree turn?

does this mean the "peak" turning capability? maybe a "sustained" turning capability should be affected by other factors too?

i calculated the time needed for a 360 degree turn in LOCK ON, it takes about 20 seconds at the speed of 250 ~ 350 knot.

i tried swapping the "i" and "f" (HEX 69 and 66) in memory. there is no effect.
seems that the data is loaded when FA-18PSF.EXE is executed, not the time i enter flight.
so it can only be done by editing the EXE file.

so if a player wants to have heavy fog, just make 2 versions of the EXE file, one for normal, one for heavy fog.

i don't like to make an APP which rewrites files in the harddrive, because it's not safe. just read from harddrive, and write into memory, that is safe.

exciting update: i have successfully modified the physics in the game. now the plane can's turn so fast at low speed. turn rate is affected by air speed.
the best turn rate is achieved at speed between 280 ~ 350 knots. in this speed range, it takes about 15 seconds to complete 360 degree turn, similar to the performance of F-16C in Falcon4.
at higher speed than 350, the plane can't turn too fast because of high G.
at speed of 250 knots, it takes about 20 seconds to complete a turn.
at speed of 200 knots, it takes very long...
so dogfighting is more realistic now, requiring the player to do energy management instead of simply pulling the stick.

and landing is not so easy anymore since there is not much extra air lifting at low speed. the plane can barely do level flight at speed of 140. so there is no room for error if landing speed is lower than 150. now i have to do a heavier landing than before.

now it's possible to make this game fly as realistic as most other flight sims today. it just takes programming.

mlracing,
I was playing with the F18key3 file and I noticed a few things maybe you can add.

The ailerions should move on the ground for crosswind takeoff. And to check that the controls are free and correct.

Can you get the ailerons also to droop with the flaps? but still move a bit on landing?
See pic:
Flaps and ailerons down for high lift - take-off and landing.




nice work....btw..
Cheers!

i can make the ailerons move like flaps. but there is graphical error - polygon become black viewing from some angles. now i have had some clue about what is affecting the visibility of polygons, it will take me some time to understand that program.

these days i am implementing some of the extra functions into PSF.EXE , so there will be no need for add-on EXEs.
so far i have successfully added these functions into PSF.EXE
1) correct movement of the flaps ( except for the ailerons , so far )
2) padlock automatic zoom-in and turning off MFDs
3) press B to toggle brake
4) press S to toggle left MFD between "store" and "engine data" , so key E can be used for other purpose
5) turn rate affected by airspeed
6) pitch-down responds slower ( now can't make sharp turn by pitching down )
7) "cobra" and high AOA slide
8) high AOA shaking
9) plane pulled back by landing strap on carrier ! ( no other game does better than PSF about carrier landing )

now i am working on the "tail slide" manuveur. i will make aileron movements later. and i accidently found out a way to turn on the heavy fog in game ( switching glfogi and glfogf somewhere in memory ), i will make that too.

another improvement: LOD doesn't reduce now

OMG!! Thats is one of the BEST mods !! I always wanted the LOD fixed.
Thank you, Thank you...mlracing!

i tested the program, and the planes sometimes switch to lowest LOD at a certain distance, then back to highest LOD when distance increases. there are some codes that i haven't found out.
because of that problem, i made a workaround on the player's plane (the most important object in the game). it should be at highest LOD forever. this MOD has no effect on the trees.

here is the way: in EXE,
go to 0x00067A88
find..... "8b 54 24 20 39 50 10 7d 2b 8b 4e 14"
change to "b9 00 00 00 00 90 90 90 90 90 90 90"

go to 0x00068239
find..... "89 45 14 3b c1"
change to "e9 72 8d f9 ff"

go to 0x00000FB0
change a series of "00" into
81 3d 0c a8 4a 00 00 00 00 00 75 0a 89 45 14 39
c8 e9 78 72 06 00 3d 00 00 08 00 7c ef 8b 1d 0c
a8 4a 00 3b b3 80 1d 00 00 74 1a 81 3d b8 74 53
00 00 00 00 00 74 d5 8b 1d b8 74 53 00 3b b3 a8
fc ff ff 75 c7 c7 45 14 00 00 00 00 eb c1 90 90

i assume your EXE wasn't modified at those locations. if it was modified before this MOD, this MOD won't work.

it took me more than 10 hours to make this one. finally, phew.
BTW: do you know the screenshot key in this game? i did something in the game without realizing then i found a BMP in the PSF folder. it was a screenshot captured by the game itself.

Hello mlracing,
Thanks again..
The screen capture keys are CTRL + G
You can keep hitting the G and it will make a series. But if you exit out and take another screen shot it will over write previous ones < starts over.

Gonna look in my EXE now..THANKS!
Cheers !

here comes the first demo of NEW PHYSICS for PSF.
http://player.youku.com/player.php/Type/Folder/Fid/3573261/Ob/1/Pt/10/sid/XMTI1NzQ0OTcy/v.swf

new behaviors of the plane in this demo include:
1) cobra maneuver
2) stall
3) tail slide maneuver
4) high-AOA level flight (up to 30 degree)
5) pulled backward by landing strap
and these are all saved correctly in replay.

the stage in this demo is Pretzel's beautiful training mission CROWDED HOUSE

i am still working on the new physics, there are many things to tweak.

Dear friends,
I am from Norway and this is my first post but not the last
I like to fly Precision Strike Fighter a lot.

I am using two monitors with Flight Simulator 2004. One for general view and the other one for Pop-ups (Throttle, GPS, Overhead Panel views...)

But how can I split the view for F/A-18 PSF ? Can I run the game in windowed mode?
Because I want to use for my main screen the HUD view and on the second monitor the
DDI, IFEI, HSD and Up Front Control views. Can anyone help me please?






Best Regards

hi, welcome Norwegian, i know about Norway for its popularity of motorsports, especially rally.
i am into motorsport too, see my ID - m.l.racing ? i can't afford real rallying but i play rally games a lot. now Richard Burns Rally is my favourite.

back to your questions, it's not difficult to see the outside world and the 2 DDI at the same time, but the IFEI HSD SIG can't be shown at this time, unless someone takes the trouble of programming a graphic interface to show these data.

i can make the DDI always appear on the screen, even at external views(view 3,5,6...). and i can make the FOV larger (meaning the view angle is larger) , in case that your screen is big.
if you have the materials, you can project the DDIs onto your virtual cockpit. the position (in relation to the computer screen) of the DDI is never changed.

here's the sample effect
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/views.jpg

Dear mlracing,
If you want to come to Norway one time, tell me
You can drive rally everywhere here! and of course we can go fishing too
____

I want to build a FA-18 PSF Cockpit in my room with Projection. Thats why I need a little bit help. I want to reflect only the HUD and the OUTSIDE VIEW on the big screen (by pressing Ctrl+I hidden 2D) and the other panels (presing 2) on the other monitor. (2D Cockpit)

Something like this:



You can see on the picture, the HUD size is too big. How can I make it smaller?



Thank you very much

i wish i will go to Norway oneday. and also meet some famous rally drivers

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

the size of hud braces can be changed by pressing Shift= or Shift- (view 4, zoom in / zoom out) in PSF. but when you have virtual cockpit, you don't want the hud braces. so the upper right picture in here:
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/mlracing1979/views.jpg
can suit this need. ( i hid the hud by pressing Ctrl H when i took the screenshot)

but all other information (view 2) can't be seen without a lot of programming.
one solution is to read data from one PSF process and write the data into another PSF process ( 2 PSF processes on 2 Machines or 2 Virtual Machines )
another solution is write a graphic interface and read data from PSF.
i can read data from PSF but i can't write a graphic interface. transfering data to another machine is possible but i haven't tried.

Pretzel has his own virtual cockpit and he must have experience about how to make the cockpit work with PC games.

Thank you very much for your helpful answer mlracing

But excuse me for disturbing you again,
How can I disable the VC complete? I need an empty screen with only the HUD and DDI`s on it.

Then I can start building here

you are welcome

do you use any HEX edit tool ?
to disable the 3D cockpit, use an HEX edit tool to open PSF.EXE , go to line "0x00079A9A",
find "e8 91 22 00 00" , change to "90 90 90 90 90" . then when you press 4 or Shift 4, Ctrl 4, you only see the HUD and DDI. you may want to write down these numbers, in case you need to change back.

there are many things you can do to make PSF suit your needs. just do it one step at a time.

I downloaded the freeware Hex-editor XVI32 and followed your instructions:

Wooow! Thats Incredible.... I am speechless mlracing
Millions of numbers and string lines, how do you know which one is for what?
You know what, you are a genie !!!

I did and it`s working ! No VC anymore.

Thank You very very very much.

I am starting to build my home-pit now ;);)

those numbers in EXE can be interpreted to ASM language, then i read the ASM strings to understand what the process is doing.
many people can do this(they can be called crackers), just that i am one of the few whose are MODing PSF.

let's look at something funny: " F18 team performance "

http://player.youku.com/player.php/Type/Folder/Fid/3573261/Ob/1/Pt/11/sid/XMTI2NDI2OTIw/v.swf

I watched your video
Looks better than the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration

I cleared my old fishing room and started building I think I will finish it up in a few weeks. Dont worry I am taking step by step building pictures. When its done will publish them here.

MLRacing excuse me for disturbing you again,
Hiding complete the VC is OK but can we do the same thing with the standart view? I dont need the 2D Cockpit frames.
Or can I change the standart HUD size? I need it a little bit smaller (1/4 smaller)

Please make some Hocus Pocus with the ASM Strings




Thank You

I think hes looking for a 2 channel of PSF.
One monitor to display outside and another for the instrument panel.

BTW: Keys CNTL + i makes the instrument panel go away in 2D pit without the hex edit. Ive made the panel semi transparent and removed sections with the hex.

GSC made these for Fly ACES at the Mall of America, Cyberdome and Air Combat Zone.
All use a 2 channel of PSF

Ive been to ACES and plan on going to AirComabtzone next year.

Fly ACES http://www.flyaces.com/simulators.html
The have a flat panel in your lap and a overhead projector for outside views.


Cyber Dome http://www.cyberdome.com/ent/f_a-18_hornet.htm


Air Comabat Zone http://www.aircombatzone.com/

mlracing,
I did the multi ship formation flying too. Was funny when I rolled and they all collided and exploded.
Nice to see someone walking down the same path....
Cheers!

to ScandicFisher, disabling the 2D cockpit will have the same effect as disabling the 3D cockpit. if you don't press 1 or 2, only press 4, you won't see the cockpit. does that solve the problem?
i can't change the size of 2D cockpit. the size of 3D cockpit can be changed though.

to Pretzel, in this picture, seems like the terrain is more detailed, or is it just my illusion:


i wish GSC will carry on the F18 series and develop new graphics, new physics and new sound for it. with the existing foundation of avionics, carrier ops and replay system, GSC F18 series can be one of the bigshots on the market.

Dear Pretzel that`s exactly what I want. Can you help me to remove the sections?

____________

MLRacing,
I want to use my PSF at home like in those screenshots of Air Combat Zone.

I ordered from Vertical Reality Simulations the Superbug for my FS2004. I dont know why but I am really not happy with it. Precision Strike Fighter is my favorite.
Here is my video of the Superbug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXv9HP34G4M


Greetings

mlracing,
The tiles you see at ACES are the European terrian set at MLK Airbase. You will need to convert them from 3DF to TGA with the texus program ...here. http://www.mlk-airbase.wz.cz/f18/europe2/f18_eur2.htm

ScandicFisher, I will have to get back with you on this subject.

Cheers !

Dear friends,
I solved my problem

Started building my home-pit now. When its done, I will share the pictures and step by step building guide.

Thank you very much again for your help

my project about the physics of PSF will not be finished anytime soon. so i share some easy MODs for now, to help people who still like PSF or ODS/OIF enjoy their game more.
i found the ODS/OIF board in the forum archive:
http://simhq.net/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/30/1/F_A_18_Operation_Iraqi_Freedom.html
in there, MGonzales mentioned about the FOV.
the FOV is not saved in the game, but the default FOV can be changed this way:
for ODS/OIF, open the EXE with a HEX editor, go to line 0x00050409, see "a8 2a", this corresponds to FOV "0x2AA8", just change these 2 bytes to get a suitable FOV. (value range: 0x0001 to 0x5D00 )
the mininum FOV( zoom-in most ), in EXE 0x00050413, see "c6 11", meaning min FOV "0x11c6", change to "01 00". (you have a binoscope now)
the maximum FOV( zoom-out most ), in EXE 0x0005041D, see "fc 3f", meaning max FOV "0x3ffc", change to "00 5d".

for PSF, the max FOV is the default FOV for view4(3D pit). the default FOV for other views is 0x2AA8
in EXE 0x0007958f, see "c6 11", change to "01 00". (you have binoscope now)
in EXE 0x00079595, see "fc 3f", change to "ff 30", or whatever you like.
in EXE 0x00079563, see "a8 2a", change to whatever you like.
in EXE 0x0007971E, see "7e 07", change to "eb 07", this removes the max FOV limit.

someone mentioned about the jittering in cockpit view, it is in fact a feature, a feature that not any other flight sims have (including LOCKON/FLANKER and STRIKE FIGHTERS series). it is simulating the air gust which affects the pitch and yaw of the plane. it is easily noticed when flying at very low altitude (below 200ft).
STRIKE FIGHTERS series have jittering of the cockpit, but only visual effect, the flight is not affected.

ScandicFisher

I came across this thread because I've been searching for information on how to do exactly what I think you're trying to do. I'd like to have the outside world without hud and ddi's displayed on the projector and the look down cockpit (2) view on the monitor. This is also for a simpit I plan to build. I would love to hear how you solved your problem. I think someone referenced this as "two channel" earlier in this thread. Does anyone know if this can be done with the standard game?

BTW, I discovered PSF only about 2 years ago when I went to Air Combat Zone in Toronto Canada. That was incredibly fun. The simpits they have are based on PSF but are just amazing. The hud works as do all the ddi's and other instruments. If you're in the neighbourhood, I highly recommend checking them out.

Dear Wizard43,
Excuse me for my late answer. I had connection problems here. So back to to the theme:

You can build one cockpit like the AIR COMBAT ZONE has

I tried and it`s working:

First you need 2 computers and 1 projector. (a XGA Projector with 1024x768 is enough)
You have to run the game in the same time twice. With the first main CPU or the second CPU run only the outside view and with the other computer the (pressing 2) Instruments view.

And now you need an USB HUB first that`s the main point.
Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub is a good choice. You have 5 inputs and 2 outputs for 2 PC`s.
Connect INPUT your Throttle, Joystick, Rudder Pedals and an USB Keyboard + Mouse. OUTPUT to both PC`s. Now you can run PSF with 2 computers in the same time with one keyboard and Joystick

Display the outside view on projection screen and display (by pressing 2) instruments view on a LCD display.

Or if you have money, buy 2 projectors. Use one for outside view and reflect from inside your cockpit the second projector (Complete standart view PSF). But you need mirrors installed into your cockpit with those mirrors you have a nice HUD displayed on your glass.


Have a nice day!
---------------------

Dear MLRacing,
Thank you very very much for your helpful answer via PM!!!
I am building a Playseat with G25 first to my son. After it`s my turn to build a cockpit for PSF

Best Regards
Greetings from cold country Norway

Hi ScandicFisher. That's an interesting solution. So your inputs from keyboard, mouse and flight controls simultaneously go to two computers at the exact same time? And each computer is running it's own unique instance of the PSF game. What happens if there random occurrence in one of the games, like a unit in a mission that does not appear 100% of the time. Couldn't you have a situation where you have say, an enemy plane that appears in the game on one computer and not the other?

Thanks

Hi to this wonderfull PSF and F/A-18 community,

my name is André from Germany. I have simulated the F/A-18 about 10 years now with Janes and for the c-version with HK and now with PSF.

I love this Hornet from the bottom of my heart and, of course, was really excited about the work and the fanbase still shared with this great simulation from graphsim.

So please let me ask how is the work for the physical correction of PSF ? Can we expect a new improvment in the next weeks, mlracing ?

Would be great !

Best wishes,

André

welcome!
recently i have been studying other games: Flanker 2.5 and LockOn. and found many differences in the physics aspect of these games, everyone has its advantages and disavantages.
my knowledge on how PSF calculates aircraft motion is incomplete. so i can't make every maneuver act like what i imagine. such as the tail slide maneuver.
what's your opinion about the physics of PSF? how would you like it improved? have you seen my latest "new physics demo" video?
originally i wanted the roll rate & turn rate be affected by AOA and airspeed, this can be roughly achieved. i am not satisfied with the special maneuvers.