DCG: An idiot's Guide
#46

wingflyr Wrote:Both :mrgreen: sorry! Both would be nice but pacific may be easier to follow.

Both is a given my friend :wink: , but we can start the pacific first Big Grin
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#47

This is nice having 2 examples from start to end!
Thanks for all effort Scharnhorst!
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#48

So we will start with a pacific map. I have just finished a Tarawa map, so we will use it as an example. In this post I will not post screenies, but I will in the next one. First I want to discuss campaign ideas and things to incorporate before we jump in.

Criteria for this map:

1) We need the US to invade the island. So in our roads network we need to set up an invasion of the main island that has the airstrip.

2) You could use the village huts on other islands as supply huts and put static objects so that they will be targeted by aircraft.

3) We need a carrier patrol box for the US Navy

4) We need to set up any Seaplane Bases, if you want to use them in your campaign

5) we need an offmap supply zone for the Americans, and a sea route from the offmap supply to the island to invade

6) We need to populate our map with bunkers/pillboxes at the invasion beach, static planes at runways and AA defending locations and ships at harbors.

7) We need to add all squadrons that are going to be in the campaign

8 ) we need to add all ships that are going to be in the carrier task force, and all ships that are going to be in the invasion force. Also, if we want, we can have a sea route from a Japanese offmap supply to resupply the island and provide some antishipping missions.

9) we need to add any tanks or supply vehicles in the campaign.

Any questions on any of these criteria or any other suggestions of things we want/don't want in this map?
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#49

Your last note to me got me started. Thanks. I can't think of anything more to add yet.
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#50

Ok guys, there are alot of pictures in these next few posts, so here we go.

Like I stated in my previous post, we need an Sea Route from an American Supply zone to the invasion harbor. We can then make another sea route from the harbor back to the supply zone. I recomend putting one location between the supply zone and the harbor. The reason for this is to give the Japanese a chance to sink the transports while making the campaign last alittle longer.

This first picture is what I am talking about. It shows where I am going to put locations and the sea lanes

[Image: Supply.jpg]

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: Tarawa_SRD.jpg]

When you do this in the mission builder, I suggest making segiments of your road, and saving the segiments as .mis files somewhere. So what you would do is make a road segiment from the US_Supply_Harbor to Pacific_Ocean_1. Save this file. Now delete this segiment and make the next one, Pacific_Ocean_1 to Betio_Island_Harbor. Save this file. Repeat and so on ...

More pictures:
In this picture, I have just combined them for simplicity and so you can see, but what I have done is set two roads that meet at the Supply_Harbor. These two roads are an airfield and a shipyard. If you add the shipyard, you can spawn random groups of ships at random intervals. You can use the other one as either a Seaplane_Base or an airfield, your pick. You can name anywhere a Seaplane_Base and have it actually spawn float planes for takeoff. You DO NOT need a float plane airfield marker. You have the liberty to make seaplane bases ANYWHERE.

In these pictures, I have kept the previous roads in so that you can see. But when you make these on your own, delete the old one and save them in incriments. It will make your life a hell of a lot easier. I promise. But Anyway, the current road segiment is highlited in white, and I have marked the beginning and end locations.

[Image: US_Supply_Harbor.jpg]

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: Pacific1toBetioHarbor.jpg]

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: BetioHarbor.jpg]

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: BetioHarbortoPacific2.jpg]

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: Pacific2toUSHarbor.jpg]

This should complete the Tarawa.SRD data that we need. Are there any questions on what I have just done?
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#51

So now lets look at the actual Island that will be invaded. Here is the Tarawa Islands, and I have boxed where I want to focus to set up an invasion.

[Image: BetioIsland.jpg]

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: BetioDraw.jpg]

We have already done the sea lanes, but now it is time to do the roads on the island. Just like I said previously, when Armor invades, it is dumped in the X_Beach location. However, if they do not capture that location the first turn, there needs to be a location to retreat to. So we make a road from the beach to a "beachhead." See my picture below:

[Image: Beachhead.jpg]

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[Image: BetioBeachtoBetioIsland.jpg]

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: BetioAirfield.jpg]

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[Image: BetioHQ.jpg]
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#52

Any Questions?

Any Comments?

?
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#53

So that covers the roads and sea lanes. If you want to add a sea route for the Japanese to drop off supplies at Tarawa, you can set one up just like the American one. Also, if you want to use the villages on other islands as supply depots to be attacked, you need to add them as locations. Just put some waypts in the village, and call it X_Supply_Huts or something.

Now that we have all of the waypts for all the locations, we need to make the appropriate files. Go to your IL2/DCG/Data folder, and copy a X.rds, a X.rls, a X.srd, and a X.prd. Copy these four files and paste them into a new folder somwhere. Maybe make a new folder on your desktop and call it Campaign. Paste these into that folder and empty them out (Do NOT empty out the prd file).

Open the X.rds file and go to where you saved all of these .mis files with your road segiments. Find the first location in your road network and open that .mis file. So whith what I am doing, I would open "BetioIslandBeach_BetioIslandBeachhead." (This is what I named my file that contained those two locations). Under the [Chief_Road], highlight and copy all of the waypts. Paste them into your Tarawa.rds file. Now you need to make the header, so it should look like this:

[Betio_Island_Beach to Betio_Island_Beachhead]
35834.34 27001.30 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35869.53 27077.54 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35890.85 27105.27 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35948.43 27110.60 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35994.28 27102.07 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35988.43 27112.20 120.00

Now close the .mis file and open up the next one in order, which should be "BetioIslandBeach_BetioIsland" (what I named my file). Make the new header and copy the waypts, so now your file should look like this:

[Betio_Island_Beach to Betio_Island_Beachhead]
35834.34 27001.30 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35869.53 27077.54 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35890.85 27105.27 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35948.43 27110.60 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35994.28 27102.07 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35988.43 27112.20 120.00
[Betio_Island_Beach to Betio_Island]
35994.28 27102.07 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35988.43 27112.20 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35899.85 27299.22 120.00

Keep doing this for every location in your road network. When you have copied them all, save and close the Tarawa.rds file, after you name it to something similar.

Does everyone understand? You make these waypts in the full mission builder, save each segiment as a .mis file to get the waypts. You open them up and copy them into the DCG file to keep track of the locations. Any questions on this?
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#54

So you do the same thing with the .srd files. Here is a copy of my entire Tarawa43.rds file.

[Pacific_Ocean to Pacific_Ocean]
39927.00 90074.84 120.00 0 2 8.333333969116211
79973.55 39747.69 120.00
[Tarawa_Island to Betio_Island_Headquarters]
28407.49 29000.12 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
28541.41 29107.91 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
28665.54 29215.70 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
28815.80 29310.43 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
28903.99 29493.35 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
28962.78 29663.21 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
29011.78 29757.93 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
29054.86 29754.47 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
29077.15 29740.80 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
29091.10 29725.38 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
29096.98 29699.68 120.00
[Betio_Island_Beachhead to Betio_Island_Beach]
35834.34 27001.30 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35869.53 27077.54 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35890.85 27105.27 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35948.43 27110.60 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35994.28 27102.07 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35988.43 27112.20 120.00
[Betio_Island_Beach to Betio_Island_Bunkers]
35994.28 27102.07 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35988.43 27112.20 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
35899.85 27299.22 120.00
[Betio_Island_Bunkers to Betio_Island_1]
35899.85 27299.22 120.00 0 6 2.3611111640930176
35802.00 27397.100 120.00
35700.00 27500.00 20.00
35500.00 27500.00 20.00
34700.00 28300.00 20.00
34493.65 28303.67 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
34113.47 28686.90 120.00
[Betio_Island_1 to Betio_Island_Airfield]
34496.18 28307.63 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
34384.62 28414.54 120.00 0 8 2.3611111640930176
34100.00 28700.00 20.00
33900.00 28700.00 20.00
33700.00 28900.00 20.00
33500.00 28900.00 20.00
33100.00 29300.00 20.00
32900.00 29300.00 20.00
32622.12 29305.37 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
32562.60 29407.67 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
32467.74 29415.11 120.00
[Betio_Island_Airfield to Betio_Island_Headquarters]
32562.60 29407.67 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
32467.74 29415.11 120.00 0 2 2.3611111640930176
32232.50 29297.66 120.00 0 4 2.3611111640930176
32100.00 29300.00 20.00
31500.00 29300.00 20.00
30687.46 29300.93 120.00 0 5 2.3611111640930176
30500.00 29300.00 20.00
29300.00 29300.00 20.00
29100.00 29500.00 20.00
29099.96 29686.37 120.00
[Banraeba_Supply_Huts to Banraeba_Supply_Huts]
49039.33 24221.27 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
49361.73 24371.79 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
49222.88 24186.62 120.00
[Bikenibeu_Supply_Huts to Bikenibeu_Supply_Huts]
67494.55 29174.43 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
67566.11 29104.11 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
67521.70 29041.19 120.00
[Buariki_Supply_Huts to Buariki_Supply_Huts]
39912.38 76017.05 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
39889.70 76091.30 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
39890.73 76197.52 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
39910.32 76330.54 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
40139.14 76133.42 120.00
[Buota_Supply_Huts to Buota_Supply_Huts]
71636.72 33515.55 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
71723.56 33472.82 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
71708.40 33384.60 120.00
[Elta_Supply_Huts to Elta_Supply_Huts]
57886.74 27260.33 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
57972.27 27197.44 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
57926.99 27142.10 120.00
[Maraneunka_Supply_Huts to Maraneunka_Supply_Huts]
49110.82 52053.00 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
49184.95 52000.68 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
49215.47 52044.28 120.00
[Nabeina_Supply_Huts to Nabeina_Supply_Huts]
60761.75 42281.94 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
60777.34 42352.06 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
60859.15 42445.55 120.00
[Naurabu_Supply_Huts to Naurabu_Supply_Huts]
41774.45 65977.81 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
41812.37 65846.70 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
41813.95 65777.98 120.00
[Tabiteauea_Supply_Huts to Tabiteauea_Supply_Huts]
65104.28 38822.09 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
65207.86 38905.88 120.00
[Taratar_Supply_Huts to Taratar_Supply_Huts]
45105.76 62437.06 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
45147.62 62416.13 120.00 0 2 3.055555582046509
45202.37 62354.94 120.00
[Townsville_Shipyard to Townsville_Airfield]
293733.72 200903.47 120.00 0 21 8.333333969116211
294014.63 200622.58 120.00
294295.50 200341.69 120.00
294576.41 200060.80 120.00
294857.28 199779.89 120.00
295138.19 199499.00 120.00
295419.06 199218.11 120.00
295699.97 198937.22 120.00
295980.84 198656.33 120.00
296261.75 198375.44 120.00
296542.63 198094.53 120.00
296823.53 197813.64 120.00
297104.44 197532.75 120.00
297385.31 197251.86 120.00
297666.22 196970.97 120.00
297947.09 196690.08 120.00
298228.00 196409.19 120.00
298508.88 196128.28 120.00
298789.78 195847.39 120.00
299070.66 195566.50 120.00
299351.56 195285.61 120.00

You can copy and paste these waypts into a mission to see where they are. This example is a little different, but basically the same. The difference is that I have added a Pacific_Ocean location to represent the front before the invasion, and I have added all the villeges as locations to be attacked. However, I am calling them Supply_Huts, so they should be thought of as military targets. I was trying to add variety I guess. :roll: . What do you guys think about that idea? Good? Bad?
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#55

fantastic Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin

most thorough tutorial I've ever seen ... many thanks


Would it be possible to make pdf file out of this ( print in pdf or such) once is done, and post link at the beginning of the thread ?

again, many thanks for your effort

Z
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#56

Yes, a PDF would be fantastic!
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#57

It is possible, but I do not have access to make .pdf files. I can only read them. Someone else is most certainly welcome to take everything and make one though Big Grin
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#58

Scharnhorst1943 Wrote:It is possible, but I do not have access to make .pdf files. I can only read them. Someone else is most certainly welcome to take everything and make one though Big Grin


there are free applications ( cute pdf writer ....) that allows you to print your docs (or web sites ...) as pdf file .... so make tuto in word and just print it as pdf file


hope that helps

Z
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#59

I am just pasting them into a word doc.

I have a question, on this image, you have the route back to US supply not starting right at betio harbor, but farther away south a bit, or is it "close enough" in this example to betio harbor for DCG to understand that is where it is starting?

[Image: BetioHarbortoPacific2.jpg]
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#60

I am also a little confused by off-map locations, since they have coordinates, I guess these are just "way out" choose a crazy huge number in the general direction you want? So if I want "Tokyo_Harbor" I just put in something like -500000, -500000 and if I want "SanFrancisco_Harbor" 500000 , 500000.

I never tried putting in an off map set of WPs to see what shows up in the builder. Or do you just choose an empty patch in a corner of the map and say "this is Townsville Harbor".
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