Aces' SdKfz 251/2 mortar carrier WIP

[Aces]

Hi folks,


By aces123 at 2012-07-08

Cheers

Aces

[kapulA]

Very interesting. D' you think you'll be able to get the mortar crew to fit in there?

[frinik]

Hey that's cool! Indeed with a crew inside that'd make a nice mobile artillery vehicle. :)Good work!

[Aces]

Hi chaps,

Regarding the crew, the 251/2 had a crew of 8 including the driver and co-driver/radio operatore leaving six to be accommodated in the hull. I think I'll try and have at least two "loaders" standing astride the mortar and the rest as passengers seated to the rear. You'll note that I've cut the seats back like the real thing so there should be room to have four seated although I need to experiment with the crew positioning and the placement of objects like the mortar rounds and carrying cases to get a best fit. Then I need to make the mortar operational. I think that it'll make for an interesting addition to the German armoury when finished.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. One thing that I could do with a little assistance on is the creation of new units in the mission editor. I first came across this problem when I was trying to add new units for my previous infantry and kubelwagon radio car mods. I identified two emgcfg files that seemed to have a bearing on this and edited them but the new units didn't show up in the mission editor!?. I spoke to Donken recently who has been very helpful and he indicated that there were more files to edit so maybe someone could give me a list of files that need to be edited to include a new unit in the mission editor and any releated tips/info. I'd like to accomplish this ASAP because, unless there's an easy way for mission creators to readily use them in-game they'll never see the light of day.

Cheers

Aces

[Donken]

Well, if you want to try yourself first you can for example download my "standalone zip" Jagdtiger and look throu all files there, but take an extra look in the readme and .text file and see how its made. But i think you probably only have missed the .text file, thats where you put in the name for the unit in the editor and also the igm name.
Or you can just call me when you got time!

[Aces]

Thanks mate that's great, I'll have a look at the files with the jagdtiger mod.

Thanks again for the help and the chat the other evening, let's hook up maybe next weekend if you are around.

Cheers

Leigh

Edit: I'm quite excited, I found some really good references for the 251/2 as they seem quite rare. I'm going to re-instate the full-length rear seats, remove the mortar baseplate and put in on one of the rear doors. Add a total of 22 (3-round) ammo containers on the rear seats in racks and also two each behind the two front seats with a couple open on the front seats. I might also remove the rear AA-mg ammo drum and replace with an ammo belt if I can spare the polys. This will probably entail cutting back on the crew numbers so maybe a total of 4 or 5 crew, driver, radio op, two loaders and an NCO commander.

[frinik]

Keep it up Aces it looks like you've got a winning combo! 8)

[Aces]

Thanks mate,

Cheers

Aces

[Wörghern]

Yeah very nice work Aces, as always. I like very much the quality "surgical" of your work

[bidounegger]

very nice work ! everybody here like is waiting for !

THANKS !

[Aces]

Morning guys,

Thanks for your comments. I'm making good progress, below the latest WIP pics from yesterday evening:







Details might change slightly but, apart from that, I think I should be ready by the end of the week to start working with the required game config files etc. and maybe in-game testing this coming weekend if all progresses well.

Cheers

Aces

PS. If amyone has access to a copy of "Panzer Tracts No. 15-3 and could have a look at any info/pics contained in this book regarding the SdKfz 251/2 Ausf C with 81cm mortar and pass it on to me I'd be obliged. Detailed pictures and info on this variant is quite scarse and there's little in all my books on the 251.

[whukid]

Wow! this looks awesome! When you're done with this, can you possibly take a look at the in-game Stug? It's missing a few principle parts, namely the Schurtzen that was present from 1943 onward and the correct external machinegun

[kapulA]

Humm, the late-war StuG did have the Hetzer style remote controlled machinegun, if that's what you're referring to, but those were only installed after the summer of '44, so a loader-operated shield MG would be more appropriate for earlier scenarios.

[Aces]

Hi chaps,

Latest WIP screenshot:



I found some excellent pictures and re-made the ammunition canister rack in a tubular design as well as making a proper floor mount for the mortar. I have also nearly finished adding the wooden texture to the handles on the metal ammunition cases.

Cheers

Aces

[Aces]

Hi chaps,

Latest WIP picture below, I'm just starting testing in game, it loads fine but need to test and tweek a few things before I'm finished.

Cheers

Aces

[frinik]

Aces did you test whether the crew in the vehicle actually uses the mortar and lob shells?

Cheers.

[Aces]

Hi mate,

I've added the mortar crew but that's on my "to do" list. I have used the mortar loader and pak gunner animations as used for the non-vehicle-mounted mortar crew but will see if they actually go through the motions so as to speak.

Cheers

Aces

[Aces]

Hi chaps,

Just to let you know that this project isn't dead. I've done a lot more work throughout. I've resisited posting in-game screen shots because I have a couple of problems that have hampered my progress, as follows.

1. The tracks are out of alignments with the wheels but not rotated just out of alignment. I've cheked the wheels and track parameters in the sdkfz251.encfg file and they are exactly the same as the other 251 models. I've also checked the left and right track settings in the common_res.engcfg and they are correct, they must be else the other 251 models that share them would surely also be wrong. I've checked the model and everything seems aligned and postioned the same as my 251/1 model, also, the wheel pivots are centred and aligned correctly and the wheels rotate in the correct direction. To explain it, is as if the tracks are lower down (u/d) and slightly back (l/r) of their correct alignment.

2. At present the vehicle doesn't fire. I've checked the "weapons" , "shells" and "heads" sections of the 251.encfg and it seems like I've gotten this correct but maybe I've missed something!?.

3. Apart from that everything else is pretty much finished, the model, the skin, the units in the editor etc.

Any thoughts much appreciated, I've been bashing my head against a wall over these two issues every night for the last couple of weeks and getting nowhere.

Cheers and regards

Aces

Oh what the hell, here's some in-game screen shots FWIW, crew positioning not finalised, you'll see what I mean about the track alignment:

















I'm loathe to abandon the project as I've put an awful lot of hard work and research into it but, if I cannot resolve these issue fairly soon, I'll be forced to put it on the shelf. I guess the vehicle would maybe have generated more interest if it was playable.

[Kyth]

About the tracks. You'll probably need to set them up as separate lines under a different label, in the common.res.engcfg. 
Then link the 'caterpillars' section in the tech config file to the new labelled tracks.

For all other issues, try posting the tech config file up here, for the good people to see,

[Aces]

Thanks mate,

I did, at one time, have them as two new lines for the left track and right track in the common res file and it didn't make any difference. As the 251/1 and 251/10 both use the same lines in the common res file for tracks I think that the 251/2 can also use them but, as I mentioned, adding two new lines and also changing the 251/2's encgfg to use them didn't make any difference at all. I'll post more this evening. I'm actually a bit more concerned as to why it won't fire, if it doesn't fire then it is useless.

Regards

Aces