So ok something I get asked about from time to time is how I created a few of the new scenario’s that RAAFVirtual.org is using with Tacpack. There isn’t a lot of documentation out because well the file format in and of itself is kinda ‘straight forward’ but I figured I’d cover some of what Jon and Chris over at VRS Simualtions have done and how I use it.
First off you should understand that the .tps file format is a text based one, so what you see here = what is in the file itself.
Secondly you should be aware that to load a scenario you need to go into the Add On’s menu – Tacpack Misc (VRS MISC?) Debug – Load Scenario option and then select the file. There is a way to do it from command line but I never use it so i can’t remember.
So with that being said lets look at the actual file format here we have the example supplied by vrs better known as test-KSJC.tps
//VRS TacPack KSJC test scenario file
[SimpleAI_Aircraft_00]
Title=Mooney Bravo
LatDeg=37.656016
LonDeg=-122.305641
AltM=1000
HdgTrueDeg=350
KTAS=105
[SimpleAI_Aircraft_01]
Title=Airbus A321
LatDeg=37.359374
LonDeg=-121.919811
HdgTrueDeg=270
OnGround=1
[SimpleAI_Boat_00]
Title=cargoA
LatDeg=37.656016
LonDeg=-122.305641
HdgTrueDeg=0
SpeedKts=10
[SimpleAI_Boat_01]
Title=cargoB
LatDeg=37.656016
LonDeg=-122.305641
HdgTrueDeg=180
SpeedKts=15
[Drone_00]
LatDeg=37.109613
LonDeg=-122.125397
AltM=10000
HdgTrueDeg=72
KTAS=300
Behavior=1
[Tanker_00]
Index=0
LatDeg=37.548618
LonDeg=-121.989613
AltM=6000
HdgTrueDeg=90
KIAS=250
Team=3
OrbitType=1
FreqTACAN=108.00
[Carrier_00]
Index=0
LatDeg=37.798949
LonDeg=-122.501335
HdgTrueDeg=270
SpeedKts=30
Team=1
PointDefenseState=0
FreqILS=111.00
FreqTACAN=108.10
[SAMSite_00]
LatDeg=37.359973
LonDeg=-121.925207
Team=5
Enable=0
So looking at this we can see that it’s broken up into basic regions lets look at each one.
[SimpleAI_Aircraft_00]
Title=Mooney Bravo
LatDeg=37.656016
LonDeg=-122.305641
AltM=1000
HdgTrueDeg=350
KTAS=105
In this block we are telling tp we want to create a simple AI aircraft, the _00 = the number we want so 00,01,02 etc.
The title is the aircraft.cfg title of the aircraft in this case the default Mooney Bravo
The LatDeg, LongDeg = the Latitude and Longitude of the aircraft at it’s starting point in DECIMAL format.
AltM = Altitude in Meters, in this case 1,000 Meters.
HdgTrueDeg = The heading in TRUE Degrees not Magnetic.
KTAS = Knots true airspeed, so the TRUE speed of the aircraft not the Indicated or Ground speed.
Once you fill all these in a simple aircraft will spawn and fly in what ever direction. you’ve set. There is one other tag you can use which is OnGround=1 this tells the sim that it’s on the ground and not in flight.
[SimpleAI_Boat_00]
Title=cargoA
LatDeg=37.656016
LonDeg=-122.305641
HdgTrueDeg=0
SpeedKts=10
This works exactly as SimpleAi Aircraft but obviously your making a boat and there is no altitude.
[Drone_00]
LatDeg=37.109613
LonDeg=-122.125397
AltM=10000
HdgTrueDeg=72
KTAS=300
Behavior=1
Make an AI Drone, set it’s Lat/Long, altitude heading, knots like with a simple AI aircraft And then the new flag Behavior = 1,2,3 etc.. this coresponds to the normal drone behavior types in tacpack.
[Tanker_00]
Index=0
LatDeg=37.548618
LonDeg=-121.989613
AltM=6000
HdgTrueDeg=90
KIAS=250
Team=3
OrbitType=1
FreqTACAN=108.00
So ok now we have the tanker, index = 0 I believe is the tanker type based on the tacpack list so 0 = the first in that list etc.
LAT/LONG etc are the same as the others.
Team = the Tacpack Team.
OrbitType = the orbit, should be either 1,2,3 or 0,1,2 based on what i can remember (short, long or straight)
FreqTacan = the Tacan Normal Freq, so 108.00 would be I believe 15x.
[Carrier_00]
Index=0
LatDeg=37.798949
LonDeg=-122.501335
HdgTrueDeg=270
SpeedKts=30
Team=1
PointDefenseState=0
FreqILS=111.00
FreqTACAN=108.10
Here we have the carrier, again Index = the carrier type based on your TP list. Latlong speed = the normal for these.
Team = the TP Team
PointDefenseState= 0 or 1 is if the PDS is on or off
Freq ILS = ILS Frequency.
FreqTacan = The Tacan Frequency in normal
[SAMSite_00]
LatDeg=37.359973
LonDeg=-121.925207
Team=5
Enable=0
Set the Lat/long that the Sam will be placed.
The team
if it’s on or off 1/0
So from this you can now create basic scenarios and share them.. Want to put in a mass of sams and a single ground target at Nellis Range? You can do so, so long as you remain within the TP limits of such. Couple it with some of the features in A.T.R for example and you are on your way to having a very POWERFUL set of tools for making combat viable in Flight Simulator and P3D.