Ambient Life Configs

Ambient Life Distribution

There is a probabilistic way to define ambient life distribution, depending on current time, place and weather conditions, defined in CfgWorlds.

Layer cost and species probability use Simple Expressions.

Ambient Parameters which can be used inside of expressions:

As far as probabilities are considered, for each Species class, the probabilities need sum to one. In the following example, for instance:

probability="deadBody+(1-deadBody)*(0.5-forest*0.1-meadow*0.2)";
probability="(1-deadBody)*(0.5-forest*0.1+meadow*0.2)";
probability="(1-deadBody)*(0.2*forest)";

Which really sums into one, as one can easily check:

sum = deadBody+(1-deadBody)*(0.5 - 0.1*forest - 0.2*meadow + 0.5 - 0.1*forest + 0.2*meadow + 0.2*forest) =
    = deadBody+(1-deadBody)*1 = 1

More complete example follows:

class CfgWorlds
{
  class DefaultWorld
  {
    /// ambient life configuration
    class Ambient
    {
      class SmallInsects
      {
        radius=3;  //radius in meters, where ambient lives (distance from the player)
        cost="(10-5*hills)*(1-night)*(1-rain)*(1-sea)*(1-( (windy*2) min 1))"; //total number of all species
        /// species configuration
        class Species
        {
          class HouseFly
          {
            probability="deadBody+(1-deadBody)*(0.5-forest*0.1-meadow*0.2)";
            cost=1;  //when the fly lives, it pays this cost to the total sum cost SmallInsects::cost
          };
          class HoneyBee
          {
            probability="(1-deadBody)*(0.5-forest*0.1+meadow*0.2)";
            cost=1;
          };
          class Mosquito
          {
            probability="(1-deadBody)*(0.2*forest)";
            cost=1;
          };
        };
      };
      ...
    };
  };
};

Basic ambient behaviour

Basic ambient behaviour is defined in cfgVehicles.hpp.

class CfgNonAIVehicles
{
  class Bird
  {
    scope = private;
    model="";
    simulation = SeaGull; //which CPP class simulate ambient behaviour
    reversed = false;     //default is not reversed (ambients are oriented in other way, than a man)
    //straightDistance,minHeight,avgHeight and maxHeight can be overiden by randomMove fsm function
    minHeight=5;
    avgHeight=10;
    maxHeight=50;
    straightDistance=50;  // random move will use this to set the maximum distance, where to fly
    minSpeed=-0.5; // m/s
    maxSpeed=20;   // m/s
    acceleration = 7; //m/s^2
    turning = 1; // angular acceleration - relative (the higher, the more maneuvrable)
    flySound[]={"",db-30,1, 1};
    singSound[]={"",db-30,1, 1};
    canBeShot=true;  //birds can, insect cannot
    airFriction2[]={25,12,2.5};    //defines the matrix for computing friction
    airFriction1[]={1500,700,100}; //multiplying columns changes friction in given coordinate
    airFriction0[]={40,20,60};
  };
  ...
};

Ambient behaviour specialization

For particular species, default Bird or Insect values, defined in cfgVehicles.hpp can be specialized:

class CfgNonAIVehicles
{
  class Insect;
  class Bird;
  class ButterFly: Insect
  {
    model = "aglais_urticae.p3d";
    fsm[] = {"Butterfly"};     //there could be more FSMs for layered FSM system, but it is not implemented yet
    moves = CfgMovesButterfly; //animation subject is described on other place in wiki
    //straightDistance,minHeight,avgHeight and maxHeight can be overiden by randomMove fsm function
    straightDistance=2; // random move will use this to set the maximum distance, where to fly
    minHeight=-0.10;  // allow landing
    avgHeight=0.3;    // these Height values are used in random movement
    maxHeight=1.5;
    minSpeed=-0.1;    // autopilot tries to make ambient fly within this range
    maxSpeed=1;       // but it is modulated only in Z coordinate, yet (side speed is still problem)
    acceleration = 5; // m/s^2 this acceleration is used whenever possible. Ambient cannot fly with less effort.
    turning = 5;      // turning ability (less value, less turning ability)
    reversed = false; // model is oriented in other way, than a man. With true value, ambient flies backwards.
    autocenter = false; //important for proper rtm animation (bones mounted on proper place)
  };
  ...
};