[WIP] Phalanx Mod

[Snarf]

I've started on a model for a Phalanx CIWS, hopefully I can get the whole thing up and running including the rotating barrel. This will be a fun mod to 'what if' your submarine, or maybe modernize a surface ship. It will fire the obligatory 3000 rounds of 20mm per minute, and have the same traverse and elevation speeds as well.

Progress:

-Model Base - Done
-Model Barrels - Done
-Model upper section including ammo drum - Done
-Add texture files - Very crude, done
-Create .dat .sim .cam files - Done
-Successfully load mod into game - Done

[Sniper297]

Forget that, wanna go really crazy replace the 20mm Oerlikons and 40mm Bofors with a 30mm GAU-8 Avenger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger

At 4000 rounds per minute you probably could sink the Yamato eating through armor like a swarm of high explosive termites.

[Snarf]

I think a Yamato's 16" of armor could absorb a full loadout of 30MM tungsten or DU rounds without significantly affecting the ship's seaworthiness, but it would certainly cut a destroyer right in half.

I am thinking of making a 40MM big brother to the Phalanx, you could probably rip a 10000 ton freighter or even a light cruiser in half with that.

I'm halfway done with the base, I need to add the steps and access panels. The middle section and the upper R2D2 part should be a piece of cake. The barrels and the barrel support structure I think will be the tricky part.

After the Phalanx is done, I will start on a rail gun. That would certainly perforate a Yamato like a piece of cardboard.

[joefremont]

I am curious how much damage the rail gun would really do. I was quite disappointed when I heard it fired a 15kg solid kinetic projectile (no explosive charge). It might punch a nice hole in its armor but will do little else.

[ETR3(SS)]

Originally Posted by Sniper297

Forget that, wanna go really crazy replace the 20mm Oerlikons and 40mm Bofors with a 30mm GAU-8 Avenger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger

At 4000 rounds per minute you probably could sink the Yamato eating through armor like a swarm of high explosive termites.

THIS!

[Snarf]

Originally Posted by joefremont

I am curious how much damage the rail gun would really do. I was quite disappointed when I heard it fired a 15kg solid kinetic projectile (no explosive charge). It might punch a nice hole in its armor but will do little else.

Well you punch a hole right through into the ammo magazine, and the ship is done for.

[Snarf]

Thanks to iambecomelife, I found out how to insert pictures into Wings 3d, and I started my model over. I have the base done (as accurately yet simple as possible) and I am working on the barrels. The radar housing (R2D2) and the cube that houses the gun should be very easy, then the ammo drum with feeding belt should be a little tricky. This will be a fun little toy when it's done

[Snarf]

Okay, I've reached the point that it's time to create my files in S3D.... I can do everything except animating the objects, I definitely need a little help here.

Is there anyone with any experience with animating the objects who could help? I want to have the base rotate for the train, the middle/top rotate for the elevation, and the barrels to rotate as it fires. I've created separate object files for each of these items.

[ETR3(SS)]

I can't tell you how to do that but I can point you in the right direction. Take a look at the game files and how it handles the player usable guns.

[Karle94]

You do I know I already have a Phalanx in-game? It comes with the Arleigh Burke.

[Snarf]

That's nice to know, do you mind if I dissect your arleigh burke and see how the thing works? I still want to make my phalanx as a stand alone add on. I would like to make the Mk 45 5" gun available as a part of my deck gun mod (enabling fitment of many types of deck guns and turrets to the sub). I was going to model it myself too, but if you don't mind then I would just use yours (and credit you on it too of course).

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

I can't tell you how to do that but I can point you in the right direction. Take a look at the game files and how it handles the player usable guns.

I was trying to use as much of the 20mm oerlikon file as i could, but the train, elevation and barrel action take place at different parts, not to mention the phalanx barrels spin instead of recoil.

[Snarf]

I downloaded your arleigh burke and gave it a test drive, I like the extra selection of guns, do you mind if I make those available in my master deck gun mod?

I'm still going to make my phalanx model happen. I just need some insight as to how create the animations.

[merc4ulfate]

better remove all the fish to make room for all that ammo

[Karle94]

Disect it all you want. You dont need a rotating animation, if you have seven barrels, place them where each muzzle starts in the .dat file, the muzzle flashes will rotate, giving the impression of a rotating barrel. Silverwolf did make rotating gatling cannons, but they were rotating all the time. If you want animations, then that`s the way it have to be. And feel free to use any gun you want.

[Snarf]

I just got done building the .dat .sim and .cam and .upc files for my mod... I think i've worked out in S3D the whole rotating barrels and animations thing, but my mod doesn't seem to show up on the submarine selection screen in the game (normally a upc file problem). I used the same format for the UPC files as always, maybe I've named some parts wrong in the .dat file.
I built the .dat file from scratch using the 20mm oerlikon file as a template/guidline.

As far as making the barrel rotate when firing only, there should be a way to link the barrel rotation animation to the firing, just like the 40mm bofors barrel recoils when firing only.

As far as ammo storage goes Merc, I would imagine the sub could reasonably hold a full drum plus one full reload, 1350 rounds plus 1350 rounds. that would allow for a total of roughly 40 seconds of firing , surely enough to save the sub from at least a half dozen planes, as long as the radar is tracking like a Phalanx should and not manned by a SH4 AI crewmember.