MF-Tow

MF-Tow (a towing script for DayZ Epoch mod)

Introduction

MF-Tow enables vehicles to be towed by others. It has been designed to be highly configurable, allowing server admins to define which vehicles can tow, and what types of vehicles they can tow.

This script builds upon the ideas laid down by the built-in tow system in DayZ Epoch, but with more features and a better configurable ease of use.

MF-Tow was inspired by the great work done by the R3F team on their '[R3F] Artillery and Logistic' addon, and serves as an alternative tow script for admins who just want to add towing functionality to their DayZ Epoch server.

MF-Tow is also fully compatible with the popular '=BTC=_Logistic (DayZ Epoch Version)'.

Features

• Define exactly what vehicles can tow.
• Define what types of vehicles can be towed (ie: "Motorcycle", "Car", "Truck", "Wheeled_APC", "Tracked_APC", "Air" etc..)
• Disable towing of locked vehicles (optional)
• Requires a player to have a toolbox in their inventory in order to be able to attach a tow.

Configuration

Configuring tow vehicles & towable vehicles

Download and extract the zip file to a folder called mf-tow, inside you will find a file called init.sqf, open this file up in a text editor.

Locate the MF_Tow_Towable_Array function, this function defines which vehicles can tow (declared as cases for each vehicle class name in the switch statement), and the types of vehicles that each case is able to tow (defined as an array of vehicle types).

MF_Tow_Towable_Array =
{
    private ["_array","_towTruck"];
    _towTruck = _this select 0;
	_array = [];
	
	switch (typeOf _towTruck) do
	{
		case "ATV_CZ_EP1": 						{_array = ["Motorcycle"];};
		case "ATV_US_EP1": 						{_array = ["Motorcycle"];};
		case "hilux1_civil_3_open": 			{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car"];};
		case "hilux1_civil_3_open_EP1": 		{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car"];};
		case "ArmoredSUV_PMC":					{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car"];};
		case "ArmoredSUV_PMC_DZ": 				{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car"];};
		case "ArmoredSUV_PMC_DZE": 				{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car"];};
		case "HMMWV_M1151_M2_CZ_DES_EP1_DZE": 	{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car","Truck"];};
		case "HMMWV_M1151_M2_CZ_DES_EP1": 		{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car","Truck"];};
		case "tractor": 						{_array = ["Motorcycle","Car","Truck"];};
		case "TowingTractor":                   {_array = ["Motorcycle","Car","Truck","Wheeled_APC","Tracked_APC","Air"];};
	};
	
	_array
};

So for example, we can see that the code above permits the ArmoredSUV_PMC to tow vehicles which are of either a type of Motorcycle or Car. Nothing else.

To add a new vehicle which can be used as a towing vehicle, add a new case to the switch statement and define an array of the types of vehicles which can be towed (be careful not to have a trailing comma after the last entry in the array!):

case "Pickup_PK_INS_DZE": {_array = ["Motorcycle","Car"];};

Enabling Multi-tow

By default, towing vehicles which are currently towing another vehicle is disabled (patched in v1.1.1). To enable this functionality, set the MF_Tow_Multi_Towing variable in init.sqf to true.

MF_Tow_Multi_Towing = true; // Warning, this is not recommended!

Although this may seem like a nice feature, in reality the only purpose it will probably serve is to allow people to troll one another. The choice is entirely yours though :-).

Installation Guide

• Download: https://github.com/matt-d-rat/mf-tow/archive/master.zip
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Install time: 10-15 minutes
• Requirements:
  • Text editor
  • PBO extrator
  • Coffee or beer

Step 1: Download and extract the zip file to a folder called mf-tow.

Step 2: In your MPMissions folder (eg, DayZ_Epoch_11.Chernarus), create a folder called addons if one doesn't exist already.

Step 3: Copy the mf-tow folder into the addons folder.

Next, we need to add the call to the MF-Tow's init.sqf script to the fn_selfActions.sqf which involves overriding the default DayZ Epoch compiles.sqf and fn_selfActions.sqf files. If you haven't created a custom compiles.sqf before proceed to step 4, otherwise skip ahead to step 8.

Step 4: Locate your @dayz_epoch folder, this is normally found in your Arma2 Operation Arrowhead folder (depending on how you installed the game).

Steam users For example will find it installed here:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\

Locate the dayz_code.pbo file inside your @dayz_epoch\addons\ folder and copy it to your desktop.

Step 5: Extract the contents of the dayz_code.pbo file you copied to your desktop using a PBO tool. I recommend PBOManager. Open the folder you extracted the contents to and grab a copy of compiles.sqf located in dayz_code\init\.

Step 6: Paste the compiles.sqf to the root of your MPMissions folder (eg, DayZ_Epoch_11.Chernarus).

Step 7: Now we need to update our MPMission to load our custom compiles.sqf, so open up init.sqf located in the root of your MPMission folder in a text editing program. I recommend Notepad++.

Around line 54 look for the following:

call compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "\z\addons\dayz_code\init\compiles.sqf";

and change it to this:

call compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "compiles.sqf";

Our server will now load our custom compiles.sqf file instead.

Step 8: In your MPMissions folder (eg, DayZ_Epoch_11.Chernarus), create a folder called compile. This is where we will put our custom compile files to keep them nice and organised (this also massively helps when it comes to upgrading versions of DayZ Epoch Server).

Step 9: Grab a copy of fn_selfActions.sqf from @dayz_code\compile and paste it into the compile folder you created in Step 8.

Step 10: Open your custom compiles.sqf located at the root of your MPMissions folder in a text editor. Around line 14 look for this:

fnc_usec_selfActions = compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "\z\addons\dayz_code\compile\fn_selfActions.sqf";

and change it to this:

fnc_usec_selfActions = compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "compile\fn_selfActions.sqf";

Our server will now load our custom fn_selfActions.sqf file instead.

Step 11: Finally, open your custom ```fn_selfActions.sqf`` in a text editor. Around line 711-725 you should see this:

	//Towing with tow truck
	/*
	if(_typeOfCursorTarget == "TOW_DZE") then {
		if (s_player_towing < 0) then {
			if(!(_cursorTarget getVariable ["DZEinTow", false])) then {
				s_player_towing = player addAction [localize "STR_EPOCH_ACTIONS_ATTACH" "\z\addons\dayz_code\actions\tow_AttachStraps.sqf",_cursorTarget, 0, false, true, "",""];				
			} else {
				s_player_towing = player addAction [localize "STR_EPOCH_ACTIONS_DETACH", "\z\addons\dayz_code\actions\tow_DetachStraps.sqf",_cursorTarget, 0, false, true, "",""];				
			};
		};
	} else {
		player removeAction s_player_towing;
		s_player_towing = -1;
	};
	*/

This is the built in DayZ Epoch towing call, ensure that it is commented out so that it doesn't interfear with MF-Tow. Below this block of code, add the following line to initiate the MF-Tow script.

// MF-Tow Script by Matt Fairbrass (matt_d_rat)
call compile preprocessFileLineNumbers 'addons\mf-tow\init.sqf';

Disable towing of locked vehicles (optional)

If you want to disable towing of vehicles that are locked to stop those pesky bandits from trolling people follow the optional steps below:

Step 12: Unpack the following files:

• dayz_code.pbo located in your @dayz_epoch folder.
• dayz_server.pbo

Step 13: Grab a copy of the local_lockUnlock.sqf file from dayz_code\compile\ and paste them into your compiles folder located in the root of your MPMission folder.

Step 14: Open up your copy of local_lockUnlock.sqf in a text editor. Around line 5 locate the following code:

if (local _vehicle) then {
	if(_status) then {
		_vehicle setVehicleLock "LOCKED";
	} else {
		_vehicle setVehicleLock "UNLOCKED";
	};
};

and change it to:

if (local _vehicle) then {
	if(_status) then {
		_vehicle setVehicleLock "LOCKED";
		_vehicle setVariable ["MF_Tow_Cannot_Tow",true,true];
	} else {
		_vehicle setVehicleLock "UNLOCKED";
		_vehicle setVariable ["MF_Tow_Cannot_Tow",false,true];
	};
};

Step 15: Open your custom compiles.sqf file located in the root of your MPMissions folder in a text editor. Around line 512 located the following line:

local_lockUnlock = compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "\z\addons\dayz_code\compile\local_lockUnlock.sqf";

and change it to:

local_lockUnlock = compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "compile\local_lockUnlock.sqf";

Step 16: Open server_publishVehicle2.sqf located in the dayz_server\compile\ folder in a text editor. Around line 4 locate the following code:

if(!_donotusekey) then {
    // Lock vehicle
    _object setvehiclelock "locked";
};

and change it to:

if(!_donotusekey) then {
    // Lock vehicle
    _object setvehiclelock "locked";
    _object setVariable ["MF_Tow_Cannot_Tow",true,true];
};

Step 17: Open server_monitor.sqf located in the dayz_server\system\ folder in a text editor. Locate the following code:

if(_ownerID != "0" and !(_object isKindOf "Bicycle")) then {
	_object setvehiclelock "locked";
};

and change it to:

if(_ownerID != "0" and !(_object isKindOf "Bicycle")) then {
	_object setvehiclelock "locked";
	_object setVariable ["MF_Tow_Cannot_Tow",true,true];
};

__Step 18: Repack dayz_server.pbo and upload it to your server.

Known Issues

1. Vehicles which have been towed and detached must be entered at least once in order for the server to update the vehicles world postion, ensuring the vehicle remain at that position on server restart.

Change Log

v1.1.2

• Fixed bug which allowed players to enter towed vehicles, allowing them to ghost through walls to gain access to modular bases.
• Added a check to interupt the attaching of the tow if a player enters the vehicle during the attachment phase.

v1.1.1

• Fixed exploit which allowed players to tow vehicles which were already being towed.
• Fixed exploit which allowed players to tow vehicles which were already towing another vehicle. This functionality can be turned back on via the MF_Tow_Multi_Towing config param being set to true (default value is false). Be warned, turning this on produces "interesting" results and probably only serves as a means for trolling.

v1.1.0

• Non-breaking changes to the check for whether the cursor target is a towable vehicle.
• Deprecated MF_Tow_Towable variable as it is no longer used as a check condition.
• Vehicles which can tow and be towed are now maintained in MF_Tow_Towable_Array function, removing the need to maintain two seperate arrays.
• Updated the install guide to reflect the changes above.
• Fixed the z-axis offset issues with the UAZ as the tow vehicle and as the towable vehicle which caused the UAZ to either be in the air or under ground during towing.
• Fixed player z-axis offset to the UAZ when in animation state. This was again due to the bounding box data on the UAZ being completely incorrect.

v1.0.1

• Corrected a minor typo in the install guide.

v1.0.0

• Initial release.
• Added the requirement for the player to have a toolbox in their inventory.
• Added feature to prevent the towing of locked vehicles.
• Configurable array of tow vehicles and which types of vehicles they can tow.
• Added install guide.