Can't Release Bombs

[sfetbrandt]

Jon....

I've read through the Tac-Pack Guide, I've watched the YouTube Tac-Pack Tutorial. But I haven't a clue where the "bomb button" is. The video says hold down until the bomb button until the bombs release. I haven't seen any illustration with an arrow pointing to that button. There's something called a radar-lock button the video points to on the radar joystick. It looks like a red trigger button, but it's non-clickable.

Another thing.... Now that I've got my weapons delivery system set per the YouTube video, I've got a radar screen with a small, bright yellow block glowing at me from the bottom of the screen. The video mentions a cursor and radar beam clutter. I don't know if that bright yellow block is the cursor, the radar clutter or what have you? All I know is that it doesn't move toward the horizontal bar in the middle of the screen. It doesn't move at all.

In the video, it drops rapidly from the top of the screen during the bombing dive and is sandwiched between two small vertical bars. The Tac-Pack guide and the video do not explain how to "capture" that glowing block inside the two little vertical lines. All the instructions say is, keep the pipper on the target. I've tried that but the yellow block just continues to sit at the bottom of the screen.

[JonathanBleeker]

Pickle and Trigger for bombs and guns/missiles is assigned in VRS TACPACK's TACPACK manager, which is not part of the F-4 Phantom product.

Other items like Radar lock are controls that you assign to your joystick or keyboard in the MVAMS control tab.

[sfetbrandt]

I'm sorry, Jon, but I need some serious clarification here!

I purchased the F-4E bundle from MilViz, which contains the F-4E ADV package with the TacPack. The TacPack and TacPack Manager, if I'm understanding correctly, essentially are additional adds-on from another developer called VRS that work in concert with the MilViz F-4E to provide a complete, functional and realistic weapons-system simulation, right?

But, again, if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying that to actually drop bombs and launch missiles, etc., I need to install (and apparently pay to "activate") the Tac-Pack Manager, correct? I can't simply use FSUIPC or the P3Dv4 native bindings menu to assign bomb-release, missile-launch commands to my keyboard or Thrustmaster 1600M joystick buttons?

According to VRS's website, before you can use the TacPack the TacPack "Manager" software must be installed and activated. And to activate the software, you need a TacPack license ID and your VRS customer password.

VRS goes on to say that If you purchased your copy of TacPack from the VRS website, you created your own customer password when you created your store account. That was not my situation. My TacPack came downloaded from a third-party vendor, MilViz, as bundled F-4E ADV software. I wasn't issued a TacPack/TacPack Manager license ID and password at the time of sale. VRS further states: "If the license ID and customer password are lost, "please contact them (MilViz) directly, not VRS."

As far as I know, I didn't receive the TacPack Manager software with my purchase of the F-4E ADV bundle from MilViz. I got three zip folders containing the F-4E executable, the TacPack and related documentation -- but no TacPack Manager. So, the big questions is where and how do I get the Tac-Pack Manager and the license ID to activate it? I can't even access the VRS Forums for support assistance because I don't have a product license to enter in their online registration application.

Also, I just read that TacPack doesn't work with P3D Professional, which is what I'm using, and that you need to contact VRS to get information about "commerical" application of the software and fees for that kind of usage. So what is it exactly regarding TacPack that I downloaded and installed with my purchase of the MilViz F-4E ADV package? I simply don't understand!

Seems like all of the required software components should have been included with my F-4E ADV purchase to make the TacPack fully functional. I didn't buy the package deal just so I could twist knobs and fly the aircraft. I hoped, based on your promo material and video, to load and use the various ordnance as intended. Unless I'm missing the boat here entirely, that does not appear to be possible under the circumstances.

Here's hoping you can clarify all of the above in a way that is comprehensive and understandable to a layman and newbie to your simulation software....

[Raptor]

The F4 purchasing page states

"Fully operational TacPack weapons and closely matched systems fidelity. (VRS TacPack required.) "

TacPack is sold separately.

You can still use the plane without TacPack, but weapon features and functionality is limited.

[sfetbrandt]

So what the heck did I install? One of the three downloaded zip folders from my F-4E ADV bundle I purchased from MilViz contained a TacPack installer. What exactly did it install? I'm completely confused!

[JonathanBleeker]

You installed the package that includes code which connects it with the VRS TACPACK module. Without that code, you could have VRS TACPACK installed but it would have no effect on the F-4. With that code, but lacking VRS TACPACK, it doesn’t function.

We cannot bundle VRS’s product with ours, because we are not part of the same company (in fact we are competitors in some respects). We can only include integration of their SDK.

[sfetbrandt]

Ok. Thank you for that clarification.

I was under the mistaken belief from a YouTube tutorial demonstrating the F-4E's ordnance-dropping capability that your add-on was already fully weapons functional. Now I understand that that capability actually depends on buying a different developer's add-on to add to my MilViz F-4E add-on to P3D. Oh, what a tangled web.... (lol)

The question remains this, however. Even with the additional code you provided to allow integration with VRS's product, will the additional software I need to buy from VRS support my "Professional" version of P3D? I've seen posts saying it won't.

I sent my question to VRS and I'm waiting for a reply. Meanwhile, what say you?

Addendum: Here's the reply....

"None of the Milviz products "Include" the TacPack. The only people that sell the TacPack are us (VRS). Milviz writes TacPack-SDK-compatible code for their aircraft so that people who DO own the TacPack can utilize it.

The TacPack does NOT support P3D Professional.

Best Regards,

Jon Blum
Vertical Reality Simulations, LLC."

...Well ain't that just marvelous!?! Apparently, if I owned a "Student" version of P3D I'd be happily pickling off bombs with my MilViz F-4E right now.

That YouTube TacPack video tutorial and your promo material should have a big bold-lettered disclaimer advising "Professional" P3D simmers that the F-4E's weapons capability is NOT fully compatible with all versions of P3D!

Guess I'll just have to settle for pretending to blast A/G and A/A targets while evading SAM's. Very, very disappointing!

[JonathanBleeker]

Correct. They reserve pro support for their commercial licenses which are far higher priced. They only support academic for hobbyists.

[sfetbrandt]

That's insane! I'm a recreational simmer, not a Top Gun military trainee. They should make allowance for hobbyists who are honest enough to pay the full $200 freight for the Professional P3D version instead of lying about being a student and buying the Academic version for $60.00 -- the latter of which VRS ironically supports with TacPack. Something's just not right with that business model, particularly in terms of building good will....

[JonathanBleeker]

Actually as I last recall, hobbyists were included under the academic version.