ncc1701e

The idea of winter BS action is VERY intriguing.

Irregulars/UNCONs and Special Forces for both sides would stand to add the most to the game.
Speaking from my experience in CMSF 1 & 2 - asymmetry in opposing forces is where the vast majority of the replay value comes from. Thoroughly enjoyed the Marines and NATO modules when they came out, sure, but in the grand scheme of things those were nothing more than set dressings and insignificantly contributed to longevity of CMSF for me.

Using Google Earth, I have captured an area to play with map editor. I saved the overlay with "special editor overlay.bmp" filename in "Z folder" directory. Here it is, looking fine:

But, when I am opening the editor, the overlay is now splitted in two parts. See the red circle:

What am I doing wrong? In all BMP options, only 24 bits / R8 G8 B8 seems to be displayed by the editor but with the above result.

Thanks

Thanks a lot @domfluff for the above links. Starting reading them. Looks like very interesting insights for my little Libya civil war project.

At this stage, you need to split your forces into several AI groups. This is at your discretion but you can have a maximum of 16 AI groups per side. For this small amount of forces, and for what I want them to do, I have created three AI groups.
AI group number 2
This group will represent the infantry squads that are inside the M1126 Stryker carrier vehicles. This group does not take a lot of action in this scenario. Its main objective is to size the ditch once the M1126 Stryker have created a good smoke screen in front of them. To select the units inside AI group number 2, just select all the infantry squad and press the F2 key. You will see a [A2] tag. This is to say that the units are now in AI group number 2.

AI group number 3
This group will represent the M1126 Stryker carrier vehicles. Their objective is to reach waypoint number 1 (see first post) and generate a smoke screen. We can also imagine they can do an area fire on the ditch to suppress any enemy located there. Select all the M1126 Strykers of 3rd platoon and press the F3 key. You will see a [A3] tag. This is to say that the units are now in AI group number 3.

AI group number 4
This group represent the mortar team. Their objective is to perform area fire respectively on Target 1, Target 2 and then Target 3. Select all the units of the Mortar Section and press the F4 key. You will see a [A4] tag. This is to say that the units are now in AI group number 4.

As you can see, AI groups selection is done based on the mission objectives to be done. You can perfectly assign several units from several formations inside the same AI group. All units are, by default, inside AI group number 1.

The 2D map view is below.

First thing to do is to paint terrain objectives that will be used to activate the triggers. You can have up to 15 objectives. Some of them to be used for victory
points, ... some will be used for triggers. I am using Terrain Objectives (Blue) since I am acting on the Blue AI.

Objective number 1
Objective number 1 will be used for activating a first trigger to change the on map mortar fire from Target 1 to Target 2. Remember, I want to avoid friendly casualties. I am declaring Objective number 1 as AI Trigger (friendly) because it is triggered by friendly forces reaching this terrain location. I am calling it "Trigger Blue 1".

Objective number 2
Objective number 2 is basically the same but it will be used to change the on map mortar fire from Target 2 to Target 3. Again, I am declaring Objective number 2 as AI Trigger (friendly) because it is triggered by friendly forces reaching this terrain location. I am calling it "Trigger Blue 2".

Objective number 3
I want my 3rd platoon to react to an enemy move. So, to show how it works, I have created Objective number 3. I am declaring Objective number 3 as AI Trigger (enemy) because it is triggered by enemy forces reaching this terrain location. I am calling it "Trigger Red 1".

Here is the 3D view in Scenario Author Test mode. The triggers are invisible playing in normal modes.

Following a request of @Badger73, here is a small tutorial for introducing the usage of AI triggers. I am using CMSF2. Since I am beginning with IA, experts are welcome to comment to provide better solutions that the one I will present just after.
Here is my small force.

They are facing those enemy positions.

And thus some few enemy squads. I have removed the RPG-7 on purpose for the tutorial.

I would like to teach the AI to do several things.
Phase 1:
The on map mortar team will perform area fire on the ditch inside Target 1 Meanwhile, the other guys will advance inside their vehicles toward Target 1. But, I would like them to advance reacting to an enemy move.
Phase 2:
While the vehicules with the squads, still inside them, are progressing to Target 1. I would like the area fire to switch to Target 2 then Target 3 to avoid friendly fire casualties. Once the vehicles are at waypoint 1. I would like them to pop some smoke And, with the smoke screen in place, I would like the squads to dismount to assault the ditch.
So how I can do this using the editor and AI triggers?
To be continued...

When it will be time for a new CMBS module, will it include uncons? Or, is the subject too political that Battlefront will censor itself?
At least, will we have BM-21 Grad rocket artillery in our TO&E?
Thanks

@BFCElvis
I am playing around AI since a lot of time now and I would like to design something cool in terms of AI responsiveness. I think few changes in the AI interface may change and ease a lot AI design and level up the AI of my scenario. So, here are few requests for you to implement. Few of them are not new.
 
First one: Increase the number of AI groups
Dividing units into small AI groups is the key to make good AI behavior. So I am requesting to pass the maximum number of AI groups from 16 to 32.

I very much like the information sharing of what the drone sees and the ability to bring indirect fires with just the drone's LOS. It is pretty well done.
One thing I would like to ask that seems consistent to me with a 2007-timeframe. Would it be possible to add an armed MQ-1 Predator with two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for the US player?
I see there is already the MQ-1C Grey Eagle in CMBS. I assume it is armed. Bringing this code back by patch in CMSF2, to add a MQ-1 Predator, then seems possible although it may not be desired today. I think it will add a lot of new possibilities to the game.
Thanks for your consideration

Absolutely, the number of action spot is important.
 
As per your tutorial request, please check also this one, it can give you an insight of how the AI works:
Cheers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_British_Army
https://ospreypublishing.com/the-british-army-since-2000
https://ospreypublishing.com/the-british-army-in-afghanistan-2006-14

Second one: Revamp the Terrain Objectives interface
I am requesting to pass the maximum number of Terrain objectives from 15 to 32.

The first button is indeed combining two functions (one for usual objective, one for trigger).

Thus you have to use two triggers if, for example, the occupation of one terrain objective is also a trigger to go to another objective.
 
I would request to change the interface as follow (see carefully the following screenshot) :
1. I am splitting the first button in two. First button still serves to say Occupy, Preserve, Destroy, Touch, Exit
3. A new button, the third one, is a choice between A.I. Trigger (friendly), A.I. Trigger (friendly armor), A.I. Trigger (enemy), A.I. Trigger (enemy armor)

This allows much more flexibility and avoids to use two objectives for the same above example.

Absolutely, the number of action spot is important.
 
As per your tutorial request, please check also this one, it can give you an insight of how the AI works:
Cheers

Absolutely, the number of action spot is important.
 
As per your tutorial request, please check also this one, it can give you an insight of how the AI works:
Cheers

Before continuing I would like to give some few reminders on the AI. The AI is programmed by painting on the map the orders that must be performed by each AI group created. AI is not complicated. You just need to practice.
You have four options on the 2D map:
Movement zone:
You can paint square in yellow by left clicking on each of them. The map area that you will define is the zone where you want your AI group to arrive at the end of a particular order. The TacAI will determine the way to go there so if you want to influence the desire path for reaching an objective, you will need to create several orders. Do not forget that the zone that you will define must be large enough for your units. If your AI group contains four tanks, a movement zone of one square is may be not a good idea because the four tanks will not enter in one single square. You may define discontinuous squares. Again, practice to master this is the way to go.
Fire zone:
You can ask your units in the AI group to perform an area fire of a given map zone. For that, you need to paint the square of the zone to attack by using Ctrl-left click. This will paint your square in red instead of yellow. Please note that you can perfectly combine a movement zone and a fire zone in one order. This way, you can ask your units to move to a given position to perform an area fire on something, just do not forget the LOS rules apply. There is a second important thing to know. The area fire order has the lowest priority for your AI group so if your units find a good target, they will engage it first.
Facing zone:
Sometimes, a movement will end up with your units not looking toward the enemy. To mitigate this, you can select one particular square that your units will face at the end of their movement. To select this square, do Alt-left click on it. It will be painted in green. Since this is a single square, I recommend not to select the green square too close of your ending movement zone. Remember all your units will face the same square...
Withdraw zone:
You can ask your units to retreat. Your units will deploy smoke screens if possible. And, if there are vehicles in your AI group, those vehicles will reverse showing their big front armor. But, this is useful also in attack to create a smoke screen for your units. For this, you need to select one particular square by Shift-left clicking on it. The square will be pink. And the square must be in the direction your units/vehicles must face while reversing.
 
Once the AI menu selected in the editor, you have access to several buttons in the below screenshot:

The yellow colored zone, in the screenshot, gives access to all the possible AI plans within a given scenario. There are up to five AI plans per side plus a special Support Targets plan for artillery and air support strikes at the beginning of the scenario. Basically, one AI plan contains the orders for several AI groups. You can perfectly finish a scenario with one unique AI plan. The other plans are here to surprise your human opponent by new sets of AI orders for your AI groups.
The orange colored zone, just below (yes yes this is orange), allows to increase the percentage of a given AI plan to be selected. If you have one AI plan, the default value of “Used Frequently” is the one to take. According to the manual: "A Plan with “Used Sometimes” is two times more likely to be chosen than “Used Rarely” while “Used Frequently” is four times more likely to be selected".
The pink colored zone gives access to each AI group to give them some orders. Pay attention to select the correct AI plan (Blue or Red) and then the correct AI group to not mix up everything. With a litte practice, this works like a charm.
The green colored zone allows to select, within one given AI group, several orders. By default, the first order of an AI group is Setup. You can use the button Add to add more. The subsequent order will be named Order 2, ...
The white colored zone permits to select several actions that your units must do (orders, floors to occupy, stances, ...). I invite you to read the manual to understand each possible value.
The red colored zone contains two importants values. Exit between 00:00 and 20:00. What does it mean? The units is the number of minutes and seconds since the beginning of the whole scenario. This concept is key to understand how it works. According to the manual: “Exit Between ... and ...” tells the AI Group at what scenario time to leave their current Map Zone and when to arrive at the next Map Zone.
The first number tells the Group to stay at the current Map Zone until the specified scenario time is reached. With this setting a Group never moves on to the next Order before the specified time is reached.
The second number defines the latest time that an AI Group should arrive at it’s next order, and causes the Group to try very hard to get to the next Order in the plan before the specified scenario time is reached. This does not mean the Group will do it, just that it will try. If it has taken excessive casualties, is immobilized or heavily engaged, it may blow the set time. It will still attempt to execute the next order in the plan, just not within the time that the scenario designer allotted for it."
The blue colored zone is the one interesting in this tutorial because, clicking on it, this allows to select the triggers that we have created.
Now that this brief summary is done, let's go to the orders for each AI group.

Following a request of @Badger73, here is a small tutorial for introducing the usage of AI triggers. I am using CMSF2. Since I am beginning with IA, experts are welcome to comment to provide better solutions that the one I will present just after.
Here is my small force.

They are facing those enemy positions.

And thus some few enemy squads. I have removed the RPG-7 on purpose for the tutorial.

I would like to teach the AI to do several things.
Phase 1:
The on map mortar team will perform area fire on the ditch inside Target 1 Meanwhile, the other guys will advance inside their vehicles toward Target 1. But, I would like them to advance reacting to an enemy move.
Phase 2:
While the vehicules with the squads, still inside them, are progressing to Target 1. I would like the area fire to switch to Target 2 then Target 3 to avoid friendly fire casualties. Once the vehicles are at waypoint 1. I would like them to pop some smoke And, with the smoke screen in place, I would like the squads to dismount to assault the ditch.
So how I can do this using the editor and AI triggers?
To be continued...

The 2D map view is below.

First thing to do is to paint terrain objectives that will be used to activate the triggers. You can have up to 15 objectives. Some of them to be used for victory
points, ... some will be used for triggers. I am using Terrain Objectives (Blue) since I am acting on the Blue AI.

Objective number 1
Objective number 1 will be used for activating a first trigger to change the on map mortar fire from Target 1 to Target 2. Remember, I want to avoid friendly casualties. I am declaring Objective number 1 as AI Trigger (friendly) because it is triggered by friendly forces reaching this terrain location. I am calling it "Trigger Blue 1".

Objective number 2
Objective number 2 is basically the same but it will be used to change the on map mortar fire from Target 2 to Target 3. Again, I am declaring Objective number 2 as AI Trigger (friendly) because it is triggered by friendly forces reaching this terrain location. I am calling it "Trigger Blue 2".

Objective number 3
I want my 3rd platoon to react to an enemy move. So, to show how it works, I have created Objective number 3. I am declaring Objective number 3 as AI Trigger (enemy) because it is triggered by enemy forces reaching this terrain location. I am calling it "Trigger Red 1".

Here is the 3D view in Scenario Author Test mode. The triggers are invisible playing in normal modes.

Absolutely, the number of action spot is important.
 
As per your tutorial request, please check also this one, it can give you an insight of how the AI works:
Cheers

I give each vehicle a single order action spot.  So for two vehicles each order would have 2 action spots.  It is easier to control the route they take and to keep them from getting to close and in each others way.  The tanks should move at the same speed if they both have riders.  A tank with riders will only go at MOVE speed.  So a tank with no riders can overtake a tank with riders if both are ordered to move QUICK.  
If you use the movement commands ASSAULT or MAX ASSAULT or ADVANCE the vehicles will bound pass each other.  To keep everybody moving I tell the AI QUICK.  Of course, with riders, the tanks will not exceed MOVE speed but they will not try to do alternating bounds if given QUICK.
If necessary I modify the terrain (within reason) to help the AI. 
 
If you do the above, in number one, hopefully the tanks will finish within a few seconds of each other.  
I also give riders their own AI group separate from the tank AI group.  
The below may help.  I think I got most of the below from @George MC. 
If an AI Group consists of only a single team (whether created that way or owing to casualties), it will not execute an Assault or Max Assault order. Moreover, it will ignore all further orders in the chain (i.e. become static for the rest of the game). Single teams will always obey Advance, Quick or Fast orders.
Max Assault – Quick with alternating team/vehicle bounds, one team pass the other team. Should only be given to AI groups that contain multi-team infantry sections.  At Pause locations the AI will fire on painted area targets if in LOS. The AI prioritizes shooting over moving.   
Assault – Quick with alternating team/vehicle bounds, one team pass the other team in a crisscross pattern. Should only be given to AI groups that contain multi-team infantry squads. At pause locations in-between order locations the AI will fire on painted area targets if in LOS. The AI prioritizes shooting over moving.
Advance – Quick with alternating team/vehicle bounds, one team pass the other team.  Teams moving in overwatch. At pause locations in-between order locations the AI will fire on painted area targets if in LOS.
Quick – Quick with the teams/vehicles moving together (no bounds) and stopping together for short Pauses. Covers ground quicker that the above commands. At pause locations in-between order locations the AI will fire on painted area targets if in LOS but will fire for a shorter length of time.    
Dash – Similar to the in game Fast with all teams/vehicles moving together at the same time with no Pauses. Troops tire and become strung out on long moves. Will not fire at a painted target until at the orders destination.    

I very much like the information sharing of what the drone sees and the ability to bring indirect fires with just the drone's LOS. It is pretty well done.
One thing I would like to ask that seems consistent to me with a 2007-timeframe. Would it be possible to add an armed MQ-1 Predator with two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for the US player?
I see there is already the MQ-1C Grey Eagle in CMBS. I assume it is armed. Bringing this code back by patch in CMSF2, to add a MQ-1 Predator, then seems possible although it may not be desired today. I think it will add a lot of new possibilities to the game.
Thanks for your consideration

Graveyards up until tonight have been giving me a hissy fit - in particular, lining up the graves.  I think I've found a solution ...
Step 1
Make your graveyard boundary and select your grave flavour objects.  My cemetery is a German military one so we need gravestone 4.  Pick as many as you need and them plonk them on the map in the area of your cemetery.
Step 2
Make a grid in your cemetery using the cross shape fence tile.  Top tip - use a wire fence or one that you can see through rather than a wall or hedge.  I have used a wire fence.

Step 3
Go into 3D view and line up your gravestones.  This is still fiddly, but I find that having the grid gives a better alignment and when you look to check the alignment you have a reference point.

Step 4
Go back to the editor, delete your fence grid and go back into 3D mode and wonder at your awesomeness ...

Clearly, I have just done the one row in the image above - but you get the picture.

Oh absolutely, the main problem is finding the right timing per situation and per weapon. And I agree with you that a single command would be useful. But, in the meantime, this is the best solution I have found out.

Cost reduction after cost reduction, I am not even sure that the western europe NATO nations have the necessary air/naval/land forces to counter anything (before or after the pipeline).

Many things have already been announced. See this thread:
CMBS module will come after all the above releases