Radio

File location	f\radio
Enabled by default?	Yes
Enable/Disable in	init.sqf
Runs on	Client & Server

The FA3 Radio component adds a set of custom radio channels, access to which is associated with being in specified vehicles or carrying specified equipment, such as radio backpacks.

Modes

The radio system has two main modes: split, and unified. In split mode, there are up to 10 separate channels, each with its own eligibility list of items and vehicles. In unified mode, all eligibility lists are merged and the system operates with only one channel.

User interaction

The system automatically checks what channels a unit should have access to when it switches seats, gets in or out of a vehicle, opens its inventory, or picks up or puts down an item. There is also a repeating check on a timer to catch edge cases.

Channel access in a vehicle has two tiers. All units in a vehicle have LISTEN access to the vehicle's channels. However, only the commander, gunner, and driver have SPEAK access.

Players in a vehicle have the option to turn off the radio from the action menu. This option is specific to that player's machine and that vehicle - other players won't be affected, and if they get in another vehicle, its radio will still be on. The radio can be turned on again from the action menu.

Default configuration

By default, the radio system is set up with an eligibility list for each of the vanilla radio backpacks. These lists also contain the vehicle variable names for the FA3 template faction associated with that backpack. (Note that only the major factions are covered - NATO (all types), CSAT (all types), AAF, and LDF.) Virtual Curator units (Zeus) are also included in each channel. The default channels are colour-coded according to their respective backpack's typical side.

The system operates in Unified mode by default.

Making changes

The system is enabled, and the mode can be switched, in init.sqf.

[false] spawn f_fnc_radioChannels;

The function takes two parameters:

1. Mode (BOOL, default false, optional): true for split mode, false for unified mode.
2. Channel limit (NUMBER, default 10, optional): channels up to this number will be created when using split mode. The game hard limit is 10, so this can be used to free up channels if you need them for something else.

The radio channels and their eligibility lists are configured in f\radio\f_channelsList.sqf.

You can specify these properties for each channel:

1. Name (STRING): the channel name displayed in the UI.
2. Colour (ARRAY of 4 NUMBERS): the channel colour displayed in the UI (RGBA).
3. List (ARRAY of STRINGS): the list of units, vehicles, and equipment that will have access to the channel. These can be the unit or vehicle's variable name, or the classname of the unit, vehicle, or equipment item. typeOf comparison is used for classnames. Strings are not case-sensitive.

Any type of inventory item or equipment can be used as a radio item. Note that which item of a given type you have is not tracked, either by the game or by the radio system. This check is based purely on classname.

Object-specific access

Units and vehicles can be given individual access to a channel by setting a variable on them.

_unit setVariable ["f_var_radioChannelsObjectSpecific",[1,2,3],true];

The variable should contain an ARRAY of NUMBERS, each number representing a channel to give access to. The variable should be set on all machines.