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Hi all,
I made a Time-on-Target Planner spreadsheet. It calculates mission execution times for different platforms in different groups with different roles (CAP, SEAD, Strike etc), different weapons and different ingress route (waypoints), but all part of the same strike package. The intend is to have all strike platforms deliver their weapons on the same time on target in order to swamp enemy air defenses.
Unfortunately, it seems MS Excel dependent, as another poster reported back it didn't work in OpenOffice (see a couple of posts down). The spreadsheet contains ActiveX and VBA elements.
Skorpio667
Version 1.08 for DB3K_v444 and CWDB_v443
Changelog v1.08 --------------- * Updated the data to DB3K v444 and CWDB v443 (as found in CMANO v1.11)
SEE POST 37 FOR Excel TOT SHEET v1.10 beta 1 for DB3K v480 for CMO
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Great! Yeah, I discovered that already, as I had to update them yesterday, when I discovered the new update earlier this week. With your schedule of a major update average 2 months on average, I might
However, I hope users should be able to update the tables themselves with a little Google, and coaching?!
Skorpio
EDIT: The spreadsheet contained some unnecesary vba code that generated an error and there were some other issue's. Should besolved now. Uploaded v1.031 DB3K441 EDIT 2: Removed file, download latest from first post.
< Message edited by skorpio667 -- 1/27/2016 10:56:19 AM >
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Hmmm, That vba module is not even necesary (It part of a timer code to calculate the time it takes to (re)calculate (parts) of the workbook). Unfurtunately I discover some more typo's and errors. I'll update the file ASAP
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Bradinggs, I don't know. I learned the code, commands and structure on the fly, so I guess no special MS Excel-only commands are used, but really, I can't vouche for it.
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I suspect keeping it up to date will only be an issue in the (relative) short term; IIRC ToT planning has long been identified as something that the Dev's want to implement.
Fantastic work on the spreadsheet though, it's clear a lot of work has gone into it. Good on you!
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Thanks! It took me a month to create it, working on and off on it. It went through 8 builds or so. Every time I "finished" it, I kept thinking on how to improve it's usefulness and completeness/comprehensiveness. BTW, any suggestions are welcome.
Using it on an iPad is actually a good idea, hadn't thought of that myself. I have 3 screens, so space isn't a real issue. Any Excel-knowledgeable people out there to improve the speed of the code so it can be used on a tablet?
Like Apache85 says, let's hope the build-in strike planner come online very soon. But updating the tables takes about 15 to 20 min. Not to bad for a 2 month-on-average period, before the next DB comes out.
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Bradinggs, too bad it isn't application independent!
I seem to recall from a SQL-course during my study that SQL can do simple math, like that of this planner, too? If it could be written in SQL it would be more application independent and perhaps more efficient as the data lookup functions seem to take the bulk of the time needed to do the calculations. Then it could perhaps even be used on a tablet? Does anybody know?
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Emsoy, in relation to the strike planner, would it be possible to pre-plot a mission from the mission planner, a bit like with the cruise missiles, so we could plan on an external planner and set course and altitude manually? This would be nearly like the upcomming advanced strike planner you are working on (got this idea from a line apache85 said and added it to the feature requests too)
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Emsoy, I think you mean the complete planner? I understand that is very complex and should be implemented in little increments.
I was hoping one of those increments (in the near future?) could be pre-plotting the course just like the course of the waypointed cruise missiles with manual lauch?
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Updated to version 1.04 for DB3K_v441 and CWDB_v440 The previous version seemed full of bugs. I think I used an earlier, not-debugged version. However, I correct them and added a CWDB-version, too.
Change log v1.04 ---------------- * Added: New Workbook/spreadsheet for the CWDB (v440) * Fixed: ToT field corrected (added platflorm role twice instead of once) * Fixed: Platform Speed and (error-)messages for each waypoint checked and corrected * Fixed: Clear All Groups now clears all groups instead 1 group per push * Fixed: Take-off duration per group got broken along the way, it's working again. * Fixed: Runways can handle 2 Large aircraft at once for take-off, instead of 1 * Added: a button for each single waypoint to set all throttles of the platform to a setting (Push once to set all throttles), while keeping empty platform-slots in Loiter/Creep - waypoints 1 to 9: Set all to Cruise - waypoint 10: Set all to Cruise or Military/Full - waypoints IP and Target: Set all to Cruise, Military/Full or Afterburner/Flank * Added: Clear All Groups or Clear a Single Group buttons now also resets all throttle settings to Loiter/Creep * Added: When selecting a platform, Loadout Type is automatically set to Weapon (was Primary Loadout only)
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Hi Skorpio,
Would you mind taking a look at the attached file. I have started entering CAP and OECM aircraft but there appears to be a value error in the Strike Launch box (cell EB21). Any tips on what I may have left out?
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Hi Maromak,
I checked your file, and discovered the following: * In field D14 (date and time of strike) you entered a forward slash as date separator (22/02/1994) instead of a minus sign (22-02-1994). (Now I realize I used Dutch date-formatting) * In field D14 (date and time of strike) you give the time of the strike in as 23:00:00 PM, where 23:00:00 (without the PM) is expected. * In field DM26 (Range to Target @ Weapon Release) you forgot to enter the range the weapon travels to it's target (245nm). BTW, I see in the platform info the weapon is said to have No Engine, but in the weapon info the correct engine is found. I thought I fixed that. I'll have a look.
Skorpio
EDIT: Attached the latest version, with your strike entered
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Hi Skorpio,
Thanks for taking a look and providing advice. I am using your planner with one of Gunner98's excellent scenarios (Anteaters Revenge) and it's proving very difficult without proper planning.
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I am still a little confused about the takeoff times in column DZ. A few of the times seem very early considering the planned time of the strike on target.
Are the given times meant to be the actual Zulu/local time?
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Argh! You are quiet right! In that column most cell have lost an extra division by 60! That results in the role-time-adjustment (in seconds) to be substracted from the impact time in minutes instead of second. For example, in your file the OECM group (adjustment -180 second) is planned to arrive at ToT - 180 minutes (eg. 2 hours and 57 minutes early).
I have a new version ready to post, but I was waiting for the imminent(?) final v1.10 update, so I could post it with the CWDB v441 (instead of the v440 version that is out now). But in the light of this bug, I'll post it now (download in the first post).
BTW, Using Local or Zulu time is the user's own decision, it depends on the (date &) time the user enters in field D14. If it is local time, the planners calculates for local; if Zulu, it calculates for Zulu time