Cargo - Management of CARGO logistics, that can be transported from and to transportation carriers.

1) MOOSE Cargo System.

Those who have used the mission editor, know that the DCS mission editor provides cargo facilities.

However, these are merely static objects. Wouldn't it be nice if cargo could bring a new dynamism into your simulations? Where various objects of various types could be treated also as cargo?

This is what MOOSE brings to you, a complete new cargo object model that used the cargo capabilities of DCS world, but enhances it.

MOOSE Cargo introduces also a new concept, called a "carrier". These can be:

• Helicopters
• Planes
• Ground Vehicles
• Ships

With the MOOSE Cargo system, you can:

• Take full control of the cargo as objects within your script (see below).
• Board/Unboard infantry into carriers. Also other objects can be boarded, like mortars.
• Load/Unload dcs world cargo objects into carriers.
• Load/Unload other static objects into carriers (like tires etc).
• Slingload cargo objects.
• Board units one by one...

2) MOOSE Cargo Objects.

In order to make use of the MOOSE cargo system, you need to declare the DCS objects as MOOSE cargo objects!

This sounds complicated, but it is actually quite simple.

See here an example:

local EngineerCargoGroup = CARGO_GROUP:New( GROUP:FindByName( "Engineers" ), "Workmaterials", "Engineers", 250 )

The above code declares a MOOSE cargo object called EngineerCargoGroup. It actually just refers to an infantry group created within the sim called "Engineers". The infantry group now becomes controlled by the MOOSE cargo object EngineerCargoGroup. A MOOSE cargo object also has properties, like the type of cargo, the logical name, and the reporting range.

There are 4 types of MOOSE cargo objects possible, each represented by its own class:

• Cargo.CargoGroup#CARGO_GROUP: A MOOSE cargo that is represented by a DCS world GROUP object.
• Cargo.CargoCrate#CARGO_CRATE: A MOOSE cargo that is represented by a DCS world cargo object (static object).
• Cargo.CargoUnit#CARGO_UNIT: A MOOSE cargo that is represented by a DCS world unit object or static object.
• Cargo.CargoSlingload#CARGO_SLINGLOAD: A MOOSE cargo that is represented by a DCS world cargo object (static object), that can be slingloaded.

Note that a CARGO crate is not meant to be slingloaded (it can, but it is not meant to be handled like that. Instead, a CARGO_CRATE is able to load itself into the bays of a carrier.

Each of these MOOSE cargo objects behave in its own way, and have methods to be handled.

local InfantryGroup = GROUP:FindByName( "Infantry" )
local InfantryCargo = CARGO_GROUP:New( InfantryGroup, "Engineers", "Infantry Engineers", 2000 )
local CargoCarrier = UNIT:FindByName( "Carrier" )
-- This call will make the Cargo run to the CargoCarrier.
-- Upon arrival at the CargoCarrier, the Cargo will be Loaded into the Carrier.
-- This process is now fully automated.
InfantryCargo:Board( CargoCarrier, 25 ) 

The above would create a MOOSE cargo object called InfantryCargo, and using that object, you can board the cargo into the carrier CargoCarrier. Simple, isn't it? Told you, and this is only the beginning.

The boarding, unboarding, loading, unloading of cargo is however something that is not meant to be coded manually by mission designers. It would be too low-level and not end-user friendly to deal with cargo handling complexity. Things can become really complex if you want to make cargo being handled and behave in multiple scenarios.

3) Cargo Handling Classes, the main engines for mission designers!

For this reason, the MOOSE Cargo System is heavily used by 3 important cargo handling class hierarchies within MOOSE, that make cargo come "alive" within your mission in a full automatic manner!

3.1) AI Cargo handlers.

• AI.AI_Cargo_APC will create for you the capability to make an APC group handle cargo.
• AI.AI_Cargo_Helicopter will create for you the capability to make a Helicopter group handle cargo.

3.2) AI Cargo transportation dispatchers.

There are also dispatchers that make AI work together to transport cargo automatically!!!

• AI.AI_Cargo_Dispatcher_APC derived classes will create for your dynamic cargo handlers controlled by AI ground vehicle groups (APCs) to transport cargo between sites.
• AI.AI_Cargo_Dispatcher_Helicopter derived classes will create for your dynamic cargo handlers controlled by AI helicopter groups to transport cargo between sites.

3.3) Cargo transportation tasking.

And there is cargo transportation tasking for human players.

• Tasking.Task_CARGO derived classes will create for you cargo transportation tasks, that allow human players to interact with MOOSE cargo objects to complete tasks.

Please refer to the documentation reflected within these modules to understand the detailed capabilities.

4) Cargo SETs.

To make life a bit more easy, MOOSE cargo objects can be grouped into a Core.Set#SET_CARGO. This is a collection of MOOSE cargo objects.

This would work as follows:

 -- Define the cargo set.
 local CargoSetWorkmaterials = SET_CARGO:New():FilterTypes( "Workmaterials" ):FilterStart()

 -- Now add cargo the cargo set.
 local EngineerCargoGroup = CARGO_GROUP:New( GROUP:FindByName( "Engineers" ), "Workmaterials", "Engineers", 250 )
 local ConcreteCargo = CARGO_SLINGLOAD:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Concrete" ), "Workmaterials", "Concrete", 150, 50 )
 local CrateCargo = CARGO_CRATE:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Crate" ), "Workmaterials", "Crate", 150, 50 )
 local EnginesCargo = CARGO_CRATE:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Engines" ), "Workmaterials", "Engines", 150, 50 )
 local MetalCargo = CARGO_CRATE:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Metal" ), "Workmaterials", "Metal", 150, 50 )

This is a very powerful concept! Instead of having to deal with multiple MOOSE cargo objects yourself, the cargo set capability will group cargo objects into one set. The key is the cargo type name given at each cargo declaration! In the above example, the cargo type name is "Workmaterials". Each cargo object declared is given that type name. (the 2nd parameter). What happens now is that the cargo set CargoSetWorkmaterials will be added with each cargo object dynamically when the cargo object is created. In other words, the cargo set CargoSetWorkmaterials will incorporate any "Workmaterials" dynamically into its set.

The cargo sets are extremely important for the AI cargo transportation dispatchers and the cargo transporation tasking.

5) Declare cargo directly in the mission editor!

But I am not finished! There is something more, that is even more great! Imagine the mission designers having to code all these lines every time it wants to embed cargo within a mission.

 -- Now add cargo the cargo set.
 local EngineerCargoGroup = CARGO_GROUP:New( GROUP:FindByName( "Engineers" ), "Workmaterials", "Engineers", 250 )
 local ConcreteCargo = CARGO_SLINGLOAD:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Concrete" ), "Workmaterials", "Concrete", 150, 50 )
 local CrateCargo = CARGO_CRATE:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Crate" ), "Workmaterials", "Crate", 150, 50 )
 local EnginesCargo = CARGO_CRATE:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Engines" ), "Workmaterials", "Engines", 150, 50 )
 local MetalCargo = CARGO_CRATE:New( STATIC:FindByName( "Metal" ), "Workmaterials", "Metal", 150, 50 )

This would be extremely tiring and a huge overload. However, the MOOSE framework allows to declare MOOSE cargo objects within the mission editor!!!

So, at mission startup, MOOSE will search for objects following a special naming convention, and will create for you dynamically cargo objects at mission start!!! -- These cargo objects can then be automatically incorporated within cargo set(s)!!! In other words, your mission will be reduced to about a few lines of code, providing you with a full dynamic cargo handling mission!

5.1) Use #CARGO tags in the mission editor:

MOOSE can create automatically cargo objects, if the name of the cargo contains the #CARGO tag. When a mission starts, MOOSE will scan all group and static objects it found for the presence of the #CARGO tag. When found, MOOSE will declare the object as cargo (create in the background a CARGO_ object, like CARGO_GROUP, CARGO_CRATE or CARGO_SLINGLOAD. The creation of these CARGO_ objects will allow to be filtered and automatically added in SET_CARGO objects. In other words, with very minimal code as explained in the above code section, you are able to create vast amounts of cargo objects just from within the editor.

What I talk about is this:

 -- BEFORE THIS SCRIPT STARTS, MOOSE WILL ALREADY HAVE SCANNED FOR OBJECTS WITH THE #CARGO TAG IN THE NAME.
 -- FOR EACH OF THESE OBJECT, MOOSE WILL HAVE CREATED CARGO_ OBJECTS LIKE CARGO_GROUP, CARGO_CRATE AND CARGO_SLINGLOAD.

 HQ = GROUP:FindByName( "HQ", "Bravo" )

 CommandCenter = COMMANDCENTER
   :New( HQ, "Lima" )

 Mission = MISSION
   :New( CommandCenter, "Operation Cargo Fun", "Tactical", "Transport Cargo", coalition.side.RED )

 TransportGroups = SET_GROUP:New():FilterCoalitions( "blue" ):FilterPrefixes( "Transport" ):FilterStart()

 TaskDispatcher = TASK_CARGO_DISPATCHER:New( Mission, TransportGroups )

 -- This is the most important now. You setup a new SET_CARGO filtering the relevant type.
 -- The actual cargo objects are now created by MOOSE in the background.
 -- Each cargo is setup in the Mission Editor using the #CARGO tag in the group name.
 -- This allows a truly dynamic setup.
 local CargoSetWorkmaterials = SET_CARGO:New():FilterTypes( "Workmaterials" ):FilterStart()

 local WorkplaceTask = TaskDispatcher:AddTransportTask( "Build a Workplace", CargoSetWorkmaterials, "Transport the workers, engineers and the equipment near the Workplace." )
 TaskDispatcher:SetTransportDeployZone( WorkplaceTask, ZONE:New( "Workplace" ) )

The above code example has the CargoSetWorkmaterials, which is a SET_CARGO collection and will include the CARGO_ objects of the type "Workmaterials".
And there is NO cargo object actually declared within the script! However, if you would open the mission, there would be hundreds of cargo objects...

The #CARGO tag even allows for several options to be specified, which are important to learn.

5.2) The #CARGO tag to create CARGO_GROUP objects:

You can also use the #CARGO tag on group objects of the mission editor.

For example, the following #CARGO naming in the group name of the object, will create a CARGO_GROUP object when the mission starts.

Infantry #CARGO(T=Workmaterials,RR=500,NR=25)

This will create a CARGO_GROUP object:

• with the group name Infantry #CARGO
• is of type Workmaterials
• will report when a carrier is within 500 meters
• will board to carriers when the carrier is within 500 meters from the cargo object
• will disappear when the cargo is within 25 meters from the carrier during boarding

So the overall syntax of the #CARGO naming tag and arguments are:

GroupName #CARGO(T=CargoTypeName,RR=Range,NR=Range)

• T= Provide a text that contains the type name of the cargo object. This type name can be used to filter cargo within a SET_CARGO object.
• RR= Provide the minimal range in meters when the report to the carrier, and board to the carrier. Note that this option is optional, so can be omitted. The default value of the RR is 250 meters.
• NR= Provide the maximum range in meters when the cargo units will be boarded within the carrier during boarding. Note that this option is optional, so can be omitted. The default value of the RR is 10 meters.

5.2) The #CARGO tag to create CARGO_CRATE or CARGO_SLINGLOAD objects:

You can also use the #CARGO tag on static objects, including static cargo objects of the mission editor.

For example, the following #CARGO naming in the static name of the object, will create a CARGO_CRATE object when the mission starts.

Static #CARGO(T=Workmaterials,C=CRATE,RR=500,NR=25)

This will create a CARGO_CRATE object:

• with the group name Static #CARGO
• is of type Workmaterials
• is of category CRATE (as opposed to SLING)
• will report when a carrier is within 500 meters
• will board to carriers when the carrier is within 500 meters from the cargo object
• will disappear when the cargo is within 25 meters from the carrier during boarding

So the overall syntax of the #CARGO naming tag and arguments are:

StaticName #CARGO(T=CargoTypeName,C=Category,RR=Range,NR=Range)

• T= Provide a text that contains the type name of the cargo object. This type name can be used to filter cargo within a SET_CARGO object.
• C= Provide either CRATE or SLING to have this static created as a CARGO_CRATE or CARGO_SLINGLOAD respectively.
• RR= Provide the minimal range in meters when the report to the carrier, and board to the carrier. Note that this option is optional, so can be omitted. The default value of the RR is 250 meters.
• NR= Provide the maximum range in meters when the cargo units will be boarded within the carrier during boarding. Note that this option is optional, so can be omitted. The default value of the RR is 10 meters.

Developer Note

Note while this class still works, it is no longer supported as the original author stopped active development of MOOSE Therefore, this class is considered to be deprecated

Author: FlightControl

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