CfgAmmo Config Reference
Introduction
cfgAmmo, cfgMagazines, cfgWeapons and cfgVehicles are root classes defined in the engine's config.bin.
These classes can be subsequently added to by addons.
cfgAmmo defines the missile or projectile characteristics for ammunition held in a cfgMagazine which, in turn, is used by a cfgWeapon, which, in turn, is selected for use in a (series of) cfgVehicles or added as a portable weapon for a soldier.
The same ammunition can be used by multiple magazines, and the same magazine can be used by multiple weapons. Generally, the same ammunition and the same magazine are used where possible, for consistency amongst weapons and to allow tweaks and changes to any single cfgAmmo to propagate naturally through all sources that use it.
Note that engines accept integer values where a float would normally be expected.
OFP Legacy Behaviour
All Real Virtuality games since Arma use the root class cfgMagazines. In contrast, OFP/Arma: Cold War Assault relies on constructs within its cfgWeapons class to distinguish between weapon and magazine parameters.
The cfgAmmo class is similar across every game engine, and aside from incremental additions of tokens with new game versions, the overall structure has not changed significantly.
Modifications
access = 1;
- Ammunition classes can be added.
- Existing classes can (sometimes) be altered.
The default class for cfgAmmo specifies access = 3; - Almost all subsequent classes inherit this value, which means they cannot be altered in any way.
To allow YOUR addon to subsequently modify YOUR ammunition (should you wish other addons to do so), you must change the access= in YOUR ammunition.
CamShake
New to Arma 3 is the ability to introduce camera shake to the firing of weapons by including subclasses within each cfgAmmo definition. In all cases, CamShake only affects players (as obviously, AI have no screens to shake).
- CamShakeFire applies to anyone within the specified distance of the shooter.
- CamShakePlayerFire applies to the shooter directly, instead of the proximity effect.
- CamShakeHit applies to anyone struck by or within the area of effect (indirectHitRange) of the projectile. Parameters are the same as the addCamShake command.
Example:
class myAmmo : BulletCore
{
class CamShakeFire
{
power = 30;
duration = 0.5;
frequency = 20;
distance = 30;
};
class CamShakePlayerFire
{
power = 0.06;
duration = 0.1;
frequency = 20;
};
class CamShakeHit
{
power = 100;
duration = 1;
frequency = 20;
};
}
Alphabetical Order
A
affectedByWind
- Type
- Boolean
- Description
- For flares. Default false. If set to true, the flare will be carried away by the wind instead of falling down in a straight line.
aiAmmoUsageFlags
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Tells the AI how to use this Ammo. NOTE: Feature still WIP, some functions may not work yet or be removed later. See: AI Devbranch
Value | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
0 | None | ??? |
1 | Light | used for illumination |
2 | Marking | ??? |
4 | Concealment | used for smokes |
8 | CounterMeasures | ??? |
16 | Mine | ??? |
32 | Underwater | used in underwater environment |
64 | OffensiveInf | against infantry |
128 | OffensiveVeh | against vehicles |
256 | OffensiveAir | against air |
512 | OffensiveArmour | against armored vehicles |
Multiple flags can be combined by adding the values together
aiAmmoUsageFlags = 4; //for concealment only
aiAmmoUsageFlags = "64 + 128"; //against infantry and light vehicles
airFriction
- Type
- Float
- Description
- How much the air friction slows down the projectile. Tiny negative values for bullets and bigger positive values for self-propelled missiles and rockets.
- If the ammo class has artilleryLock = 1 set, the config value for airfriction gets ignored and airfriction=0 is assumed ingame.
- airFriction is calculated differently for bullets and for missiles or rockets.
- For bullets use this formula:
- f = a / v2
- For self-propelled rockets and missiles use this one:
- f * -0.002 = a / v2link
- f - airFriction
- a - acceleration
- v - velocity
airLock
- Type
- Boolean
- Description
- Declares if ammo can lock on air targets. Also makes AI to decide whether to engage air units with the particular ammo.
allowAgainstInfantry
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Default 1. If 0, the AI will not (deliberately) employ this weapon against infantry targets. Used to override cost behaviour.
animated
audibleFire
- Type
- Float
- Description
- How much can AI hear when given weapon is fired.
audibleFire = 5.0;
autoSeekTarget
- Description
- Self-guided projectiles? Used in anti-tank artillery shells.
B
brightness
- Type
- Float
- Description
- The intensity of the light source. Used in illuminating flares.
brightness = 2;
C
caliber
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Acts as penetration multiplier for the projectile.
- Penetration depth in mm
- velocity[m/s] * caliber * penetrability / 1000. Penetrability is a material property (for RHA steel it is 15, for concrete 80, for meat 250).
caliber = 1.5;
canLock
This config parameter does not exist for CfgAmmo in Arma 3 (only for CfgWeapons).
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Declares if ammo is able to lock (necessary for airLock, irLock and laserLock).
- Possible values
- 0 = false, 1 = cadet mode only, and 2 = always.
canLock = 0;
cartridge
- Type
- String
- Description
- Declares the path to the cartridge P3D model, which may be ejected on each shot. Like all model specifications, .p3d is inferred.
cartridge = "FxCartridge[.p3d]";
cmImmunity
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Specifies a missile's resistance to countermeasures (such as chaff and flares).
- Possible range
- 0.0 to 1.0
cmImmunity = 0.9;
coefGravity
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Undocumented feature. Multiplier for gravity influence (0 = no gravity, 0.5 = half gravity). Unknown if it works for all simulation classes.
coefGravity = 1.0; //default value
cost
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Cost-gain evaluation is performed to choose an appropriate weapon.
- Gain includes self-preservation.
- Cost includes time required to complete the attack.
As a result, weapons with high cost are unlikely to be used against common targets, esp. when low cost weapons are available. Still, there may be situation where AI may decide to use high cost weapon, esp. when it thinks it has little chance of survival and needs to attempt destroying enemy quickly.
cost = 5000;
CraterEffects
- Type
- String
- Description
- Declares which crater effect to spawn on hit on ground.
- Possible values
- BombCrater, ExploAmmoCrater, GrenadeCrater, ImpactEffectsBig, MissileCrater, and ShellCrater.
CraterEffects = "ExploAmmoCrater";
D
dangerRadiusBulletClose
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Defines how far in meters the AI gets alerted by the bullet's pass. Default value -1 disables the detection. (works only for bullets, no other projectiles).
deflecting = -1;
dangerRadiusHit
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Defines how far in meters the AI gets alerted by the projectile's impact or explosion. Default value -1 makes this distance be automatically derived from the hit and indirectHit properties (hit * 0.5 + indirectHit * indirectHitRange * 0.5 - but there's also an energy factor).
deflecting = -1;
deflecting
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Declares if ammo is deflecting and thus its deflection angle.
deflecting = 10;
deflectionSlowDown
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Modifier applied to projectile velocity after a deflection occurred.
deflectionSlowDown=1.0;
deflectionDirDistribution
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Parameter for deflection direction randomization
deflectionDirDistribution=0.5;
E
effectsFire
effectsMissile
effectsSmoke
explosionEffects
- Type
- String
- Description
- Declares which explosion effect to spawn on hit.
- Possible values
- BombExplosion, ExploAmmoExplosion, ExplosionEffects, and GrenadeExplosion.
explosionTime
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Declares after how many seconds ammo will explode (e.g. used on timed hand grenades). If set to -1, grenade will act as impact grenade.
explosionTime = 5;
explosive
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Declares if ammo is explosive, and if it is, how much of the damage is done using explosion. The rest is assumed to be caused by kinetic impact.
- 1 means fully explosive, 0 means fully kinetic.
F
flareAirFriction
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Controls the descent rate of flares as though they are suspended by parachute. Default -0.5.
flareAirFriction = 0; // Flare in free fall.
fuseDistance
- Type
- Float
- Description
- The minimum distance any explosive projectile has to travel, before it becomes armed and thus explodes on impact.
Missiles hitting short of the given range still visually explode, causing no damage or shockwave effects.
Grenades will stick into the ground for x amount of time and then disappear causing no damage, or (in case explosionTime= is set) explode after x seconds, causing damage.
H
hit
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Damage on hit. In OFP total damage is calculated as: Total damage = Hit damage - Indirect damage (while hit value is larger than indirectHit). Note that in Arma 3 damage calculation is different. For bullets with caliber=0 the standard damage is dealt. For bullets with caliber > 0 only a fraction of the "hit" value is dealt when the bullet completely penetrates the firegeometry. The damage behaviour in this case is nonlinear (depending on firegeometry thickness) and currently not possible to predict.
hit = 8;
HitEffects
class HitEffects
{
vehicle = "ImpactMetal";
object = "ImpactConcrete";
};
hit...[]
- Description
- The list of sound effects, themselves defined as sound...[] arrays, to play whenever the specified events occur, with the loudness or intensity of the sound following.
All array values are defaulted to:
hitBuilding[] = {"soundHit", 1};
Example:
hitGroundSoft[] = {
"soundGroundSoft1", 0.2,
"soundGroundSoft2", 0.2,
"soundGroundSoft3", 0.1,
"soundGroundSoft4", 0.1,
"soundGroundSoft5", 0.1,
"soundGroundSoft6", 0.1,
"soundGroundSoft7", 0.1,
"soundGroundSoft8", 0.1
};
hitArmor[]
hitBuilding[]
hitConcrete[]
hitDefault[]
hitFoliage[]
hitGlass[]
hitGlassArmored[]
hitGround[]
- Description
- OFP (only)
hitGroundHard[]
hitGroundSoft[]
hitIron[]
hitMan[]
hitMetal[]
hitMetalplate[]
hitPlastic[]
hitRubber[]
hitWater[]
hitWood[]
I
indirectHit
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Damage in indirectHitRange.
indirectHit = 8;
indirectHitRange
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Radius in metres where indirectHit damage is caused. See Arma 3 Damage Description fore detailed description.
indirectHitRange = 75;
initTime
- Type
- Float
- Description
- How long (in seconds) the projectile waits before starting it is motor.
initTime = 0.2;
irLock
- Type
- Boolean
- Description
- Declares if ammo can lock on IR-targets.
L
laserLock
- Type
- Boolean
- Description
- Declares if ammo can lock on laser designator.
lightColor[]
- Type
- Array
- Description
- Declares color of light (e.g. on flares).
lightColor[] = {1, 1, 1, 0};
M
maneuvrability
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Declares maneuvrability of guided missiles.
Higher values than 30-33 cause the missile (when locked on) to spin wildly and rarely hit the target.
Tweaking sideAirFriction and simulationStep makes the missile track and hit it is target, but (especially in multiplayer) from other player's POV the missile will spin out of control, whilst from the shooters own POV, it will still fly straight and hit it is target.
manueuvrability = 30;
manualControl
- Type
- Boolean
- Description
- If 1, causes the projectile to be guided towards the firer's crosshairs.
See: SACLOS guidance behaviour, such as for TOW missiles.
manualControl = 0;
maxControlRange
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Declares in which distance to player ammo can be controlled during flight.
Using this on handheld launchers causes the missile to time-out after approximately 1.5km, loosing all control of the warhead, which causes the missile to spin around/take off in random directions (until it self-destructs - timeToLive), making higher values useless.
Using this on any vehicle mounted launchers (like the TOW, Hellfire or Maverick) allows the warhead to track and turn to follow it is target even if said target is behind the player's vehicle (and possibly AI-controlled ones too), which requires a high manueuvrability value on the missile.
That way, one can simply lock on, then pass the locked target and shoot a missile, which will follow the target even without direct line of sight.
Note that The missile follows the target regardless of obstacles, init-time or initspeed, meaning the missile might crash into the ground, especially at lower heights.
maxControlRange = 5000;
maxSpeed
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Declares the maximum speed (metres per second).
maxSpeed = 241;
model
- Type
- String
- Description
- Declares path to model. For simulation="shotShell" the model gets displayed, but only up to a limit of somewhere between 390 and 450 m/s initspeed. Unknown if other simulationclasses behave different. The model does not get displayed when tracers are created [via the cfgmagazine token tracersevery=<number>; ]. Models for tracers get hardcode-deformed and scaled based on speed and ammo hit strength.
model = "\ca\weapons\bullet[.p3d]"
min/mid/maxRange...
- Description
- These tokens are present in OFP only. They were badly classed in OFP, causing all weapons using this specific bullet to exhibit this behaviour rather than the behaviour of the rifle. As such they were transferred to Arma's cfgWeaponsClarify.
Above statement is not true; Even in Arma 2 and Arma 2:OA, these values still exist and affect the AI and only the AI in the following ways:
- The tokens are found/put on each weapons "firing modes", or on the gun itself, if it has no separate firing modesClarify.
mineTrigger
- Type
- String
- Description
- is a in CfgMineTriggers defined class
minRange
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Minimum engagement range for the AI.
Below given values, the AI will not engage but just "stare them down", even if they get shot at, and (most likely) killed.
Minrange = 5;
minRangeProbab
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Probability declaring how high the chance is that the AI will engage a target at minRange using this (current) firing mode.
Values are 0.0 to 1.0 where 1.0 equates to a 100% likelihood.
minRangeProbab = 0.02;
midRange
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Mid-Range engagement range for AI's using this (current) firing mode.
midRange = 150;
midRangeProbab
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Probability declaring how high the chance is that the AI will engage a target at midRange.
Values are 0.0 to 1.0 where 1.0 equates to a 100% likelihood.
midRangeProbab = 0.7;
maxRange
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Maximum range possible for the AI.
Although AI's may engage targets slightly beyond maxRange, this is how far the AI will try to shoot at targets. Targets definitely beyond maxRange are ignored.
maxRange = 500;
maxRangeProbab
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Probability declaring how high the chance is that the AI will engage a target at maxRange (or slightly below).
Values are 0.0 to 1.0 where 1.0 equates to a 100% likelihood.
maxRangeProbab = 0.51;
P
proxyShape
- Type
- String
- Description
- Declares the model of this weapon used in proxies on vehicles. Note that proxies can be used only with air units.
proxyShape = "\ca\air\sidewinder_proxy";
penetrationDirDistribution
- Type
- String
- Description
- Parameter for penetration direction randomization
penetrationDirDistribution = 0.25;
S
shootDistraction
- Type
- Float
- Description
- below 0 means it decreases dynamic error (DCE) which each shot, above 0 increases DCE which each shot, if the parameter is -1, the value will be calculated as 0.01 * (audibleFire^2 + visibleFire^2)
shootDistraction = 1.0;
sideAirFriction
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Adjusts the drag of a projectile. Lower values decrease drag, higher values increase drag.
When used with guided projectiles, higher values make it easier for the projectile to turn, while lower values make it more difficult to turn.
sideAirFriction = 0.5;
simulation
- Type
- String
- Description
- Declares simulation type.
Also affects the behaviour the projectile causes to the shooter/object hit;
- Changing "shotShell" to "shotBullet" makes a tank shell pass through more trees rather than being stopped by them, and also removes the recoil which usually affects the tank/vehicle the cannon is mounted to.
- Changing "shotBullet" to "shotSpread" (OA only) causes the changed ammo to behave like it is buckshot (again, OA only).
- Possible values
- Refer to Models & Classnames: Simulation Types for a list of all supported simulation types.
simulation = "shotShell";
simulationStep
- Type
- Float
shadow
sound...[]
soundFly[]
Especially cool for missiles - sound that the projectile makes while it is in flight
soundEngine[]
Sound gets played while the rocket engine is running
soundHit[]
supersonicCrackNear[]
- Type
- Array
- Description
- Declares sound and volume of the supersonic crack (near the player). Supersonic crack will only occur if ammo is flying with supersonic speed.
supersonicCrackNear[] = {"\ca\Weapons\Data\Sound\supersonic_crack_close.wss", 1, 1};
supersonicCrackFar[]
- Type
- Array
- Description
- Declares sound and volume of the supersonic crack (far). Supersonic crack will only occur if ammo is flying with supersonic speed.
supersonicCrackFar[] = {"\ca\Weapons\Data\Sound\supersonic_crack_50meters.wss", 1, 1};
suppressionRadiusBulletClose
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Defines the max. distance in meters at which the AI becomes suppressed by the bullet's pass. Default value -1 disables the suppressive effect (works only for bullets, no other projectiles).
suppressionRadiusBulletClose = -1;
suppressionRadiusHit
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Defines the max. distance in meters at which the AI becomes suppressed by the projectile's impact or explosion. Default value -1 disables the suppressive effect.
suppressionRadiusHit = -1;
T
thrust
thrustTime
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Engine burn time for missiles and rockets.
thrustTime = 0.200000;
timeToLive
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Time before the ammo vanishes, used as optimization to avoid having to simulate stray bullets.
Note that this parameter has no effect in OFP where timeToLive is predefined by simulation.
timeToLive = 4;
tracerColor[]
- Type
- Array
- Description
- Declares tracer colour with "easy" settings (tracers enabled), format is {Red, Green, Blue, Transparency}.
tracerColorR[]
- Type
- Array
- Description
- Declares tracer colour with "realistic" settings (tracers disabled), format is {Red, Green, Blue, Transparency}.
trackLead
trackOversteer
triggerTime
- Type
- Float
- Description
- Used in illumination flares. The time in seconds before the projectile begins emitting light.
typicalSpeed
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- Hit value is valid when projectile moves at this speed. With lower speed, the hit caused by the ammo is lower as well.
V
visibleFire
- Type
- Float
- Description
- How much does AI see a unit firing this weapon.
visibleFire = 18;
visibleFireTime
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- How long is one shot assumed to be noticeable by the AI.
Values under 5 should be avoided, as AI can perform in cycles with 5s of no testing in between.
visibleFireTime = 18;
W
weaponLockSystem
- Type
- Integer or String
- Description
- For countermeasures, this defines the types of enemy countermeasures that it is effective against.
For weapons, declares the type of guidance system that the projectile uses (and if one is spoofed it can fall back on another). This can be either an integer by itself, or a string containing a mathematical expression, normally a sum of flags added together.
Flag | Guidance Type |
---|---|
0 | Undetectable |
1 | Visual/Contrast |
2 | Infra-red |
4 | Laser-Guided |
8 | Radar-Guided |
16 | Missile |
weaponLockSystem = 2; //infra-red guidance
weaponLockSystem = "2 + 8"; //infra-red and radar guided
weaponType
- Type
- String
Overrides the engine determination of weapon type based on ammo simulation, for vehicle weapon grouping.
weaponType = "cannon";
Definitions:
"cannon" "mGun" "rocket" "missileAA" "missileAT" "missileAAAT" "bomb" "special"
whistleDist
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- The range at which the projectile is audible when moving through the air. Used for mortar shells and artillery shells. Unknown units.
whistleOnFire
- Type
- Integer
- Description
- If 1, the projectile should begin whistling immediately after launch.