Forge OS

A fully functional Windows 99-style operating system interface for Arma 3, featuring a complete desktop environment, interactive applications, and seamless multiplayer integration.

📖 View Full Documentation | 🚀 Quick Start | 💬 Discord Community

Quick Start

For Players

Install Required Mods: CBA_A3 and ACE3
Load Mission: Open forge_os_bare.VR in the Arma 3 Editor
Preview: Click Preview and approach the keyboard object
Open OS: Press Windows key (ACE interaction) → Select "Open OS"
Explore: Use the desktop, start menu, and applications!

For Mission Makers

Add Custom Mission Briefings:

Place your markdown file in mpmissions/forge_os_bare.VR/snet/ops/briefings/
Run the converter: tools/media_to_base64.exe (enter .. when prompted for recursive processing)
Update Win99UI/js/config.js to register the file
Your briefing is now accessible in the SNet Intelligence Center!

View Full Media Management Guide →

For Developers

Create Your First App:

class MyApp extends Window {
    constructor() {
        super({
            title: 'My Application',
            icon: 'FORGE_FX_Desktop_Ico_Notepad01_CA',
            width: 800,
            height: 600
        });
        // Your app code here
    }
}
window.MyApp = MyApp;

View Full Development Guide →

Overview

Forge OS brings a vintage Windows 98/99 computing experience into Arma 3. Players can interact with a fully functional operating system through in-game computer terminals, complete with draggable windows, functional applications, and multiplayer synchronization. Perfect for role-playing scenarios, mission briefings, intelligence coordination, and immersive gameplay experiences.

Features

🖥️ Desktop Environment

Authentic Windows 98/99 aesthetic with retro UI elements
Window management system - Draggable, resizable, minimizable windows
Start menu with organized program categories
Taskbar with active window tracking
Desktop shortcuts with custom icons
Wallpaper system with customization support

📱 Applications

Notepad

Create, edit, and save text files
Full file menu (New, Open, Save)
Edit operations (Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All)
Persistent storage across game sessions

Messenger

Real-time multiplayer chat system
Player list with online status indicators
Status updates (Online, Away, Busy)
Message history and notifications
CBA event-based synchronization

Calendar

Event creation with title, date, time, and location
Event list view with color coding
Event management (create, delete)
Persistent event storage

Internet Explorer

In-game web browser interface
Custom web applications support
Navigation controls and address bar
Iframe-based page rendering

SNet Intelligence Center

Mission briefing viewer
Intelligence document browser
Media viewer (images, videos, audio)
Markdown rendering support
Categorized file system (Operations, Intel, Surveillance)

🌐 Multiplayer Features

Synchronized player chat across all connected clients
Real-time status updates for all players
Shared calendar events visible to all team members
CBA event system for efficient network communication
Server-authoritative player tracking and data management

Requirements

Arma 3 Mods

CBA_A3 - Community Base Addons (Required)
ACE3 - Advanced Combat Environment (Required)

Development Tools (Optional)

Python 3.7+ - For asset processing tools
PyInstaller - For building standalone executables

Installation

For Players

Subscribe to the required mods on Steam Workshop:
- CBA_A3
- ACE3
Enable the mods in Arma 3 Launcher
Load the forge_os_bare.VR mission from the Virtual Reality map
In-game, approach a keyboard object and use ACE interaction (Windows key by default) to select "Open OS"

For Developers

Clone this repository into your Arma 3 missions folder:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/forge_os.git
cd forge_os

Install Python development tools (optional):

cd mpmissions/forge_os_bare.VR/Win99UI/tools
pip install -r requirements.txt

Edit mission files in your preferred code editor
Test in Arma 3 editor or dedicated server

Architecture

Technology Stack

Backend: SQF (Arma 3 scripting language)
Frontend: HTML/CSS/JavaScript with Windows 98/99 UI theme
Bridge: Arma 3 ↔ CEF browser communication via JSDialog events
State Management: HashMapObject pattern for object-oriented design
Networking: CBA event system for multiplayer synchronization
Storage: Profile namespace for persistent client data

Project Structure

forge_os/
├── mpmissions/
│   └── forge_os_bare.VR/
│       ├── Win99/                  # Backend SQF modules
│       │   ├── main/              # Core initialization
│       │   ├── calendar/          # Calendar application
│       │   ├── messenger/         # Messenger application
│       │   ├── notepad/           # Notepad application
│       │   ├── snet/              # Intelligence system
│       │   ├── email/             # Email module (stub)
│       │   └── db/                # Database utilities
│       │
│       ├── Win99UI/               # Frontend JavaScript
│       │   ├── index.html         # Entry point
│       │   ├── js/                # Core JS modules
│       │   │   ├── main.js        # OS orchestrator
│       │   │   ├── config.js      # System configuration
│       │   │   ├── loader.js      # Component loader
│       │   │   ├── a3bridge.js    # Arma-browser bridge
│       │   │   └── globalFunctions.js
│       │   │
│       │   ├── apps/              # Applications
│       │   │   ├── calendar.js
│       │   │   ├── messenger.js
│       │   │   ├── notepad.js
│       │   │   ├── snet.js
│       │   │   ├── internetexplorer.js
│       │   │   └── helpers/       # Shared utilities
│       │   │
│       │   ├── components/        # UI components
│       │   │   ├── desktop/
│       │   │   ├── window/
│       │   │   ├── taskbar/
│       │   │   ├── startmenu/
│       │   │   └── dialog/
│       │   │
│       │   ├── styles/            # CSS files
│       │   └── tools/             # Build utilities
│       │
│       ├── snet/                  # Intelligence data
│       │   ├── ops/briefings/
│       │   ├── intel/
│       │   └── surveillance/
│       │
│       ├── init.sqf               # Mission initialization
│       ├── initServer.sqf         # Server initialization
│       ├── initPlayerLocal.sqf    # Client initialization
│       └── description.ext        # Mission config

Modern Architecture: HashMapObject Pattern

Forge OS 2.0 uses a modern object-oriented architecture with HashMapObject instances for state management:

Benefits:

Encapsulated state per application
Clean API surface with public methods
Independent data management
Better multiplayer synchronization
Easier testing and debugging

Example:

// Create a Calendar instance
private _calendar = [] call win99_calendar_fnc_createCalendar;

// Call methods
_calendar call ["createEvent", [_eventData]];
_calendar call ["deleteEvent", [_eventId]];

Communication Flow

Browser → Arma (Client-Side)

JavaScript calls A3Bridge.sendCommand(command, data)
Command formatted as JSON and sent via alert()
CEF triggers JSDialog event in Arma
initPlayerLocal.sqf event handler routes to HashMapObject
HashMapObject processes command and triggers CBA events if needed

Arma → Browser

SQF executes _ctrl ctrlWebBrowserAction ["ExecJS", "functionName(args)"]
JavaScript function executes in browser context
UI updates accordingly

Development

Asset Processing Tools

Located in mpmissions/forge_os_bare.VR/Win99UI/tools/

compress_css.py (Recommended)

Compresses CSS files using zlib + base64 encoding.

python compress_css.py
# Enter: .. (recursive) or . (current directory only)

Output: .css.b64 files ready for framework

media_to_base64.py

Converts media files to base64 encoding.

python media_to_base64.py
# Supports: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .mp3, .mp4, .webm, .md

Output: .b64 files for media assets

package_css.py (Advanced)

Advanced CSS packaging with multiple compression options.

⚠️ Note: Framework currently only supports zlib compression. Use compress_css.py for production.

Building Executables

python -m PyInstaller --onefile --name compress_css Win99UI\tools\compress_css.py
python -m PyInstaller --onefile --name media_to_base64 Win99UI\tools\media_to_base64.py

Executables will be created in dist/ directory.

Adding New Applications

Create SQF module in Win99/your_app/
- Implement fnc_createYourApp.sqf with HashMapObject
- Define methods for data management
- Add XEH files for initialization
Create JavaScript application in Win99UI/apps/
- Extend base application class
- Implement UI rendering
- Use A3Bridge for backend communication
Register in config (Win99UI/js/config.js)
- Add to applications registry
- Define start menu entry
- Configure desktop shortcut (optional)
Add event handlers in initPlayerLocal.sqf
- Route commands to HashMapObject methods

Best Practices

Use HashMapObject for stateful components
Client-side processing whenever possible for performance
CBA events for multiplayer synchronization only when needed
Profile namespace for persistent client data
Compress assets using provided tools before deployment
Document your code with JSDoc comments
Follow existing patterns in codebase for consistency

Documentation

📚 Complete Documentation Wiki

Comprehensive guides and tutorials available online:

Getting Started:

Introduction - Overview and features
Installation - Setup for players and developers
Project Structure - Codebase organization

Customization:

Media Management - Add images, videos, audio, and markdown
Custom Applications - Build your own apps

Additional Resources:

codebase-summary.md - Complete technical overview
workshop-readme.md - Steam Workshop description
Win99UI/tools/README.md - Asset processing tools guide
snet/ops/briefings/ - Example mission briefings

Version History

v2.0.0 - Architecture Overhaul (Current)

Migrated to HashMapObject architecture for all applications
Client-side event handling for improved performance
Enhanced multiplayer synchronization
Comprehensive documentation and code cleanup
Fixed timestamp tracking in database systems
Deprecated legacy centralized event handler

v1.0.0 - Initial Release

Full desktop environment with window management
5 functional applications (Notepad, Messenger, Calendar, Browser, SNet)
Multiplayer synchronization via server-side handlers
Persistent data storage
Windows 98/99 retro UI aesthetic

Known Limitations

Single OS instance - Currently hardcoded to "OS1"
Email module - Stub implementation, not fully functional
Screen mirroring - Physical screen display needs modernization
CSS compression - Framework only supports zlib (not gzip/brotli)
CSS minification - Not yet supported by loader

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Areas that need help:

Screen Mirroring System - Modernize to work with HashMapObject architecture
Email Module - Complete implementation
Additional Applications - Create new apps (File Explorer, Paint, etc.)
UI Improvements - Enhance visual polish and animations
Documentation - Add tutorials and guides

Contribution Guidelines

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/YourFeature)
Follow existing code patterns and architecture
Document your changes
Test thoroughly in multiplayer
Submit a pull request

Credits

Mission Design & Development: J. Schmidt
Icons & Textures: VolumeInfinite
UI Framework: Windows 98 CSS Recreation
Dependencies: CBA_A3, ACE3
Community: Arma 3 modding community

License

This project is provided as-is for the Arma 3 community. Please respect CBA and ACE3 licensing terms.

Support

Issues: Report bugs via GitHub Issues
Discord: Join our community Discord server
Workshop: Discuss on Steam Workshop page
Documentation: Review comprehensive docs in mission folder

Built for the Arma 3 community

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 12 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
addons		addons
docus		docus
mpmissions/forge_os_bare.VR		mpmissions/forge_os_bare.VR
README.md		README.md
icon_128_ca.paa		icon_128_ca.paa
icon_128_highlight_ca.paa		icon_128_highlight_ca.paa
icon_64_ca.paa		icon_64_ca.paa
mod.cpp		mod.cpp
title_ca.paa		title_ca.paa

Folders and files

Latest commit

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Forge OS

Quick Start

For Players

For Mission Makers

For Developers

Overview

Features

🖥️ Desktop Environment

📱 Applications

Notepad

Messenger

Calendar

Internet Explorer

SNet Intelligence Center

🌐 Multiplayer Features

Requirements

Arma 3 Mods

Development Tools (Optional)

Installation

For Players

For Developers

Architecture

Technology Stack

Project Structure

Modern Architecture: HashMapObject Pattern

Communication Flow

Browser → Arma (Client-Side)

Arma → Browser

Development

Asset Processing Tools

compress_css.py (Recommended)

media_to_base64.py

package_css.py (Advanced)

Building Executables

Adding New Applications

Best Practices

Documentation

📚 Complete Documentation Wiki

Version History

v2.0.0 - Architecture Overhaul (Current)

v1.0.0 - Initial Release

Known Limitations

Contributing

Contribution Guidelines

Credits

License

Support

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