Radar Idea
 

Something that has long annoyed me is that the PPI screen for SJ radar is available early in the war, when in reality the A scope was what they had until mid 43 on when the improved sets arrived. Essentially in the sim there is no huge difference in the radars primarily because of this. Is there a way to make the PPI scope not work with the SJ radar and only with the SJ-1 radar? Also, possible to remove SJ radar contacts from the nav map, and have only visual? Likely not so can deal with i, choose to ignore them, but the scope thing would add to he challenge.

Not sure what you mean by that, but theoretically you can just make a mod that effectively puts a 3D part over the SJ screen and shows it as closed.

The PPI scope did not exist until about mid 43, the old A scope with the "grassy lines" was a help but did not give the tactical situation.Both are avaiulable in mid 42 when SJ radar appears. Should only have the A scope until upgrade to the SJ-1 radar.

If can do it with an upgrade, a mod to blank out the PPI scope would be great, then can disable it when get the SJ-1 radar.

I understand what you're saying, SHCE did it right with early SJ, I'd have to dig through files to see if it's possible or not. As far as not showing the radar contacts on the nav map, it was either RFB or TMO that removed them by replacing the texture file with a blank one.

It would probably be too much to ask,,,, if you could get the radar operator to announce range and bearing so you could plot contact on map with ,, map updates off,,.. and with map updates off if you could have a mark made on the map from the telescope as you get range and bearing..

That should be possible yes, you would have a new 3D interior with the PPI removd or maybe simply shrunk to one mm in the 3 dimensions or moved out of the CT where you can't see it, and the same with the crew member in front of it. It probably could even be linked to a conning tower/radar upgrade so that it appears automatically in 1943.

It is a load of work though.

Hummm you might indeed have stumbled upon something interesting. :hmmm:

Some facts:

- In SH3 you had the ability to get reports from the IWO telling you the closest target bearing and distance.
- The game does not differentiate between sensors, it aquires data from any of them and that's it.

So it seems logic that:

- A target you have detected by radar is already tracked by your crew AI
- Enabling such reports in SH4 would have your IWO telling you that info, as when the operator relayed it to the tracking party.

The only thing that could make it not work is that at radar range the target is not yet identified, so the report could possibly not be given because your IWO still does not know wether friend or foe. The only solution would be allowing the radar on your sub to differentiate between that, which is irrelastic, but not a huge problem considering there are hardly neutrals in SH4 (No practical fog of war here).

Somewhere in Textures is a cover plate for the PPI display, but the SJ unit/console would still be there. Removing that with S3D is not worth it... lotta work!

What if you just moved it out of sight?

I don't do 3Dcad programs, and can't make any sense out of the 3D model pictures in the DAT files since they look nothing like the gadget in the sim. But I would suggest starting with \Data\Library\USSubParts\Sensors_sub_US.dat. There are 3D models for all the assorted early SJ and late SJ, so I would try editing all the early SJ 3D models. Make a blank cube or something, and edit all the early sets to point to that. Another option, figure out what controls the difference when you don't have any SJ set and the PPI is just a blank console.

I just did a blind shot,in the fog surfaced, with radar and sonar but I didn't have this jewel available at the time ,. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...do=file&id=717 I'm using Claytons optical correction for 1.4,, I have put in the UPCData file from RFB 1.4 into Claytons optical correction,, I like it.

Yes, good idea. Push it back or move it through the deck with S3D... then any gauges along the bottom and the PPI screen need to move too.

If the table was copied to go in the gap, the operator and any bottom gauges could probably stay.

Still a big project but the PPI Radar has bothered me too. I wish I had a decent 3d modeling program besides Anim8tor to make everything pretty, and the knowledge to use it.

Just a quick thought concerning a 3d program....


I'm using Blender, and have been for a while (years).

I can export the 3d files with S3D, then import with Blender, make changes and then re-import....


I used it to experiment with "tweaking" (rather than starting from scratch) some parts in SH3.
I didn't notice any errors, just have to remember which options that you "imported" with, and use those on export.


Blender is free, and it is available for Windows as well as Linux.

Homepage: https://www.blender.org/
Download page: https://www.blender.org/download/

Current as I type this is V2.78.

Fairly easy to learn. I used the 2.58/2.59 for modding Fallout 3/New Vegas.
When many of the capabilities were still tied to a "hotkey", and not to be found in the menus.
I've done some (very little) animation, and several 3d models from scratch (usually REALLY low poly place holders that I used to test/tweak).

Barracuda

Thank you, I will try to learn how to use it. It looks like it is much more compatible than what I have been using.

Here's your problem with making the PPI and A-Scope models disappear, how are you going to make them reappear when mid 1942 comes along?

I mentioned this the other day to Bubblehead........ the two units are connected at the hip as far as their "output" of SJ Surface Search Radar. It's hard coded. Until they get separated from each other, and the SD Radar output is directed to only the A-Scope.....the PPI gets the SJ Surface Search output, you're just spinning your wheels.

What's it going to take to separate their output? A "Patch" of the hard coded files. Along with a simple command to have an "action" become a "Command" within the game to allow for the covers (that are already modeled in-game).....

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...adarCovers.jpg

.....to become placed where they should, and removed when you want.

The only way the radar works is to have an "overlay" image that is correct in its scale, to match the "output" of the radar sensor. That's been done:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...PIofNavMap.jpg

I have this in Optical Targeting Correction, and the latest mod I've been working on...... Fotrs Ultimate. Without having the "scale" represented correctly, the blips and spikes of the A-Scope/PPI are useless. For example, here's the A-Scope that is accurate to "scale" (meaning.....a 1000 yards is 1000 yards) from my work:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../USA-Scope.jpg

I want you to look at something of my A-Scope "overlay" above. Notice where the stock game ends the 4000 yard scale.....that's the lower line scale in the smaller print. It's off to the right hand side of the scope at what is "estimated" at about 4400 to 4500 yards compared to the scale above it. My "center scale" is accurate in radar output, not the stock game scale at the bottom of the screen! At distances of only 4000 yards you'll get the stock game to give you a 400 yard error when a "spike is shown on the A-Scope. Notice the "spike" above is at the 3000 yard distance if your using the lower 4000 yard scale (there is also the 32,000 and 60,000 yard scale lines too, depending on which level of radar output you're using), that 3000 yard "spike" on my scale ends up at about 2700/2800 yards on the stock scale. I've not been able to remove the stock game line from my A-Scope "overlay", it's hard coded too. BUT, you'll get an accurate reading using my mod when compared to stock.

Again, the problem is in getting the game to accept additional commands, scripts, to allow things to work as expected. Until we have someone willing to open the hard coded files to add/change the way the game operates, we can only "mask" an issue to a very limited point.

Thanks for all the responses on here. I would be satisfied with a mod that just covered the PPI display for early radar sets, then could be removed via jsgme9if possible) once time comes along for PPI scope. Someone wants to go further thats fine but a lot of work it sounds like.

When I get the early radar I do not use the PPI scope, only A scope .Issue is it kills immersion a bit because even if trying not to see, you do see the scope and it gives you for too much tactical awareness, which is why the PPI scope was great once it came along.