[toniloCoyote]

True SH5 Ships’ Dimensions
====================



For downloading the packages, go to post #3, but if you want to know what you are downloading, you better read this one firstly (I hope you can understand my insufficient English).



SOME HISTORY:

This story began when Trevally opened a thread in the Subsim forum wondering why he could not properly use the RAOBF from TheDarkWraith’s UIs.

Soon after, among several others, Makman and I joined the discussion. While Makman and Trevally were resolving the issues and mysteries of optics, I knew that all measures included in the SH5 documentation are wrong (the dimensions of the vessels, the depth at which torpedoes travel, and I don’t know how many more measures). So I left them with their FOVs, their zooms, lenses and other demonic inventions, and I decided to clear up for ever, and as accurately as possible, the uncertainty about the dimensions of the SH5’s virtual world.

In very short, the result of this great effort made by us three, not forgetting the original work of TheDarkWraith has been:

1. A reliable RAOBF and optics for the Real Navigation in SH5.
2. A complete tutorial on using the RAOBF.
3. The final clarification of which are the exact measures for the SH5’s components.

The last statement may seem presumptuous, but you will be those who judge and test it. For this purpose and for serving to all SH5 modders, I’m publishing here my results along with those tools I have developed and used in the process.

In short, I consider this work as part of a larger one that has been made among the above mentioned people. It was a pleasure to share this task with them, and I thank them the help and support they have given me. Here are the links to the threads that compose it, in chronological order:

Trevally: “RAOBF”
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=178545

Makman: “Manos Scopes”
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=179068

Trevally: “Trevally TutorialsI”
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=177725

and, of course, TheDarkWraith’s UIs and RAOBF at :
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=166093

PROCEDURES FOLLOWED IN THE MEASUREMENTS:



It is obvious that, for the measurements were accurate, I should not use procedures other than those used by SH5 developers when they built this virtual world. Moreover, it was preferable to use the same design tools that they used. Therefore, it was necessary to import into 3DS Max each object to be measured, without altering it in any way during the import process. Also had to take into account that certain parameters of the ship are controlled by variables in its .sim file, as in the case of the Draught field. So it was necessary to study and understand the relationship between this file and the geometry of the 3D models (. GR2 file). There are also parts of the model that have volume, but they are only invisible “controllers”, and should not be included within the dimensions of the ship.

Moreover, the implicit monotony of this work should not invalidate the results, there could not be errors caused by the hand or the eyes of whoever made these measurements. It was therefore required to firstly design the procedure by hand, then test their effectiveness, automate it, execute it and, finally, verify the results.

Thus, the steps followed were these:

1. To study, analyze and understand the Granny graphical format (GR2). To develop or adapt the code of others, for importing such files into 3DS Max, in a way that its original geometry could not be affected.
2. Develop a reliable measurement procedure (at centimeter) and develop some scripts which did the work and exported the results to a worksheet, with no intervention by the human hand throughout the entire process.
3. Provide an understandable and useful format for presenting the data within the worksheet.
4. Design a reliable method to verify the accuracy of the data once we are inside SH5 simulator.
5. Make this method available to others, so that anyone can prove or disprove the reliability of the measurements.
6. Present these data and tools in a manipulable way for the modders who want to base on it their current or future work.

I believe to have achieved all these objectives and with this release I'll take the job as finished.. I hope other people will use it and improve it in the future.


Note:
After studying many options and analyze several dlls, third-party APIs and SDKs, the code I’ve used for importing the .GR2 files into 3DS Max 2010 is an adaptation made by me of the GR2 Decode’s Grnreader tool. For those interested in this topic, it seems that Privateer is about to launch a more complete solution. For more information visit his thread at: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=173092





DELIVERY STRUCTURE



I have divided the delivery in 4 packages (. zip files):

SH5_ShipsDimensions_from_3D

Contains, in xls (Excel worksheet) and RTF formats, the results of the measurements for all the ships in SH5. The data included for each vessel are:
Ship Folder, 3D Mesh Name, Length, Width, Height, Draft from 3D Origin, Draft from .sim file, Actual Draft, Altitude of 3D Origin point, Mast from 3D Origin, Actual Mast Height, Funnels Height from 3D Origin, Actual Funnels Height, Hull Height from 3D Origin, Actual Hull Height, plus some useful comments about the ship.


Real_Dimensions_Cfgs

This is a mod compatible with JSGME which contains all original ships’ .cfg files already updated with the measures for Length, Width, Draft and Mast Height, from the data in the Excel file.


Measuring_Sources_and_Tools

This contains all the code and tools I’ve developed for this job. It includes the C++ sources of the exporter, the measuring scripts for 3DS Max, and a Python script that automates the process of updating the SH5 cfg files from the Excel file. Some modders can find it useful for his own purposes. I’ve also included some useful and related links.


Floating_Ruler

Anyone can verify the accuracy of the measurements by repeating the method I have used, with the same tools, but now is time for checking them (though not so accurately) inside the SH5 scene.
This tool is just a graduated grid that can be inserted into any SH5 mission for measuring the dimensions of any part of a ship. It may also be useful for measuring behaviors of other components of SH5. For example, at what depth actually travels the torpedoes I’m firing? It can also be used for measuring speeds or other parameters. I think it can be very useful for Recognition Manual modders who want to measure and use their own reference points rather than the height of the masts or funnels.


toniloCoyote