[WIP] Lighthouses mod

[gap]

Originally Posted by gap

Talking about our mod, I think the highest and most powerful lighthouses emit a light signal that, at best visibility conditions, can be seen as far as 60 km away from their source. I wish our mod to reflect those nominal ranges, but I am afraid that setting in-game rendering/atmosphere radius to 60 km, will be beyond the possibilies of the game engine and of our poor machines.
I am wondering what could be a good alternative. Scaling down the ranges by a factor 4-5 maybe, so that the longest ranged lights will be visible from a distance of 15-12 km, and shorter lights as La Plate will be visible within a radius of only 4-5 km? what do you think?

@ Kendras

I have noticed that Hitman had created a 20-km environment mod, but unfortunately the link is down

I have also seen that you had a 30-km environment mod planned. Did you make any progress with it?

A set of optional long-range environment mods especially developped for this mod would be a cool addition to it, but I am afraid their settings are a bit tricky

Originally Posted by MLF

The range of La Plate is 8 Miles (13km) - modern chart in screenshot shows characteristic as:
A group of 9 very quick flashes over a 10 second period, 19m high (as you said gap) with a range of 8 Miles (13km)

I have followed an empirical method in order to calculate (more or less) the equivalent range of 8 miles in the SHIII world.

What I have done, is plotting that 8-nm range on a nautical chart. Radius length on map was calculated based on the length of one degree of latitude/longitude at Raz de Sein's latitude. There are many on-line calculators that you can get this data from; I used the one below:

http://www.csgnetwork.com/degreelenllavcalc.html

The next step was squeezing the nautical chart I was drawing on, so that one minute of latitude was as long as one minute of longitude (as in the SH world). After doing that, La Plate's circular range became an ellipse.

I then measured the length of major and minor axes of this ellipse (real range), and I calculated the radius of the best-fitting SHIII range as the square root of the square of ellipse's semimajor axis plus the square of ellipse's semiminor axis. This is the result after drawing the SHIII radius on map:

 

Legend:
Red ellipse - 'squeezed' real radius
Yellow circle - SHIII radius (calculated for maximizing overlapping over non-overlapping areas)
Orange area - overlapping area between the two ranges

At this point, knowing that in SHIII one minute of latitude/longitude is always equal to 2 km, calculating the desired in-game radius was a simple math. My result is 15,107 metres, with an ecceptable margin of error caused by the approximations used

Originally Posted by MLF

Link to abbreviations and symbols - still searching for 1940's era symbols.

http://www.yachter.fr/shom/html5/sym...ndex.html#56/z

Still looking forward to them

[MLF]

If only all these converters were available when I was at sea

I'll resume the search for chart 5011 symbols mid-september. Off and away now Leave you in peace

Regards,

MLF

[gap]

Originally Posted by MLF

If only all these converters were available when I was at sea

Were you in the navy?

Originally Posted by MLF

I'll resume the search for chart 5011 symbols mid-september. Off and away now Leave you in peace

Enjoy your holidays mate, when you are back you will find us here

[MLF]

Originally Posted by gap

Were you in the navy?



Enjoy your holidays mate, when you are back you will find us here

18 years

Thank you gap.

regards,

MLF

Bonnes vacances !

[MLF]

J'espère bien.
Merci Kendras.

[gap]

Originally Posted by MLF

18 years

You have all my respect Sir

Originally Posted by gap

@ Kendras

I have noticed that Hitman had created a 20-km environment mod, but unfortunately the link is down

I have also seen that you had a 30-km environment mod planned. Did you make any progress with it?

No, I am stuck on this. The sky is always black, and I don't know why ...

I've found a photography showing the aspect of La Vieille lighthouse during the 1930-1940s years.

And if it can help you, there are also drawings with precise measures.

http://mnesys-portail.archives-finis...he_grandpublic

[MLF]

Admiralty Charts of Scottish coasts, 1795-1963



http://maps.nls.uk/coasts/admiralty_charts_list.html

Browsing these gives an idea of chart symbols in use in 1940 on admiralty charts.

Regards,

MLF

Originally Posted by MLF

Admiralty Charts of Scottish coasts, 1795-1963

http://maps.nls.uk/coasts/admiralty_charts_list.html

What does the repeated black symbol mean ?

[MLF]

Mooring buoys.

[gap]

Good findings guys, thank you for sharing them you are amazing

Originally Posted by Kendras

I've found a photography showing the aspect of La Vieille lighthouse during the 1930-1940s years.

And if it can help you, there are also drawings with precise measures.

http://mnesys-portail.archives-finis...he_grandpublic

Excellent view!

As far as I can see from it, the lighthouse hasn't changed much during the last 80 years. The elevator tower (the one destroyed in 2008) is hidden behind the main lighthouse building in the picture but you can see the Termperly crane it housed, to the right of the lighthouse. Apparently, also the concrete hut on the same side of the lighthouse was already there (it probably housed transporter's motor), and the balcony towards the top of the lighthouse is clearly visible. My only complaint is that the picture doesn't show if the concrete house currently covering half of the gallery, was there in the 40s. Probably yes, but in any case I will set all the structures above as configurable equipments, so it will be easy "switching" them on and off.

Did you happen to find similar pictures of the Tourelle de La Plate.
As I have said in the past, I am not totally sure that its original painting featured the black/yellow stripes it sports now...

Originally Posted by MLF

Admiralty Charts of Scottish coasts, 1795-1963



http://maps.nls.uk/coasts/admiralty_charts_list.html

Browsing these gives an idea of chart symbols in use in 1940 on admiralty charts.

Regards,

MLF

I wish we had similar charts (and of that quality!) for other areas, including the West of France. In any case, chart symbols for buoyage, lighthouse and tower beacons (as La Plate), seem not to have changes much since then.
The problem with SHIII map icons, is that their resolution is too low and there is no way to increase. Asa consequence, making them to look smooth is not easy, and the more edges and thin lines they have, the worse they look. In any case I will do my best to draw a set of icons which resemble more closely the one seen on your maps

P.S: Work on La Plate "damage" models is finished. I am now importing the new meshes in game. Hopefully tomorrow there will be an update by me

[JeromeHeretic]

Originally Posted by gap

@ Kendras

I have noticed that Hitman had created a 20-km environment mod, but unfortunately the link is down

I know, that im answering about a year old post, but im reading this thread from first post...
If you want 20 km environment, install M.E.P. 6 (im not sure, but i think it was in v. 4.2 and later)
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...=229333&page=4

[gap]

Hi guys, sorry for the late replies,

unfortunately Kendras can't answer any longer on this thread since, apparently, an infraction by him was sanctioned with what now seems a permanent ban from subsim. You can get in touch with him on his personal forum:

http://kendras-sh3-modding.forumactif.com/

Since our last update here, we have made little progress with this mod: the Ile-de-Sein was added to the SHIII world (though I think Kendras wasn't too happy with its last layout), new lighthouse icons have been created, and together with several unfinished lighthouse models, I have worked on a port light model that I sent to Kendras for him to add it to the French ports. After that, there was a long stand-by caused by real life engagements.

As some of you already know, I have now started a new project for SH5 which deals mostly with therrain/tree textures, but among its features there are also terrain shape improvements, more realistic ports, and the modelling of natural and human-made landmarks, including daymarks and lighthouses. I am in constant touch with Kendras, and be sure that whatever I do will be passed on to Kendras for porting to SHIII

@ Seaowl:

Glad to read your comments on this thread too!

@ JeromeHeretic:

Thank you for your information mate. I will save it for future reference. In the meanwhile you might find interesting the following website gathering information on lighthouses worldwide:

https://www.ibiblio.org/lighthouse/