[REL] Multiple UIs for SH5 with TDC

[ACSoft]

Hello TheDarkWraith,

Long time I didn't played to SH5 ! So, I first patched the game to version 1.2 and then started to update & check my Mods.

Speaking of UI, I made the huuuudge jump from "OldStyleSHControls 1.3.1", to this new UIs, version 4.2.0 first and now, 4.3.0.

Congratulations, what an incredible work you have done, since the OldStyleSHControls mod !!! By the way, did-you still sleep at night ?!? Sooo much work in a relative short time !!!

Ok, For somebody who left your project at the stage of OldStyleSHControls 1.3.1, to "re-synchronize", especially with a thread having now more than 270 pages (!!!), it is a bit like a "big punch" in the face !!! I was a bit KO, some days ago, when I started this upgrade !!! So, please, everybody, pardon me in case I ask for things which might be obvious for you, or which have an answer already written elsewhere. In such a circumstance, you can easily miss some info's, even by using the search tool.

Like I said, I use 4.3.0 with UIStyle = SH3Style.

1- XO TDC Dialog box settings
I wanted to fully disable this feature, at least for now. So I altered the default settings this way:
XOTDCDialogEnabled = False
XOTDCDialogAllowedToPop = False

With these settings, I was expecting not to see anymore the SH5 dialog. But, the first time I lock a target with the spacebar, I got the dialog box, without the icon. Fortunately, if I avoid to click anything in this dialog box and select/deselect my target twice after that, I come to the wanted result: The dialog isn't anymore displayed in any circumstances (desel,resel, change sel). But, if I have the bad idea to use some of the dialog box items, it could lead to something which seem then really broken (dialog box always coming on selection, the mark on the target always missing, etc...).

Is this behaviors "normal" (I mean maybe no way to improve) ?

2- Nomograph
Is-it normal that the nomograh can be toggled with the hotkey only in the combat map, but not into the navigation map mode, where the nomograph is always ON ?

3- Crash dive
Apparently, changing "CrashDiveKey" settings may totally brake the functionnality. Even lowering too much "TeleportOnCrashDiveWaitTime" seem to cause problems. In fact, the only times I successfully got the finctionnality, was with the default settings. But sometimes, I had to click several times on the crash dive icon.

I was in the meaning to isolate the problem(s), but couldn't succeed after many tries (sorry). What is sure, I was NEVER able to get a working "CrashDiveKey" key other than the one defined into "Commands.cfg". I also remarked that a "long click" on the crash dive icon is recommended , to get the teleportation each time and avoid the misses I mentionned before.


4- Free camera
Personnaly, I had to remove this one from your mod and restore the one I was using before (Free Cam Tweak 1.1.zip), because yours, cause flickering artefact's over my submarine, when I look at it, in free camera mode.


5- Attack disk
With 4.3.0, I expected to see it.

But buttons which are supposed to allow me to activate it, are all missing in any modes ?!? Even with these settings:

AttackAttackDiskEnabled = True
ObsAttackDiskEnabled = True
UZOAttackDiskEnabled = True
NavMapAttackDiskEnabled = True

Am-I supposed to do something else ?
EDIT1: Found why: with my default start settings, I am "TDC off" (in SH5 XO Dialog box) and in this mode, the Attack disk function is fully disabled. I will probably understand why, when I will know how work this disk.


6- New clock
Personnaly, I am not very happy with the new clock. I think I remember I read somewhere that, for now, you just changed the graphic. So it will be easy for me now, to restore the old SH5 clock. But...

Are-you going to make this new clock optional, in the future ?


REMARKS
R1- When you write in your TheDarkWraithUserOptions.py file, for example, into the Crash Dive section:

# CrashDiveKey = [ False, None, False ]
# False = enabled
# None = key used
# False = shift key required

Don't you mean in fact ?

# CrashDiveKey = [ True, None, True ]
# True = enabled
# None = no key used
# True = shift key required

Assuming it is the case, then be aware that you have the same type of problems in several other places in your file.

R2- Personnaly, I regret that you started to include in your mod, modifications which have nothing to do with UIs & TDC interface, like for example the free camera tweak or the submarine hydrophone CTD correction. More you do so, more your mod will potentially enter in conflict with other mods and cause problem for peoples who are maybe not so goog in tweaking mods, like I do myself.

R3- I also regret that you didn't sliced all this incredible work into several "logical units", so users can choose the functionalities they really want to use. Like it is now, SH5 load a hudge amount of suplementary ressources which might be never used (even if deactivated in TheDarkWraithUserOptions.py). Being a developer myself, I know this is a very "theoretical wish", because pratically, they are many technical restrictions to succeed in doing so, especially when thinking to your nice "UserOptions" design. Nevertheless, it might be nice of you, if you can put some more comments in your modded files or even into a separate doc file, on "what belong to what". This way, peoples who master mods tweaking, can tweak more easily and more safely too. An other idea would be to make, in the future, several versions of this mod. The complete version, along with different "lite" versions.

Sorry for the long message, but it was an hudge re-sync, as I said before !!!

Again, all my best compliments for your tremendous work and thanks in forward for your answers to my numerous questions.

Regards,

ACS

[xyfmx]

Originally Posted by Abd_von_Mumit

Did you install the mod localization files? If not, try them. If yes, try English version. You may be actually the first user that installed the Russian version and discovered a bug in it - just wild guessing.

Yeah, I use localization files for this mod. but without them the issue is still there. I'm going to try english version of SH and try the mod there soon...

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Testing Is-Was heavily. Have some suggestions, still gathering them though, will post later, possibly tomorrow. Encountered one bug that drives me absolutely mad - I should have reported it earlier, but I've been ignoring it: after right clicking in UZO/scope view the game sometimes doesn't let you to UNclick and get your coursor free again. The only way to fix that is to leave the UZO/scope station. Please, have a look at that, this is annoying beyond my patience.

If this is stock bug... I'll go to Romania to do some cleaning.



EDIT1:
Found the missing pointer, it looks like that:



Also noticed, that other parts of Is-Was are more detailed (they, for example, have some good-looking writings on them), like this one:



so you might consider using them instead of the current ones, that lost some details in their long travel between numerous mods using Joe's files. I uploaded the full set of his original TGAs for you:
http://www.filefront.com/17280240/U-...3-TGAs-ONLY.7z



EDIT2:
As you may know, a printable version with .bmp files was released too:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...806#post529806

[SashaKA001]

Since installing the mod, acoustician ceases to hear the merchant ships. Has anyone encountered such problem and how it can solve?

With computer all the rules, the machine is a beast. We see and hear everything perfectly, except for commercial vessels ... And the acoustics ignores them both underwater and surface condition. Military hearing. This greatly complicates the hunt, especially in the fog.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by SashaKA001

Since installing the mod, acoustician ceases to hear the merchant ships. Has anyone encountered such problem and how it can solve?

With computer all the rules, the machine is a beast. We see and hear everything perfectly, except for commercial vessels ... And the acoustics ignores them both underwater and surface condition. Military hearing. This greatly complicates the hunt, especially in the fog.

I guess you don't dive deep enough. For your sonar/hydrophone operator the boat must be constantly below 9 m depth. If you have bad weather and only went to periscope depth, you probably hear nothing (and that's quite historically accurate). If that's the case, go deeper, to 20 metres, some prefer even 30 metres.

Sonar is not supposed to be working when on the surface.

It may also be a game bug - sometimes your boat and crew just ignore being submerged and behave like the boat was surfaced. This could also be the case. [Sometimes reverse happens - on the surface boat still thinks it's submerged]

[SashaKA001]

Originally Posted by Abd_von_Mumit

I guess you don't dive deep enough. For your sonar/hydrophone operator the boat must be constantly below 9 m depth. If you have bad weather and only went to periscope depth, you probably hear nothing (and that's quite historically accurate). If that's the case, go deeper, to 20 metres, some prefer even 30 metres.

Sonar is not supposed to be working when on the surface.

No, I do not dive too deep dive to periscope depth 9 - 12 meters, I know that Sonar does not work on the surface, but when I was at periscope depth sonar hears only the military ships, and trade can not hear.

I'll try to fall below, but the current is not tonight, sleep should be placed me.

Originally Posted by Abd_von_Mumit

It may also be a game bug - sometimes your boat and crew just ignore being submerged and behave like the boat was surfaced. This could also be the case. [Sometimes reverse happens - on the surface boat still thinks it's submerged]

And about the error until the game was not like this, if there is something I just saved, come out of the game and download, no errors.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Did you install the "no hydrophone on surface" add on mod?

THis is the right time to copy and paste list of your mods, either here on in the list your mods thread - if there are any conflicts, our gurus will tell you how to avoid them.

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by Abd_von_Mumit

Testing Is-Was heavily. Have some suggestions, still gathering them though, will post later, possibly tomorrow. Encountered one bug that drives me absolutely mad - I should have reported it earlier, but I've been ignoring it: after right clicking in UZO/scope view the game sometimes doesn't let you to UNclick and get your coursor free again. The only way to fix that is to leave the UZO/scope station. Please, have a look at that, this is annoying beyond my patience.

If this is stock bug... I'll go to Romania to do some cleaning.
Also noticed, that other parts of Is-Was are more detailed (they, for example, have some good-looking writings on them), like this one:
so you might consider using them instead of the current ones, that lost some details in their long travel between numerous mods using Joe's files. I uploaded the full set of his original TGAs for you:

Thank you! These are much better images than I was able to find. I'll use these to update the Attack disc (Is-Was) and the RAOBF

The unclick problem is more than likely stock bug

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Thank you! These are much better images than I was able to find. I'll use these to update the Attack disc (Is-Was) and the RAOBF

WARNING! Check the RAOBF scale - it is different than in your mod. You'd also need to change the raticules to correspond to new scale.

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

The unclick problem is more than likely stock bug

Don't say that.

[TheDarkWraith]

Frontside of attack disc using new images and anti-aliased:


working on backside now.....

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Frontside of attack disc using new images and anti-aliased:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=3029

working on backside now.....

Now this looks good! This is a huge difference.

[TheDarkWraith]

backside of attack disc using new graphics and anti-aliased:


historically the speed calc (above) did not have a pointer on the inner disc (according to pdf document I have) so I left it off.

[xyfmx]

another stupid newbish question) How to enable the automatic aiming system in this mod (the numbers in circles, which are used for aiming at the target)

[Sepp von Ch.]

This new look of Angriffsscheibe is very good. And i liked your alt Kriegsmarine watch.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Well... that pointer was useful - readings were more exact thanks to it. Could we "roleplay" it in, like "crew modified"..? It's not an unrealistic feature, anyone could attach something to help him read the scales. Id doesn't change how the tool works in any way - it only makes it more user friendly.

Still testing Is-Was heavily and gathering my thought. This is a powerful tool, but relearning it after SH3 is a harder task than learning it anew was once.