View Full Version : [REQ] Range Rings for PPI Display?
Looking at the information presented within the Radar Operator's Manual, it's apparent that one key feature we're missing with the PPI display are the range and bearing rings. Is this something that can be modded via a texture file? If so, it'd be nice to have range rings that look like this:
http://www.hnsa.org/doc/radar/img/fig4scsk-2.jpg
Display is from the SC/SK-2 radar. It may be that this type of display is not accurate for the SJ radar display, given what's shown in under the SJ radar section.
EDIT:
Or even better, what happened to the range rings shown here from 1.0?
http://www.subsim.com/sh4/sh4_669.jpg
Looking at the information presented within the Radar Operator's Manual, it's apparent that one key feature we're missing with the PPI display are the range and bearing rings. Is this something that can be modded via a texture file? If so, it'd be nice to have range rings that look like this:
Display is from the SC/SK-2 radar. It may be that this type of display is not accurate for the SJ radar display, given what's shown in under the SJ radar section.
EDIT:
Or even better, what happened to the range rings shown here from 1.0?
You know, I wondered the same thing. I'm going to uninstall SH4, then load v1.0 and find the range ring dds (I forget the actual name and location), then copy it out, install v1.2 and replace it. I'm at work now, so in a few hours I'll post the file name and location if nobody else does.
By the way, I was thinking of modding the PPI, but so far I just modded for myself the sweep and back ground to a more realistic color and brightness. You range ring tip was a big help!
Oh... can you post a screenie of what you have done to the radar display already when you get home later please. It was something I was going to have a look at soon, but now I don't have to..
CaptainCox
05-20-07, 07:07 AM
Have not even thought about this, but you guys have!. Nice one guys! the sooner the better ;)
This was already discussed in depth by Redwine and me in an old topic, do a search. Briefly: 1.0 had them, but 1.1 and 1.2 broke them, unknown reasons. The graphic is still there, in "Misc" folder (PPIcircles.dds) and the menu_1024 has not suffered any changes from 1.0 in the entries about the radar, or at least I could not track them down. Hope someone can solve it, because it helps a lot radar plotting liek I do:hmm:
Oh... can you post a screenie of what you have done to the radar display already when you get home later please. It was something I was going to have a look at soon, but now I don't have to..
Redwine
05-20-07, 02:54 PM
If not remember bad, the problem was the texture, the cathodic ray screen, is not a circle into a square, it is a quarter of circle into a square.
Then we cant draw/write the angles from 0 to 360...
You need to draw quarter of circunferences into the green quarter of circle, and forget the angles.
:up:
This was already discussed in depth by Redwine and me in an old topic, do a search. Briefly: 1.0 had them, but 1.1 and 1.2 broke them, unknown reasons. The graphic is still there, in "Misc" folder (PPIcircles.dds) and the menu_1024 has not suffered any changes from 1.0 in the entries about the radar, or at least I could not track them down. Hope someone can solve it, because it helps a lot radar plotting liek I do:hmm:
Solved it ..... well, yes and no.
The file causing all the problems is called PPIRadarPS.fx located in the DATA\SHADERS\RADAR folder. This was the only file in this folder changed.
Open the file using notepad .... this is what it looks like, v1.2 additions are colored orange for your reference ...
.................................................. ..............
float Fade:register(c0);
float Intensity:register(c1);
sampler map: register(s0);
sampler grid: register(s1);
sampler noise: register(s2);
sampler fadetex: register(s3);
struct PS_IN
{
float2 Tex0 : TEXCOORD0;
float2 Tex1 : TEXCOORD1;
float2 Tex2 : TEXCOORD2;
float2 Tex3 : TEXCOORD3;
};
float4 main( PS_IN In ) : COLOR
{
//return float4(1,0,0,1);
float4 color=tex2D(map,float4(In.Tex0,4,4));
float4 noise=tex2D(noise,In.Tex2*4)*Intensity;
float4 f=tex2D(fadetex,In.Tex0);
return f;
color=color+(noise.r-0.5f)*0.5f;
float4 grid=tex2D(grid,In.Tex1);
color=lerp(color,grid,grid.a);
return color;
}
The original v1.0 filed looked like this below (same above without orange, except last part that reads 0.5f, originally reads 0.2f
..................................................
float Fade:register(c0);
sampler map: register(s0);
sampler grid: register(s1);
sampler noise: register(s2);
sampler fadetex: register(s3);
struct PS_IN
{
float2 Tex0 : TEXCOORD0;
float2 Tex1 : TEXCOORD1;
float2 Tex2 : TEXCOORD2;
float2 Tex3 : TEXCOORD3;
};
float4 main( PS_IN In ) : COLOR
{
//return float4(1,0,0,1);
float4 color=tex2D(map,float4(In.Tex0,4,4));
float4 noise=tex2D(noise,In.Tex2*4);
color=color+(noise.r-0.5f)*0.2f;
float4 grid=tex2D(grid,In.Tex1);
color=lerp(color,grid,grid.a);
return color;
}
.................................................. .....................
If you change it back to the original settings, BINGO :up: .... range marks back. However, the sweep and radar targets are wicked fuzzy :down: . I have no clue how to fix it. I've spent several hours since I got home this morning looking at it (well, hit and miss guessing), but I'm not a code writer. Hopefully a code specialist can fix it. The major problem is this line ...
float4 f=tex2D(fadetex,In.Tex0);
return f;
By the way, I discovered if you change these below you'll get big radar targets on initial sweep, then it gets small really quick.
1) remove the first line "float Intensity:register(c1);"
2) and replace this line "*4)*Intensity" with just a bracket ")" Here's what I used to get that if you can't follow my mumbling explaination ....
EDIT NOTE --- BELOW PASTE IS NOW CORRECT --- earlier version I goofed and pasted wrong one.
................................................
float Fade:register(c0);
sampler map: register(s0);
sampler grid: register(s1);
sampler noise: register(s2);
sampler fadetex: register(s3);
struct PS_IN
{
float2 Tex0 : TEXCOORD0;
float2 Tex1 : TEXCOORD1;
float2 Tex2 : TEXCOORD2;
float2 Tex3 : TEXCOORD3;
};
float4 main( PS_IN In ) : COLOR
{
//return float4(1,0,0,1);
float4 color=tex2D(map,float4(In.Tex0,4,4));
float4 noise=tex2D(noise,In.Tex2);
float4 f=tex2D(fadetex,In.Tex0);
return f;
color=color+(noise.r-0.5f)*0.5f;
float4 grid=tex2D(grid,In.Tex1);
color=lerp(color,grid,grid.a);
return color;
}
.................................................. .........
Also, one more note .... I suggest you use the mod that changes the NOISE.dds file (remember the cleaner picture with post processer filters on?) It just makes a cleaner range mark display.
The only other way to fix it is to add range marks manually, which I've been working on, and colorizing it a bit to a brownish red which is roughly the color of the tube when the sweep isn't burning the green into it.
Hope this helps!!!! :ping:
Ok, here's a screenie of what I was talking about .... range marks :up: ... fuzzy sweep:down: ..... and fuzzy range readout and fuzzy radar targets.
EDIT : What it looks like when using the original v1.0 PPIRadarPS.fx .
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/raabmraah/Rangemarks.jpg
Redwine
05-20-07, 03:24 PM
Ok, here's a screenie of what I was talking about .... range marks :up: ... fuzzy sweep:down: ..... and fuzzy range readout and fuzzy radar targets.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/raabmraah/Rangemarks.jpg
What if you made the PPIcircles more translucid, it is too dark black background, my be in translucid green ?
What if you made the PPIcircles more translucid, it is too dark black background, my be in translucid green ?
Hmmm, I don't know how to adjust translucid. I'm not a wizard at paint shop.
The screen shot is what happens when you revert back to v1.0 data. Perhaps all we need to do is make the sweep, radar targets and range readout clearer, which, I don't know how to do :cry: . I can put my glasses on :o but it's still fuzzy ;) .
Who's the resident artist magician?
Next post I'll show you a screenie of what I mean by BIG target, LITTLE target.
Redwine
05-20-07, 03:53 PM
Next post I'll show you a screenie of what I mean by BIG target, LITTLE target.
When i made the mod Smaller Radar contacts, i note there are 3 files for radar contacts finished in 0, 1 and 2.
I was thinking into make test asigning 3 diferent sizes to them, may be the v1.0 or v1.1 assign diferent eco size for small, medium and large ships... :hmm:
Next post I'll show you a screenie of what I mean by BIG target, LITTLE target.
When i made the mod Smaller Radar contacts, i note there are 3 files for radar contacts finished in 0, 1 and 2.
I was thinking into make test asigning 3 diferent sizes to them, may be the v1.0 or v1.1 assign diferent eco size for small, medium and large ships... :hmm:
I goofed on the big/little target paste... I went back and pasted the right version. Go back to my post and see if you haven't already.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=540831&postcount=8
Screen shots soon ....
Redwine
05-20-07, 05:15 PM
I think so the better way is to draw the black lines over the radar.dds, sadly my skills are on photoshop, not Autocad or Corel draw, and photoshop do not draw circunferences it draw circles.
I will test your other way now ... :up:
I think so the better way is to draw the black lines over the radar.dds, sadly my skills are on photoshop, not Autocad or Corel draw, and photoshop do not draw circunferences it draw circles.
I will test your other way now ... :up:
My skills are photoshop too, but weak skills :cry: .
Ok, here is a screen shot with new background, using the contact mod (except, all v1.2 size contacts ... basically radarcontact0 = radarconact1 = radarcontact. The smily faces weren't helping on my demo. Also, using modded PPIRadarPS file (last pasted info). Notice BIG contact before sweep hits, then LITTLE after it passes. I don't know if it will stay BIG for BIG ship.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/raabmraah/asr-ppi.jpg
Hitman? Are you there? Any ideas?
DiveMonkey
05-20-07, 05:43 PM
Could the fuzzy sweep have anything to do with them adding higher screen Rez and AA? maybe something need be done with the .dds? Not a photo shop or paint shop user of any kind.
just a thought.
Redwine
05-20-07, 05:43 PM
Well... the range circles appears, but i loss all contact ecos, and the on-screen range indication. :hmm::hmm::hmm:
We need somebody with Corel or Autocad skills, drawing the circunferences on the quarter circle textures of the catodic screen.
Redwine
05-20-07, 05:45 PM
I think so the better way is to draw the black lines over the radar.dds, sadly my skills are on photoshop, not Autocad or Corel draw, and photoshop do not draw circunferences it draw circles.
I will test your other way now ... :up:
My skills are photoshop too, but weak skills :cry: .
Ok, here is a screen shot with new background, using the contact mod (except, all v1.2 size contacts ... basically radarcontact0 = radarconact1 = radarcontact. The smily faces weren't helping on my demo. Also, using modded PPIRadarPS file (last pasted info). Notice BIG contact before sweep hits, then LITTLE after it passes. I don't know if it will stay BIG for BIG ship.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/raabmraah/asr-ppi.jpg
Hitman? Are you there? Any ideas?
I cant reproduce that effect !!
I like it !! :p
I made those files in 3 sizes, and pick up destroyers, cargos and battleships and all them appears small... i can undestand why there are 3 files, identical.
Could the fuzzy sweep have anything to do with them adding higher screen Rez and AA? maybe something need be done with the .dds? Not a photo shop or paint shop user of any kind.
just a thought.
Yeah, looks like they traded the rings in for better rez. I'm at a loss ... so many hoops to jump thru and then finding out I jumped thru the wrong hoop several hoops ago!! :damn:
Well I'm going to have a go too, but not having much luck....
hehe
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5489/sh4img215200701720593su3.th.jpg (http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sh4img215200701720593su3.jpg)
Interestingly, why do the 1.0 PPI shader codes not make it look like 1.0 radar display (as shown in the screenshot at top of thread)?? Is something else changed also..
AVGWarhawk
05-20-07, 08:14 PM
Keep this out there men. We need the grid of some sort. Looks like you are heading in the right direction.:rock:
We need somebody with Corel or Autocad skills, drawing the circunferences on the quarter circle textures of the catodic screen.
I might be able to do it with Paint Shop, just tell me which is the file that needs the circunferences drawn to.:hmm:
EDIT: It should also be possible to pick the PPIrings graphic and copy and paste over a quarter of the catodic screen. Come to think of it, we could even try two variants: 1) Put the circles as an Alpha channel, 2) Merge all layers.
wont they appear on the A-scope as well if you do it that way?
Hmmmm you are probably right :damn: I just saw that editing the graphic was needed and offered my help :88)
Redwine
05-21-07, 10:38 AM
wont they appear on the A-scope as well if you do it that way?
May be, i can remember now, may be for that we suspended this job weeks ago... :damn:
May be needed to create two diferent textures, radar.dds and radar2.dss with and without rings....
May be, i can remember now, may be for that we suspended this job weeks ago... :damn:
LOL :rotfl: ... look what happened, we forgot about that and now we have to do the same work twice only to end up as frustrated as the first time, but this one also screwed by not having remembered it at first:damn:
Nah, this is now a matter of PRIDE!!!:stare: We are going to solve this, we WILL solve this, I swear!
Now back to work:yep:
Redwine
05-21-07, 11:57 AM
May be, i can remember now, may be for that we suspended this job weeks ago... :damn:
LOL :rotfl: ... look what happened, we forgot about that and now we have to do the same work twice only to end up as frustrated as the first time, but this one also screwed by not having remembered it at first:damn:
Nah, this is now a matter of PRIDE!!!:stare: We are going to solve this, we WILL solve this, I swear!
Now back to work:yep:
:p Some times i think if i really enjoy the sims, i expend more time modding and personalizing them tahn ejoying them... :rotfl:
I am working in another thing yet now, any way i cant draw the circles, i can manage Photoshop only.
To avoid the rings to appears on the SD radar scope, we need to asign it the stock texture, and for the SJ assign the new texture with the rings...
we really need a coder, they should be able to decipher the file and the required changes...
Redwine
05-21-07, 04:33 PM
we really need a coder, they should be able to decipher the file and the required changes...
I think so it is not so complex, we need circunferences on the PPI, and need to call for a new texture into the 1024 ini, to have the rings into the SJ, and not into the SD scope.
Simple? ok, but I didn't know the radar textures are listed in the 1024.ini??
More likely they are in the the interior.dats etc.. As they are 3D objects.
Alternatively,
I think an expert in shaders could look at the PPI.fx file, and alter it.
Simple? ok, but I didn't know the radar textures are listed in the 1024.ini??
More likely they are in the the interior.dats etc.. As they are 3D objects.
Alternatively,
I think an expert in shaders could look at the PPI.fx file, and alter it.
I looked at this for another thread in the general forum. The only file I could find that reference the radar textures is SHControllers.act, which I think is some kind of executable (it has the typical "program cannot run in DOS mode" at the beginning).
Redwine
05-21-07, 08:06 PM
Simple? ok, but I didn't know the radar textures are listed in the 1024.ini??
More likely they are in the the interior.dats etc.. As they are 3D objects.
:dead: Then it is not so simple ...
You guys are the best! Free booze or beverages for all:up:
Wilcke
Ok, good news ..... I firgured it out. I researched online about HLSL Shader Language and tweaked the PPIRadarPS.fx file and created a dds to work with it.
I'm going to created a new [WIP] thread soon, to show off more variants of the PPI.
Look at these two teaser screenies below ...
Figure #1 Basic PPI Circles - Unmodded Radar and Contacts (hence the smiley face)
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/raabmraah/ppi-mraah.jpg
Firgure #2 Basic PPI Circles --- Modded Radar and Contacts
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/raabmraah/ppi-mraah2.jpg
AVGWarhawk
05-22-07, 03:05 PM
This is a beautiful thing man:rock::rock: Great work and looks to be my new mod of the month. Thank you for your hard work! Something new and exciting after the dreaded 1.3 patch debacle. Friggin awesome! What other talents are you hiding???? Go man go, I want to see the other varients that you might be able to render!
Canonicus
05-22-07, 03:18 PM
By George!....I think he's ...almost got it!!
Go man go!!......
Definitely destined to.... "Be a bust, be a bust....in the HALLLLL OFFF FAME! ":know:
(think... Wizard of Oz)
Looking good! That first screenshot is just about how it should look, comparing it to the A-Scope display. Keep up the good work!
Redwine
05-22-07, 03:46 PM
Good Mrahh ... ! :up:
Waiting for you share the tweaks, i think so it will look better with my small radar contacs tweak... :up:
This is a beautiful thing man:rock::rock: Great work and looks to be my new mod of the month. Thank you for your hard work! Something new and exciting after the dreaded 1.3 patch debacle. Friggin awesome! What other talents are you hiding???? Go man go, I want to see the other varients that you might be able to render!
Other talents? I built myself an SD mod that utilizes the radar equipment so SD only equipped boats can use the A-scope and PPI to track targets. Bonus was that it can be turned OFF so you wouldn't get that radar spamming. Unfortunately, I'm still experimenting and it's mostly a "work around" tweak. It doesn't fix the problem where you get both aircraft and ship contacts (that's a dev problem), however it does offer the advantage of having an early short range radar (12km/7 nm) before the SJ can be installed.
Ok, back to work. I have to run to the corner store for cigarettes and coffee. Next posting will be the [WIP] news and more screenies. Plus, I need to talk about assigning credits .... right now got RedWine, Hitman, Jace11, with a bit from LukeFF for bringing back the subject matter. Anyone else ... just please holler at me for credit.:ping:
Good Mrahh ... ! :up:
Waiting for you share the tweaks, i think so it will look better with my small radar contacs tweak... :up:
Yeah, I'll show you what it looks like with the small radar contact. Apperently the BIG/SMALL target effect might not be related to my previous theory. I'm thinking it's something in my sensorSub sim file and relates to which way the sub is heading or the Surface value.
Looking good! That first screenshot is just about how it should look, comparing it to the A-Scope display. Keep up the good work!
Yeah, that's another thing. When I open the [WIP] thread I'll need to know which screen shot you think would be a good initial release. Once I release the mod I'll explain the changes ... quite easy but I'm experimenting with another way to do it and I'd like to get something out to the public soon without spending time explaining how to change it. Good news though, my current way to do it can be easily modded by any skipper .... ie make your own circles. My second way (theory) might work too. Lemme get back to work.
Thanks again LukeFF for bringing the subject back into light.
Thanks to Hitman, RedWine, and Jace11 for there work and input. I think evently you guys would have figured it out.
AVGWarhawk
05-22-07, 05:07 PM
Keep tinkering! That is how they developed the thing in the first place. Tinkering!
Thanks again LukeFF for bringing the subject back into light.
NP man. :) I knew something wasn't right to not have range and bearing marks on the PPI display, and Neal's screenshot I posted proved me right. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
One question: does the texture file show the whole circular display, or is it an image that is tiled on the scope? (Hopefully that makes sense, lol). Reason being, I would love to have range and bearing numbers on the screen like in the image I posted back on page one.
Tinkering, apparently they were trying to make a DEATH RAY, when by accident a passing aircraft flew through the beam and registered on the scope...:ping:
That fortuitous event ultimately led to the RAF victory in 1940.. then they invented the cavity magnatron for centimetric, then they gave that to America who mass produced it and refined it into the radars of today, then the Americans invented stealth...
Canonicus
05-22-07, 05:27 PM
...and then..... to the ever present...microwave oven!
That reminds me....
Popcorn and torpedoing jap tin cans!...what could be better together! :up:
(watch out though!..butter on the keyboard could sink you!)
Feel free to add some noise to the scope, this is one thing I managed to do when messing with that file.
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