[REQ] PPI Request, part 2 ?

[LukeFF]

Now that we have a functional PPI display again, I think it's time we finally have a proper contact image show up on the screen. Rather than a circle, the type of image we should be seeing is more of an oval-shape. See this:

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/radar/img/fig1-40.jpg

Redwine, this is probably something you could tackle, right?

[Redwine]

Hi Luke... you must to excuse me for my bad english, not sure if i understand...

You want the radar contact icons to be not circular instead they must be eliptical or similar ?

I think so must be a problem, let me to explain in my bad english.

Those eliptical contacts has the biger elipse axis perpendicular to the radius in the PPI...

I think so the program do not manage it... you will have it in example at 000 and 180 bearing, but for another bearings sure it will be not acomplished.

[akdavis]

Actually, they are arcs, but the arcs are orientied in reference to the center of the display. I doubt that the contact graphics in the game change depending on bearing. However, simply having smaller blips would be nice. Might also consider removing the small "blip" that appears for aircraft altogether (or making it invisible) as PPI displays for aerial search radar did not come until the very end of the war, I believe.

Here is another image:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/Systems/images/ppi2.jpg

And here is one where the contacts are not clearly defined as arcs. (But this may be because of the range scale. The arc's size is a direct measurement of the width of the contact in relation to the sensor, i.e. the "width" as seen on the display would change with relative distance.)
http://www.de220.com/Electronics/Radar/Radar%20Photos/80G414179-PPI-Scope.jpg
www.de220.com/Electronics/Radar/Radar.htm (http://www.de220.com/Electronics/Radar/Radar.htm)

This is from the USS Cumberland Sound she entered Tokyo Bay at the end of the war:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g340000/g344503.jpg

[LukeFF]

That's unfortunate if the arcs do not orient themselves based on their bearing. Having smaller blips would be an acceptable compromise, yes.

[Mraah]

akDavis .... That's some great photo's!!!!!:up:
It'll help when developing a more realistic PPI, thanks for the link.:p

Sadly, like Redwine said, it's unlikely to create targets that are bearing specific. It's all in the source code (theory).

I have observed though, that the radarSweep.dds file isn't being used to draw the sweep, it's probably being drawn via the source code. Experiments of changing the dds, so far, has yielded no visible changes.

Only idea I think of is to experiment with the shape of the radarcontact to a point where it appears to the casual observer as a bearing specific "blip".
:ping:

[LukeFF]

http://www.de220.com/Electronics/Radar/Radar%20Photos/19-0239a.jpg

http://www.smecc.org/r_m_2.gif

Hmm, looks like I need to update my mod, then. Currently I have the radar operator for all the boats set to be a junior-enlisted sailor. From the looks of this document I need to set it to be a Petty Officer 2nd Class.