Camera Question

[dean_acheson]

I'm running TM 1.76 and really like everything about it.

However, I'm not a really big fan of the camera movement in the CT and the control room. It moves to much to my taste. I try to posit the camera over by the scopes so that I can watch the TDC as I play.

However, when the sea is up, the camera moves around like my character is wobling from side to side. I would like it to be a bit steadier, more like I was actually standing there, compensating for the roll.

Where would I start to do something like this? I haven't ever modded any files. Or does something like this exist? I hadn't ever noticed anything before.

Thanks.

[Digital_Trucker]

Hey, Dean. I'm not expert on the camera, but if you have S3D there are some things you can adjust that may suit you better. Before you start, create a folder structure in your MODS folder like this:

Create a folder named "My Camera Mod" (or whatever you want to call the mod, skip the quotes), inside that create a folder named "Data", inside that a folder named "Library". Now got to your BlahBlahBlah\Data\Library folder and right click and copy Cameras.dat. Got to your BlahBlahBlah\MODS\My Camera Mod\Data\Library folder and paste Cameras.dat in there.

Now open BlahBlahBlah\MODS\My Camera Mod\Data\Library\Cameras.dat with S3D. Find the _Dummy_Cam_ConningTower node and click the + sign next to it to "open" its list. Find the MechShocksPendulum node and "open" it. Click its properties then open the CMechPendulum (in the pane on the right) and then the CElasticPendulum. You will see several variables that control the shocks and swaying of the camera.

What each of those variable do, I am no expert on, but I'm guessing that elasticity is how much like a rubber band the camera mount is. I'm guessing this is a percentage (mine says 25). I'm guessing that if you lower that number the camera mount becomes more rigid. You can test that by changing the number, saving the file, activating the mod and trying it out. As with everything, it's best to work in small steps and don't forget to deactivate the mod when you want to work on it and to activate it again before you test it.

I have no idea what the "dumper" is (except that it ain't the head:rotfl: ). I used to think, perhaps, that it should have been damper, but I really don't have a clue.

The max angle is, I believe, the maximum change in angle due to movement of the sub.

The coef appears to be a fractional coefficient to apply to shocks. I believe that lowering that number will reduce the amount of shock that is applied to the camera. This might be a good place to start to reduce the amount of shake/sway that results from a shock.

There are seveal cameras that use these functions and you can change the shock values for the ones that you aren't happy with.

If I'm wrong in any of my assumptions, someone please conk me over the noggin' and let Dean know what the correct assumption is.

Hope this helps. If you haven't already, learn to use S3D:arrgh!: It is the most useful tool for customizing the game to your needs/wants that exists in the known universe:ping: . Do not fear it, and let the force be with you:yep:

[dean_acheson]

DT,
This weekend, for my very first experiece ever trying to mod anything besides the most simplist of items, I am going to attempt to fool with this.

It just kinda drives me crazy standing in the CT and the boat moving around like I'm staggering. I want a sense of it not being a camera as much as myself standing in place, which would cause the interior of the boat to appear still, I would think.

Any thoughts?

[Ducimus]

I admit, i didnt spend much time on the CT cam. As soon as i got it working as a free cam without any CTDiing, i went on to something else.

[Digital_Trucker]

DT,
This weekend, for my very first experiece ever trying to mod anything besides the most simplist of items, I am going to attempt to fool with this.

It just kinda drives me crazy standing in the CT and the boat moving around like I'm staggering. I want a sense of it not being a camera as much as myself standing in place, which would cause the interior of the boat to appear still, I would think.

Any thoughts?

It may not have any effect at all on your problem, but I'd make sure that the "No stabilize view" option in the gameplay options is unchecked (unless you like the destabilization in some other view).

Now, on to the camera file (unless the above took care of the problem, in which case skip to the celebration)

Don't mean to be repetitve, but, first thing you should do is to create a JSGME compatible mod folder for the file you want to work on. In this case you'll need a folder named Library inside a folder named Data inside a folder named "I'm not drunk" (don't include quotes) or whatever you want to name your mod. Then, copy the ...\Data\Library\Cameras.dat from your game install into the ...\Data\Library folder in your mod. Then put the newly created "I'm not drunk" (again leave the quotes out) folder into your MODS folder in your install.

Now start up S3D and open up the Cameras.dat in your mod folder.

Find the camera that I've got "expanded" in the pic below.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/digital_trucker/Screenshots/3-14-2008-60733PM.jpg

I'm no expert, but I think the properties of the camera that I've clicked on is what you want to work on. I would try changing the max angle to zero first to see if that stops the swaying. Whenever you get ready to test, save the file and activate the mod with JSGME. If you have the mod folder set up correctly, you'll get a message saying that TM has already replaced the Cameras.dat file. Allow the over-write. Then do your testing. If you need to adjust some more, make sure to deactivate the mod, then make your changes, save them and reactivate to test again.

If the angle change takes care of the problem and you decide you could stand a little bit of sway (a slight "buzz", so to speak), adjust the angle a little bit at a time. You can also "play around" with the other variables in this section to get an idea of what effect you want to end up with.

Just make sure that each time you make changes, you deactivate, change, save and reactivate.

You've got me interested in what all that stuff does now, myself, so I may have a go at it just for SAG.:rotfl:

[Nisgeis]

Sorry to tread on anyones toes here, but I'm pretty sure the Conning Tower and Control Room camera is the _Dummy_Cam_InteriorFore entry. I can't remember for sure and I'm a bit tired now, but I think the swaying with the ocean effect is more or less on if you are surfaced and if you have the MechShocks controller attached to an instance of the camera. Apart from that it obviously shakes the camera when damage is sustained too and I think that's mainly what the properties control - large bangs.

If you want no sway at all, the easiest way to get rid of it is to delete the MechShocks controller.

Edit: Or maybe turning off the no stabilise view as Digital Trucker said, bah tired now, brain is turning off.

[dean_acheson]

using this, I have 'fixed' the conning tower camera. It's still while moving.

I set all the perameters to 0.

I can't seem to find the camera to do the same thing with the Control Room, it doesn't seem to exist, which seems kinda odd.

Now, I't will be interesting to see if there is movement with a depth charge, I'd like to keep that, I just didn't like the sea sick/drunk feeling in the CT all the time.

This is some interesting stuff, to say the least.

[dean_acheson]

what is that 'pelorous' camera file for?

[Digital_Trucker]

:rock: Excellent! I think the camera you want to look for is the InterioFore camera for the control room. It's the third one down IIRC. It also has some nested dummy cams so just keep opening the subnodes up until you get to the area you want to change.

Congrats on your first mod:up:

And thanks to skwas for making it so easy to flavor our games to our taste:sunny:

Edit: the pelorous camera is one that I haven't figured out yet. Perhaps it is a misspelling of pelorus

pe·lo·rus n. pl. pe·lo·rus·es A fixed compass card on which bearings relative to a ship's heading are taken.

[Origin unknown.]

[dean_acheson]

No kidding, what a cool tool.