[TEC] Super easy manual TDC info gathering With Pics!

[emtguf]

Made a new Manual dealing with the same subject but without contacts. Can be seen here.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=164917

If you want to use map contacts use the one below.

Been trying to figure out this new TDC and finally found an easy method that works great for long and shot shots. My problem before was trying to gather the correct info quickly, and reliably.
I am using all options engaged except for no map contacts.
As you will see I do not have the perfect firing angle but my torps hit just where I tell them to.
Here is my method.

First I assume you can find a target to kill.... So once I set up I need to start getting info for the TDC to make my shot.

Range. I expand the map window and use the ruler to get an accurate range.
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3074/sh5img20100308232922.png

Well that is easy enough now plug that info into the TDC.
Forgot to mention you need to ID the target but that is pretty damn easy with the recog manual so not going into that here.

Secondly I get my AOB.
This is something I struggled real hard to figure out. Eyeballing didnt ever really work out so well.
So use the map tool to get your angle like below.

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/870/sh5img20100308232944.png

Just draw a line out to the targets stern and take it forward. Take the angle data and enter it into the TDC.

For speed I just highlight the ship and get its speed that way.
Wish I could get a hotkey for my WO to estimate the speed, but havent figured out how to mod that in yet.
In this SS I am lined up where I am about to shoot right after entering the speed info.
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3074/sh5img20100308232922.png

And here is the shot of the hit. As you can see it is very close to where I aimed the torp.
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6553/sh5img20100308233129.png

This is not the best way to get the info and line up a shot but i have to think it is probably the easiest. I have been able to get accurate hits as far as 4200y and as close as 700.
Cant wait till we have a working TDC with gauges and dials though.

Hope this info helps people figure out the new TDC.

Any questions feel free to post here.

[Harly]

Hi great tutural thx verry much for that. the interface you have with the buttons on the left can i download that at some place ? thanks in advance :DL

[kylania]

Hi great tutural thx verry much for that. the interface you have with the buttons on the left can i download that at some place ? thanks in advance :DL

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=163208

Edit: Well, actually he's using the Full UI verison with SH4 buttons and stuff: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=163268

I prefer just the dials. :)

[emtguf]

The more i've been playing with it I think I also prefer just the dials more as well. I generally don't even hit the buttons.
Love how fast this game is coming together though.
Last night (while doing to Tutorial) was the longest I had spent playing this game, and the most fun as well.
Finally being able to hit Targets without connecting the dots was great!

[doctrine]

Thank you very much for this explanation!
I'm going to try it as soon as i get off work :D

[Harly]

Thank you all for the answers i am jusing it now. thank you

[JaguarMEX]

Im playing at 94% Realism, If I lock on to the ship I don't get a marker on the map, so I think this is out of the question for me :(

I just have one question, how do you set the target speed? Officer always tells me that there's not enough data!

[SubV]

Thank you very much for this tutorial!

[emtguf]

Im playing at 94% Realism, If I lock on to the ship I don't get a marker on the map, so I think this is out of the question for me :(

I just have one question, how do you set the target speed? Officer always tells me that there's not enough data!
\
Yes you have to have map markers active for this to work.
I am using them till the game is working more like sh4 and 3

[raymond6751]

I saw no way to bring up a manual.

UBI hasn't given the North American market a good user manual, and it would be so good of them to give us the UK Manual as a pdf file.

How do I get a target ID manual with the NA version?

[emtguf]

If you have the TDC on click on the generic ship name to bring up the manual.
If you want an easy way to do it with one click however do this..

Go to the main SH5 directory.
Then go to the data folder then the Cfg folder.
look for a file called commands.cfg and open it with notepad

Search for the words [cmd343]
you will see this

[Cmd343]
Name=WP_Identify_target
Contexts=1
MnID=0x3F130002
StringID=1073
HasDelayedExecution=Yes


add this at the bottom

Key0=0x49,s,"Shift+I"


now it will look like this...

[Cmd343]
Name=WP_Identify_target
Contexts=1
MnID=0x3F130002
StringID=1073
HasDelayedExecution=Yes
Key0=0x49,s,"Shift+I"

save the file and launch the game.
now when you want to identify a target just lock it, turn on the tdc then hit Shift+i
The WO will identify the ship for you.

recognition easy and on the fly. Basically the old command from SH3 for the WO to ident the target.

The rest is super easy using the method above.

[Turm]

Im playing at 94% Realism, If I lock on to the ship I don't get a marker on the map, so I think this is out of the question for me :(

I just have one question, how do you set the target speed? Officer always tells me that there's not enough data!
You have to take at least 2 range readings before you ask him for the speed.

What then happens is (I assume!), he takes the two range readings, together with the known change in bearing (automatically known to him as you have locked the target), and works out the distance travelled by the ship in the time between your range readings. Thereby estimating speed.

Of course, with the current stadimeter, it's pretty impossible to get an accurate range reading, so don't expect his speed estimates to be very reliable!

The only other way to accurately find the speed is to shadow the ship from a distance (on the surface) and take your own measurements over a long period of time (say 30 min or more) by running approximately parallel to the ship and keeping it at a 90° or 270° bearing. That removes the problem of requiring accurate range. Then use distance & time with basic maths to work out his speed before getting in position for your attack. Hope you have patience :D

I liked the method in OLC's GUI for SH3, where you time how long it takes the ship to cross your periscope from bow to stern, then use that info together with the ship's length to find the speed. Alas, there's no info on ship length in the new recognition manual :damn:

[jhelix70]

There is also a mod that introduces new keys (shift+key) that reactivate old functions...it gives you many useful functions including range to contact and identify target, among several others (like weather report and depth under keel). I got it from the mods workshop forum and highly recommend it.

[emtguf]

I dont use that mod as it replaces the movement keys. What I did was write down the key functions I use and found them in the mods files and added them to the base game. That way I get everything I need, and nothing I dont use.
Plus I get to keep my wsad movement keys.

[MattDizzle]

Thank you very much for this guide, I've been having lots of trouble with angle on bow and speed. Usually i just try to get close enough that its impossible to miss, but the speed estimations are wildly innacurate, and i usually just guess the speed based on the ship and what i think it should be cruising at.

Merchants 6-9 knots, Warships 10-15. Now i can be more accurate.

[emtguf]

If you have the map contacts on then you can click on the contact and get an exact speed.
This method is mainly until they fix the game enough to be able to get the correct info in a timely manner.
The AOB thing was the thing that frustrated the crap out of me until I figured out this way.

[MattDizzle]

Seems kinda game-y, i'd rather miss... this morning before work i shelled a 5000 ton freighter off the coast of england who saw me before i could submerge (WOW in daylight they can spot you far away, very nice) I hauled him in and he turns into a perfect 90 degree firing position something like 1100 meters away, burning from bridge backwards. I guess he's still got enough momentum to be moving and launch an eel set to 5 knots. It sails in front of him. Cursing to myself i set another one for 1 knot and it hits perfectly.

I really do like the learning process and the trial and error, its fun, but why the ******* does a ship still make a bow wave WITH SPRAY at 1 knot. *wallheadbangemoticon*

[emtguf]

Getting the speed is gamey, but since the stadimeter doesnt quite work, and the speed estimates are generally wrong I see nothing wrong with it until we have a working set of tools to use.

Map contacts only show when you actually see the ship so it is as if you are reporting your findings to someone and they are mapping them. The captain after all didn't run the boat by himself. This helps you in the way that other crew would help you.

Once everything is fixed via mods I will go back to 100% realism... until then not so much

Also to add. AOB was figured by marking off a targets path and then on a map drawing out the AOB. I doubt it was eyeballed very often at all.
As you can see in the screen shots you are still doing a lot of calculation via the map, and mapping tools Including getting into position for the attack run.

[MattDizzle]

Dont you like that the gauges are sometimes not 100% accurate or difficult to use? Real u boat men missed in reality, why shouldnt we in the game?

I like that i dont have a lazer rangefinder and gps speed gauge. Guessing and failing sometimes means we arent all bagging 120,000 tons a month :P That was always the major issue of SH4 and SH3. This new system allows for not totally accurate data to work with, which allows for some variety

if it was up to me there would be an option for the WO to estimate speed, but he would say "Speed is between 7 and 10 knots" and you need to guess in that range.

[emtguf]

Problem I have is the stadimeter can be off entirely too far off to count for human error. Also speed can be entirely too far off to account for it as well.
Before I started doing this method I had ships reported at 750kts, and 6500yards away when they were obviously under 1k away, and most definitely not doing 750kts.

the tools right now are broken, so relying on them is not that great.

Estimated speed would be good as long as it is within reason.
I still miss if taking a bad angle shot, or a zigzagging shot if I don't figure everythign correctly.
This method doesn't insure a hit every time, it does however insure that you have relatively accurate information to take your shot.

[Medzell]

How do you get rid of those stupid Shaded zones round a target that show what I believe to be the area in which you are detectable? And that even more stupid "ASDIC Zone" red one.

I like to take positional plots to calculate, speed, course, etc but these shaded zones (when you zoom in) make reading any of the plotting tools virtually impossible. Are we supposed to use the Main Map or the TAI for plotting?

I don't want to use the "join the dots" method simply because, once you get a feel for it, it's far too easy but I may be forced to simply because trying to plot "over" those stupid zone shaded areas is impossible.

While I'm having a good old bitch I might as well ask about the Stadimeter, too. WHat's up with that? Do we use funnels, masts or structure reference points?

[Sailor Steve]

Dont you like that the gauges are sometimes not 100% accurate or difficult to use? Real u boat men missed in reality, why shouldnt we in the game?

I like that i dont have a lazer rangefinder and gps speed gauge. Guessing and failing sometimes means we arent all bagging 120,000 tons a month :P That was always the major issue of SH4 and SH3. This new system allows for not totally accurate data to work with, which allows for some variety

if it was up to me there would be an option for the WO to estimate speed, but he would say "Speed is between 7 and 10 knots" and you need to guess in that range.
Excellent points. I would go further and suggest that the 1WO give a specific speed, but randomized withing that range, so you don't know if he's right or wrong.

[Superbus]

Do we use funnels, masts or structure reference points?

Masts.

[emtguf]

Masts.

Some are set to funnels, some to masts.

Been discussed in quite a few threads

[M4XDmG]

I'm against map updates, even in SH5. Stadimeter shows distance little of, but range estimations for estimating speed are equally off, so you can get correct speed. Atleast I think... :D
What I do is I'll try to reach about one kilometer distance (at this distance stadimeter is accurate enough) at good angle to fire. On the way to good firing position, I take sightings of the target, mark them on the map (Also mark my own position to see my relative speed at the enemy). Then I draw line through these marks and get reasonably accurate course for enemy ship. Not every shot is a success, but enough to give a feeling that you can do your job! Here is screenshot of one of my approaches. I get the AOB from the estimated enemy course. I fired 2 torpedoes with correct data in tdc, and then third a little later (wich was a mistake, because the data was not valid anymore... it missed.)http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii10/M4XDmG/SH5/Map.jpg
But all I wan't to say is that even if stadimeter is not what it should, you can use it and play the game with map updates off.

[Shoe]

Emtguf,

How did you get your commands to line up on the bottom of your screen?

[kylania]

Emtguf,

How did you get your commands to line up on the bottom of your screen?

That's an early version of the SH4 UI mode from this mod:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=166093