Recoded Weather fix - envsim.act [Archive]

Stiebler

03-26-16, 11:53 AM

Stiebler EnvSim.act version 10.

This is the latest fix to provide more realistic weather for SH3. Since H.sie's hard-code fix also uses his own envsim.act to reduce visibility at night, it is necessary to provide two files.

Download here:
http://www.subsim.com/mods1/nygm/EnvSimAct_10.7z

Method of use:
Unzip the EnvsimAct10.7z into your MODS folder for SH3.
Observe that there two files:
1. EnvSim.act
2. Envsim_HsieFix.acx

1. If you are NOT using H.sie's famous hardware fix for SH3.
You can the mod at once. Just activate the package with J Scones' JSGME mod-installer. Alternatively, after unzipping, just copy the EnvSim.act file (only) enclosed within the mod to your folder \Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\, where it will replace the original version. (Do NOT place the file within the \DATA folder - it won't be recognised.) This can be used to replace ANY other envsim.act file that is out there.

2. If you ARE using H.sie's hardware fix.
You will need to activate the correct EnvSim file as follows:
a) Use the Options Selector provided with the H.sie V16B1 package to switch OFF H.sie's Bad Weather Fix in your SH3.exe file. Place your newly created SH3.exe file in this folder (EnvSimAct_10), where you can see the two envsim files mentioned above.
b) Rename EnvSim.act to EnvSim.acx (this means it will not be recognised by Silent Hunter III.).
c) Rename EnvSim_HsieFix.acx to EnvSim.act
d) Activate the package with JSGME as mentioned in (1). Alternatively, copy across both the new EnvSim.act file and your new SH3.exe into your folder \Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\, where it will replace the original version.

The mod that copies last is the one that is used.
This EnvSim_10 mod folder should always be the LAST mod installed with JSGME.
For example if you have Stiebler_4C_Revised hard-code package installed on top of the H.sie patch (it must always be installed after the H.sie patch), then the EnvSim_10 mod MUST follow after the Stiebler_4C_Revised mod.

From the README (enclosed with download):

Principle:
The devs for Silent Hunter 3 acknowledged publicly that there was a coding error in the weather control coded in file envsim.act. The visible effect was that 'foggy-storms' - thick fog or precipitations combined with winds at 15 m/s - could continue for weeks at a time.

There have been various attempts to improve the weather by manipulation of files included with SH3. None has been very successful; only a code fix will resolve a coding error.

In the past there have been two coding attempts. I made a coded adjustment to file envsim.act itself, included with versions of NYGM, and also with the Stiebler4C_Addon_for_V16B1. H.sie included his own version of envsim.act with his V16B1 hard-code addon-on too.

Both solutions work, but neither is particularly satisfactory. My envsim.act gave weather that was usually too calm. H.sie's weather fix was coded in SH3.exe itself, with data being passed from his own variant of envsim.act included with his V16B1 package. H.sie wrote his code in SH3.exe on the basis that 'he who writes last writes best', and his patch killed foggy-storms by reintroducing random new weather. This resulted in normal SH3 weather until halted abruptly by H.sie's code fix, so that weather generally was too stormy (winds too high).

There are three definite problems with the devs' code.
1. Winds are allowed to rise up to 29.9 m/s, before being simply cut back to 15 m/s for display on screen. Thus, once high winds arise, they can continue for a very long time before falling finally below 15 m/s. It seems to be the advent of high winds that causes the 'precipitations' (fog).
2. The weather code cycles frequently until an internal game timer allows the weather actually to be changed. It seems that there is a bug here, because the time of access can slow down (but not always) when there is a foggy-storm. Thus fixes to the weather will often not be accessed for long periods of game-play. (This problem seriously affected my earlier versions of modded envsim.act - the code worked fine, but wasn't always accessed.)
3. Even when the weather is forced to be different in envsim.act, sometimes the original bad weather is rewritten before the code exits from the weather control in envsim.act. I'm not sure if this is a fault, or was a deliberate action by the devs.

I have finally produced version 10 of my old envsim.act hard-code fix. All my versions of envsim.act have solved problem (1) - the problem that winds can rise up to 29.9 m/s while the game acts as though 15 m/s is the maximum. Version 10 also solves the problem, but by a different mechanism.

I have solved problem (2) above - fault with internal timer - by adding my own timer to measure intervals of game play. At the same time, a new internal game counter keeps forcing the weather code to reset a foggy-storm back to normal weather even if the original code tries to write back the original bad weather (problem (3)).

In long testing, involving round trips with a IXD2 U-boat, from Bordeaux or Bergen to Penang via the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean, weather seemed to be well controlled. Foggy storms occur, but never (so far) for more than 5 days. Nearly all foggy-storms end within 2 days. That, I think, is realistic behaviour.

Stiebler.

tomfon

03-26-16, 12:20 PM

Hi Stiebler.

Your accomplishment is truly remarkable.:yep:

After so many years, SH3 has finally proper/realistic weather. I believe it is very pleasing for everyone that this major bug has been successfully addressed. Thank you. :up::up::up::up:

Now, two questions:

1. If i understood correctly, the new fix - among other things - won't allow the game's engine to repeat a term of bad (foggy) weather, soon after (1 or 2 days) a term of the same kind of weather has already been terminated. I guess this is what you mean in point (3). Am i correct?

2. Is it possible to introduce a slight possibility that the foggy weather may last for a period of say, 12 days? I'm asking this out of sheer curiosity.

Regards.

sublynx

03-26-16, 12:54 PM

Great to hear!

ivanov.ruslan

03-26-16, 02:18 PM

Great work!:cool:

Tycho

03-26-16, 03:55 PM

Super! :yeah:
Installed immediately. But I will not have time to play, to see the result. :hmmm:

Wise

03-26-16, 11:19 PM

My respect, Stiebler! Many thanks for your invaluable work. Allow to ask you a question. This question disturbs me 7 or 8 years and it has a direct bearing on weather in game. I asked at a forum this question long ago, but at that time nobody has answered. Maybe, today you?
I am sure, you know that in game moderate wind (0-5 m/s) happens only during a sunny weather. Why only during a sunny weather? The minimum wind in cloudy weather - 6 m/s and only near ports. Why, for example, there is no fog(or overcast) and 0(2, 3..5)m/s? It is possible to correct it?
Thanks.

redline202

03-27-16, 04:26 AM

Thanks! :salute:

Fahnenbohn

03-27-16, 04:38 AM

Glad to see someone is still working on the weather code. I would like to ask you something, Stiebler : do you think that my idea is possible ? See here : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2363039&postcount=4

Thank you.

Stiebler

03-27-16, 07:07 AM

@Tomfon:
1. If i understood correctly, the new fix - among other things - won't allow the game's engine to repeat a term of bad (foggy) weather, soon after (1 or 2 days) a term of the same kind of weather has already been terminated. I guess this is what you mean in point (3). Am i correct?Point (3) means that there can be a repeat of the same bad weather overwriting corrected (fixed) weather. The original code is complex, and it is not clear why the bad weather becomes rewritten. But in any case, this event incurs infrequently. My new code means that the new, calm weather will be rewritten up to four times before it gives up the attempt. In practise, this is sufficient - sooner or later (and this creates a random element) the original code abandons the attempt to overwrite the new, fixed weather.
2. Is it possible to introduce a slight possibility that the foggy weather may last for a period of say, 12 days? I'm asking this out of sheer curiosity.The short answer is yes, I can change the four attempts to rewrite bad weather to two attempts. Or even one attempt, whatever is needed.
But why would anyone want foggy-storms for 12 days? I have never heard of such an event outside the Indian Ocean during the Monsoon season. There is nothing unusual about storms in the Atlantic, especially in winter and spring, but storms with zero visibility for 12 days? Never heard of it.

I do happen to know that, during refuelling operations at a U-tanker (milk-cow) in 1943, several U-boats were stranded for up to a week owing to heavy seas preventing refuelling. But this was so rare that the event was remarked upon by all those who were involved.

Equally, fogs around Newfoundland are commonplace at certain times of year. But fogs AND high winds? Nope.

@Wise:
I am sure, you know that in game moderate wind (0-5 m/s) happens only during a sunny weather. Why only during a sunny weather? The minimum wind in cloudy weather - 6 m/s and only near ports. Why, for example, there is no fog(or overcast) and 0(2, 3..5)m/s? It is possible to correct it?My new patch does allow low winds in all weathers. However existing code soon raises the winds during poor visibility. The devs seem to have had the idea that strong winds bring lots of spray, and that this reduces visibility. So we see in SH3 first winds rising, then deterioration in visibillity. Or perhaps they thoght that strong winds bring storms from afar.

@Fahnenbohn:
I would like to ask you something, Stiebler : do you think that my idea is possible ? See here : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...39&postcount=4 (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2363039&postcount=4)This idea is not possible without removing ALL the devs' existing weather code, with unknown consequences.
Their code is very complex, and takes into account proximity to the north and south poles, proximity to the equator, and a slow surge from weak winds to strong winds, to foggy-storms, and back again over a period of days. The rate of change for the weather increases, the closer you are to the equator.

@Blitzkrieg:
Thanks for the reminder of my old post, I had forgotten it.

No new release of NYGM at this time, since there are still too few new mods to incorporate.

Stiebler.

tomfon

03-27-16, 07:57 AM

Point (3) means that there can be a repeat of the same bad weather overwriting corrected (fixed) weather. The original code is complex, and it is not clear why the bad weather becomes rewritten. But in any case, this event incurs infrequently. My new code means that the new, calm weather will be rewritten up to four times before it gives up the attempt. In practise, this is sufficient - sooner or later (and this creates a random element) the original code abandons the attempt to overwrite the new, fixed weather.

Thank you for clarifying this for me, Stiebler. Your explanation is straightforward.

The short answer is yes, I can change the four attempts to rewrite bad weather to two attempts. Or even one attempt, whatever is needed.
But why would anyone want foggy-storms for 12 days? I have never heard of such an event outside the Indian Ocean during the Monsoon season. There is nothing unusual about storms in the Atlantic, especially in winter and spring, but storms with zero visibility for 12 days? Never heard of it.

I do happen to know that, during refuelling operations at a U-tanker (milk-cow) in 1943, several U-boats were stranded for up to a week owing to heavy seas preventing refuelling. But this was so rare that the event was remarked upon by all those who were involved.

Equally, fogs around Newfoundland are commonplace at certain times of year. But fogs AND high winds? Nope.

I do agree with you that a period of 12 days with zero visibility is abnormal. I also do believe that fogs & high winds occurring simultaneously is quite wrong for obvious reasons. Therefore, what i have written above was not a suggestion ; i did not express myself correctly.

Fahnenbohn

03-27-16, 10:48 AM

@Fahnenbohn : This idea is not possible without removing ALL the devs' existing weather code, with unknown consequences.

Yes, I know ! Isn't it a great challenge ?! But is it possible ? (i mean is it possible to write such a program with random values and tests > < = ... ?)

My main goal is to add a predictable weather (barometer), a more realistic behaviour, and also adjustable according to the seasons and the oceans !

mikey117us

03-27-16, 12:57 PM

During a Patrol I save every other Grid Square. On my outbound journey March from Lorient in a Type IXC of 2 Flotilla ( New Type IX U-Boats by Wise ) December 1941 to Grid Square BF36 I experienced a Storm. I had saved prior to this but was not aware if EnvSim 10 quite yet. Storm began at Clear vis 7 m/s, then 10 m/s jumping to 12 m/s overcast moderate vis. And dreaded 15m/s poor vis. No rain. It droned on for days. I never save during storms reload can cause a CTD for me. I paused my game out of storm boredom and went online to the mod forum last night and found this Thread. New Results after a quick save and placing the mod in Game Mid-Patrol ( I also use SH Commander and Real Weather ) Storm began in the same grid with winds 7-10 m/s increasing to 12 m/s clouds were moderate visibility medium. After two Sea Days it blew out and was calm and beautiful in time for a Gibralter ir Freetown Convoy! Works even in Mid-Patrol! Thank You!

makman94

03-27-16, 01:01 PM

Very nice and working great Stiebler :yeah:

i tested it for about one month and everything works as you said :up:

i noticed ,but not sure yet, a slight tense for calm days , i mean that in this month i had more than 15 days calm weather (0 wind) but not continuesly. maybe it was just a random result will see how it goes next months

What Wise mentioned is just wonderfull if could be done. calm and foggy days really missing from game. try it if you have some time or will

thank you for this Stiebler, your previous fix was allready very enjoyable but your new one even more !

Hitman

03-27-16, 01:13 PM

This idea is not possible without removing ALL the devs' existing weather code, with unknown consequences.
Their code is very complex, and takes into account proximity to the north and south poles, proximity to the equator, and a slow surge from weak winds to strong winds, to foggy-storms, and back again over a period of days. The rate of change for the weather increases, the closer you are to the equator.
I suppose the answer is yes, but given how you describe your fix to work I expect that base behaviour to remain, correct? I mean that what your fix basically does is help the game getting unstuck from the bad weather routine but will not affect the underlaying weather model.

fitzcarraldo

03-27-16, 02:21 PM

Great work Stiebler! Now I'm leaving work my GWX with your fix and the weather is working as expected. I leave off fuel consumption and tried it for three months with diverse TC and all seems work fine.

Many thanks and Happy Easter!

Fitzcarraldo :salute:

Doolar

03-27-16, 05:54 PM

Great job Stiebler ! Somehow I messed up the "weather" by (I think but not too sure at all) enabling and dis-enabling several different environmental mods, testing and just plane ole check'n them out. Anyway at some point my weather froze on "no rain and 4m/s" for 2 consecutive patrols (about 45 days). Clouds were all but gone too. On the 3rd patrol, same. I quit and quick search on the forum, and figured, "reinstall time", no big deal. Then I found this "fix", tried it, BAM ! All is working 100% ... thank you Mr.Stiebler, great job. Saved me a few hours and I got a new patrol started !! :cool:

Stiebler

03-28-16, 04:49 AM

@Hitman:
Hi Alberto, nice to see you're still around.
I suppose the answer is yes, but given how you describe your fix to work I expect that base behaviour to remain, correct? I mean that what your fix basically does is help the game getting unstuck from the bad weather routine but will not affect the underlaying weather model.
That is almost exactly correct, but the end of unseen wind-speeds exceeding 15 m/s helps also.

I'm glad that players in general are appreciating the results. You should also experience calm weather for longer periods too, with the winds controlled. But that was always a feature of my previous releases of adapted (re-coded) envsim.act files.

Stiebler.

Doolar

03-30-16, 01:54 PM

I know this is almost repeating myself from another post in this thread about this weather fix, but to put it mildly, this is a MUST HAVE ! I have played SH III several days now with this fix, and I can say this for sure:

It completely repaired my " hosed weather " on one computer. ( That's another story in itself, but totally my fault )
It was activated via JSGME in mid patrol with an instant improvement on my other computer and another patrol.
I even had rain when in port at start of patrol. that has never happened to me before. I was under the impression that it was always fair weather as you begun a patrol, then changed afterwards, but I could be wrong on this point. Feel free to correct me here.
after 3 days of both computers running SH III, I have not had a storm last more then 2½ to 3 days and about 3 to 4 days of " overcast to clear weather ", with varying wind speeds. I've even had a storm last only about 6 or 7 hours.
it's easier to catch a window of opportunity, to transfer external torpedo's onboard too.

There are many, many, GREAT mods and fixes to SH III, but this fixed, one of the things that used to get me frustrated, you know, the 20day storms at 15m/s, only to see the sun for a day, then it was back to a 20day storm again. Thought my input here would be helpful to anyone looking to improve their gameplay. It has just made the game better for me. hope this helps.

tomfon

03-30-16, 04:47 PM

I've just finished a patrol and the fix seems to be working as expected. The problem is that i have the Night Vision fix toggled *ON* but my crew can spot a ship 14km away.:hmmm:

Is the fix provided with this last version of the Envsim.act file? If i recall correctly the Night Vision fix comes with the .act file.

tomfon

03-31-16, 05:01 AM

I've run one of the GWX missions with Stiebler's newest version of envsim.act and then i run it again with hsie's version of the same file. In the latter case the fog curtain seems to be working fine. The crew detects a ship at 4500 - 5000 meters with maximum visibility at 9000 meters. However, in the first case and with the same environmental conditions applied the ship is detected at maximum range.

Has anybody else noticed the same behaviour? Does the Night Vision fix work with the latest version of Stiebler's envsim.act?

Stiebler

03-31-16, 06:28 AM

@Tomfon:

I've confirmed your observation that H.sie's night fix no longer functions.

I've prepared a second H.sie-compatible version of my envsim.act v10 for this option. It worked fine in a night-time Single Mission, currently undergoing lengthy tests on long patrols.

Thanks for pointing up this error. There will need to be a double release:
1. envsim.act v10, currently available at the SubSim link at the head of this page. for those who don't use H.sie's night fix. That remains good for most purposes.
2. envsim.act v10-for-H.sie, currently undergoing tests. I shall release this new version as a double pack, with the existing v10 of (1) above.

Incidentally, I tested the v10 of (1) with H.sie's and my (Stiebler_4C_Revised) hard-code fixes in place. The weather all worked perfectly, but I hadn't noticed the simultaneous loss of the night vision fix. Well spotted!

Stiebler.

tomfon

03-31-16, 06:54 AM

@Stiebler

Indeed, the weather works perfectly for me too with some of hsie's hard-code fixes and some of your fixes in place.

Thank you for looking into this matter right away. To be honest with you, for a moment i thought that releasing the .act file without the Night Vision fix was intentional simply, because, you had decided not to use it anymore. Then i thought that this doesn't make any sense and hoped that you would prove me wrong.

All in all, great job Stiebler! :up:

We now have proper weather.:yep:

Cheers!

Doolar

03-31-16, 10:04 AM

I also have the " Night Vision fix toggled ON " and after this issue was brought up, I noticed my watch crew did have an increase in their range when spotting a ship.

Stiebler

04-01-16, 10:50 AM

Updated mod is now posted and can be downloaded from SubSim. Specifically, the absence of H.sie's night vision fix has itself been fixed. I've tested both the weather fix and the night vision fix in several extended patrols. A pity that a radar-fitted destroyer saw my U-boat at night before I saw it - I got sunk!

See my first post at the beginning of this thread for details and for the download link (same link as previously).

Stiebler.

tomfon

04-01-16, 11:11 AM

Most wonderful news, Stiebler!

Thank you!:up:

Doolar

04-01-16, 06:35 PM

:cool:

Anvar1061

04-01-16, 09:28 PM

Whether to re-use selector options provided by a package H.sie V16B1, to include H.sie in bad weather Fix in a new SH3.exe file?

LGN1

04-03-16, 01:50 PM

Hi Stiebler,

thanks for your work! :up:

IIRC, H.Sie's fix also includes a random initial value for the counter to avoid long periods of the same weather after loading a save-game. Does your fix also solves this annoying issue (the same weather for a long period when loading a save-game)?

Regards, LGN1

Stiebler

04-04-16, 03:07 AM

@Anvar1061:
Whether to re-use selector options provided by a package H.sie V16B1, to include H.sie in bad weather Fix in a new SH3.exe file? Yes, you must use the selector options with H.sie's package in order to disable H.sie's Bad Weather Fix, if you use my envsim.act file.

@LGN1:
H.Sie's fix also includes a random initial value for the counter to avoid long periods of the same weather after loading a save-game. Does your fix also solves this annoying issue (the same weather for a long period when loading a save-game)?Yes. And no.

If you save a patrol, then restart the same patrol without first closing the Silent Hunter III game, then you will restart your saved patrol with exactly the same weather as you saved.

If you save a patrol, then close the whole game down, and then restart Silent Hunter III again, and finally reload your saved game, then usually you will start with a change of weather to mild conditions (light wind, good or fair visibility, no rain). However, on a random small number of occasions, you will continue with the same weather.

The underlying reason is that envsim.act stores its variables in a position fixed relative to where the file is stored in memory. However the initial time value is not zeroed, so that it may be anything. It is updated whenever a foggy storm begins. Moreover, Windows itself stores envsim.act in changing positions in RAM every time that it is loaded (occasionally in the same position, usually not). So reloading a saved game will find the old weather if you have not first closed Silent Hunter III, but will usually (not always) find random data if you close SH3 and reload it. This effect is also responsible for the immediate change of weather that you will often see when leaving base at the beginning of a patrol.

This cheap trick is actually quite effective. Particularly if you change your mind about saving the game, and wish to return immediately to the point where you left the game without effect on weather parameters.

Stiebler.

ivanov.ruslan

04-10-16, 01:28 AM

Nice work again :cool:

Tupolev

04-13-16, 05:06 PM

Hi Stiebler. Quick question regarding installation:

If we install with Option 2, won't the newly created Sh3.exe overwrite the 4C revised .exe? This doesn't overwrite the patching done by your patch?

T

Stiebler

04-17-16, 05:49 AM

@Tupolev:
If we install with Option 2, won't the newly created Sh3.exe overwrite the 4C revised .exe? This doesn't overwrite the patching done by your patch?My instruction is clearly a little ambiguous.

If you do not use the Hsie hard-code patch at all, then there is no problem. Just install the new Envsim10 weather file over any existing envsim.act file, preferably with JSGME.

If you have only the H.sie hard-code patch installed, then you must use the Options Selector to remove H.sie's hard-code fix option before reinstalling the new EnvSim10 weather file. The new envsim.act file will overwrite H.sie's modified envsim.act file, but the new file will retain H.sie's dark-night fix.

If you have Hsie's hard-code fix already, and you wish to install the Stiebler hard-code fix AND the new Envsim10 weather file (as envsim.act), then you can use the Options Selector to remove H.sie's weather fix before you make the Stiebler hard-code fix OR after you make the Stiebler hard-code fix. In either case, check with the Options Selector that H.sie's weather fix is switched OFF. Lastly, add my new envsim10 weather fix, as envsim.act.

If you have already the H.sie AND the Stiebler hard-code fixes in place, then use the Options Selector to remove H.sie's hard code fix for the weather. Then finally add the new Envsim10 weather file (as envsim.act) to overwrite H.sie's envsim.act file.

In all cases, ensure that H.sie's weather fix is turned OFF with the Options Selector before you add my new Envsim10 weather file, which will overwrite H.sie's envsim.act file.

I hope that is now clear.

Stiebler.

hulldmg

04-17-16, 01:22 PM

Wow this is awesome!
After all these years SH3 just keeps getting better!

Just to make sure, it works with GWX and 16km atmosphere? (16km mod doesn't have this file so I'm guessing it's ok?) but GWX mod probably edits this file?

Thank you!

hulldmg

04-18-16, 01:12 PM

Disregard my previous question, all is working perfectly with gwx even when installed mid patrol.

Finally properly working weather, a must have fix!
Thank you again!

Aquelarrefox

04-19-16, 03:05 PM

Stiebler EnvSim.act version 10.

1. Winds are allowed to rise up to 29.9 m/s, before being simply cut back to 15 m/s for display on screen. Thus, once high winds arise, they can continue for a very long time before falling finally below 15 m/s. It seems to be the advent of high winds that causes the 'precipitations' (fog).

I have finally produced version 10 of my old envsim.act hard-code fix. All my versions of envsim.act have solved problem (1) - the problem that winds can rise up to 29.9 m/s while the game acts as though 15 m/s is the maximum. Version 10 also solves the problem, but by a different mechanism.

I have solved problem (2) above - fault with internal timer - by adding my own timer to measure intervals of game play. At the same time, a new internal game counter keeps forcing the weather code to reset a foggy-storm back to normal weather even if the original code tries to write back the original bad weather (problem (3)).

Stiebler.

Hi, I have some question about weather and torpedo fix from hsie.
You said wins upper 15kmh was allowed, that was the value read by the fix? In your miss thus is allowed? I mean wins could be 20kmh and should be traded only 15 kmh?
If officer says 10kmh wind, is this real? Because I notice I'm having like 50 failure rate for torpedoes, with magnetic trigger at 7,5 or 8 m, so far than modded 15% value.

Stiebler

04-20-16, 06:01 AM

@Hulldmg:
Glad to find the weather fix is working for you.

@Aquelarrefox:
You said winds upper 15kmh was allowed, that was the value read by the fix? In your miss thus is allowed? I mean winds could be 20kmh and should be traded only 15 kmh?
If officer says 10kmh wind, is this real? Because I notice I'm having like 50 failure rate for torpedoes, with magnetic trigger at 7,5 or 8 m, so far than modded 15% value.
The original SH3 weather applies a simple maximum to winds reported on screen of 15 m/s, even if the winds exceed 15 m/s.
Therefore if the officer reports a wind of 10 m/s, then that is a true wind in the original (stock) SH3, and also in H.sie's weather fix, and also in my new envsim.act file.

Torpedo failures:
You have not stated in which game year you are playing SH3.
U-boats suffered from severe torpedo failures, from many causes, until the end of year 1940. Then there were smaller torpedo failures until late 1942. Thereafter the U-boat torpedoes were mostly reliable.

The original (stock) SH3 had also its own programmed torpedo failures until the end of 1940, as well as the failures that the H.sie fix provides. Therefore, if you are playing SH3 in years 1939 or 1940, you will have a high rate of torpedo failures.

One solution is to set your torpedo pistol type to 'impact (I)' and not 'magnetic (M)' in the torpedo selector (F6) screen.

I hope that helps.
Stiebler.

Aquelarrefox

04-20-16, 12:43 PM

thaks for reply. h.sie fix torpedo in later 39 early 40, magnetic.

mybe there were another explication, i used now your weather mod, and doing night attacks i noted more variation in wind speed along the trip until attack, so my test was under water. mybe in some cases i have realy 14 winds speed at the moment of aproch that i cannot read underwater. i tested over the same aproch from several saved game again and again to obtein some stats.

on the other side your mod works very realistic for me.
still with your mod i can get winds of 25 km/h and the officer will say 15km/h?

Last testing with your env file worked good and hit with a rational rate.

1 ship on surface and 1 summerged infiltrated in a british east cost. 3 hits, 1 early detonation (in the yard, any way i could scape, lone little hunter) and only one failure at 25m.
early test i have 4 filures and 1 hit or 1 premature explotion. im sure becose i follow them with external camera to be sure.

as you know more things, every type of torpedos have diferent "early detonation" probability?
thanks, great modder.

Stiebler

04-21-16, 02:43 AM

@Aquelarrefox:
still with your mod i can get winds of 25 km/h and the officer will say 15km/h?I think it is m/sec.
No, all winds above 15 m/sec (or km/h) are now assigned a random value up to 15 m/sec (or km/h).

Stiebler.

Aquelarrefox

04-25-16, 11:02 AM

thanks.

i saw a issue, i dont know why but when you go out from high compresion time and you go from clean sky to complete cover sky, the officer says "covered sky" but when you see sky its raining but the stars are visible.
if you let time go some minutes and change camera it seems right.

i dont know if something related to your envairoment, or my instalation bug ( i dont remember this earlier).

Fahnenbohn

04-25-16, 11:48 AM

i dont know if something related to your envairoment, or my instalation bug ( i dont remember this earlier).

No, it's the way SH3 makes the transition between different skies ...

Aquelarrefox

04-27-16, 07:54 AM

jaja, realy, well i go deck meny times in the right moment then :P. thanks for answer. realy this fix get a better game, as i remember last time i player a year a go.

Fahnenbohn

04-27-16, 08:06 AM

Sometimes, i've had a bug, but i'm not sure if it comes from your mod... since i've also installed a new mod which changes the IDX numbers in data/Terrain/Terrain.cfg. Maybe an interaction between the 2 mods ?

Well, sometimes, when starting a single mission, the weather is strange : clear sky (no clouds) + huge waves + heavy rain. Then, the surface water (waves) disappears, and all the units (and my U-Boot) fall immediately to the sea bottom.

:o :-?

ivanov.ruslan

04-27-16, 12:31 PM

Hm,has not happened to me, I play with your mod and RW fix, when I got the opportunity to play

I tried it with WAC atmosphere and it works

Aquelarrefox

04-27-16, 03:52 PM

Fahnenbohn

04-28-16, 04:17 PM

Well, sometimes, when starting a single mission, the weather is strange : clear sky (no clouds) + huge waves + heavy rain. Then, the surface water (waves) disappears, and all the units (and my U-Boot) fall immediately to the sea bottom.

:o :-?

So, i start mission : my U-Boot immediately begins to be destroyed. I pause the game, and go to the outside view. I have this :

http://nsm08.casimages.com/img/2016/04/28//16042811283118069014186664.png (http://www.casimages.com/img.php?i=16042811283118069014186664.png)

Then i leave pause, the waves disappear, and my boat is falling to the sea bottom ...

:o

Aquelarrefox

05-14-16, 12:19 PM

Stiebler i have tested a long like 9 patrols, it worked very very well and i havent any storm longer than 2/3 days and less than 8/9 days of badweather/total cloudy sky. Now its posible tracking a real navigation (i dont use celestial, but read position by plottet tool) with a rasonable error (30km in north sea crussing and 50 km in a 1000 km over atlantic with like 7 overcast days. realy good jobs, im impresed.
I have noted in only 3 or maybe 4 saved games around 40 reloaded games that climate changes in around 5 time-clock game, minor issue, is it expected?

thanks for all this beutifull features.

LGN1

05-15-16, 03:49 PM

Hi Stiebler,

I have played a bit with your work and I like the weather patterns. However, I have also encountered a problem: When shadowing a convoy in non-perfect conditions and saving the game, it happened to me a few times that after loading the game the visibility was improved and I was detected immediately :-? This was quite annoying.

Would it be possible to make the weather more stable when saving/reloading the game?

Regards, LGN1

Stiebler

05-16-16, 05:11 AM

Fascinating...

Aquelarrefox says that the weather changes too infrequently when he reloads a saved game.

LGN1 says that the weather changes too often when reloading a saved game.

It seems that the weather changes after reload are about right then.

LGN1: I'd advise strongly against saving games when close to a convoy. If another convoy happens to spawn nearby, before your game-save, your save will probably become corrupt.

Stiebler.

Aquelarrefox

05-16-16, 05:25 AM

mybe i was traying to say it changes 50% of times, no alwais but often. I saw little extreme changes, to be more clear.

i noted some strange becose i was instaling wac 41 and have some crashin (later i see there were loading saved game becose after severeral load it runs) i used it with and with out commander, and i dont know how aparently when i trigger with out comander climate changes after loading. If load commander it doesnt happens so common.

i dont now if its something related but im unsig wac 41 visual envirominet and your upper it. I didnt tested enought, i will pay attention this week and i gone say if (with commander works as i see in gwx)

until in gwx i was unsing MEP 5 with your file upper.

Any way, i preffer this kind of "error" or "colateral effect", its only after loading. The ausence of "continous fog storm" was the worst than a simple issue with a salved game. In the worst case you can reaload it until it dont get a fog screen.

about other thing, i couldnt make work your last patch. i used alwais the fix fido version (a) and this week end i try to use your new version with radar fix and alwais it crash in initail load, pachings says it was right. really i dont have any idea whats happens.

Yes about saving with convoys, and i have worst problems with the ports.

LGN1

05-16-16, 05:38 AM

Hi Aquelarrefox,

do you think weather changes happen too often or too rarely after reloading?

@Stiebler: I think even a 10% change of being detected in a convoy attack when reloading is too high.

Due to time constraints I have to save close to convoys and, actually, never had a problem with this (CTD).

Regards, LGN1

Aquelarrefox

05-16-16, 06:13 AM

as i said for me is ok, i dont see enought extreme changes like clearsky to heavy rain to make me sense nervous.
But really im starting to think it happens very often but vary of this changes are aceptables (rise the level of fog or get cloudy). Some one have to try reloading severaltimes the same game file to be sure how this really happpends.

Niume

05-06-18, 07:32 AM

What happens if I use the env_sim.act not for hsie fix?

ivanov.ruslan

05-06-18, 10:58 AM

Looking 1st point http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2392727&postcount=1

Whatever, you can always disable with Jsgme!

Fifi

08-14-18, 06:09 AM

Playing GWX3 with MEP V6, this is really THE must have mod for weather.

Just with H.sie weather fix patch, had huge waves for days and days always stuck at 15m/s. Not that much weather change anyway.

Now with Stiebler recoded weather fix, weather change nicely and no more huge waves for so long.
Everything looks quite realistic so far to me.

Have to see what happens on loading saves though... hopefully it will not be as in SH5, finger crossed.

ivanov.ruslan

08-14-18, 11:41 AM

There should be no problem with the saving games

shrub77

09-03-18, 01:39 PM

This fix makes my game crash, using h.sie and WAC 5.01

any idea?

ivanov.ruslan

09-04-18, 06:22 AM

I've also used it and never had a problem with WAC 5.01 and h.sie

I think the reason is different

Niume

05-09-19, 10:13 AM

Would it be possible to convert it so it would work for sh4?

Blackswan1940

05-10-19, 06:54 AM

Would it be possible to convert it so it would work for sh4?

No.

Fernie

04-27-20, 02:50 PM

Is this fix compatible with both GWX and M.E.P. v6?

FUBAR295

04-27-20, 03:08 PM

Welcome to Subsim ...

The answer is yes.

Good hunting,
FUBAR295

Aquelarrefox

05-14-20, 04:41 PM

After years I become sure this is the best of 3 fixes, even with the reload variation. Only the h.sie original fix is so bad that could be compared to stock (well his masterpiece should have errors as a persian tapiz).

But i find something I didn't notice until using weathermeter... Have winds between 6-9 m/s is harder, as a fast view, low winds is 30% chance, high winds 50% but I'm sure 6-9 m/s is no much than 20%.

I know game model way up to much than 15m/s . Since a time I believe the issue is linked to the higher value in winds and maybe a minor maximum should fix it in some point for playability (no for simulation).

Subtype Zero

01-01-21, 01:14 PM

Fifi

01-01-21, 01:55 PM

WOW!!

After being away for several years, I come back and discover that Stiebler has apparently solved the persistent weather bug(s) that have plagued SH3 since it was released. This is a fantastic effort and I am very pleased that the weather has finally been repaired. I only regret that I was unaware of the fix when it was released over four years ago!

Although I am very eager to install the mod to see how it actually works, are there any issues installing it before or after other mods (other than NYGM or other super mods, and Hsie's hard-code fixes)?

Again, great job Stiebler and thanks!

Be aware that if you use this EnvSim.act, you must deactivate Hsie bad weather fix...otherwise your Hsie Night Vision fix will not work (it’s mentioned in Stiebler documentation)
Not a big deal, as this EnvSim.act replace the bad weather fix code.

Perso, i prefer the EnvSim.act dated 2012 coupled with Hsie Bad Weather Fix (and Night Vision fix). Because you can adjust to your liking the Bad Weather fix duration in the Hsie.ini file.

:Kaleun_Salute:

John Pancoast

01-01-21, 02:38 PM

WOW!!

After being away for several years, I come back and discover that Stiebler has apparently solved the persistent weather bug(s) that have plagued SH3 since it was released. This is a fantastic effort and I am very pleased that the weather has finally been repaired. I only regret that I was unaware of the fix when it was released over four years ago!

Although I am very eager to install the mod to see how it actually works, are there any issues installing it before or after other mods (other than NYGM or other super mods, and Hsie's hard-code fixes)?

Again, great job Stiebler and thanks!

No issues installing it after other mods though if you want to be sure it is used, install it after both H.sie's and Stiebler's patches as both of them have their own envsim file already.

John Pancoast

01-01-21, 03:10 PM

Be aware that if you use this EnvSim.act, you must deactivate Hsie bad weather fix...otherwise your Hsie Night Vision fix will not work (it’s mentioned in Stiebler documentation)
Not a big deal, as this EnvSim.act replace the bad weather fix code.

Perso, i prefer the EnvSim.act dated 2012 coupled with Hsie Bad Weather Fix (and Night Vision fix). Because you can adjust to your liking the Bad Weather fix duration in the Hsie.ini file.

:Kaleun_Salute:

FiFi, if you're meaning Stiebler's envsim10 file I see no mention of having to not use H.sie's bad weather fix because otherwise NV won't work in it's readme.
My understanding was one wouldn't use H.sie's bad weather fix if using Stiebler's envsim10 file was simply because you'd have two weather files trying to do the same thing then. Both files are coded for the NV fix iirc.
Is the info. you mention found elsewhere ?

Fifi

01-01-21, 05:14 PM

FiFi, if you're meaning Stiebler's envsim10 file I see no mention of having to not use H.sie's bad weather fix because otherwise NV won't work in it's readme.
My understanding was one wouldn't use H.sie's bad weather fix if using Stiebler's envsim10 file was simply because you'd have two weather files trying to do the same thing then. Both files are coded for the NV fix iirc.
Is the info. you mention found elsewhere ?

EnvSim.act dated 2016 (i believe it’s the present one you call 10) do not work with Hsie Bad Weather fix without breaking Night Vision fix...we tried it in Onealex, and activating BWF, the NVF do not work. Deactivating BWF, the NVF works!

John Pancoast

01-01-21, 06:11 PM

EnvSim.act dated 2016 (i believe it’s the present one you call 10) do not work with Hsie Bad Weather fix without breaking Night Vision fix...we tried it in Onealex, and activating BWF, the NVF do not work. Deactivating BWF, the NVF works!

Ah, might be something particular to Onealex mod then as I believe the BWF is a strictly weather related code.

Subtype Zero

01-02-21, 10:16 PM

Thanks all for the help and advice!

Be aware that if you use this EnvSim.act, you must deactivate Hsie bad weather fix...otherwise your Hsie Night Vision fix will not work (it’s mentioned in Stiebler documentation)
Not a big deal, as this EnvSim.act replace the bad weather fix code.

Perso, i prefer the EnvSim.act dated 2012 coupled with Hsie Bad Weather Fix (and Night Vision fix). Because you can adjust to your liking the Bad Weather fix duration in the Hsie.ini file.

:Kaleun_Salute:
I think I saw that somewhere either in the NYGM thread or in the documentation.

EnvSim.act dated 2016 (i believe it’s the present one you call 10) do not work with Hsie Bad Weather fix without breaking Night Vision fix...we tried it in Onealex, and activating BWF, the NVF do not work. Deactivating BWF, the NVF works!

Ah, might be something particular to Onealex mod then as I believe the BWF is a strictly weather related code.
I bet the problem is that both the Night Vision Fix and the BWF replaces the entire EnvSim.act file instead of just individual variables within the file. Someone with more sophisticated hex editing skills than me could probably combine the two files into one that would work.

Looks like I will at some point test both Fifi's and John's approach and see which I like best, but before that, I have to do a lot more loading of other mods and testing to make sure I have a stable setup. So far so good!

Fifi

01-03-21, 01:46 AM

Thanks all for the help and advice!

I think I saw that somewhere either in the NYGM thread or in the documentation.

I bet the problem is that both the Night Vision Fix and the BWF replaces the entire EnvSim.act file instead of just individual variables within the file. Someone with more sophisticated hex editing skills than me could probably combine the two files into one that would work.

Looks like I will at some point test both Fifi's and John's approach and see which I like best, but before that, I have to do a lot more loading of other mods and testing to make sure I have a stable setup. So far so good!

Exactly, there are 2 approaches for weather changes:
- One with this EnvSim.act dated 2016 & no bad weather fix in Hsie (to keep working the night vision fix)
- One with the EnvSim.act dated 2012 & bad weather fix in Hsie

Both are fixing the long storms bug, and both have plenty weather changes…
But I find the first one too brutal in the changes, very often jumping from zero to 15ms and inverse, without transitions as in real.
I prefer the second one, giving some transitions (sometimes just of few hours) before big changes in sea state, simulating sea slowly raising or decreasing …
Furthermore second one can have longer medium sea states, that I prefer.

Also there are some more important settings to be done inside the scene.dat suitable for nice weather changes.

:Kaleun_Salute:

John Pancoast

01-03-21, 03:10 AM

Thanks all for the help and advice!

I think I saw that somewhere either in the NYGM thread or in the documentation.

I bet the problem is that both the Night Vision Fix and the BWF replaces the entire EnvSim.act file instead of just individual variables within the file. Someone with more sophisticated hex editing skills than me could probably combine the two files into one that would work.

Looks like I will at some point test both Fifi's and John's approach and see which I like best, but before that, I have to do a lot more loading of other mods and testing to make sure I have a stable setup. So far so good!

The only two (that I know of) envsim files that will work with the NVF are H.sie's 2012 files included in his patch and Stiebler's envsim10 file version that is stated in it's read me to use with H.sie's patch.
To my understanding there is code in these files that enable the NVF to work per H.sie's method of having the NVF work (fog wall).
There is also an older envsim file in Stiebler's patch that probably is also coded for the NVF as it was made around the same time; I just have never tried it so don't know.
I've also not seen any documentation from either H.sie or Stiebler stating that using H.sie's BWF with Stiebler's file messes up the NVF but as I said earlier, there is no reason to select it anyway if using Stiebler's if for no other reason than a person would be using two weather fixes at the same time if so.
Here is a thread I dug up from long ago regarding the code of the files. Link is at post #6. https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=247531

Subtype Zero

01-03-21, 10:39 AM

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Back in 2008, I helped Stiebler in some of his earlier attempts to fix the weather (I believe I was the one who discovered the bug where loading a save resets the weather timer), but obviously a lot has changed since then!

John Pancoast

01-03-21, 10:54 AM

pegasusairandspace

03-13-21, 10:26 AM

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new here and I'm desperate to improve the weather because I'm getting the same clear conditions all the time. I click on the link on page 1 and all it does is bring me back where I started on page 1. Where is the working link that actually downloads it?

Thank you.

pegasusairandspace

03-13-21, 10:32 AM

Hi again. This must be the shortest gap between messages I've ever sent but I've solved it. If you find it won't download, simply highlight the link and paste it into a new tab. That seems to do the trick. I'll test this at some point. Sounds promising.:Kaleun_Salute: Heil und sieg, und fetter beute!

Dostie

05-24-21, 12:28 AM

Installed weather patch and it works great! I also had to highlight and paste the link to get it to work. A big thanks to all you modders and any of the folks that help guys like me out, you rock!

Fifi

10-09-24, 12:20 AM

Sorry to dig up this old thread, but to let you know this EnvSim.act (certainly the best out there) has a bad side effect on sea state of Bergen harbor at mission start…waves are always 7 m/s instead of less than 6 m/s like in others harbors.

Have provided a fix for this 11th Flotilla (you have to take the EnvSim.act dated 24/11/2011 of NYGM3_6F, and put it in SH3 Commander flotilla 906 folder… that’s it… when you will start 11th flotilla career, sea state at start will be correct, and you will still enjoy the Stiebler EnvSim.act)

:Kaleun_Salute:

JohnCarterOfMars

11-19-24, 05:00 AM

I'm glad that you revived this thread, because I was going to if you hadn't.

I posted in the SH-3 Night Surface Attack Project thread that the Stiebler Weather Fix option was causing my Watch Officer to spot ships as far away as 14Km, which seemed excessively far away to me -- especially if the horizon is about 7.5Km away.

By comparison, I switched over to the H.sie weather fix and reloaded my saved game, and my Watchman didn't spot the merchant until I was 5.5Km from it.

So, I uninstalled the Moon Mod from the Surface Attack Project and came here to run the Stiebler EnvSim.act unaltered. It, too, is sighting ships at a 14K distance, so the issue is not in the Moon Mod.

So my question to this thread is: Is it correct to spot ships at a distance of 14Km? Is that realistic?

If not, is this a bug in the Stiebler EnvSim.act? What should I be expecting as a reasonable distance to spot ships?

Thanks to any who reply.

astvitaliy1982

11-19-24, 07:28 AM

The horizon line on a flat surface is located at a distance of about 5 km from a person. If you climb to a height of 10 m, the horizon line will be approximately 11 km away. The higher you are, the higher the horizon.

The range of the visible horizon at sea is measured in miles and is determined by the formula: De = 2.08√e, where: De is the range of the visible horizon, m; e is the height of the observer's eye, m (meter). To get the result in kilometers: Db = 3.85√E.

John Pancoast

11-20-24, 08:15 AM

JohnCarterOfMars

11-20-24, 11:20 AM

There are many variables in the game that affect spotting distance and I highly doubt Stiebler's envsim.act file is responsible for any problems with it.

Thanks for your answer.

Basically, my question is whether or not spotting a merchant at 14Km is a problem? I'm looking for a simple yes or no answer.

Dieselglock

11-20-24, 11:59 AM

Thanks for your answer.

Basically, my question is whether or not spotting a merchant at 14Km is a problem? I'm looking for a simple yes or no answer.

So an average height crew member's eye level standing on the conning tower deck of a Type 7 would be able to see a 20m tall funnel at around 18km in clear conditions so 14km would be visible.

John Pancoast

11-20-24, 06:23 PM

Thanks for your answer.

Basically, my question is whether or not spotting a merchant at 14Km is a problem? I'm looking for a simple yes or no answer.

Don't forget the ship itself isn't necessarily spotted. But the smoke it puts out is. And 14km isn't that far in reality; just 8 plus miles is all. On water, that is nothing. Hell, on treeless more or less level land it's not anything either.
So, no it's not a problem.

stork100

11-20-24, 07:48 PM

Basically, my question is whether or not spotting a merchant at 14Km is a problem?

If it's at night, then yes it's a problem. I've had the same trouble as you with using the Moon mod + the Stiebler envsim provided. In the worst case my crew could spot ships at 20km on a clear night, using MEP environment mod - usual would be about 8km. Tried checking and unchecking the weather fix in the options selector with no change. H.sie envsim works fine with Moon mod.

Seems to be the Night Vision fix that is somehow being compromised. It seems it doesn't want to play by the rules now for some reason if using the Moon mod + Stiebler envsim. With the Night Vision fix working properly most megamods/environments should have ships spotted around 6-8km on clear nights. That's all I know for now. You are not alone! :D

rik007

11-21-24, 01:04 AM

It should be unrelated as the moon mod affects the visuals of the enemy (sim.cfg as to spreak) and not the crew (sensors.cfg as to speak)....

And I hereby confirm JohnCarterOfMars's observation:

Original: 12 km
Hsie + Night vision fix: 6 km
Stiebler patched with moon mod: 12 km
Stiebler unpatched: 12 km

I used Stiebler's EnvSimAct_10 version from 26-3-2016 15:39. Which I think is the latest version.

Hsie's Night Vision fix is implemented in EnvSim.act. When you activate Stiebler's patch the Night Vision Fix of Hsie's does not work anymore. The reason: I went in with the debugger and found out that Hsie's Night Vision fix was never implemented in Stiebler's EnvSim.act.

So if you want the Night vision fix you should not use Stiebler's wheather fix....

:Kaleun_Salute:

JohnCarterOfMars

11-21-24, 02:17 AM

If it's at night, then yes it's a problem. I've had the same trouble as you with using the Moon mod + the Stiebler envsim provided. In the worst case my crew could spot ships at 20km on a clear night, using MEP environment mod - usual would be about 8km. Tried checking and unchecking the weather fix in the options selector with no change. H.sie envsim works fine with Moon mod.

Seems to be the Night Vision fix that is somehow being compromised. It seems it doesn't want to play by the rules now for some reason if using the Moon mod + Stiebler envsim. With the Night Vision fix working properly most megamods/environments should have ships spotted around 6-8km on clear nights. That's all I know for now. You are not alone! :D

Thank you for saying this.

However, disabling the Moon Mod, restoring the unpatched SH3.exe, and playing with the Stiebler EnvSim.act from post #1 of this thread is also giving me the 14Km sighting at night, so I really don't think it's the Moon Mod that is doing it.

And I also got a 5.5Km sighting with the H.sie EnvSim.act and the Moon Mod, so I concur that it seems to be giving the appropriate sighting behavior.

I think it's this mod that that's doing it, and the Moon Mod inherited the behavior.

rik007

11-21-24, 02:52 AM

The results of my analysis is in: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2933655&postcount=85

It has nothing to do with the moon mod as it is a flaw in Stiebler's EnvSim.act

Fifi

11-21-24, 04:05 AM

The results of my analysis is in: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2933655&postcount=85

It has nothing to do with the moon mod as it is a flaw in Stiebler's EnvSim.act

If I may… the latest Stiebler Env.act IS working with the Hsie night vision fix (here on my installation) :yep:
Just make sure you have also the Hsie.act correctly placed in main folder (absolutely necessary to make the night vision to work)
With latest Stiebler Env.act (2016) my night vision by clear weather is around 6km (depending what settings are in Hsie.ini)

:Kaleun_Salute:

rik007

11-21-24, 04:24 AM

Hi Fifi, sure in the main folder. With NYGM you get the Hsie version of the EnvSim.act which is working correctly. So no issues at all.

Do you have the Stiebler's EnvSim.act including the Hsie night vision fix? That is the Missing In Action.

Fifi

11-21-24, 04:55 AM

Do you have the Stiebler's EnvSim.act including the Hsie night vision fix? That is the Missing In Action.

That i don't know... i don't open act files...and don't have ex editor.

:Kaleun_Salute:

rik007

11-21-24, 05:08 AM

That i don't know... i don't open act files...and don't have ex editor.

:Kaleun_Salute:

But I do :)

Actually it is very confusing. I use the EnvSimAct_10 versions which you use in NYGM. You use the Hsie version which works as it should and has of course all the fixes. The Stiebler's version which comes with EnvSimAct_10 does not have the hsie Night vision fixes.

I will check it further if I have more time.... maybe I can create the missing one or maybe we overlooked something. That's all in the game!

The best way forward is to use Hsie's wheather fix which is out-of-the box working in your mod as well as in OneAlex.....

:Kaleun_Salute:

Fifi

11-21-24, 06:22 AM

Instead of EnvSim.act 2016, you could try the Stiebler EnvSim.act dated 24/11/2011 10h03… findable in one of the NYGM mod (NYGM3_6F)

I am using it via Commander/flotilla 906 to give Bergen correct sea state at start (otherwise with sim act 2016 the sea state is too high)

It is still a good EnvAct, but different of the 2016 one…

:Kaleun_Salute:

rik007

11-21-24, 06:35 AM

Fifi

11-21-24, 09:02 AM

Thank you Fifi! So your preference is the 2011 version to include the Bergen sea correction, right?

No, I only use the 2011 version for Bergen career (flotilla 906), others flotillas are using the last 2016 version :03:

If I knew how to do it, I would have opened & adapted the last 2016 version for same Bergen sea state as in 2011 version :yep:

:Kaleun_Salute:

Hooston

11-21-24, 09:11 AM

The distance to the horizon is explained well by wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon. In practice refraction will increase this slightly as explained in the article and obviously haze will decrease it. To summarise:

d=sqrt(2hR) where h is the observer height and R is the radius of the Earth, 6371000m.

Horizon distance for your uboat man with an eye height of 5m is therefore 7982m. Is this driving the design of the original game? However, to get the visibility distance to an object you add the observer's horizon to the target horizon, so in ideal conditions:

you should see the top of a 30m mast at 7982+19551=27533m
If you are looking for a 100m funnel smoke plume then you get around 44km.
Similarly, a spotter 30m up in a battleship will see a 40m mast at 42km.

Best conditions daylight reporting in my old "16km" SH3 is around 14km. I'm not sure when objects spawn into the game - is it 32km?. The daylight distances are much too short. This is frustrating as it makes following a convoy in most weather conditions much harder than it should be.

At night you should be getting a blend from approaching daylight to roughly zero depending on conditions and crew equipment/training. For example:

The Italian cruisers at Matapan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Matapan) failed to spot battleships at 3500m.
At the battle of Savo island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Savo_Island) US destroyers were detected visually by the Japanese on different occasions at 16km, 9km and 12.5km; but USS Blue failed to spot cruisers about 2000m away!
Early war uboats were regularly getting to a few hundred metres from merchants without being detected.

So I think you have the typical modder's problem of trying to fix something fundamentally broken. I suggest:

Maximum visibility in full moon no better than daylight (assuming you cannot fix the daylight model!), that's around 14km for me and seems OK.
Make the best case uboat AI's ability compatible with the player's with a monitor and graphics setup to standard gamma in a room with artificial light.
The merchants should be VERY bad and the warships almost as bad unless at action stations (or centimetric radar equipped)
I find the game much more exciting when I can only see about 1km. Is this a good "no moon but clear" number for uboats spotting merchants?
The absolute figures are less important than the balance between uboat and ship spotting. Maybe scale the uboat vs ship visibility in line with relative size including an allowance for the size of the wake?

rik007

11-21-24, 10:11 AM

No, I only use the 2011 version for Bergen career (flotilla 906), others flotillas are using the last 2016 version :03:

If I knew how to do it, I would have opened & adapted the last 2016 version for same Bergen sea state as in 2011 version :yep:

:Kaleun_Salute:

Yeah.... I was already on it. The first attempt was a hard crash to destop :). What I'm doing is to copy Hsie's Night Vision into the Stiebler envsim.act.

I can learn you how to do it ... the first step is to install x32dbg (https://x64dbg.com/) and then open sh3.exe.... I'm affraid the stream of NYGM will then stop for quite a while.... :haha:

rik007

11-21-24, 11:24 AM

Well as for Hooston .... :

I have no time nor intention to make work of your requirements :)

rik007

11-26-24, 03:32 PM

Hi all,

If somebody is interested in the original V10 Stiebler Wheather fix including Hsie's Night vision mod: I merged them so here you are:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/r2mdx20mbxsizg3/Stiebler_V10_including_Hsie_Night_Vision_mod_%2528 vampire_night_fix%2529.zip/file

It is not compatible with the Night Surface attack as this is the original Stiebler + original Hsie Night Vision fix.....

Regards,

Rik

JohnCarterOfMars

12-01-24, 03:25 PM

I have a few quick question for the group:

Since this fix was posted in 2016 and predates the OneAlex variant, what is the proper setting to make the Stiebler Weather Fix work?

In post #1, two methods are mentioned:

#1 says that if you aren't using the H.sie "hardware" fix, you can simply swap the EnvSim.act files without turning off the H.sie weather fix in the patch options.

#2 says that if you ARE using the "hardware fix," then you have to turn OFF the H.sie weather fix in the patch options and use the alternative EnvSim.act file.

I read elsewhere that the "hardware fix" is the 4Gb mod, which has a checkbox in the H.sie patch options. Is this true? I know this is turned on in the OneAlex variant, and is also necessary for Windows 10/11.

Does that mean that I MUST turn OFF the H.sie Weather Fix patch option in order to properly use this with OneAlex?

I'm also curious because I'm using Rik007's Moon Mod, and the instructions in his mod for using the Stiebler weather fix is to leave the H.sie Weather Fix patch option ON.

What does keeping the H.sie Weather Fix option ON do with the Stiebler EnvSim.act? Are both weather fixes working side-by-side or does this Stiebler recode leverage some of the H.Sie weather code in the exe and override the bugs in the act file?

On the other hand, if the 4Gb option IS the hardware fix, my question to Rik007 is: which version of the EnvSim.act did you use as the basis for the Moon Mod, the EnvSim.act or the EnvSim_HsieFix.acx, and what SHOULD it be?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

John Pancoast

12-01-24, 11:03 PM

JohnCarterOfMars

12-02-24, 12:04 AM

it was always use only one or the other and if using Stiebler's file, uncheck the H.sie weather fix in the patch options.

Thanks for the reply, John.

Can you tell me what Steibler meant by "H.sie's famous hardware fix for SH3" in his post #1 instructions? I don't know if I'm using it or not. I'm using the OneAlex edition of the GWX mod.

Regards,
Also John

John Pancoast

12-02-24, 01:39 AM

Thanks for the reply, John.

Can you tell me what Steibler meant by "H.sie's famous hardware fix for SH3" in his post #1 instructions? I don't know if I'm using it or not. I'm using the OneAlex edition of the GWX mod.

Regards,
Also John

I don't know what the OneAlex mod does for weather but if the weather fix is checked in the patch options, then it uses H.sie's. Normally, a player could choose one or the other envsim.act file to use based on which they preferred, regardless of any supermods, etc.
Without looking at the OneAlex mod, I assume the same applies to it so if the weather fix is checked, it uses H.sie's .act file and .exe file weather work. I also don't know if H.sie's patches are already applied in the OneAlex mod but if you don't have to install it yourself to use them as used to have to be done and the patch option menu is included in the mod, then it is applied. In such case, then yes, you are already using H.sie's hardcode fix in the mod.

"H.sie's famous hardware fix" is probably more accidently misnamed than anything else. Stiebler more likely meant H.sie's famous hardcode fix, which pertains to the .exe editing H.sie did for the various fixes/patches of his.
Both of them worked on the envsim.act files to create weather changes, etc. as they saw fit. H.sie's also used .exe working together with his .act work for the weather work he did.

In a nutshell, both .act files in Stiebler's weather 10 patch are his work, but he gave them separate names based on what kind of install the player has.
I.e., what Stiebler's instructions are saying is that if you are not using H.sie's patch mod, use the enclosed envsim.act file in his weather patch if you want to use Stiebler's work, but if you are using H.sie's patch mod then do the mentioned file renaming and use the EnvSim_HsieFix.acx instead. In this case, you also turn off H.sie's weather option in the patch menu as you would be using Stiebler's weather file instead.
In other words, the weather patch option in H.sie's patch option menu is to turn on/off his .exe weather work. The .act file is completely separate from that, but as said above, H.sie used BOTH the .exe work AND his .act file for his weather work. Hence the patch on/off menu option.

ALL of Stiebler's weather work is in his .act file, not in the .exe and .act file both like H.sie's, so the patch option menu isn't needed for his file.

JohnCarterOfMars

12-02-24, 07:39 AM

Thanks, John. This is different than the instructions that Rik007 gives to use his Moon Mod with the Steibler Weather fix. I'll take that discussion back to his thread.

John Pancoast

12-02-24, 08:12 AM

Good idea, rik probably did some work on the file so his instructions are probably correct with the moon mod but he'll let you know for sure.

rik007

12-02-24, 02:22 PM

Most of the time I used Hsie wheather fix for testing.

As for the optionsselector and envsim.act I followed Stiebler's instructions in the readme:

... 2. If you ARE using H.sie's hardware fix.
You will need to activate the correct EnvSim file as follows:
a) Use the Options Selector provided with the H.sie V16B1 package to switch OFF H.sie's Bad Weather Fix in your SH3.exe file. Place your newly created SH3.exe file in this folder (EnvSimAct_10), where you can see the two envsim files mentioned above.
b) Rename EnvSim.act to EnvSim.acx (this means it will not be recognised by Silent Hunter III.).
c) Rename EnvSim_HsieFix.acx to EnvSim.act
d) Activate the package with JSGME as mentioned in (1). Alternatively, copy across both the new EnvSim.act file and your new SH3.exe into your folder \Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\, where it will replace the original version.

So John P. is almost correct .... :hmmm:

I must say after re-reading Stiebler's readme again he is not clear what to do with the optionsselector when enabling his wheather fix. I assumed it should be the opposite of disabeling the wheather fix so it should be on accordingly.

So maybe I was almost correct on documenting that the switch should be on when using Stiebler's ... :)

John Pancoast

12-02-24, 03:22 PM

Most of the time I used Hsie wheather fix for testing.

As for the optionsselector and envsim.act I followed Stiebler's instructions in the readme:

So John P. is almost correct .... :hmmm:

I must say after re-reading Stiebler's readme again he is not clear what to do with the optionsselector when enabling his wheather fix. I assumed it should be the opposite of disabeling the wheather fix so it should be on accordingly.

So maybe I was almost correct on documenting that the switch should be on when using Stiebler's ... :)

The weather fix in the option selector should always be off when using Stiebler's weather file. That selection only works with H.sie's weather file. Line 2a in the instructions of Stiebler's weather file.

To sum up ........... again:

1. If you use H.sie's weather file, the weather fix must be ON in the option selector.
2. If you use any other weather file, stock, Stiebler's, whatever, the weather fix must be OFF in the selector.

rik007

12-02-24, 03:46 PM

Ok, but then the readme provided with V10 is incorrect, right?

rik007

12-02-24, 04:28 PM

And that seems to be the case... I located the code and if I checked it and I concluded that John P is correct:

https://i.ibb.co/8DG3wTD/Hsie-s-wheather-fix.jpg (https://ibb.co/jvqKYBv)

The above code is Hsie's wheather fix. As you see: once the option stored in address 0x0063CF15 is unequal to 0xFF it will skip Hsie's code.

Stiebler's V10 documentation is then incorrect, it should be to activate Hsie's:

a) Use the Options Selector provided with the H.sie V16B1 package to switch ON H.sie's Bad Weather Fix in your SH3.exe file. Place your newly created SH3.exe file in this folder (EnvSimAct_10), where you can see the two envsim files mentioned above.

.... and as I followed his documentation mine is incorrect as well.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I will change the documentation and remove the options part from it.

For the moon mod it doesnot matter if you use Stiebler's or Hsie's. It only needs to know the wheather type and the amount of rain. The only issue is that I needed to provide 2 versions to make it work. As for the options: I deliberately included a patcher instead of an executable (which helds the options). In this way the options as configured remained untouched.

Most mega mods by the way have the wheather option OFF and provide the Hsie's envsim.act. You can easily recognize Hsie's as it is bigger (148K) compared to Stiebler's (144k). HSie ran out of code space and had to enlarge the envsim.act.