visibility mod RUB/Beery-water compatible updated

[Gammel]

if anyone is interested...
the readme

This is a combination of the increased
visibility mod by manuel Ortega and the
Beery water mod 1.44 made by Beery.
The .tga file files from Beery water mod
were imported to the .dat files of Manuels mod.
So you have increased visibility and no ugly shiny water ;)
All credits go to Manuel Ortega and Beery, i only modified their work.

Update: i did a modification to the 3 skycolor.dat files. The night sky is now a little lesser colorful and a bit darker than the original by Beery.
The modification is not well tested so be warned! ;)
Would be great if someone using this mod would post some feedback.



Also i added the modified sensors.dat by Jungman for liminting max spotting range to 16km
and a slightly modified sensors.cfg. You can safely leave out that file, the modification is marginal. I tried to lower the night spotting ability a little. Use it if you like to try out, or make tests for yourself with that file.
I´ve changed 2 values:
visual light factor
visual range factor
higher values means lesser ability for your crew to spot a target. A range factor above 2 should be to much...

greetings
Gammel

[Rubini]

Thanks Gammel! :up:

This mod also works on non RUB installation?

Rubini.

[squeak]

any screenshot ?

[Gammel]

should work fine, but the sensors.dat file changed by jungman is the RUB1.43 one.
You should better leave it out, i guess. It´s not essential for the increased visibility and the new water and skycolors.
Same for the sensors.cfg file.

btw great work on the new harbour traffic mod!!! :up:


edit: if you don´t like the murky underwater view from Beery´s water mod you ´d use the scene.dat file from the original visibility mod by M. Ortega. The file is essential for the incresed visibility, as the 3 skycolors.dat file in the Env folder are!

[BladeHeart]

Looks like a good mod, but will have to wait until it is available by U-boat realsimualtion. :up:

Rapidshare does not like my ISP. :roll:

Cheers :)
:lurk:

[Gammel]

@squeak,
i tried a screenshot, but my problem is the gamma on the screenshots is not the same as ingame. So i had to manipulate the image with a graphics software, or you ´d see just a black mass.
here´s one, not perfect, ingame looks better.
http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/847/vis4ez.jpg
if you´ve used beery´s water 1.44 before, you´ll notice the sky is a little darker and less colorful.

@Bladehard:
i can send it to you by email, if you like. just pm me.

[Gammel]

i just removed the sensors.dat file from the mod.
I had strange results when using it (could not lock on targets any more, much to late spottings)

Here is a new link, nothing changed, exept the sensors.dat file isn´t in any more.

http://rapidshare.de/files/5304321/Vis_mod_RUB_compatible_new.rar.html

[kriller2]

Nice work Gammel!, I will try it out and report back soon :know: I have been using the old visibility mod 0.9?, but I deleted the env.dat file before installing because I want to see my torpedos hit the allies.

[rulle34]

i just removed the sensors.dat file from the mod.
I had strange results when using it (could not lock on targets any more, much to late spottings)

Here is a new link, nothing changed, exept the sensors.dat file isn´t in any more.

http://rapidshare.de/files/5304321/Vis_mod_RUB_compatible_new.rar.html

Gammel!
What is the visibility range in this version with sensors.dat removed?

[Gammel]

hello rulle34

the sensors.dat file does only affect the spotting ability of your crew, not the players visual range.

I use the one from rub1.43 and my crew is spotting around 19km in good weather at daytime.
Don´t know what the stock game sensors.dat values are, i guess it was ~17.5 km max spotting range.

You (the player) can see the ships up to ~18,5km in good conditions, thats possible due M. Ortegas modifications of the scene.dat and the 3 skycolors.dat files.

[squeak]

Its look nice Gammel , i will try it on my next patrol..

[rulle34]

Thanks Gammel! :up:

[Gammel]

@squeak

no need to be in port when installing that mod.
But backup your existing files!

greetings

[lbhskier37]

Does this mod affect radar or anything? Does radar work to detect things if they are in spotting distance?

[Gammel]

Does this mod affect radar or anything? Does radar work to detect things if they are in spotting distance?

Hello lbhskier37,

if you like to know more about the visibility mod
have a look here (only 18 pages so far :-j )
http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=39588
i did just a little color correction to the .tga files,
for the real stuff you have to ask

-Manuel Ortaga (creator of the visibility mod)
-Beery (creator of the watermod)
and our special guest here.....
-Jungman, who has digged deep into hex-editing several sensor-files.




But i´m pretty sure:
Radar spotting should not be affected by the mod.
I´ve read some postings here about radar in game is not modeled very good and very much useless, but havn´t had a radar equipped sub ingame so far (still in 1940)

[Jungman]

just removed the sensors.dat file from the mod.
I had strange results when using it (could not lock on targets any more, much to late spottings)

Here is a new link, nothing changed, exept the sensors.dat file isn´t in any more.


It makes a huge difference on what Mod you are using it on. It was made using the stock RuB 1.43 Sensors.dat. The crew visual spotting is set for 8 km precise, and 20 km maximum range.

All I did was change the maximum range from 20 km to 16 km per request from Rulle34. It should not affect targeting. Simple change.

...much too late spottings

By modifing the sensors.cfg that 4 km difference can really show up as strange -not spotting- behaviour. It is a careful balance between Sensors.cfg (modifiers) and Sensors.dat (max range) to get a half decent Day and Night time spotting as much as the game allows.

If you want Clear Water you must use the Scene.dat modified by me called that. Ortega's Vis Mod has it set murky, I made one in that thread that puts the clarity back to default.

"lbhskier37 wrote:
Does this mod affect radar or anything? Does radar work to detect things if they are in spotting distance?"

That is a problem. If the target is within the spotting distance visually, you will never get a passive RWR warning. You will get a RWR warning in fog.

Regular active radar on you sub works fine though.

[Gammel]

Thanks very much for your exlainations again, Jungman.

You see, lbhskier37? This is the right person to ask about that sensor stuff. :)

And of course Jungman is right. The scene.dat by M. Ortega has also limited visibility compared to the stock one.


I´ll do further testings with the 16KM sensors.dat, biggest problem was for me that i lost the lock on target after few seconds.
I guess your´re right that file reacts different with altered sensors.cfg settings.

I still believe is just a matter of finding good values for that file to get more realistic detection ranges. Unfortunately there is this strange randomness when your crew spots. Last night they spotted a fishingboat at 19000 m (!)

Anyone knows what the settings in the Sim.cfg file are for? Are they for ai-controlled vessels only?

edit: any comments on the new nightsky color?

Thank you for hosting the mod, terrapin :up:

[Jungman]

biggest problem was for me that i lost the lock on target after few seconds

That is correct. RuB precise range is set for only 8 km. Anything beyond that will not stay 'locked on'.

Similiar to the periscope range precise is only about 5km.

If you want to lock on a target further away, then increase the precise range to a greater number, say 12 km or even 16 km.

Ortega had it set for 17.0 km precise, and 17.5 km maximum.

Default game was 8 km for both settings.


what the settings in the Sim.cfg file are for? Are they for ai-controlled vessels only?

Yes.

[rulle34]

biggest problem was for me that i lost the lock on target after few seconds

That is correct. RuB precise range is set for only 8 km. Anything beyond that will not stay 'locked on'.

Similiar to the periscope range precise is only about 5km.

If you want to lock on a target further away, then increase the precise range to a greater number, say 12 km or even 16 km.

Ortega had it set for 17.0 km precise, and 17.5 km maximum.

Default game was 8 km for both settings.


what the settings in the Sim.cfg file are for? Are they for ai-controlled vessels only?

Yes.

Hello Jungmann!
I now use Ortega's visibility mod, with your clear water scene.dat and Gammels merged Beery water/sky.dat files with the same files in Ortega's visibility mod. I also have this problem with loosing locks at larger distances from periscope view.

I have also sent you a PM Jungmann.

/Rulle

[Jungman]

The UZO and Periscope maximum view range must also be increased too. :know: So it needs more editing.

They are short < 8 km in game default. Else you cannot stay locked.

See other post under "Help for 16 km ". for the new file with longer lock on range.