The original modification (first post) freezes the height indicator at 64 feet. By making some additional changes and enabling both dials, I got both of them to work. The real key was to enable "RelativeDrag" ... otherwise you end up chasing the index pointer around the gauge.

When taking a stadimeter reading, I usually set the pointer at 12 o'clock (top of the gauge) ... for some reason, it gives me a more accurate reading (closer, even, than using an unmodded gauge). For manually inputting a range, I simply rotate the inner dial until the pointer stops rotating ... then continue rotating the inner dial until the correct range is under the pointer.

P.S. Even though the height indicator rotates, I don't think its position is of any consequence. Maybe it helps if you first identify your target, set the mast height manually, then take your stadimeter shot. But I doubt it.

wow! who did salvage this old thread? lol

@Munchausen, thanks for your improvement.
But unfortunately. I feel your improvement makes difficult operation rather than mine,
because two rings move together with one drug.

In my first post discription, the mast height rings goes correct value,
with opening recognition manual , lock the target, and click the button, which have
popup tips "Send mast height to TDC. You must look directly on the target for it to work."

Of course, I dont know other peoples feel like as me...... :P

BTW, this mod(?) has included in my "ini Pack for jimimadrid's JTxE.exe"
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=127076

regards,
sorry for my bad English:oops:

FINALLY i found the bugger that blocked my mouse guidance of the Stadimeter.

It was the very top line of the commands.cfg file that had to few commands enabled. Somehow this screwed up the TDC......:doh:

[Commands]
CommandsNb=600

That one was in my modifications set to 500 clearly not enough when there is 566 commands in the file.....doh

I don't remember the indexer moving at all. I'll check it again when I get back from my current patrol. If it does move (reflecting proper mast height) I'll probably switch back to your original mod.

:yep: Either way, it's better than no mod at all.

It works this way:

1) If you identify the ship via hacking it off in the recognitions book
or.... if you give the order "Identify Target" via the WO

In this mode the marker swings too the value given in the ships cfg file for mastheadheight. No matter what you slide it to afterwards it will take the stadimeter reading from this.

2) If you do NOT identify the ship (aka nothing is present in the top field of the TDC)

In this mode you can slide it to any value you want to and take a stadimeter reading that is calibrated from that height. AKA if you have a ONI-208-J book and thus can make out the Funnel height to say 60 ft. then you put the slider on 60 ft. and take your stadimeter shot at the funnel top. If you want the top of the mast then you slide it to the top of the mast height as given in the ONI..

This (2) is how i use it, as i find it VERY helpfull to be able to use any part of the ship i see fit for the measurement. I allso enjoy paging around in the ONI to identify the ship - on long ranges guestimessing from what i can see. fx. starting out with naming it from Mast Funnel placements like the HARUNA MARU is a MMF-split (Mast Mast Funnel with a split superstructure)

If anyone here is interested i can make a mod (build on top of "JP Ship Dimension Fix1.3") available for use with any SH4 ver. where you have the ONI pages for the merchants in SH4 and ship cfg files with Gross tonnage, height, beam, length and draft from the ONI (and crew amount when possible).

:doh: I'm confused. Isn't the indexer "stuck" at 65' until you lock your target and send its ID to the stadimeter. Afterward, the indexer (supposedly ... I haven't tried it yet) rotates to indicate the proper mast height. Are you saying that you can then (after sending target ID) move the indexer somewhere else (like, for instance, deck or funnel height)? And get a correct range reading when you take a stadimeter shot?

Allmost korrect.

You just DON'T id the target first. You simply just slide the marker to the known height of the object you are checking out, be it a funnel, the top deck, the lower deck or even the captains willi.

The marker is NOT tied to 64 - mine was untill i checked out my commands.cfg file that had an error. That error blocked my marker from being moved with the mouse.

What was the error?

Quoting my self :know:

But of course. I made that same check after I saw your original post. :ahoy:

Hmm
 

I will have to try this.

Setting the range for manual targeting has definately been a PITA for me. Now at least I have a better understanding of this particular phase and the values on the dials.

Considering distance is the most crucial element for the style of calculation I am doing, this should help me greatly.

Thanks,
Mr Sargyano

so is this still needed for stock v1.5? and if so is the editing still the same?

Yes and yes.

I've been using this excellent tweak for longest. :up:

so would this be considered a game "fix" or not?

I'd consider it a fix ... actually, two versions of the same fix. Ottos' original mod works just fine as long as you input mast height (assuming you want an accurate mast height) via the recognition manual check box. The second version gives you the option to manually adjust both target range and mast height.

Personally, I've never found the need to manually adjust mast height. I use the second method only because ... well, you never know when you'll need to manually adjust something.