Ah and i thought it was just me who kept getting a range of 2000m or 500m from the stadimeter.:88)

Yeah I agree with the premise of this thread. There's something nutty with the stadimeter. Also I'm uncertain sometimes if I'm supposed to measure to the top of the ship flag, or slightly below that at the mast, or below that at the chimney.

I have done something, waiting for the patch (I hope there will be a fix for that! :06:)

I often see the same ships (petrolier Cimarron, Liberty ship...) so I have done on a paper a little drawing of each ship silhouette I have seen I have noticed the correct point to make my statement by comparing my stadimeter statements with the data I have found with the ruler on the map. Now I know where to move the stadimeter to have good results.

Waiting for better... :-?

okay found a dial that might help with this: DIAL_TGT_RANGE

Something I'm going to try: I'll see if I add this dial if it will tell me the exact range to the target. If it does then people can figure out how to use the stadimeter for each ship to see if it's really messed up or what's the problem.

first off apologies for such large screen shot but I needed you all to see details:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...rider/stad.jpg

I added another dial, DIAL_TGT_RANGE, which uses the SH4 style TDC dial. I measured the distance from my ship to the other ship using the ruler - distance was 700m. I clicked on the XOs use stadimeter - immediately it was saying distance was 500m.....I checked the new dial and it wasn't registering, yet. So I used the stadimeter - the top distance dial did not move while I was moving the stadimeter. The new distance dial moved in real time to show me the distance - and it was showing the incorrect distance. Once I aligned the images and clicked the mouse button the top distance showed around 500 (incorrect) and the bottom showed around 700m (correct - it snapped from around 500 to 700). I used the tallest mast for height on the ship (which was the very front one). I did not have manual control enabled when I did this (autoupdate was on)

SH3 style TDC distance dial:
[Dial13]
; will be changed by code
Name=Sol_Range
Type=26; DIAL_SOL_RANGE
Cmd=Set_TDC_target_range
Dial=0x3B0E00FF
CrtVal=0x3B0E0001
NewVal=0x0
DialVal=0,330
RealVal=300,10000; meters
CmdOnDrag=Yes
RelativeDrag=Yes
Circular=Yes
Logarithmic=30
SndStep=100
SndList=1,Menu.TDC.Range,10000


New dial added:
[Dial75]
; will be changed by code
Name=TorpedoSolution_Temporary_Range
Type=68; DIAL_TGT_RANGE
;Cmd=Set_tgt_sel_value;
Dial=0x3B1A0001
CrtVal=0x3B1A0003
NewVal=0x0
DialVal=10,0
RealVal=11000,220; range
Circular=Yes
;CmdOnDrag=Yes
Logarithmic=-0.98;51.0
;RelativeDrag=Yes
;SndStep=5
;SndList=1,Menu.TDC.AngleOnBow,360

now I wonder if because this is a 'Temporary range' if this is why? Maybe it has to be sent to TDC (like SH3/4 notepad)

So is it just a matter not knowing which mast/funnel the "mast height" relates to or are some of these mast values just wrong?

I'm not in a position to check for the next 12 hours or so but couldn't we just work out the length/mast height ratio using Reaper7's enhanced recognition manual and from there work out which object the "mast height" refers to?

Using the Pengiun Auxiliary in his first post seems to work out pretty well..on paper at least.

Link to his thread

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=164855

Um, you're using the UZO which does not have a stadimeter. Yes, I know it does in the game but it's just a pair of binoculars in real life. The zoom level is different than the attack periscope so maybe the zoom difference is giving you an error in angular size? Also, real life the observation periscope didn't have a stadimeter either.

Interesting theory.. I will have to test this when I get home from work today.
Could be that the stadimeter works erroneously in UZO and Obs. Periscope.

If it's not the case, then we need to bring fresh ideas to this. Stadimeter should work on the tallest object of the ship. And AFAIK that would be the top of the flag on the tallest mast.

btw. TheDarkWraith:
Would you know if it's possible to get a fine-tuning hotkey for dials? In one of the previous games, we could hold a button (shift or ctrl?) and rotating the dial would be done much more slowly. This fine tuning is important, because you need the most precise measurements when calculating long range torpedo solutions. It seems too fickle at the moment.

Holding control down still works as a fine tuning key, at least that's what I've found... I'm using the new UI from darkwraith for the record.

Any chance you could PM me a scan of your findings for stadimeter points. I could include the markings into the Ship Recognition Manual Mod.
:up:.

Is there a easy way to find what points the stadimeter is taking its reading from for each ship. Or would manualy creating a user mission and placing an indivdual stationery ship at say 1000m and using the stadimeter to find at what point it reads 1000m's be the easiest method.

i have done alot of tests using only the attack periscope with stationary ships in harbors, what i have found that works as a good rule of thumb..

destroyers and escort ships ALWAYS the tippy top of the mast

Large warships and large troopships BB carrier ect, top of the superstructure..not the funnel,

most merchants and medium sized tranportships, top of the funnel

tankers.. don't know yet

I THINK i know the reasons behind the discrepancies... some ships have destructible objects on them.. actually most ships do... it appears these destructible objects are ignored by the stadimeter and not counted as part of the ship, interstingly some masts are destructible some arnt, same with smokestacks, so if you think the object your mesasuring you have seen flying off a boat when it explodes, dont use it.. hint WATCH BOATS when they blow up watch the objects flying off

I just had an idea. Now that we have an accurate recognition manual

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=164855

could we not just bypass the buggy stadimeter and estimate range directly from the scope. The SH5 scope does not have them, but real scopes had vertical and horizontal marks presumably for that purpose, i.e.:

http://www.wreckhunter.net/images/uboat-periscope2.jpg

yes, its from Das Boot, but I could not find a shot of a real one. All we would need would be a periscope mod with proper marks and someone to work out the math.

This way, for example, once you know warship X has a mast height of 100 feet and is 2 marks "tall" in the scope, it is at about 1,500 meters.

I presume this is how the real sub skippers estimated the range to target.

Well that would certainly be more precise than the game's current stadimeter. And it would make it even more realistic for those of us who play 100% realism.

At the moment, I actually wish I had enabled Map Contact updates in realism settings. But it's too late once you start a campaign.. :down:

You can change the realism settings after each patrol. Just hit ESC while in the sub pen and choose Gameplay.

According with your post, it would be the better and surely the most simply mean to use actual stadimeter.

I have done this little drawing (as I said) but there is not enough ship to be useful for a good mod... and my drawing would be improve (it was a personal use!... :oops::O:)

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...o/02b54cbd.jpg

If I make a complete statement of all of ship, are you really interesting by making a recognition manual mod ? It would be nice...:yeah:

PS : (in French: "AV" means "Front", for front of the boat)