Problem with 3000 yrd bearing tool
 

I've tried adding the 3000 yrd bearing tool, and I cannot get the distance using the ruler tool to equal the values on the bearing tool.

I have tried the different horizontal resolution versions. I have tried different resolutions in the in-game options. After changing the resolution in the game, I exit to windows and restart the game. I have also changed the windows screen resolution (display properties, settings, resolution.)

I have v 1.5 of the game. I do have the Optical Targeting Correction Mod installed (that's the only other mod I am using), and I use JSGME to install the mods. The 3000 yd bearing tool is installed after OTC. I have only used 4:3 screen aspect ratios, so use the basic version of OTC.

I am not running a campaign yet, and have just tried the mod in the school scenarios and in single missions.

Running some tests I found that it does not appear to make a difference which version of the mod I install. For example if I set the game resolution to 1280x 960 no matter which version of the tool I install, the measuring ruler in the game gives a value of 1500 yrds instead of the 3000 yrds marked on the tool. If I have set 1024 horizontal resolution the ruler shows 1900 yrds instead of the 3000 yrds.

I must be doing something wrong, but can't figure it out. Do I have to uninstall both Mods (the tool and OTC) and then reinstall both at the same time (with OTC first in the list)?

I'd appreciate your help

Thanks
Tom

Thanks, but I don't think that is the problem. My file structure is:

MODS/3000 Yard Bearing Tool (1152x)/Data

Thanks again,
Tom

If the different aspect ratio/screen resolutions were simple in nature, the game would have figured out how to address the various ones available way-back-when. They didn't (mainly because when the game was released in 2007 we didn't even have flat, wide screen monitors available) so, we're left with a wide variety of resolutions/aspect ratios that produce inconsistent renderings of the game. We may be playing the same game but, what one player sees, can easily be different than another.

First off twm, what resolution do you use? You mention you've used a 4:3 screen aspect ratio, you also stated you've used the 1280x960 resolution. You've also stated you've jumped around trying different resolutions. So which resolution/aspect ratio are you using? The reason I need to know which you choose is because this is important for both Optical Targeting Correction and the 3000 Yard Bearing Plotter.

For instance, if you're using the 1280x960 resolution, this resolution has the 4:3 aspect ratio. OK then, your correct to use the basic OTC "main" mod since it corrects the 4:3 aspect ratio. But here's what puzzles me. Why are you using the 3000 Yard Bearing Tool that's for a 1152x resolution? Why not try the "3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1280x)"??

If you use the 1280x960 resolution the correct Bearing Plotter is the 1280x one. Don't expect the 1152x, or any other resolution Bearing Plotter to work with a 1280xwhatever screen resolution.

I notice on the SubSim "Downloads" page for SH4, there is a mod called "3000 Yard Bearing Tool plus Air Contacts.7z". Is this the "tool" you're referring to? I don't know what this mod does and I've never downloaded it to see. The point is you may be using the wrong Bearing Tool/Plotter. Use the "Plotter" mods made by me to give an accurate measurement and pick the correct one to work with the screen resolution you settle upon. :up:

For clarity, you should activate the OTC mod first, before the 3000 Yard Bearing Plotter 1280x.

==========

I'm going to check on my system, but I've got something to test regarding the games "Training Missions". It's something I've wondered about for quite some time. Does the Training Missions take a different "turn" with mods installed? I've heard of other players having results with the training missions that are inconsistent with a Campaign run game. It's been years since I've run a training mission, so I'm wondering if there's something to the mission reacting differently to an added mod, over a campaign game?

At this time I am using the 1152x version. I set my Windows screen resolution to 1152x864 (the 1280 windows resolution was just too small for my eyes for normal use, and I didn't want to keep switching resolution.) I set 1152x864 60hz in the game (but I notice that my windows monitor is set up for 75 hz refresh - does that make sense in the U.S.?) I enabled your 300 Yard Bearing Plotter (1152x) in JSMGE after OTC. Those are the only mods I am using.

The 3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1280x) was the first one I tried. The 3000 yd range circle measured 1500 yards using the ruler. Then I tried the 1152x and 1024x versions (unloading the 1280 with JSMGE and enabling each of the others separately). With the game set at 1280x, it didn't make any difference which version of the MOD I tried, the ruler always measured 1500yds at the 3000 yd range circle.

I then tried different gane resolutions (1024 and 1152) and found that the 3000 yrd range circle measured 1650 with the ruler when the game was set at 1152 (for all versions of the mod) and 1900 yrds when the game was set at 1024 (again for all versions of the mod).

It is as though there is no effect of the different versions on the scaling in the game.

No, I am using the CapnScurvy mods.

I did that.
==========
I also wonder if that might not be the issue. So far OTC runs as advertised with the training missions, but for example, I can't seem to save a gave in the middle of a training mission.

I appreciate your help.

Tom

The refresh rate doesn't make a difference in scaling/size of the screen. It's always better to set the refresh rate around 70Hz (or better) to keep the eye's from noticing any flicker in the screen refresh cycle. Keeps them from growing tired.

Tom, I have a NEC MultiSync monitor 4:3 aspect ratio, with a Windows desktop resolution of 1280x1024. I can run a dozen different game resolutions through the monitor without too much distortion. I usually set my game resolution to whatever I choose that looks right for me.

As the below image shows, I've set the game graphic options to the setting you use.....1152x864.


http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...cOptions-1.jpg


I've loaded the "Optical Targeting Correction" mod for the stock 1.5 game, with the "3000 Yard Bearing Tool (1152x)". No other mods loaded. I guess I did call it a "Tool" when you have it extracted to JSGME! The "Downloads" title is a "Plotter". :dead:

I started a fresh campaign, out of Pearl, at the start of the war, using the Porpoise class sub. Going to the Navigation Map I zoomed in on the sub and ran a ruler line out from the center of the sub to the lines. Here's the result:


http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/600Ruler.jpg


http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../3000Ruler.jpg


Both measured as they should, at the different zoom sizes.

A couple of things about the ruler. The center of the sub is where you start the measurement. As a matter of fact, all measurements are made from the center of the sub to the center of the target. Not from the closest side, to closest side. Also, as you drag the ruler out, you'll notice it has the measurements in 50 yard increments. This is how the developers patched the ruler. We should be thankful they did that much for us. The original SH4 game (version 1.0) was released using only the metric system unit of measurements (where's the authenticity for an American Fleet Boat?), plus the map ruler used 10ths of nautical miles in its increments!! What's a 10th of a nautical mile figure out into yards? Talk about not being user friendly!

Anyway, as the following image shows the 550 yard increment stays at 550 until it makes the true distance of 600 yards.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/550Ruler.jpg


Same for the 2950 yard measurement.


http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../2950Ruler.jpg


It's important to know that where the ruler makes the increment change, from one 50 yard increment to the next, is the correct true distance. The rest of the measurement is just a calculated guess. Also, don't count on the measurements given somewhere between the end point and starting point to be accurate either. The farther you pull the ruler, those listed measurements between the two points get misplaced more often than not.


So I'm stumped why yours reads incorrectly, and mine doesn't.

Please don't take offence by this, but are you sure you're using the correct Yard Plotter for the imperial unit of measurement option? Could it be the Plotter is the metric one? Is the game set to use the metric system rather than the imperial? Just asking :06:


===========


I tried a quick test using the Navigation school mission. Same two mods. I zoomed in on one of the PT boats in front of the sub and measured the Plotter lines again. No difference in measurement. 500 yards at 500 yards.


http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...Mission500.jpg

I appreciate all the effort you are taking.

I am using the Imperial plotter and have "imperial" set in the game options.

One other thing I noticed. In your last screen shot, the scale bar at the top left show 0 to 306 yrds, which agrees with the 0 to 300 yrd ring on the plotter.

On my computer, when I zoom the map so that the scale bar shows 0 to 3000 (and change), that bar length is close to the total diameter of the plotter (not the radius).

I wonder if the video card could be causing an issue. The thing that confuses me is that regardless of which version of the mod I load (matching or not matching the game resolution), the scaling only depends on the game resolution, not on both game and mod resolution as I would expect. A different video symptom I have is that the mouse cursor doesn't track in the game as precisely as it does in windows. I have to play "chase the cursor" in order to land it on a specific control. I'm not sure if that is normal or not.

Tom

Tom, I've never trusted the "scale bar" to give me an accurate sense of the true measurement of the map. For so long, this feature was screwed up with the stock game, I usually ignore it altogether. I took a second look at the map using a lower zoomed level and yes, the scale bar physical length actually stays the same in all zoomed screens. What changes is the listed measurement of the scale bar. It seems to be accurate. The image below is from the "Torpedo" training school mission.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...ticalMiles.jpg

In the above image the scale bar states the length is 3nm (nautical miles). When using the ruler, it measures 6050 yards. That's pretty close; actual conversion of 3nm to yards is 6076 yards. The ruler isn't going to give you a nuts-on measurement anyway, only in 50 yard increments. As the image shows, I've drawn a ruler line from the center of the sub out to the 3000 yard line. It still reads accurately.

I know if you change the graphic resolution on the game options page, you need to change the 3000 Yard Bearing Plotter to match the horizontal figure of the resolution you choose. That's why there are so many different versions of the Plotter. For example, changing the in-game resolution to 1024x768 you'll need to use the "3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1024x)". The 4:3 aspect ratio is the same for both 1024x and the 1152x resolution. Unlike the OTC mod which has to match the aspect ratio of the game to have the periscope view corrected. To have the Plotter read correctly on the nav map you need to make a match with the horizontal resolution figure (not the aspect ratio).

Sorry I can't help you if you suspect the video card isn't up to snuff. As long as it's compatible to what SH4 states it should be, I'm at a loss to telling you any different.

I know the computer I've taken the images from isn't a cutting edge system; far from it. Over 8 years old! The video card is an AGP slot, ATI Radeon HD 4670, 1 GB of DDR3 ram. Hardly a power house now a days.

The mouse lag could be a clue to problems. That's not normal.

Getting conflicts with TMO and RSRD
 

Is this mod ok to use with the current version of these mods not looking for CTD problems. I have the 1920 downloaded and got about 5 conflicts a few from TMO and a few from RSRD. Any ideas??

Den0, Welcome to SubSim!

Finding a mod that doesn't overwrite another's mod files is hard to do. When your JSGME "activation" of a mod tells you there are files overwritten, its advisable to know just what files are overwritten and whether its OK of not. So, you've done the right thing to ask. However, many mods don't have their creators around to simply ask....you'll need to figure out the possible consequences on your own.

If you were to look inside the "3000 Yard Bearing Tool (1920)", you'll find the Maps.cfg file and a bunch of Submarine/sub_name_shp.dds files changed. That's it, nothing more. The Maps.cfg file puts the zoom levels the mod uses into the game.....the .dds file is the actual image of the Bearing Tool for the map (you need one for every sub in-game). Pretty simple.

The short answer is: No, you're not going to harm anything by changing these few files. However, will you get CTD's? That's going to depend on your system and how you have this old game configured to it.

The reason is the Bearing Tool overlay is very large for a 1920x image size.

How big?

Each of the sub_name_shp.dds images are over 83 inches wide! Yep, nearly 8 feet wide to cover a 3000 yard distance on the Navigation Map! It's going to take a computer with a little "get up and go" to have it added to the game. If your system has over 2 gigs of RAM memory, you should look into using an app called "Large Address Aware" to add to this old game. The game doesn't use any more than 2 gigs of memory (it just wasn't designed to do it back in the mid 2000's when it was developed). The LAA app will "force" the game to use more available memory, which will allow the addition of the 1920x Bearing Tool to run with no problems. Even without the Bearing Tool, the game will run much better using the LAA application if your system has over the 2 gigs of RAM memory.

Thank you Sir!
 

Yeah I have a pretty strong machine and I am loving this game just found it had no idea that a game like this was out there. Of course the mods help ALOT! Also I cant find some skins for IX standard and I was kinda curious about making my own sub skins is there a utility for that or is it just open the sub file and edit the image?? I play this game on a 60in plasma at 1080dpi at 1920res so thats why I went with that bearing mod. Thanks for the information I will go ahead and let it overwrite those files.

The stock IX sub skin appears to have missing polys its sparkles at certain points on the sub is why I was trying to find a skin for it. I dont like the glitter effect on my sub lol. First one I have seen do this maybe because its out of the OM addon I dont know.

Here is the boat I have been in for awhile the Gar but just got my Gato.

Which file for that program
 

Large Address Aware which file should I plug in. I run a steam version went to that root folders and it opens the mods folder?? I am wanting the game.exe right.


Got it although it put a settings.sav on the desktop what is that?

I watched a youtube on skins
 

So I need photoshop then open the sub file for that hull but it was about rust nothing really about changing the hull color itself. I would have to buy Photoshop in the hopes that I could figure out how to use it on the subs....

A Steam version?!?

Sorry about your luck!!

Get a DVD version and quite fooling around with Steam. Their nothing but trouble.

I wouldn't know where to start to tell you where the .exe for SH4 is with Steam. Nor, would I think any help LAA might give you would work through a Steam download. I had every intention to help with a regular version of the game.....with Steam? Nope, not me.

I found it.
 

Steam is a pain at times but its doable. I am using the program. Although the 3000 bearing is off buy 100km on mine screen so I just figure if it says 400 it means 300 lol. The .exe was just in a different place. The program accepted and seems to be doing fine I have no lag at all now coming into port which was the only lag I ever got and that would be if I was time pressing.

Thanks for the advice. :salute: