AA Searchlight mod
 

What's this?

I was fiddling around with air attacks on ports when I noticed that the Coastal Defence Searchlight doesn't work. Well, it does, but the light beam is transparent and doesn't actually look, like, well, light. Here's a pic:


http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/211...ight7xr.th.jpg

Well, I thought, what fun. I looked around with Pack3d and came to the conclusion it's some value setting the texture mode that must be incorrect. Since I'm not too familiar with that sort of stuff - though someone like sergbuto might be - I left it alone.

Instead, I added a new configuration option to the AADefense unit - a REF_big searchlight to be exact. This works like a charm. My only reservation is that in a future version I'd edit the 3d model and make the beam about 3x longer for looks. And extend the sensor range for searchlights, so they spot planes out for longer.

Here's a pic of them in action:

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1...ight7lz.th.jpg

There's also a single mission called "luftnachtstreik" that shows off this effect. (Best with IuB).

Also note that I included a guns.zon file which halves the effectiveness of AA rounds. This is necessary to correct the uber power of the AA even in RuB. Hasn't been tested in all situations, though.

Download link
http://rapidshare.de/files/7267736/N...light.rar.html

Feel free to use it any which way you like.

Cheers

Thanks Orgy
Just downloaded it. There was some discussion about searchlights back when the Leigh Light mod was first out but haven't heard anything more.
I'll be giving it a shot after I wrap up my current patrol.



:lurk:

Will those light also lock on to your U-boat if you are dumb enough to surface?

I assume so. I haven't tested it with enemy lights though.

Though that's actually given me an idea - create a custom mini spotlight that is placed invisibly in the u-boat bunkers so your boat looks lit at night... hmm...

I have tested this yesterday and tried to mod the beam of light longer by modifying LCD_Beam in a 3d-program it worked, so now the planes are lit up by the beam, but you can't see the full length of the beam, anyone know why? - it colud be cool to see long beams of light in the air under airattack... :|\

Great work. :up:
oRGy and Kriller2, please when you finish your work may I use them on the next HT mod?

Rubini.

Sure! Kriller2, even with the default beam they light up planes up to I dunno, 1500 feet? So if you can get an extended 3d beam looking correct it would be great - just post up a fix.

I tried myself with wings3d but I didn't do it properly - I think. It's quite easy but that tool is rather unintuitive for me and I haven't got max to import properly yet.

I think you can extend their actual range in searchlights.dat (using timetravellers great file analyser tool)

Someone should take care regarding the AA settings I included though - I noticed in the flak artillery mission the AI crew member was only able to shoot down 2 planes before he ran out of ammo!

Rubini - naturally use the mod if you can. If we can get the beam of REF_big to be about 3x though, it would be great...

I have tried resizing the tga that makes the beam but it does'nt work, although I can see the change in the beam.... :o

I have allso tried resizing the 3d-object REF_beam, but nope! :damn: it must be a setting somewhere that control how long the beam of the light is... :hmm:

Hm, more likely to be a uvmapping issue.

If you've resized the REF_big beam, then it has to be bigger, but it's likely that if the uvmapping is not updated it won't appear any larger.

Where do I change that setting in SH3?
Thanks for this great mod by the way :rock: I have tried to add the searchlight to other buildings, small bunker and it works, now we just need the detail with the length of the beam sorted out ;)

cool looking mod! :up:

Yes!! finally I got the beam longer :cool: :
http://home.tiscali.dk/roesdahl/sh3/lights.jpg

Need some more work... But it's getting there! :D

You my mate

:rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock:


:up:

This just gets better bye the day

Greta Kriller2! :up:

Rubini.

Cool! Is that only for the REF_Big light?