SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post

karamazovnew · 08-23-09, 07:32 AM

Well, it's been a while and I have to confess I almost gave up at one point. I actually had to go back to understanding how the SH3 interface worked. After that I had to trimm down my list of features with a sledgehammer. The best I can hope for right now is a 2D interface for the Periscope screens. GWX 4 seems to have fixed a few 3D interior issues, but unless they want to share with me how they fixed it, I'm stuck on that part

.
Anyway, here are a few tips I've learned. These were made by my own observations and are personal conclusions. If I'm wrong, please correct me:
- it is impossible to add clickable buttons anywhere outside the layout page (or the order bar).
- the game makes a specific check for Id's in the Menu_1024_768.ini to decide which to use in the German and which to use in the US interfaces. Moving any of these items from one page to another will result into a CTD. Parenting any item to an item outside the page will result in a "Menuid not found" error. The US side uses different pages for the TDC and PK(torpedo settings) and the Torpedo Panel. The German interface ignores those and uses the ones in the corresponding Periscope Page. Adding items to these "german" menu groups is the only way to ensure the new items will be invisible in the US interface.
- Some graphic files, the background for certain, require a hardcoded adress-change. That's why the background item points to the same file for both sides, but then you see different backgrounds. This is not based on the item ID, but on the file adress. This can be usefull if you want to integrate new items in the interface that appear on both sides, but look different. As explained above, these items must be parented to an item that does appear in both interfaces, such as the main periscope page.
- The periscope lines are hardcoded (you knew that already) as is the periscope bearing (but this one can be moved). The scaling is decided by the Angular Distance and minimum zoom level so that 1 degree at minimum zoom will always be 1 degree when using the stadimeter. The best course of action is to leave them alone and use them as they are.
- The notepad pages for the german side work just as they did in SH3. That means that each periscope page has 1 free show/hide button, but it requires care when used. The Speed/AOB/Range pages and all other items from the notepad can be parented to the main periscope page to break them free from the side movement of the notepad. That is hardcoded to only the main notepad menu group and the movement is equal to the width of the menu group.

Working with the menu.ini file is tricky and next to impossible without some tools. The first tip is to break each page you want to mod with comments. That was the first step I did altough it took me a few hours for the AP page

. Adding items requires a renumbering tool. I've mad eone myself in Word, a simple macro, PM for it or use the Menu.ini Renumbering Tool here on the subsim forum (it just didn't work for me). Figuring out zone lines can be a chore. I made myself an Excel Spreadsheet that not only calculates the tricky parts, but also generates complete Pos and Zone lines. It's still a lot of manual input but beats calculating each item after you move a menu group. Again, PM for it, but remember that these are made for personal use, meaning that it might be difficult for me to explain how to make them work

.

And the big goodie in the next post

08-23-09, 07:32 AM	#6
karamazovnew The Old Man Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bucharest, Romania Posts: 1,403 Downloads: 151 Uploads: 0	Well, it's been a while and I have to confess I almost gave up at one point. I actually had to go back to understanding how the SH3 interface worked. After that I had to trimm down my list of features with a sledgehammer. The best I can hope for right now is a 2D interface for the Periscope screens. GWX 4 seems to have fixed a few 3D interior issues, but unless they want to share with me how they fixed it, I'm stuck on that part . Anyway, here are a few tips I've learned. These were made by my own observations and are personal conclusions. If I'm wrong, please correct me: - it is impossible to add clickable buttons anywhere outside the layout page (or the order bar). - the game makes a specific check for Id's in the Menu_1024_768.ini to decide which to use in the German and which to use in the US interfaces. Moving any of these items from one page to another will result into a CTD. Parenting any item to an item outside the page will result in a "Menuid not found" error. The US side uses different pages for the TDC and PK(torpedo settings) and the Torpedo Panel. The German interface ignores those and uses the ones in the corresponding Periscope Page. Adding items to these "german" menu groups is the only way to ensure the new items will be invisible in the US interface. - Some graphic files, the background for certain, require a hardcoded adress-change. That's why the background item points to the same file for both sides, but then you see different backgrounds. This is not based on the item ID, but on the file adress. This can be usefull if you want to integrate new items in the interface that appear on both sides, but look different. As explained above, these items must be parented to an item that does appear in both interfaces, such as the main periscope page. - The periscope lines are hardcoded (you knew that already) as is the periscope bearing (but this one can be moved). The scaling is decided by the Angular Distance and minimum zoom level so that 1 degree at minimum zoom will always be 1 degree when using the stadimeter. The best course of action is to leave them alone and use them as they are. - The notepad pages for the german side work just as they did in SH3. That means that each periscope page has 1 free show/hide button, but it requires care when used. The Speed/AOB/Range pages and all other items from the notepad can be parented to the main periscope page to break them free from the side movement of the notepad. That is hardcoded to only the main notepad menu group and the movement is equal to the width of the menu group. Working with the menu.ini file is tricky and next to impossible without some tools. The first tip is to break each page you want to mod with comments. That was the first step I did altough it took me a few hours for the AP page . Adding items requires a renumbering tool. I've mad eone myself in Word, a simple macro, PM for it or use the Menu.ini Renumbering Tool here on the subsim forum (it just didn't work for me). Figuring out zone lines can be a chore. I made myself an Excel Spreadsheet that not only calculates the tricky parts, but also generates complete Pos and Zone lines. It's still a lot of manual input but beats calculating each item after you move a menu group. Again, PM for it, but remember that these are made for personal use, meaning that it might be difficult for me to explain how to make them work . And the big goodie in the next post Last edited by karamazovnew; 10-06-09 at 11:38 AM.