TDC input manualy ?

[Novox]

Hello subsimers and Uboot enthusiasts,

Im pretty new here so I have a lot of questions but will start with one concerning the TDC and the position keeper.

After watching some videos such as WernerSobes blind sonar shots and some more others I am totally hooked and started to read a lot here in the forum about the problems/tasks real subcommanders had back in pre CPU days to get a working fire solution. Now I am intrested in learning how to use the TDC manualy.

Thanks to the great TDC introductions I found here in the forum but still I have a lot of unsolved problems... Although I have plenty of them I start with one question:

QUESTION: Is there a method to feed the position keeper with numbers from your own calculations? There are several ways/buttons to transfer distance and bearing but in case I have a distance calculated or plotted can I put it in there "by hand" too?

"Sure" you will say... "but how" I will reply
In all video totorials I have seen they only say "I put it in the TDC" then you do come "click click click" and all seems to be in there.

I played around with the input weels and recognized that at start the range dial (wich is confusing to me anyways) goes from hard left 131 up to 1135 (is that yards? nm?) if turned completely to the right. After experimenting with the stadimeter the range of the dial has changed and I am not able to figure out why or how I can reset the whole thing to default settings again.

OOPS HERE COMES ANOTHER: I have seen that you guys have a kompass/toolhelper like layout around your sub on the attack map that shows the angles from 1-360° and such... WANNA HAAaaaave too
I think I have version 1.1 what version is recommended?

I hope somone likes to help me on my way,
Greets from Germany
NovoX

[magic452]

Welcome to Subsim.
Greatings from Reno Nevada USA.

The very first thing you need to do is make sure of what version of the game you are running, the original Silent Hunter or SH4 with U boat addition.
If it's the standard SH4 you need to install the 1.4 patch from UBI.
This is the last patch for that game and is a MUST in order to play. It fixes a lot of "bugs" found in the original game.
If you have the U boat add on you are patched to 1.5 and that is all you really need to play.
As to your questions the answers will depend on which patch you are running.
There is a way to add the degree wheel to the map but you need to edit a file and which one depends on the patch 1.4 or 1.5. All the bigger Mods have this added. TMO, RFB and FOTRS
There is also a way to input range into the TDC but it depends also on the patch.
It is always a good idea to give you version of the game when asking a question, there are so many different patches and mods out there the answers will be different for each.

Magic

[Novox]

Hi again,

thanks for the warm welcome Magic452

I have a clean 1.1 Version installed- no mods or patches yet.
But I will try to update to 1.4 if you say thats important!
Always a bit lazy with that as soon as something seems to run...

Greets and keep searching these "easter eggs"
BB
Novo

Originally Posted by Novox

Hi again,

thanks for the warm welcome Magic452

I have a clean 1.1 Version installed- no mods or patches yet.
But I will try to update to 1.4 if you say thats important!
Always a bit lazy with that as soon as something seems to run...

Greets and keep searching these "easter eggs"
BB
Novo

no offense ment but holy cow! i forgot what it was like just starting out with sh4. all the silent hunter games have numerous updates to fix things.

you will only get about 100 game flaws fixed plus eliminate some ctd issues when you update to v1.4

i would suggest you instead buy the ubm ad-on v1.5 that will completely update the game all the way to v1.5 (there is no free patch so its the only way to get v1.5) and it adds extra features and abilities to the game. its called the uboat ad-on but really has nothing to do with uboats and is a game engine tune up. it does let you play german missions too but thats onlt 10% of what it does. its a download that costs $10 (sometimes less) and you can get it by looking here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html

[Munchausen]

Manual range input to the TDC is a mod. Webster has it ... I guess he just forgot to mention it.

Originally Posted by Munchausen

Manual range input to the TDC is a mod. Webster has it ... I guess he just forgot to mention it.

well to be honest i was flabergasted by him using v1.1 and forgot what the question was lol.


i uploaded it on subsim in your name and used your post as the read me but if you would PM me a more detailed read me i would replace it with that one.

if anyones looking for it you can link people to it as a jsgme ready download here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...do=file&id=717

[Munchausen]

Originally Posted by WEBSTER

i uploaded it on subsim in your name....

Thanks ... but the credit for the mod really goes to ... uh, forgot. Not me, though ... had I not been pointed in the right direction, I'd still be guessing how long 'till my torps hit (with the Cromwell technique ... which is a good reason to input Cromwell data into the TDC ... especially if it's a long-range shot and you have a destroyer hunting for you).

Originally Posted by Munchausen

Thanks ... but the credit for the mod really goes to ... uh, forgot. Not me, though ... had I not been pointed in the right direction, I'd still be guessing how long 'till my torps hit (with the Cromwell technique ... which is a good reason to input Cromwell data into the TDC ... especially if it's a long-range shot and you have a destroyer hunting for you).

true ottos did put you there but it was you who discovered the error and fixed it so it was you who made it work properly.

i did put a note in the read me noting that it was a redo and improvement of ottos mod

[Rockin Robbins]

Welcome to Subsim Novox! You can get the best range and bearing plotter out there and import it into any game configuration. It's the 3000 yard/meter bearing plotter mod, which is installable by JSGME.

Direct input of range into the TDC can be done with Clickable Range Dial for TDC. It has a big problem for me. JTxE only works if you are working in the \ubisoft\Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific directory. If you have multiple installations, as I do, and you want to use it, tough toenails. Yer otta bizness.
You're probably working in the default directory so it's not a problem, but you MUST read the readme, download JTxE and do some manual wizardry.

There is a workaround. You saw in the default where you have a small range to manually set range. Well, that range changes when you do have a range that's in the ballpark in the TDC. You can then adjust within a pretty generous range plus and minus from your stadimeter reading. It works so well that I don't bother trying to work with the clickable range dial in nonstandard directories.

Calling JTxE author! You might think up a nice addition to your program by just randomly reading this thread!

[AngronIsAngry]

Also a "Welcome to SubSim" from me.

Within the unmodded stock game there is only 2 methods of inputing range into TDC:
- Stadimeter in Perisocpes and TBT (either by matching-the-pictures or pulling the triangle on the dial)
- Active Sonar Readings

There is a catch to every method
Aiming for the waterline and matching the mirroed waterline with the ships topmost point, only works precisely from close up, say 800 to 1400 feet.
Beyond that, the mistakes become worse exponentially.

If you use the triangle to manually input the range, you need to identify the target with the recognition manual (key-shortcut n) to get rid of the ~1500ft limitations. From then on, it is a matter of a steady hand and coping with a +/- 50ft error.

Also the sonar readouts have problems. Unless you are running on easy settings, any readouts on large ranges should be considered "somewhere about"-range. Good enough for planning approaches in pre radar time or post radar damage.
Upclose you should still take multiple readings. The error won't be that big any more, but you will have to consider it.
Also keep in mind that every ping is a big loud scream of "I am HERE!". So be careful with it, when escorts are around.

[magic452]

I'm not sure, but I believe that Websters mod not will work with Cptnscurvy's SCAF. the dial 58 file is written differently than stock or TMO. If it will I would like to know as I would add this mod. It may not work with TMO 1.7 as SCAF in incorpated in it????????

Magic

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by magic452

I'm not sure, but I believe that Websters mod not will work with Cptnscurvy's SCAF. the dial 58 file is written differently than stock or TMO. If it will I would like to know as I would add this mod. It may not work with TMO 1.7 as SCAF in incorpated in it????????

Magic

Hi Magic,

SCAF (Ship Centered, Accuracy Fix) does not alter the dials.cfg at all. If there are differences its not done by me.

I would point out that using the Attack Data tool to manipulate the mast height dial and send this range to the TDC won't always work. The fact is the devs never planned the Attack Data Tool to work like this anyway. The height dial is the same for both metric and imperial side of play (the dial has a min of 15, max of 130; one is in meters, the other in feet). What's going to happen when you encounter a ship like the Ise BB with a stock mast height of 164 ft? Can't set the dial!!

[Hitman]

The height dial is the same for both metric and imperial side of play (the dial has a min of 15, max of 130; one is in meters, the other in feet).

Ahhh that's interesting Never compared them, since I always use imperial...

That could well explain the error I notice when I make the input manually for mast heigth.

What's going to happen when you encounter a ship like the Ise BB with a stock mast height of 164 ft? Can't set the dial!!

Personally, I pick as reference a part of the superstructure or the stack, estimating its heigth when compared to the mast or counting decks, and that's all

[Novox]

Hi again,

thank you all for all the answers..
I will look for the add on to update my game to 1.5 tomorrow.

[magic452]

Novox Good plan, the u boat add on cost a little money but it is worth every penny if you are serious about playing this Sim.
If you download it make sure you burn a back up to a CD or DVD. I do that to all the mods I down load, just in case?????

Gapnscurvy Sorry my bad I was apparently in another mod folder.
I wonder just where I was?? Been asking that question too much lately.
Love your mod been using it for a long time.

Magic