[REL] OLC GUI for SH3 1.4b ("stock" SH3)

[onelifecrisis]

This is the stock-compatible version of my GUI. It is not compatible with any supermods.

This time I've put the screenshots on the FF page (I'm learning ). Click the link in my sig!

Here are the contents of the readme file:

onelifecrisis' Graphic User Interface for SH3 1.4b

Important Note
If you use SH3 Commander, remember to press the ROLLBACK button before installing this mod!


Installation Instructions
All users:
Put the 'OLC GUI for SH3 1.4b' folder into your JSGME 'MODS' folder and enable it using JSGME.
Users with SH3 Commander:
In addition to the above, put the 'U-boat' folder into your 'SH3 Commander' folder. Windows might ask you if you want to overwrite files; say 'Yes' and the new files will be copied into SH3 Commander (don't worry, nothing will actually be overwritten). You can leave these files there even if you uninstall the OLC GUI mod; they will not affect anything when you are playing without the OLC GUI mod.


Compatibility

• If JSGME complains that this mod "might" conflict with another mod you have installed, that means it definitely does conflict with it!
• This mod is not compatible with mods that add news ships to the game. (to find out how to make new ships compatible, see this post: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=675261&postcount=24)

Known Issues
You must not assign a keyboard shortcut to the TDC Auto Update switch; it must be clicked to work properly.


How to use the new firing solution tools
When this mod was nearing completion I made a two-part preview video. The second part should now serve as a tutorial for people wanting to know how to use the new periscope tools to get a firing solution, and you can watch it at
Written instructions on how to use the targetting tools can be found at the end of this readme.


Thanks and Credits
I would like to thank (in alphabetical order):
Friedl9te for beta testing.
Hitman for researching the Range/AOB Finder and U-Jagd Chronometer and creating the images for them, and for providing a wealth of historical knowledge which allowed me to make many aspects of this mod as realistic as possible.
joegrundman for introducing me to the Range/AOB Finder and U-Jagd Chronometer and explaining how they are used, and for his collaboration on the technical difficulties of getting them implemented in the game.
KrvKpt. Falke for beta testing.
MONOLITH for beta testing.
Mueller72 for beta testing.
WOD for English to German translations.

I used the GWX 1.03 GUI as a base from which to create this GUI and I would like to thank the GWX team, and in particular give credit to those who created or contributed to the GWX 1.03 GUI, namely: bigboywooly, danlisa, Chomo, FLB Sale, Jonz, and Rubini.

A few notes and recommendations...

• The attack scope is now 1.5X/6X magnification (as is the obervation scope) partly for historical accuracy and partly to make the range/AOB finder easier to use. Note that to use the range/AOB finder at 1.5X magnification you just have to multiply by 4 the number of vertical/horizontal marks you can see. Note also that the marking lines seen on the scope view (when the range/AOB finder is hidden) are identical in length to those seen on the range/AOB finder, so you can temporarily close the range/AOB finder use count those marks instead, if you ever need to (this might be useful when very close to a very large ship).
• I recommend you use the observation scope for observation of targets at long/medium range, and switch to the attack scope at medium/short range to make your attack.
• The UZO screen has no range/AOB finder. This is because the real-life UZO did not have any range/AOB finding capabilities; it was literally just a very good pair of binoculars! You may have read that U-boats made night time surface attacks, which is true, and assumed that they used the UZO to make their calculations, which is not true. In fact the attack was prepared during the daytime (by observing and plotting the targets course and speed over many hours) and executed at night by moving to where the target is headed and firing at point blank range upon the target's arrival (even at that range the U-boats were not visible in the night). The UZO screen doeshave a U-Jagd Chronometer because the real life UZO's did have a vertical line through the middle of the view.
• In case you're wondering where they went... the CE Reports can be accessed by clicking on the normal/silent running icon; the Convoy Map is to be found by moving the mouse to the left of the navigation map; the mine/subnet chart is at the top of the nav. map; and the speed conversion charts are at the right edge of the nav. map.
• I recommend using JCWolf's 3D Officer Icons Mod with this GUI - the two go together really well!

And finally!
I hope you enjoy the mod
You may use and/or distribute any of my work without permission; I ask only for credit
onelifecrisis

How to get a firing solution using the U-Jagd Tools in the OLC GUI

Speed

To get the speed of a ship you need to first identify it and then move directly towards it at slow speed. The easiest way to do this is piont the scope somewhere in front of the target and click the CE's Heading to View order.

Before measuring the target speed, check these three things:

1. The target is more or less directly ahead of you i.e. the bearing shown in the centre of the scope, or UZO, is near to 0 when the scope is pointed at the ship. This doesn't need to be exact. Anywhere between 330 and 030 is fine.
2. You are moving slowly (check your speed is 2 knots or less).
3. Your are not turning (check your rudder is at exactly 0 degrees).

Once all these things are done, point the scope in front of the vessel and when the bow of the vessel touches the vertical line down the centre of the scope, start the U-Jagd Chronometer. When the stern of the vessel crosses the same line, stop it. You must not move the scope left or right, nor turn your U-boat, inbetween starting and stopping the chrono. You can lower and raise the scope if you like (useful when measuring the speed of a slow ship) but be sure not to miss the ship's stern crossing the line!

Once the chrono is stopped you can read the target's speed by looking at the scale that matches the length of the target (100m, 150m, or 200m). If the target it, say, 125m, just average the readings from the 100m scale and the 150m scale. If it is, say, 75m, use the 150m scale and divide the result by two. You get the idea, I hope.

Note that the direction the target is moving in makes no difference. The vessel can be moving towards you or away from you at any angle and this will still work.


Range

Again, the target needs to have been identified.

I will refer to the rings on the range/AOB finder as Basis, Range, Marks and AOB.

The Basis ring is the outer ring, with metres marked up to 300.
The Range is the ring just inside that, and is marked in hundreds of metres (so the 2km mark is labelled "20" for example).
The Marks ring is next, and shows numbers up to a maximum of 30.
And finally, the innermost ring is the AOB ring, with values up to 90 degrees.

To ascertain range to the target lock the scope to it, line up the bottom of the target ship with the horizontal line across the centre of the attack scope, and lower the range/AOB finder. Now count the number of vertical marks to the top of the ship's mast. Now rotate the Marks ring until the number of marks you counted lines up with the "90" mark on the AOB ring. Once this is done the range to the target (shown on the Range ring) will be lined up with the point on the Basis ring which corresponds to the "Mast(x2)" value shown the recognition manual.


AOB

Once you have found the range, you need to line up the range to the target (on the Range ring) with the Length of the target (on the Basis ring) to get the AOB. If you've just used the range/AOB finder to get the range then a nice easy way to get ready to measure the AOB is to click-and-hold on the Basis ring at the point where it equals the "Mast(x2)" value, and drag it around until your mouse is pointing at the place on the Basis ring which equals the "Length" value, then release. So for example if the ship has Mast(x2)=30m and Length=75m, you would click-and-hold on the basis ring at the 30m mark, drag your mouse to the 75m mark, and release.

Now that range to target is aligned with the target length on the range/AOB finder, you can get the AOB. Count the number of horizontal marks between the centre line and either end of the target, and the AOB (on the AOB ring) will be lined up with that number of marks (on the Marks ring).

[Mr.Moe.]

Wanted to say thank you for taking the extra time to make your GUI stock-compatible.

I just got the game recently and have been applying the "softly, softly" approach I've seen recommended many times with regard to modding.

However, after playing through the naval academy, the data acquisition system (i.e. the notepad) had to go, so I came hunting for a new system and found your GUI. Got all the targets in the naval academy torpedo mission in the first attempt using your GUI.

So thank you, to you, Hitman and joegrundman.



Mr.Moe.

[onelifecrisis]

This is a very minor update with the following fixes and additions:

• Reduced the brightness of the Range/AOB Finder for easier night use.
• Made the view through the binoculars, periscopes and UZO a bit clearer for easier night use.
• Added new shortcut for Captains Log.
• Clicking on Time Compression now reduces TC to 1 instead of pausing the game.
• Instead of clicking the CE Reports button, you now just mouse-over it to see the dials (the dials disappear when you move the mouse off the button in any direction). To prevent players accidentally mousing over it, the button has been moved to the lower left corner of the screen.
• Removed the incorrect tooltips on the CE Report Dials.
• Made the bearing on the binoculars easier to see in daylight.
• Very minor graphical improvements.

[MrJens]

Hi, I use your mod but it seems that I can't get the ring into the scopeglass... Any help with this? 😅

[Anvar1061]

Originally Posted by MrJens

Hi, I use your mod but it seems that I can't get the ring into the scopeglass... Any help with this? 😅

Manual Targeting option disabled in Realism Settings.
Enable "Manual Data Entry".