[REL] 3000 Yard/Meter Bearing Plotter Tool

[CapnScurvy]

This is a rework of previous mods that dealt with an in-game bearing plotter for the Navigation and Attack Map screens. It is compatible for both American and German side of play, at either Metric or Imperial measurements (as long as you choose the correct edition), and at 8 "basic" game resolutions depending on your particular hardware and in-game settings.





I take no credit for its design, or changes to the original made many years ago. My part was to rescale the device to accurately display for either Metric or Imperial measurements; to have it accurately scaled to the 8 "basic" screen resolutions, and to have these changes put into a thread that can be used by the submarine simulation community.

The 8 "basic" resolutions are:

1024x
1152x
1280x
1360x
1440x
1600x
1680x
1920x

When I state "basic", I'm referring to the basic family of Horizontal resolutions and "all" the Vertical resolutions used with it. Examples are the family of 1280x768, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024. The specific 1280x edition will work correctly with all the various Vertical resolutions of the 1280x family. In order to have a 3000 Yard/Meter Bearing Plotter the image has to be large to cover the native distance of the maps. This has made it necessary to create different editions for each resolution, and for each chosen unit of game measurement (Metric or Imperial).

They are all JSGME compatible and are linked at the following:


U.S. Customary Measurement (Imperial)


3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1024x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1152x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1280x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1360x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1440x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1600x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1680x)

3000 Yard Bearing Plotter (1920x)



Metric Measurement

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1024x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1152x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1280x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1360x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1440x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1600x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1680x)

3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1920x)


To install after downloading:

The files are compressed using WinRaR. Use WinRAR or a compatible application to "Extract" the "3000 Yard (Meter) Bearing Plotter" to the "MODS" folder of JSGME (in the root directory of Silent Hunter 4, Wolves of the Pacific folder). Activate the mod through the JSGME instructions. I recommend activation of the Bearing Plotter AFTER any other mods you have activated in JSGME. This will correctly have the mod run as intended.


It's note worthy that when or if you change the in-game graphic resolution, you must restart the game for the new resolutions to take effect. While at the Windows screen, this will be when you also activate in JSGME the correct edition for the resolution you've selected.

One of the problems of the past 1500 yard plotters is that at 1500 yards the target is very nearly ready to be fired upon, giving little time to use the plotter as intended (to help plan the attack). At 3000 yards/meters, more time is given due to the extended size of the tool.


Also something you will notice on the navigation screen is when the sub travels along its waypoint path the plotter will show 1 degree off center from the path of travel. This is not a problem with the plotter being incorrectly drawn. The plotter will come up 1 degree short to the right of center if you're heading turns right, or 1 degree short to the left of center if you're heading turns left. If anything this shows the plotter is dead on center. The problem is within the game code that for some reason comes up 1 degree short depending on which way you turn. We can't fix what the developers don't wish us to get our hands on!!

Besides the rescaling of the plotter for the various uses, I changed the Maps.cfg to include an additional zoom level and tweaked the Attack Map starting zoom level.




=============

Credit for the initial Bearing Plotter goes to Pato back in the SHIII days. CaptainCox, 13th4l, NoWonderDog, and Rockin Robbins have all had contributing work and revisions to the mod. Without their efforts I could not have completed my small part.

=============



The following are in-game images. The first was taken with the game in a 1600x1200 resolution. I should point out the ruler is defined in 50 units of measurement either yards or meters. When dragging the ruler from a starting point the unit of measurement is accurate at the first point of its appearance. In other words 1500 yards is found at the point where 1450 yards first changes to 1500.






The next image was taken at a 1360x1024 resolution.






This is a computer found range of a target listed in the Position Keeper. The Kongo is at 1325 yards.





And the same target as it showed on the navigation map at a 1600x1200 resolution.





I'm sorry for the large download size. I tried all the tricks I knew but I couldn't get the image size further reduced. Luckily, only one image is used at a time since only one submarine is used at a time. The map screens have limited moving action so the size should not reduce frame rates too much.

[Hydra]

Great work on this tool I hope this doesn't sound picky, but I was just wondering if there was any way to rotate the plotter tool as it seems to be off one's course by a degree plus at 3000 yards. Enjoy all of your work.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by Hydra

........any way to rotate the plotter tool as it seems to be off one's course by a degree plus at 3000 yards. Enjoy all of your work.

Sure, if I thought it was off. I've not seen where it is. For instance, if you look at the images I posted, the Kongo is exactly where it should be when spotting it in the periscope view and finding it on the navigation map. Notice the scope is zero degrees, just right of the center of the ship. The nav map plotter is exactly at that same point. 1 degree to the left is the center line of the ship. Since I was using the stock compass on the periscope it isn't easy to see just exactly what degree the scope is positioned but the image is close enough to know it's on the mark. I usually use the "Big Bearing" compass for my periscope testing, I just didn't have it activated when I took those pictures.

I've checked each and every edition, and in my opinion, the 3000 yard or meter versions are accurate. If I'm wrong I'll need to correct my mistake. So I've got to ask you, what edition are you using? With what unit of measurement? At what resolution is the game running in?

Just a couple of notes, make sure you know what resolution your game is running in, not what resolution your Windows desktop setup uses. They can easily be different. Use the correct Bearing Plotter edition for what the game resolution is set AND the correct unit of measurement you're using in-game.

Second, when you're using the ruler tool to measure distances, the units are broken down into increments of 50 (50 yards/50 meters). The point where the unit of measurement changes to the next division, marks that particular distance. For example, the ruler shows 750 meters, as you drag it further from the start point it will change to 800. This specific point of change is the 800 meter distance. The ruler will continue to read 800 meters until you reach the next 50 unit mark at 850.

Further, a ship is positioned at the center of its distance or range, not at the leading edge of it. Using the Kongo again, its positioned exactly centered on the 1325 yard distance, even though the ships side (closest to the sub) is very near the 1300 yard line. The game figures measurements not on side distances or range to the edge of the target but on the center position of the object.

[LiveGoat]

Great stuff! Thanks Capn!

[Hydra]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Sure, if I thought it was off. I've not seen where it is. For instance, if you look at the images I posted, the Kongo is exactly where it should be when spotting it in the periscope view and finding it on the navigation map. Notice the scope is zero degrees, just right of the center of the ship....

Capn, you're right. My observation was that the bearing tool does not exactly line up with the projected course line of one's own sub, but it does appear to line up with 0 degrees in the periscope and that's more important.

[CapnScurvy]

Well, now that you bring it up I've doubled checked the Big Bearing Compass heading with the navigation map plotter and I do see a 1 degree discrepancy in what the periscope shows and what the plotter shows SOMETIMES?!? The plotter should be turned approximately 1 degree clockwise on a couple of the nearer ships. However, when I've gone out to the 3000 range areas the compass reading and the plotter bearings are exact!! Like I said, I didn't make the thing, I just scaled it to fit the various resolutions that are used. I'm sorry to have not checked it with a better tool.

Soooooooo, I'm going to fix the images and release the corrected version if I determine this is a big deal or not. If the 1 degree of difference doesn't make a difference to you then go ahead and use what's up on the download. I'll need to make 208 file changes; 13 stock subs x's 16 different mods. I just assumed the darn plotter was corrected for this long time known error of 1 degree off center!!!!! Guess not the version I used. And you know what they say about assuming!!

I'm interested about the error in distance you described though. Where is the error there? If I'm going to rework the plotter and remake the mods I'd like to do it only one more time.

[Hydra]

Capn, your distance is right on. I just mentioned 3000 yards as it was that compass circle on the plotter tool that indicated that 0 degrees on the plotter tool was different from one's plotted course.

[exo]

Hi, my apologies for bringing up an older post, however i am just now getting back into SH and would really like to use this plotter.

I am guessing that the fact that i am running at a native resolution of 2560x1440 on my DELL U2711monitor along with the SH4 1.5 add-on means the plotter wont work for me?

If so, I am not sure off hand what size textures my ATI Radeon HD 5870 can handle, however i imagine pretty decent size. Does anyone know the best way to upscale one of the lower res versions for use at my resolution and be able to keep it accurate?

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by exo

I am guessing that the fact that i am running at a native resolution of 2560x1440 on my DELL U2711 monitor along with the SH4 1.5 add-on means the plotter wont work for me?

If so, I am not sure off hand what size textures my ATI Radeon HD 5870 can handle, however i imagine pretty decent size. Does anyone know the best way to upscale one of the lower res versions for use at my resolution and be able to keep it accurate?

Yes you are right. There is no 2560x1440 version, so no other version will be scaled to fit your game resolution.

By trying to make an image for that size of screen resolution I'd guess the thing would be 40; 50MB; maybe more in size. Your computer may be able to handle the extra burden, but realize the original stock image was only a few KB in size. The game (released in early 2007) was never intended to handle the kinds of resolutions we can throw at it today. Your computer may handle the increase in hardware usage (at first) but, lets put a large convoy of ships in motion along with this memory hog of an image and I'm thinking the game will be ready to throw in the towel. Just a guess, I can be wrong.

If you want to try and make an image though, use an application like
PhotoShop with the nVidia plug-in found HERE (you will use the plug-in to make the .dds formated image when your done resizing it). Step 1: Take a copy of the original image and re size (to what???? I don't know, this is trial and error), save the image, and load it into the game. Check the distance out to the 3000 yard distance with the ruler and see what you get. If it doesn't read 3000 go back to Step 1 again. Have fun.

[BillBam]

I am using the 1680x1050 version and it seems to be out of scale. I used the ruler and it measures 3250 yards at the 3000 yard line and similar proportional errors at 750 and 1500 yards. I have comfirmed my game to be running 1680x1050.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by BillBam

I am using the 1680x1050 version and it seems to be out of scale. I used the ruler and it measures 3250 yards at the 3000 yard line and similar proportional errors at 750 and 1500 yards. I have comfirmed my game to be running 1680x1050.

Without looking over your shoulder and checking every little detail, I'm guessing your using the version of the "3000 Meter Bearing Plotter (1680x)" with the game set to the Imperial unit of measurement.

If you check the SubSim "Downloads" menu you will notice there are 8 listed "3000 Yard Bearing Plotters" and 8 "3000 Meter Bearing Plotters". Make sure you downloaded, and are using the correct version. A metric conversion of 3000 meters is nearly equal to the 3250 yards measurement you state the plotter is off.

[BillBam]

Totally right, I just found the mistake myself and was coming to edit my post, thanks for the quick reply!

Neither one appears to work with OM?

Thought I would post the link to the [REL] thread here for anyone who might be interested.

Thanks to CapnScurvy for allowing permission to use his mod!


http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=181491

[exo]

Thanks for the heads up on this.

What i have decided to do and seems to work, is to run my game at 1920x1080 and then use the 1920x plotter version. The lower resolution is better for my eyes anyway. Dont see so good after 40

Again thanks for the help.