Enabling thermal layers

[HMCS]

I seem to recall from a thread that you can randomize the thermocline layers in SH3C

Am I correct? How is this done?

Thanks for any help.

[GoldenRivet]

Thermal Layers are automatically randomized every time SH3 Commander initializes SH3, there is not a player option for setting them, its automatic so you never know exactly where they are.

[TarJak]

Just in addition to that; whilst the layer is randomised each time SHIII is run via SH3Commander, the depth of the layer is the same everywhere in the world and is a constant until you restart SHIII via SH3Commander.

[GoldenRivet]

hey tarjak... you wouldnt happen to know the values of randomization would you?

for example, random layers between 100 and 300 m?

or is it possible you will get no layer?

I have had escorts pinging away at me down at 275 with SH3 commander ages ago, just wondering if there was a best bet as to where the layer might be.

[HMCS]

Aha. As Kim-Jong IL would say...

"Most irruminating...."

[bookworm_020]

I"m so Lownly!:rotfl:

[ichso]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

hey tarjak... you wouldnt happen to know the values of randomization would you?

for example, random layers between 100 and 300 m?

or is it possible you will get no layer?

I have had escorts pinging away at me down at 275 with SH3 commander ages ago, just wondering if there was a best bet as to where the layer might be.

The layers are simulated by reduced (depth-) range of the DD's ASDIC systems. So if SH3Com sets this depth to 200m, you in fact got something like a thermal layer at 200m in the game for that session.

So you might get no thermal layers at all if this value is set beyond your max diving depht. I just don't know the range of the values that can be applied.

[TarJak]

ichso beat me to the answer. Basically the modelling of the layer is in fact a reduction in the max sensor depth for all AI ships. So yes there are circumstances when the

I don't know what the incremental differences are or how the randomisation is set up. You'd have to ask Jscones about that.

[danlisa]

IIRC, the Thermal Layers are changed by a randomised percentage. I suspect the Readme inside SH3Cmdr will probably tell you. JS is usually fairly thorough with these things. Failing that, you can open the respective cfg file within SH3Cmdr's program folder.

Personally, although I like the inclusion of the Thermal Layers, I don't like the fact that if you know that the Layer is set to 150m, that you are safe if you hit that depth but this is a limitation of SH3. Of course, as long as you load SH3 via Cmdr each time, you'll not know what depth it is set to.

[Jimbuna]

Can't disagree with any of the above answers .......but I go to 200+ metres everytime I'm being sniffed at anyways
Can never be too careful

[TarJak]

Too be honest though in my research there is no evidence to suggest that the Germans utilised thermal layers to escape very often. They knew about them but did not really have any tools that made it easy for them to determine where they were. Additionally, particularly in early war, the thermal layers in the Atlantic were by and large below the depth that u-boats could dive to anyway. The Pacific is a different matter and the Americans developed and used technology that assisted in their use. In later years and in the years after the war subs that could dive beneath the atlantic thernals were developed, but the German's still didn't develop any tools during WWII that helped them out.

[Jimbuna]

So here endeth the first lesson

http://www.uboat.net/forums/read.php?20,63401,63431


http://uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=45

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

So here endeth the first lesson
http://uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=45

Thanks Teach!

Note that in SHIII neither negative or positive refraction is modelled at all and AI active and passive sound detection operate to maximum depths as per the details in the first post on this thread: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=104377