[REL] Better Scopes 1.2

[l3th4l]

Originally Posted by Beery

Great mod! Can I use this in RFB?

of course; i'd be honored

[Beery]

Great! I've been looking at the textures prior to installing it. Great job! It's also very popular - I've had lots of requests for it to be included in RFB.

By the way, did you notice that the game seems to accept *.dds files even when the menu_1024_768.ini file calls for *.tga files? Do you have any idea why that is? Are tga and dds files related in some way?

Also, while I was browsing through the mod I noticed that one file is called "betterscopes_obs.dds" and the ini file calls for "betterscopes_observation.tga". I haven't installed the mod yet but I'm wondering if that has stopped it from working, or whether the last parts of the filename are ignored?

[l3th4l]

Thanks for the feedback

Originally Posted by Vanilla

First thing i would like to see is the UZO/TBT map upscaled, so it does not reveal bands of background on the top and bottom of the screen on non-4:3 resolutions (I use 1280x1024 res) the same goes for binos, they got two bands too, but I don't understand what exactly I see in those.

I'm using 1280x1024 myself and will look into it - if it's a simple matter of scaling stuff up it shouldn't be a problem as my source images are using shapes for the most part that don't produce any pixelation when scaling.

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Second, I've read in another thread here that TBT is actually the same binos placed in the holder of the TBT, so the picture would be exactly the same, don't know whether it is true, but that means that binos did have marks exactly the same with TBT, as they actually ARE the same thing. But for sure you would cheer removal of magnification marks from the TBT: those hatefull x10 x10 x10 with shadow(???) all 'round the screen.

thanks for the information. making them use the same mask would be one simple adjustment in the menu.ini so that is quite easy to do. just to make sure i'd like to double-check if the binocs and the tbt are actually the same.

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Thirdly, coming back to periscopes - is it possible to make the glass of the scopes tinted on the edges so it is actually harder to see through the scope, i.e. something similar to 'RTR scopes' mod?
http://www.subsim.com/subsim_files/New%20Peri%201024v%20defualt.jpg
I buy their logic that you wouldn't get a great clear picture through the RL scope but I don't like everything else in their mod apart from that 'blackened' parts in that mod, yours is so much better, so I would prefer merging the two. I would even do it myself, but I don't have the psd to work with.

if you look closely you'll see that there is quite a bit of "tinting" in my scopes already. i can look over it and see if i can improve on that a bit but i have to be careful since it's already pretty hard to spot targets in low light conditions right now - i don't wanna make it impossible
i could upload the psd for ya, but let me give this a try myself first. i want to avoid having multiple versions of my mod floating around if possible.

[l3th4l]

Originally Posted by Beery

By the way, did you notice that the game seems to accept *.dds files even when the menu_1024_768.ini file calls for *.tga files? Do you have any idea why that is? Are tga and dds files related in some way?

nothing to do with the format afaik - dds and tga are pretty different. my guess is that it's simply the way the engine works. it looks for the dds file first and if there is none present it uses the tga instead. doesn't seem to matter that you put in a *.tga extension inside the menu.ini. i simply used tga inside that ini as that seemed to be the standard practice even for files that only have a dds version present.

Originally Posted by Beery

Also, while I was browsing through the mod I noticed that one file is called "betterscopes_obs.dds" and the ini file calls for "betterscopes_observation.tga". I haven't installed the mod yet but I'm wondering if that has stopped it from working, or whether the last parts of the filename are ignored?

hehe - naw. that's just me being lazy and not wanting to write "observation" every time i saved
the file should be renamed to "betterscopes_observation.dds" with that batch file i included.

[Beery]

Originally Posted by l3th4l

...the file should be renamed to "betterscopes_observation.dds" with that batch file i included.

Ah I see.

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Second, I've read in another thread here that TBT is actually the same binos placed in the holder of the TBT, so the picture would be exactly the same, don't know whether it is true, but that means that binos did have marks exactly the same with TBT, as they actually ARE the same thing. But for sure you would cheer removal of magnification marks from the TBT: those hatefull x10 x10 x10 with shadow(???) all 'round the screen..

Size equal from Bino view to Uzo view(TBT) - Done

Now i only need to pack and upload the files for it.

You have read correctly about the TBT merely being a holder for the commanders (or XO's) bino on the boats. Pretty many Binoculars today are sold with "mil" range markers in them to be used in navigation (measuring range to a mountain with a known height fx.) So if we could get someone to scale the Bino and Uzo ticks to the correct scale and make them uniform - then i'd be happy.

Files are now uploaded.

You may use them as you see fit in other mods with due credit to both the guys that has made the tools enabling me to tinker with the files and me

Have fun spotting and visualy following contacts beyond the Horizon with the Bino.

Mod can be downloaded HERE

http://files.filefront.com/Mavs_Came.../fileinfo.html

[Beery]

I plugged it into RFB and my own game today. Wow! For the first time since buying the game I feel like I'm looking through real optics.

[l3th4l]

Originally Posted by Mav87th

Files are now uploaded.

You may use them as you see fit in other mods with due credit to both the guys that has made the tools enabling me to tinker with the files and me

Have fun spotting and visualy following contacts beyond the Horizon with the Bino.

Mod can be downloaded HERE

http://files.filefront.com/Mavs_Came.../fileinfo.html

Great work!

With your permisson i'll include this in the next release and add the appropriate persons to the credits (not sure but do you mean timetraveler/nvdrifter?)

[Beery]

Originally Posted by Mav87th

Files are now uploaded.

You may use them as you see fit in other mods with due credit to both the guys that has made the tools enabling me to tinker with the files and me

Hi Mav87th. I'm looking forward to using this mod and plugging it into RFB if that's okay. But I have a couple of questions. I've read the readme file and it explains very clearly all the cameras.dat changes, but I noticed a few other changes in there. I think the extended visibility must be either the Camera value at hex 3A5 which is set to 3000 and/or the 'MaxDistance' value at hex 1B7E which you've set at 300, but there are also the following changes from vanilla SH4:

at hex 3BB LodFactor with a float value of 2 (vanilla SH4 has it at 1).

at hex 3EC Fog with a float value of -3 (vanilla SH4 has it at -4).

at hex D99 ObjectsRelativeZMin with a float value of 0.8 (vanilla SH4 has it at 0).

Do these have anything to do with the mod or have they crept in from another mod?

[CaptainCox]

@Mav87th and Beery. Mav87th would you mind adding the "freecam" Max height to 1000 or something and also the terrain collider radius to 0,1 or something?I am asking as Beery did a mod like this some time ago...or?

[Anvart]

Originally Posted by Mav87th

Files are now uploaded.

You may use them as you see fit in other mods with due credit to both the guys that has made the tools enabling me to tinker with the files and me

Have fun spotting and visualy following contacts beyond the Horizon with the Bino.

Mod can be downloaded HERE

http://files.filefront.com/Mavs_Came.../fileinfo.html

Hi.
You very well juggle with figures, but I would like pictures...

All adjustments of views and optical devices in games are very relative ...
You should consider visual effect only ...

Originally Posted by Beery

Hi Mav87th. I'm looking forward to using this mod and plugging it into RFB if that's okay. But I have a couple of questions. I've read the readme file and it explains very clearly all the cameras.dat changes, but I noticed a few other changes in there. I think the extended visibility must be either the Camera value at hex 3A5 which is set to 3000 and/or the 'MaxDistance' value at hex 1B7E which you've set at 300, but there are also the following changes from vanilla SH4:

at hex 3BB LodFactor with a float value of 2 (vanilla SH4 has it at 1).

at hex 3EC Fog with a float value of -3 (vanilla SH4 has it at -4).

at hex D99 ObjectsRelativeZMin with a float value of 0.8 (vanilla SH4 has it at 0).

Do these have anything to do with the mod or have they crept in from another mod?

LodFactor ObjectiveRelativeZmin and the Fog value (in Scene.dat), is from the 9km visibility mod changes. I experimented with that in conjunction with the extended visibility, witch rightfully is the 3000 value from the Scene.dat file as pr. TeddyBear's instructions by adding a Horizon value with a new value Zmax of 3000.


Pluggin it into RFB in any way you see fit is very OK with me.

[Beery]

Originally Posted by Mav87th

LodFactor ObjectiveRelativeZmin and the Fog value (in Scene.dat), is from the 9km visibility mod changes. I experimented with that in conjunction with the extended visibility, witch rightfully is the 3000 value from the Scene.dat file as pr. TeddyBear's instructions by adding a Horizon value with a new value Zmax of 3000.


Pluggin it into RFB in any way you see fit is very OK with me.

Thanks. I'll plug it in today.

Originally Posted by Anvart

Hi.
You very well juggle with figures, but I would like pictures...

All adjustments of views and optical devices in games are very relative ...
You should consider visual effect only ...

Here ya go...

http://gallery.filefront.com/Mav87th/91822/

A series of pictures displaying a Kinposan Maru and Heito Maru i tracked at 10000 yards visualy in good weather with the Bino/TBT. The same ship is shown through Bino/TBT, Attack Periscope (x6) and Observations Periscope (x6)

The Heito Maru is shown at 1246 yards where it is 5 ticks after having sunk a tad. If you look at Kim Rønhof's Range-Calculator Mark 3B you will see that a 85.9 ft. high target at 1246 yards should fill 5,5 ticks. (one has to use the x1 scale at the Range-Calculator with the periscopes x6 power)