[WIP] Sh4Gen Tracking Room 2.0

[GlobalExplorer]

I am currently working on a program that automatically generates intelligence maps for you, similar to what I did with Sh3Gen Tracking Room.

In order to get some tips about the usefulness of the maps I have prepared data that you can download and put under review. All you need to do before you can open the map is install the free TatukGIS viewer (included in the download).

These maps were all generated with the PTO vanilla campaign. There are 5 maps which give full intelligence information for every year from 1940-1945. No randomization was applied, so unlike Sh3Gen the information is very reliable!

If you still play with vanilla, the maps should already be very useful in their present form, but my aim is to release the map generator application which is supposed to work with any mod.

It would be very helpful if some people try the maps and give suggestions about their usefulness, from my point of view I am already pretty happy and out of ideas how they could be improved. I will try to collect ideas and see if they can be incorporated in the next release.

MAP LAYERS

artillery (coastal batteries)
anti_aircraft
docked ships (approximate or detailed)

minefields
subnets

patrols (coastal asw)
coastal traffic

Traffic layers, show only areas of activity (no spysat information)

merchants
asw
navy

geographic locations
major locations
minor locations

gshhs_h shorelines
bathymetry

Download here: http://www.christian-wendt.org/SH4/SH4TR20080823.7z [ 13.9mb ]

INSTRUCTIONS

INSTALLATION

install TatukGIS Viewer (included in the download)

OPEN MAPS

the maps are in folder \\MAPS
there you find one folder for every year
in every folder you find a file Sh3Gen Tracking Room.TTKGP
double click this file and it will open in the viewer
you can also start the Viewer first and then open the file (Sh3Gen Tracking Room.TTKGP)

VIEWER

on the right side you see a layer panel.
use it to check/uncheck layers. names should be mostly self explaining.

click on the "hand" symbol to drag the map

use the mouse wheel to zoom

SCREENSHOTS

Red zones showing japanese asw activity (July 1942 I think):



The same map overlayed with other traffic zones (jap merchants, us navy, etc):



Coastal traffic and defenses around mainland japan:



Minefields and defenses around Taiwan:



Map at a high zoom level. ASW patrols and defenses at surabaya straight:



Close up view of Saipan with approximate position of docked ships.



Wake island with exact position of docked ships:



Information overload:



Saipan at medium zoom level:



Australia:

[Digital_Trucker]

Very coolNice work

[virtualpender]

Wow. I've always wanted to be able to customize charts like this. Thank you so much for putting this together. Outstanding work.

[Frederf]

Incredible!

[Observer]

Soundings.

I know water depth is shown by the color shading, but I'd like to see this converted to a contour type chart with actual soundings (based on the color shading is fine), in fathoms please.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Observer

Soundings.

I know water depth is shown by the color shading, but I'd like to see this converted to a contour type chart with actual soundings (based on the color shading is fine), in fathoms please.

I thought and read that most maps were very old charts and or gotten from library books. Basically, whatever they could get their hands on as far as maps.

[GlobalExplorer]

Originally Posted by Observer

Soundings.

I know water depth is shown by the color shading, but I'd like to see this converted to a contour type chart with actual soundings (based on the color shading is fine), in fathoms please.

I don't have the numbers at hand, but this can be done. The image I use is NASA BMNG bathymetry, and they have not published these information with the file. I have included depth more as a gimmick as the game lets you measure depths just fine and the focus is on things that don't become clear as long as the SHIV map station is used, as well as high res shorelines.

There are also more highres-versions but they make everything very slow, so I have stuck with a more blocky one.

[Venatore]

I still consider this utility to be a must have for any U-boat commander.