[REQ] Range Rings for PPI Display?

[LukeFF]

Looking at the information presented within the Radar Operator's Manual, it's apparent that one key feature we're missing with the PPI display are the range and bearing rings. Is this something that can be modded via a texture file? If so, it'd be nice to have range rings that look like this:



Display is from the SC/SK-2 radar. It may be that this type of display is not accurate for the SJ radar display, given what's shown in under the SJ radar section.

EDIT:

Or even better, what happened to the range rings shown here from 1.0?

[Mraah]

Originally Posted by LukeFF

Looking at the information presented within the Radar Operator's Manual, it's apparent that one key feature we're missing with the PPI display are the range and bearing rings. Is this something that can be modded via a texture file? If so, it'd be nice to have range rings that look like this:


Display is from the SC/SK-2 radar. It may be that this type of display is not accurate for the SJ radar display, given what's shown in under the SJ radar section.

EDIT:

Or even better, what happened to the range rings shown here from 1.0?

You know, I wondered the same thing. I'm going to uninstall SH4, then load v1.0 and find the range ring dds (I forget the actual name and location), then copy it out, install v1.2 and replace it. I'm at work now, so in a few hours I'll post the file name and location if nobody else does.

By the way, I was thinking of modding the PPI, but so far I just modded for myself the sweep and back ground to a more realistic color and brightness. You range ring tip was a big help!

[Jace11]

Oh... can you post a screenie of what you have done to the radar display already when you get home later please. It was something I was going to have a look at soon, but now I don't have to..

[CaptainCox]

Have not even thought about this, but you guys have!. Nice one guys! the sooner the better

[Hitman]

This was already discussed in depth by Redwine and me in an old topic, do a search. Briefly: 1.0 had them, but 1.1 and 1.2 broke them, unknown reasons. The graphic is still there, in "Misc" folder (PPIcircles.dds) and the menu_1024 has not suffered any changes from 1.0 in the entries about the radar, or at least I could not track them down. Hope someone can solve it, because it helps a lot radar plotting liek I do:hmm:

[Jace11]

Oh... can you post a screenie of what you have done to the radar display already when you get home later please. It was something I was going to have a look at soon, but now I don't have to..

[Redwine]

If not remember bad, the problem was the texture, the cathodic ray screen, is not a circle into a square, it is a quarter of circle into a square.

Then we cant draw/write the angles from 0 to 360...

You need to draw quarter of circunferences into the green quarter of circle, and forget the angles.

[Mraah]

Originally Posted by Hitman

This was already discussed in depth by Redwine and me in an old topic, do a search. Briefly: 1.0 had them, but 1.1 and 1.2 broke them, unknown reasons. The graphic is still there, in "Misc" folder (PPIcircles.dds) and the menu_1024 has not suffered any changes from 1.0 in the entries about the radar, or at least I could not track them down. Hope someone can solve it, because it helps a lot radar plotting liek I do:hmm:

Solved it ..... well, yes and no.

The file causing all the problems is called PPIRadarPS.fx located in the DATA\SHADERS\RADAR folder. This was the only file in this folder changed.

Open the file using notepad .... this is what it looks like, v1.2 additions are colored orange for your reference ...

.................................................. ..............

float Fade:register(c0);
float Intensity:register(c1);

sampler map: register(s0);
sampler grid: register(s1);
sampler noise: register(s2);
sampler fadetex: register(s3);

struct PS_IN
{
float2 Tex0 : TEXCOORD0;
float2 Tex1 : TEXCOORD1;
float2 Tex2 : TEXCOORD2;
float2 Tex3 : TEXCOORD3;
};

float4 main( PS_IN In ) : COLOR
{
//return float4(1,0,0,1);
float4 color=tex2D(map,float4(In.Tex0,4,4));
float4 noise=tex2D(noise,In.Tex2*4)*Intensity;
float4 f=tex2D(fadetex,In.Tex0);
return f;

color=color+(noise.r-0.5f)*0.5f;
float4 grid=tex2D(grid,In.Tex1);
color=lerp(color,grid,grid.a);

return color;
}


The original v1.0 filed looked like this below (same above without orange, except last part that reads 0.5f, originally reads 0.2f

..................................................
float Fade:register(c0);

sampler map: register(s0);
sampler grid: register(s1);
sampler noise: register(s2);
sampler fadetex: register(s3);
struct PS_IN
{
float2 Tex0 : TEXCOORD0;
float2 Tex1 : TEXCOORD1;
float2 Tex2 : TEXCOORD2;
float2 Tex3 : TEXCOORD3;
};

float4 main( PS_IN In ) : COLOR
{
//return float4(1,0,0,1);
float4 color=tex2D(map,float4(In.Tex0,4,4));
float4 noise=tex2D(noise,In.Tex2*4);

color=color+(noise.r-0.5f)*0.2f;
float4 grid=tex2D(grid,In.Tex1);
color=lerp(color,grid,grid.a);

return color;
}
.................................................. .....................

If you change it back to the original settings, BINGO .... range marks back. However, the sweep and radar targets are wicked fuzzy . I have no clue how to fix it. I've spent several hours since I got home this morning looking at it (well, hit and miss guessing), but I'm not a code writer. Hopefully a code specialist can fix it. The major problem is this line ...

float4 f=tex2D(fadetex,In.Tex0);
return f;

By the way, I discovered if you change these below you'll get big radar targets on initial sweep, then it gets small really quick.
1) remove the first line "float Intensity:register(c1);"
2) and replace this line "*4)*Intensity" with just a bracket ")" Here's what I used to get that if you can't follow my mumbling explaination ....

EDIT NOTE --- BELOW PASTE IS NOW CORRECT --- earlier version I goofed and pasted wrong one.
................................................
float Fade:register(c0);

sampler map: register(s0);
sampler grid: register(s1);
sampler noise: register(s2);
sampler fadetex: register(s3);

struct PS_IN
{
float2 Tex0 : TEXCOORD0;
float2 Tex1 : TEXCOORD1;
float2 Tex2 : TEXCOORD2;
float2 Tex3 : TEXCOORD3;
};

float4 main( PS_IN In ) : COLOR
{
//return float4(1,0,0,1);
float4 color=tex2D(map,float4(In.Tex0,4,4));
float4 noise=tex2D(noise,In.Tex2);
float4 f=tex2D(fadetex,In.Tex0);
return f;

color=color+(noise.r-0.5f)*0.5f;
float4 grid=tex2D(grid,In.Tex1);
color=lerp(color,grid,grid.a);

return color;
}

.................................................. .........




Also, one more note .... I suggest you use the mod that changes the NOISE.dds file (remember the cleaner picture with post processer filters on?) It just makes a cleaner range mark display.

The only other way to fix it is to add range marks manually, which I've been working on, and colorizing it a bit to a brownish red which is roughly the color of the tube when the sweep isn't burning the green into it.

Hope this helps!!!!

[Mraah]

Ok, here's a screenie of what I was talking about .... range marks ... fuzzy sweep ..... and fuzzy range readout and fuzzy radar targets.

EDIT : What it looks like when using the original v1.0 PPIRadarPS.fx .

[Redwine]

Originally Posted by Mraah

Ok, here's a screenie of what I was talking about .... range marks ... fuzzy sweep ..... and fuzzy range readout and fuzzy radar targets.

What if you made the PPIcircles more translucid, it is too dark black background, my be in translucid green ?

[Mraah]

Originally Posted by Redwine

What if you made the PPIcircles more translucid, it is too dark black background, my be in translucid green ?

Hmmm, I don't know how to adjust translucid. I'm not a wizard at paint shop.

The screen shot is what happens when you revert back to v1.0 data. Perhaps all we need to do is make the sweep, radar targets and range readout clearer, which, I don't know how to do . I can put my glasses on but it's still fuzzy .

Who's the resident artist magician?

Next post I'll show you a screenie of what I mean by BIG target, LITTLE target.

[Redwine]

Originally Posted by Mraah

Next post I'll show you a screenie of what I mean by BIG target, LITTLE target.

When i made the mod Smaller Radar contacts, i note there are 3 files for radar contacts finished in 0, 1 and 2.

I was thinking into make test asigning 3 diferent sizes to them, may be the v1.0 or v1.1 assign diferent eco size for small, medium and large ships... :hmm:

[Mraah]

Originally Posted by Redwine

When i made the mod Smaller Radar contacts, i note there are 3 files for radar contacts finished in 0, 1 and 2.

I was thinking into make test asigning 3 diferent sizes to them, may be the v1.0 or v1.1 assign diferent eco size for small, medium and large ships... :hmm:

I goofed on the big/little target paste... I went back and pasted the right version. Go back to my post and see if you haven't already.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...31&postcount=8

Screen shots soon ....

[Redwine]

I think so the better way is to draw the black lines over the radar.dds, sadly my skills are on photoshop, not Autocad or Corel draw, and photoshop do not draw circunferences it draw circles.

I will test your other way now ...

[Mraah]

Originally Posted by Redwine

I think so the better way is to draw the black lines over the radar.dds, sadly my skills are on photoshop, not Autocad or Corel draw, and photoshop do not draw circunferences it draw circles.

I will test your other way now ...

My skills are photoshop too, but weak skills .

Ok, here is a screen shot with new background, using the contact mod (except, all v1.2 size contacts ... basically radarcontact0 = radarconact1 = radarcontact. The smily faces weren't helping on my demo. Also, using modded PPIRadarPS file (last pasted info). Notice BIG contact before sweep hits, then LITTLE after it passes. I don't know if it will stay BIG for BIG ship.



Hitman? Are you there? Any ideas?