Slide rule: Modder's help needed for adding a neat tool to the nav map!

[lambda*sqrt(u*x)]

Originally Posted by joegrundman

Yes of course it is. It's easy in fact.

To do it at the bottom of the parent object entry in the menu_1024_768 file you add the line

Draggable=Yes

Study the entries for the ubiquitous mod "Jonz draggable chrono" for exactly how it can be done.

Thank you for this excellent hint. I will try that later, that's about what I was looking for!

Thank you for the instructions on how to add the circular slide rule from the U-Jagd tools.
I have to remind you though that your advice was not completely correct:

You told me to download the alternative slide rule files, but your instructions to edit menu...cfg used the filenames and positions of the original U-Jagd slide rule.
But when I follow your instructions in your post, and then paste the changes you mention in the readme file of the alternative sliderule, it works, just one change needs to be made:

Find this entry and change the highlighted line:
[G3F I...]
Name=sliderule
Type=1026;Menu group
ItemID=0x3F070010
ParentID=0x3F070000
Pos=106,630,600,600
Color=0xFFFFFFFFVertSlide=-720

to

Pos=-600,630,600,600

My assumption is that the ParentID of the circular slide rule somehow is the weapon commander's icon or his command icons, which are on the right hand side on the screen in OLC GUI, not on the left hand side in "stock" menus.
Making my addressed changes moves the slide rule to the horizontal center of the screen again as it should be.

Thank you for taking the time to work out a solution for me, I'm just about to enjoy having the slide rule

[joegrundman]

Thank you very much for the feedback and the correction, I'll edit the above post in case anyone else wants to try it.

Joe

[lambda*sqrt(u*x)]

Thank you! In the meantime I worked out a rudimentary linear slide rule... maybe I'm going to spice it up...

[latemail]

Originally Posted by lambda*sqrt(u*x)

Thank you! In the meantime I worked out a rudimentary linear slide rule... maybe I'm going to spice it up...

Hi lambda,

i´am very interested in your solution (especially in the "RelativeDrag=Yes"-part), even when it´s rudimentary, it would be a fine extension for my modding-tutorial .... and it would be helpfull for the next FF as well

if you like to share, pls post or PM the code

CU
Latemail

[Puster Bill]

I know this might be considered heretical, but why not just go ahead and use a real slide rule instead of a virtual one?

I carry a 6" Pickett N200ES Trig linear rule for when I need to be 'discrete' about playing (I use a laptop), otherwise I use Hitman's wheel (a physical version).

I picked the Pickett up on Ebay for a reasonable amount. I also have a plastic Sterling I got for $5 at an antique store.

Sometimes I even plot contacts on paper using a cheap ruler and protractor I bought.

Using a virtual slide rule is like kissing your sister: The motions might be the same, but it certainly doesn't feel the same.

[joegrundman]

Hi PB
You got some pix yet of your new circular slide rule?

[Puster Bill]

Originally Posted by joegrundman

Hi PB
You got some pix yet of your new circular slide rule?

Sorry! I just got busy with things, and forgot to post one.

Here is a picture of it:



I've used it a couple of times.

I ran out of transparencies, so I had to make the small wheel with the indicator arm out of cardstock.

I'm not entirely happy with it though, for a couple of reasons.

First, my printer seems to 'drag' when I feed it cardstock. Whenever I print out one of these things on cardstock and then cut them out, they aren't exactly round. It's more of an aesthetic problem then an accuracy one, but it's annoying nonetheless (although I must mention that it did cause an accuracy problem when I made a large circular slide rule).

Second, I don't think I centered the wheels as carefully as I normally do. I did it quickly in the evening one night, and I was hurrying.

It is accurate enough, though. I've used it to sink a couple of tramp steamers.

I'm thinking about getting a DVD drive for my home machine so I can put SHIV on it, and make a really good version of the US SACF/IS-WAS, which of course this wheel is based upon. I made a mini version of the Omnimeter side, which works quite well:


You can see that it is smaller than the German version, and in fact is less than 5 inches in diameter.

Excuse the crappy webcam pics, by the way. The good camera needs batteries.

[lambda*sqrt(u*x)]

Originally Posted by latemail

Hi lambda,

i´am very interested in your solution (especially in the "RelativeDrag=Yes"-part), even when it´s rudimentary, it would be a fine extension for my modding-tutorial .... and it would be helpfull for the next FF as well

if you like to share, pls post or PM the code

CU
Latemail

Is there a RelativeDrag=xx option? If yes, I will try to get some results with these...

[latemail]

Originally Posted by lambda*sqrt(u*x)

Is there a RelativeDrag=xx option? If yes, I will try to get some results with these...

Hmmmm, I din´t follow the instructions of joegrundman in detail, but he mentioned that you have to add something like the following to the Dials.cfg:

[Dial75]
Name=circularsliderule
Type=16; DIAL_TORP_DEPTH
Cmd=Set_torpedo_depth
Dial=0x0x3F070015
CrtVal=0x0x3F070014You
NewVal=0x0
DialVal=0,360
RealVal=5,5.2; meters
Circular=Yes
CmdOnDrag=Yes
RelativeDrag=Yes

You obviously found another way if I get you right .... and I´am really interested in the "How-To-Do"!!

To get it clear for me:
- you made an object (Slide rule) which is moveable (as a MenuGroup I suppose)
- you add two objects (tongue, transp. window) to it
- you can adjust the tongue and window on the slide rule like in reality
- if you move the slide rule, the added objects keep their relativ position to it

then I have two questions:
1. how do you restrict the movemant of the added objects to a linear one?
2. how did you mange the relativ movemant of the whole group?

on my first attempt yesterday I can build only these two versions;
first - menu moving, objects fixed to the menu, but not moveable
second - menu moving, objects moving, but not together


CU

[joegrundman]

Hi Latemail

I'm not sure that you fully understand what's been said above.

I suggest you download and install the U-jagd tools mod to see what it is that has been created and how it works (although i thought you were familiar with the OLC GUI which incorporates most of the U-jagd tools).

This sliderule which we are talking about is a circular slide rule. It looks like the one in the pictures posted by Puster Bill. Lambda.... is also referring to a linear (straight) sliderule, but this is a different project.

The circular sliderule is not draggable as a whole. It uses the slideout function.

The command to make things draggable is Draggable=Yes in the menu file, and that is how the Jonz draggable chrono works, the draggable Navmap reference sheets by FLB Sale, and the draggable nomograph.

What you have seen is RelativeDrag=Yes in the dials.cfg. This is related to the property of how circular dials drag. If Relative drag =No, then the "top" position of the dial will always snap to where you click with the mouse (like the AOB notepad tool)

If RelativeDrag=Yes then the dial will rotate as you grab the dial with the mouse and drag it, like the range dial in the TDC.

klar?

However, it could be possible to make the complete dial draggable instead of slideout. I'll have a go at making that.

@ Puster Bill - nice work! The middle wheel doesn't need to be clear, just the indicator arm. You could just glue any scrap of convenient trtansparent material to it for that purpose

joe