New Interface for Uboats

[karamazovnew]

That must be the one, try offseting it by 2000

[makman94]

very nice....the volcano is ...shaking !!!

[lurker_hlb3]

Originally Posted by karamazovnew

That must be the one, try offseting it by 2000

I'll try it later. I'm on my laptop now, and like you can't test it right now.

[karamazovnew]

Sorry for the wait. Here's 2 teaser renders. Still a lot of work to go... but at least now I'm home so it shouldn't take too long There's no Auto TDC update bulb because I can't find a way for it to work in the Periscope view. I need to add one on the Layout page After I make the rest of the layout, I think I'll stretch this TDC panel a bit to add a ShipID label and Siemens Text.

Perspective shot:


Ortographic shot:


Don't complain about the lights and materials. They're just for test....
More pics coming as soon as I finish the Torpedo Panel. At least at first I will ignore the FAT settings but I will include them in the final release.

[Hitman]

Oh BTW ...

Now that I see those pictures I must comment something I found out some time ago before it is too late

The TDC dials have probably been wrong for german subs since SH3 Apparently the TDC was not completely understood or correctly copied by the Devs in their visit to U-995 (May be because it was disarmed?) but a recent trip by a friend from mine provided me very good hi-res pictures and I could confirm thanks to them the problem.

The dial used in SH3 and SH4 for "Bearing" is actually the track angle dial, i.e. the dial which shows the expected angle at which the torpedo will hit against the target. Hence its division in red/green half-circles and most important, 0-180 degrees on both sides (Instead of 0-360º, as you see the bearing divided in all other views)

The correct dial for bearing is the one with black background, divided in 0-360º, and with another dial above that is the vernier (Indicates 0-10 degrees with each rotation for each 10 degree increment in the main bearing dial). Note how the lower dial has 0-360º in 10 degree increments, while the one above has the scale divided in 0-10.

The correct dial for Angle on the Bow is therefore the one used in SH3-4 for bearing , because as you can see it is also divided in red/green parts and 0-180 scales, not a single 0-360º one. The wording "Bug links" and "Bug rechts" means actually "Bow left" and "Bow right", i.e. which of its sides the TARGET is presenting. The inner dial, with red and green numbers is actually the vernier for that AOB, indicating each degree.

Here is a picture of the TDC with the labels for the correct dials:

[karamazovnew]

Thanks Hitman.
so.. there is no AOB 10's dial but that's not a problem, I'll just make a dial value of 0t o 3600 for a real value of 0 to 360. We also have the track angle thanks to the US subs, not sure if it works for german. Not exactly sure why we need 2 dials to show the bearing when we have it on the periscope, but fine, i'll get right on it. The only problem is that I'll go too much down. I wanted to reserve that space for the AOBF. It would've been important to have it in the main Notepad page because I could put another in the Stadimeter page and have a manual input/automatic input AOBF. Wpuld've been cool. I'll try to put the manual one in the AOB page and the automatic one with stadimeter in the Range Page. But it will be more tricky. Another ideea wuld be to just not put the Torpedo Settings in the Periscope screens and just leave them on the Attack Screen. How does that sound?

Oh IMPORTANT: what are the german words for Track angle and Bearing?

[Hitman]

Not exactly sure why we need 2 dials to show the bearing when we have it on the periscope

It served for checking that the TDC was actually following correctly the input of the scope with no error. Since the TDC needs to take into account target bearing for the caluclation of the shooting angle, it was also not difficult to display it also.

what are the german words for Track angle and Bearing?

Track Angle: Schneidungswinkel

Bearing: Peilung

[Hitman]

The only problem is that I'll go too much down. I wanted to reserve that space for the AOBF

Why so? I think it is more important to have a good slide-out TDC that allows all necessary settings and shows the proper results. Then you could put in a separate slide out panel the torpedo settings and the tube selector and fire button.

Personally, I do never use the notepad because it is an unrealistic and too long/complicate system of targetting. Ideally you should have a dial that allows direct input of mast heigth like in the US interface, and that's all.

Having to browse through the recognition manual until you find a match before you can send it to the TDC is absurd!

[karamazovnew]

Well, the main idea of this mod is, as in OLC and ACM for SH3, to burn the notepad . But the aobf is important for that.... And I still haven't figured out a proper place for it. One possibility is to just have it displayed constantly in the center of the screen, surrounding the periscope hole.

[Hitman]

One possibility is to just have it displayed constantly in the center of the screen, surrounding the periscope hole.

Noooooooo make it optional at most!

The AOB finder is a great tool, but its utility is greatly reduced when it is not automatically linked to the stadimeter. I have moved on to other (historical) periscope layouts and am happy with them

[Hitman]

BTW is the TDC panel linked to the periscope stations, or to the tool bar? I would prefer it linked to the tool bar because A) Makes programming easier, as you don't have to add it to several stations, and B) Is available everywhere.

One more thing, I see you created a 3D model, but I thought it was just 2D in the menus. Looking at the second picture however, I see SHADOWS , is the TDC 3D or 2D?

[karamazovnew]

Yes, almost forgot about that . Iin the first stage they'll sit on the AP page, but after I test them, they will sit on the Layout page. I guess I'll link them to the dials switches, just as OLC did. We'll see then.
Yes it's 3D but only because I'm not good at photoshop . It will be converted to tga's. Even Blender can render them on layers so that ain't a problem. Some items will give the illusion of perspective while others will not (the dials). The shadows of movable objects like the needles will also be dials themselves and will move with the objects. The result will not be correct but it's better than no shadows at all.

Now back to work... The track dial works for Uboats, but unfortunately I can't find a way to link the AOB to the course. The PK did that for fleetboats and there's no way I can use that.

[makman94]

@ Karamazovnew: just saw your pics ! just amazing! keep up !
@Hitman: what is the track angle ? i mean which angle this dial is showing?

[Hitman]

what is the track angle ? i mean which angle this dial is showing?

The angle at which the torpedo will impact in the target. It actually is not exactly the track angle as measured in the US Navy, but the concept is the same:

FOR THE US NAVY SUBMARINES: (Taken from the torpedo fire control manual, 1950)

138. TORPEDO TRACK ANGLE:
The angle at the point of intercept between the target ships course and the reverse of the torpedo's course, measured to port or starboard of the target's bow. Symbol: TTa.




FOR THE GERMAN KRIEGSMARINE U-BOATS: (From J. Brennecke's book "U-Boots II 1943-1945: Die Gejagten")




The difference, as you can see, is that the US Navy measures the external part of the intersect angle, while the german Kriegsmarine measures the internal part. Both are however referring to the same corner of the triangle.

[makman94]

what is confusing me is that speed dial is set at 0.according to the settings of other dials(bearing-aob) the track angle must show 45 or 135 degrees ( us or german).probably the dials at picture seem to be messed...