Sonar contact lines and "Tails" - Colour info

[oRGy]

Hi;

For the next version of Improved U-Boat I've changed from the RuB model of contact lines and tails to a sort of 'vaguer SH3' style, where you the ship contact tails and icons are all there, but are only in black, so you still have to manually id' the ship to tell if its friendly, neutral, or enemy.

Now this was surprisingly easy, but doing this had the side-effect of making the sonar lines of warships the same colour (black) as merchants. Now, I am not altogether sure this is a bad thing, but I was wondering if there was a more elegant way to do this that would allow one to keep the sonar lines of warships red... The problem is that the file contline.tga is used for sonar lines, ship 'tails', and other things.

Any chance the colour info for all these things is stored in some easily accessible cfg file, or does anyone have some interesting tidbits of information?

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Originally Posted by oRGy

For the next version of Improved U-Boat I've changed from the RuB model of contact lines and tails to a sort of 'vaguer SH3' style, where you the ship contact tails and icons are all there, but are only in black, so you still have to manually id' the ship to tell if its friendly, neutral, or enemy.

Now this was surprisingly easy, but doing this had the side-effect of making the sonar lines of warships the same colour (black) as merchants. Now, I am not altogether sure this is a bad thing, but I was wondering if there was a more elegant way to do this that would allow one to keep the sonar lines of warships red... The problem is that the file contline.tga is used for sonar lines, ship 'tails', and other things.

I have hoped for a LONG time that there would be a mod that would do this! Way to go oRGy. I think the lines all being the same color is a GOOD thing. Besides if you take a moment to listen to the hydro yourself... there is no mistaking the high-speed screw sounds of the DD's...

...and I think that is really the only ship you need to worry about 98% of the time.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Could you might release that as a separate mod or describe how we can build it? I'd like to go ahead and use it to get the feel for it.

... unless you feel it is "Top Secret."

[oRGy]

It's quite simple - open contline.tga and dashline.tga (in /data/menu/gui or thereabouts), with photoshop, invert colours, and save.

For the little "hand drawn ship" icons in the extreme zoomed in view, you do the same... they're in /data/Sea/whatever, and are usually called something like NBB_Blah_shp.tga. Also do this for submarines, etc. In RuB default these are blanked out so you don't see them.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Originally Posted by oRGy

It's quite simple - open contline.tga and dashline.tga (in /data/menu/gui or thereabouts), with photoshop, invert colours, and save.

For the little "hand drawn ship" icons in the extreme zoomed in view, you do the same... they're in /data/Sea/whatever, and are usually called something like NBB_Blah_shp.tga. Also do this for submarines, etc. In RuB default these are blanked out so you don't see them.

Cool! Can I do the same thing in Irfanview by "converting to greyscale?"

[oRGy]

I don't think so - they have an alpha channel for transparency.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Well crud... that cuts me out since I don't have photoshop.

I'll give it a shot though... if it causes a CTD... that will be the answer... will post back.

I love the idea though... It still causes you to identify cons without losing them from the map alltogether... I mean your watch crew SHOULD be watching and have an easier time of identifying the close cons.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

HEY IT WORKS!!! I just used "decrease color depth" instead of "convert to greyscale" and set it to "2" (black and white) in Irfanview.

Sonar contact lines for all merchant ships and warships are now black fading to grey... will do the same for subs later too.

Later I will convert all contact colors to be the same...

NOW you will have to be reeeeaally careful not to torp neutral ships! :P

oRGy, If I get to it quick enough would you mind if I put these files together as a mod and credited you? (It might be 2-3 days, maybe tonight if the forum slows down.)

[oRGy]

I don't mind at all.

Remember you'll have to edit the icons for all ships, subs, and planes.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Originally Posted by oRGy

I don't mind at all.

Remember you'll have to edit the icons for all ships, subs, and planes.

Roger that and thanks... lol I would have forgotten the planes.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Well oRGy,

I just spent 3 hours repeating the above for all planes, subs, and boats....



I think part of the problem was I overlayed stock _shp tga's with RUb 1.44 files before reducing them to two colors.

I wound up with only little boxes for cons with no tails... and NO cons at all at short range. No offense Beery, but that's quite backwards.

Sonar lines still work though.

I've been chasing "all grey cons" since I first started watching this forum.

I'll do some more experimenting tonight, but won't be able to come back to it until Thursday when I get back from work.

[Rubini]

Hi oRGy,
Hi Kpt. Lehmann,

I think that you have to release this work for the stock game too. It's a must have one!
Please release it!


Rubini.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Originally Posted by Rubini

Hi oRGy,
Hi Kpt. Lehmann,

I think that you have to release this work for the stock game too. It's a must have one!
Please release it!


Rubini.

No worries Admiral Rubini sir! We will keep at it.

I am going to try doing a stock version first to practice a bit.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I will be back at work on this topic late today.

[Gairith]

Myros made a mod like this awhile back, still works with SH3 v1.4b and RUB v1.43

http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=32213