Need for better nautical charts

Archive1 · 02-01-08, 07:00 PM

We need better nautical charts that make available at least some sense of depth. Perhaps just a contour delimiting the 100 meter line along coastlines, but it would be nice to have some idea re: depths in shallower water without having to ping (sometimes in dangerous conditions). I am sure the Uboat commanders had nautical charts with at least minimal depth information. The nav map available is terribly insufficient (in many ways) and quite crude - devoid as we know of depth information except for faint coloration differences. Anybody know of a source of reasonably large scale maps that could be edited digitally with depth soundings (and free in the public domain, of course)? I've tried several sources but cannot find same. I realize the Lat/Long limitations of SH3 regarding real world azimuths, but coastlines would be reasonable accurate and congruent with the game. Perhaps someone could make a high quality scan of a representative coastline (East coast of England, West coast of Norway, for example) and we could add sounding data to it digitally, then upload it to the community as a test? The charts, as hardcopy, could reside outside the game, ie, not be accessed by some keystroke, to keep it simple.
Am using GWX v2 - great work, guys!

Blacklight · 02-01-08, 07:47 PM

You know.. I thought about the same thing but I was unable to find any good sized maps to port in and also considering how crappy an artist I am, making one from scratch would be impossible.

I fully agree. The nav map we have is terrible. I'm colorblind so most of the ocean and the little depth color chart thing all look the same color to me so I can't tell depth at all. I'd LOVE to see some contour lines.

My question is... Did they HAVE accurate depth maps back then for the Atlantic though ?

Laufen zum Ziel · 02-01-08, 08:48 PM

Good Question Captains. I just might start a throw away carrer and Run grids for depth and record them. Results may be a downloadable may with depth. I am not a modder so not much else to do except pull it from my knee pad.

Brag · 02-01-08, 09:59 PM

Although the presentation is bad, especially if used to work with nautical charts, the SH3 chart does give you a rough idea of depth.

Sinse I stay out of shallow water, period, it doesn't bother me much. If I need to ping, I don't wait for the enemy to show up to start pinging.

Foghladh_mhara · 02-01-08, 10:08 PM

I may be wrong in this but I think that format was there in SH2. Or at least the depth contours were more defined.

Sailor Steve · 02-01-08, 10:19 PM

In SH2 anywhere the cursor was on the map, the little screen would tell you the exact depth. Not realistic, but useful.

Archive1 · 02-01-08, 10:35 PM

Blacklight: I would be surprised if the Kriegsmarine, as it prepared for the coming strife, did not load up on reasonably accurate nautical charts of Great Britain, Scandinavia, USA, and the Baltic at least. Also remember, the German UBoots were active around the UK in the first war.

I should think that any digitally saved map of a decent size (maybe sector maps would be needed) could be marked-up simply to indicate depth contours, and no modding experience would be needed - just a test sub cruising along pinging as it went and the 'gamer' marking a hardcopy with decently (roughly) accurate data. Any first pass could be corrected by the community as time passed.

Brag: Yes, very shallow waters are bad, but moving into the water off Dunkirk or off some harbors in England or Norway, it would be helpful to know the depth and how close you want to risk it before a DD shows up on the horizon, no?

Sailor Steve/_mhara: Right, I forgot that. Not an option (popup screen) in SH3 I suppose, maybe one of the modding experts have an answer. If we get no reply here, we can take it to the SH3 Mod forum and see what we get.

Archive1 · 02-01-08, 10:40 PM

One more thing to _mhara in response to his aphorism about failure...I remember another one, "The best preparation for failure is repetition."

02-01-08, 07:00 PM	#1
Archive1 Captain Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington State south of Tacoma Posts: 495 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Need for better nautical charts We need better nautical charts that make available at least some sense of depth. Perhaps just a contour delimiting the 100 meter line along coastlines, but it would be nice to have some idea re: depths in shallower water without having to ping (sometimes in dangerous conditions). I am sure the Uboat commanders had nautical charts with at least minimal depth information. The nav map available is terribly insufficient (in many ways) and quite crude - devoid as we know of depth information except for faint coloration differences. Anybody know of a source of reasonably large scale maps that could be edited digitally with depth soundings (and free in the public domain, of course)? I've tried several sources but cannot find same. I realize the Lat/Long limitations of SH3 regarding real world azimuths, but coastlines would be reasonable accurate and congruent with the game. Perhaps someone could make a high quality scan of a representative coastline (East coast of England, West coast of Norway, for example) and we could add sounding data to it digitally, then upload it to the community as a test? The charts, as hardcopy, could reside outside the game, ie, not be accessed by some keystroke, to keep it simple. Am using GWX v2 - great work, guys!

02-01-08, 07:47 PM	#2
Blacklight Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,507 Downloads: 145 Uploads: 0	You know.. I thought about the same thing but I was unable to find any good sized maps to port in and also considering how crappy an artist I am, making one from scratch would be impossible. I fully agree. The nav map we have is terrible. I'm colorblind so most of the ocean and the little depth color chart thing all look the same color to me so I can't tell depth at all. I'd LOVE to see some contour lines. My question is... Did they HAVE accurate depth maps back then for the Atlantic though ? __________________ Be my friend or be a mushroom cloud. "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes !"

02-01-08, 09:59 PM	#4
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Although the presentation is bad, especially if used to work with nautical charts, the SH3 chart does give you a rough idea of depth. Sinse I stay out of shallow water, period, it doesn't bother me much. If I need to ping, I don't wait for the enemy to show up to start pinging. __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

02-01-08, 10:08 PM	#5
Foghladh_mhara Commander Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kent Posts: 473 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I may be wrong in this but I think that format was there in SH2. Or at least the depth contours were more defined. __________________ The beauty of not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise without any of the stress that might normally precede such a venture

02-01-08, 10:19 PM	#6
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	In SH2 anywhere the cursor was on the map, the little screen would tell you the exact depth. Not realistic, but useful. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

02-01-08, 08:48 PM	#3
Laufen zum Ziel Eternal Patrol Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Hiding on the bottom Posts: 1,783 Downloads: 853 Uploads: 457	Good Question Captains. I just might start a throw away carrer and Run grids for depth and record them. Results may be a downloadable may with depth. I am not a modder so not much else to do except pull it from my knee pad.

02-01-08, 10:35 PM	#7
Archive1 Captain Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington State south of Tacoma Posts: 495 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Blacklight: I would be surprised if the Kriegsmarine, as it prepared for the coming strife, did not load up on reasonably accurate nautical charts of Great Britain, Scandinavia, USA, and the Baltic at least. Also remember, the German UBoots were active around the UK in the first war. I should think that any digitally saved map of a decent size (maybe sector maps would be needed) could be marked-up simply to indicate depth contours, and no modding experience would be needed - just a test sub cruising along pinging as it went and the 'gamer' marking a hardcopy with decently (roughly) accurate data. Any first pass could be corrected by the community as time passed. Brag: Yes, very shallow waters are bad, but moving into the water off Dunkirk or off some harbors in England or Norway, it would be helpful to know the depth and how close you want to risk it before a DD shows up on the horizon, no? Sailor Steve/_mhara: Right, I forgot that. Not an option (popup screen) in SH3 I suppose, maybe one of the modding experts have an answer. If we get no reply here, we can take it to the SH3 Mod forum and see what we get.

02-01-08, 10:40 PM	#8
Archive1 Captain Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington State south of Tacoma Posts: 495 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	One more thing to _mhara in response to his aphorism about failure...I remember another one, "The best preparation for failure is repetition."