WO: Nearest visual contact range at XXXX meters. YEA OR NAY?

[Hitman]

Let us pretend then mate! Just a nice graphic mod linked with (or triggered from) the nearest visual contact range command. Lets have at least the sense of calculating the range! What do you think?

Not sure if I understand You mean some kind of graphic overlay that looks as if we were looking through a rangefinder and that appears when you click the range to nearest contact button? The problem is that you might actually be looking elsewhere in that moment, if you are not sure which is the closest contact (Which is often the case).

[nemo7]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Not sure if I understand You mean some kind of graphic overlay that looks as if we were looking through a rangefinder and that appears when you click the range to nearest contact button? The problem is that you might actually be looking elsewhere in that moment, if you are not sure which is the closest contact (Which is often the case).

True. You might look somewhere else. BUT you hold this thing. So you are able to turn with it until you SEE the closest contact. Then, lets say, with a mechanism like the notepad+stadimeter in stock SHIII you can have the range estimation on your screen.

Now, in case you are in the middle of merchant traffic you don't need this thing. You have discovered a convoy.

[Sailor Steve]

I use him exclusively. I'm too lazy (and to obtuse) to figure it out myself. I make up for it by always taking at least three readings, and waiting a few seconds before clicking the button (actually I look at the map and then come back, or raise the periscope, so I go through the whole Click WE - click Periscope Orders - click Identify - click Target Info). If I'm surfaced it takes that much longer, giving them plenty of time to see me, and if submerged it gives them plenty of chances to spot my scope.

I like to be historically accurate and realistic with my cheating.

Originally Posted by Hitman

I have readed a report on interrogation of prisoners where they stated that such a rangefinder was always used for deck gun targetting.

That is fascinating! The most I've seen were photos that all turned out to be of Schnellboote. It must have been fun getting the thing up and down the ladder and through the hatch.

[nemo7]

Here is the link SSteve: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-461INT.htm
(Section V-Range Finding and Fire Control in Practice).

Wouldn't it be great and pretty immersive if someone could manage to mod this beauty?

[nemo7]

Figure 16F16 represents the image of reticles and target as actually seen through the eyepiece group. Note that the reticle image consists of one row of diamonds and four rows of vertical lines. The center diamond is used for ranging on the target. All the marks in any one row appear to be at the same distance from the observer. The row of lines immediately above the diamonds appears to be more distant than the diamonds, and the top row appears to be still more distant. The row immediately under the diamonds appears to be nearer than the diamonds, and the bottom row appears to be nearer still. When the center diamond has been superimposed on the target, the rows of vertical lines make it possible to estimate the range of bursts or splashes without readjusting the compensator wedges. At any given range, the apparent distance between any two adjacent rows corresponds to a fixed distance. When this distance has been determined from a table, the necessary spot corrections can be quickly estimated.

The horizontal distance between any two adjacent marks in the same row correspond to five mils in deflection. Thus deflection spots can be made without training the rangefinder off the target. Because it is more useful for spotting, as well as for ranging on fast-moving targets such as aircraft, the stereoscopic rangefinder is more widely used than the coincidence rangefinder.

[flakmonkey]

Well its an interesting find, im not sure it could be implemented as a functional mod though, to have it working correctly you would need to be able to add new cameras which the game will not allow as far as i know.

I guess perhaps you could swap the watch officer`s binoculars for the range finder when you give the order to find the range to nearest contact, trouble being that we cant adjust his animation to look as if he is holding the thing, his hands would still be posed for binoculars.

Similar to that old sextant tool i guess you could have a static graphic of the range finder that you can drag on screen at the appropriate time but it would be entirely non functional, at least the slideout sextant was a usable tool, the rf would just be a pretty picture.

Third option i guess is to just add a model of the rangefinder to the conning tower somewhere, just propped up against a bulkhead etc to suggest its use by the WO. It could be given a "visible underwater" controller so it would dissapear when submerged.

[nemo7]

Originally Posted by flakmonkey

I guess perhaps you could swap the watch officer`s binoculars for the range finder when you give the order to find the range to nearest contact, trouble being that we cant adjust his animation to look as if he is holding the thing, his hands would still be posed for binoculars.

Right. We can combine then a great graphic model of RF and the WO's binocular view. The view mask (below) is pretty much the same. No need to adjust any animation in order to look as if he's holding the thing.

You scroll the mouse, you have the binocular view. You click on the RF graphic, you have the RF's view and the range.
It's all about the immersion.

[frau kaleun]

Did other navies use this type of device too? Because I could swear I just saw it in a movie (might've been The Cruel Sea, can't remember exactly), some lookout posted high up on a ship was using something that looked a lot like that and I had no idea what it was or why he was using it.

[nemo7]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Did other navies use this type of device too? Because I could swear I just saw it in a movie (might've been The Cruel Sea, can't remember exactly), some lookout posted high up on a ship was using something that looked a lot like that and I had no idea what it was or why he was using it.

Indeed. Both US and British Navy. The American stereoscopic Height Finder Ml and the British coincidence type Range Finders FQ 25 and UB 7.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by nemo7

Indeed. Both US and British Navy. The American stereoscopic Height Finder Ml and the British coincidence type Range Finders FQ 25 and UB 7.

Another mystery solved... thank you!

[nemo7]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Another mystery solved... thank you!

You are welcome frau kaleun.

Originally Posted by KL-alfman

great find, nemo!

I think that it's worth the try mate.

[Jankowski]

yes these seem to be in many war movies, and are probably used for artillery too. i never really knew what these where for.

[nemo7]

You are right mate.



8.8 Flak 36 in action as antitank gun in Russia. Note the use of the stereoscopic range finder.

[nemo7]

There is already the Fm's Sextant. Imagine one more great navigation graphic on your screen; the 70-cm Range Finder 34 (Entfernungsmesser 34). Plus when you click on it to get the mask view and the range of your target. Immersive or what?

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by nemo7

I already have the Fm's Sextant. Imagine one more great navigation graphic on your screen; the 70-cm Range Finder 34 (Entfernungsmesser 34). Plus when you click on it to get the mask view and the range of your target. Immersive or what?

@nemo: Do you use the real navigation mod?
I was perusing the documentation that came with it and, while it looks interesting, may be going waaaaaay to far on the immersion level for me. Might be kinda fun for a little bit but it looks like you would need a lot of time.
Just wondering.