Changing the map to an H2S?

mongoose

mongoose

SOH-CM-2023
Has anyone thought about using the map as an H2S system instead of the TI which Frosty especially worked on? The reason I ask is that of course TI doesn't illuminate anything but the "radar" contacts; IE individual buildings, etc. I'm assuming if we were able to mess with the TI we might be able to with the map??
 
Of course I don't mean the 3 different altitude maps but the moving map when one presses "m" in the game. So far can't see anything looking through the files.:banghead:
 
Well I suppose the underlying map(s) is/are the same. What I mean is to use the in game (press 'm') map as a substitute for an H2S scope. I wonder if one remade the map colours they would show up 2 tones; as in an H2S. I note zooming in on the low alt map that it doesn't look quite the same as the in game map? I suppose One thing I could do is just change the 3 maps and see what happens to the in game map?? The problem is I don't quite know how the in game map is worked.:dizzy:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1137629

http://www.cairdpublications.com/scrap/armbitbombs/armbitbombs.htm

https://www.google.com/search?q=H2s...AhVH7oMKHfq9C6oQ9C8IHw&biw=1920&bih=986&dpr=1
 
Hi James,

the image used by the game to draw the map background for the inflight map is: ingamebrief.bmp
found in Uires/help folder.

you could change the image to look like a H2S scope, hut not sure how to change the map layout from square to round to superimpose over the top of the image.

regards Rob.
 
Hi Rob,

Thanks for that. It seems to be just the frame of the map and not the actual map which I assume is still taken from ther "maps" folder in the respective uires folder. Interesting to see what would happen though if changed the frame shape as well as the map colours!
 
Hi James,

yep the map is superimposed over the top of the image. you can change the shape of the backing board you need to adjust the values in the relevent .xml file in the dialogs folder of the main game directory. cant recall off hand the name of the dialog file to edit.

You could give the map images a greenish colour and make the background image look like a H2S screen. I did something similar for OFF to make it look like a WWI map board etc.

regards Rob.
 
Hi Rob!

Making progress in ideas anyway. Have you got your WOFF stuff? I'll have a look for the dialog xml.
Cheers

James
 
mongoose said:
Have you got your WOFF stuff?
Click to expand...

Hi James,

Unfortunately I dropped my main back up external hard drive late last year and lost pretty much all the CFS3 work I have ever done, ETO, OFF, MAW, Rising Sun etc etc. managed to get a little back with a company trying to do a restore from the main center disk of the drive, but they couldnt get much.

So I don't have my notes or development files for the OFF work any more.

the dialog file controls the placement on the screen (X,Y co-ords) and the size of the image. you can use pure black to cut out parts of the image you dont want, the game renders black as invisible in game, that would be one way to change the shape of the board.

regards Rob.

edit. these are the finished files from OFF, you can see the black that is not visible in game.
 

Attachments

  • qc_base.bmp
    245.3 KB · Views: 1
  • enemyaircraft.bmp
    217.6 KB · Views: 1
  • ingamebriefmap.jpg
    ingamebriefmap.jpg
    67.6 KB · Views: 0
Back to this. Based on some pictures of H2S, such as the one below, which is in fact the clearest

attachment.php


Just to start off, I took the 3 map pics and basically made them just black (for water) and white (for land). Not an easy job, and got something like this as displayed when I used the map in flight, or in this case the mb programme.

First the Wash similar to above

attachment.php



then Bremen

attachment.php


and Hamburg

attachment.php


Now it would be nice if the map in game could be made to look more like an H2S screen; I can overlay a semi transparent greenish layer to the maps but to make the surrounding "frame" or H2S looking screen surround is probably beyond me. Anyway this looks like a start.
 
I believe you can edit dlgingamebriefmap.xml to have the map sitting on top of any background bitmap file you'd like to create for it.
 
If one could take something like this (adjusted from Joost's) for the ingamebriefmap.bmp and maybe add a center ring and a sweep line, with the maps, that might work. When I tried the map was super imposed on top of the fame??

attachment.php


attachment.php
 
Okay, now I understand that you want to create an overlay with transparent sections. I suspect the definition of the elements you can access through the dialog xml files is hard coded, so adding a new feature might be problematic, unless you can figure out an already existing one to reuse for this. I wonder how the aircraft icon at the center of the map is being applied?
 
I think I have to make the centre of the ingamebriefmap.bmp maybe the same color as in the original and then I can apply a semi transparent green shading over the maps; the latter has worked in a trial I did before. I may also have to try and make the maps circular if possible. Other than that the frame would have to be remade rectangular more like the original ingamebriefmap.bmp.

The aircraft icon is a hangover from the original. I will have to find out how to eliminate that; or make that the "ring for the H2S, as there needs to be some way to indicate the (moving) origin of the H2S radar; namely where the aircraft is.

attachment.php


According to Rob I should be able to black out the right hand part which he says would make it invisible in the game; something like this

attachment.php
 
OK this is sort of a better prototype but have to change some xml files which seems difficult. Also greens aren't showing up in the gam the same as on paint.net (gimp?).

attachment.php
 
If I remember correctly from when I did the Night Fighter / SCR-720 tactical displays and the gunsight reticles, CFS3 does an additive blend operation when it combines the overlay with the base color making the colors lighter. In Photoshop you would do a "multiply" adjustment of the layer with itself at 50% transparency to make the starting green darker, so that it looks like what you actually want in game when the "screen" operation happens.

Also you can change the Caption text and position in dlgingamebriefmap.xml so it says something like HS2 Scope instead of briefing.
 
I'll give your suggestions a go on paint.net or gimp. I need to get rid of that white rectangle some how as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top