Changing the map to an H2S?

The +clight positioning for the ETO Lancaster cockpit is:

<Effect Type="Track" EffectName="cockpit_light_uv" PosX="-0.575" PosZ="4.25" PosY="0.95" Pitch="100" Heading="20" MinVel="-999999" MaxVel="999999"/>
<Effect Type="Track" EffectName="cockpit_light_uv" PosX="0.575" PosZ="4.25" PosY="0.95" Pitch="100" Heading="-20" MinVel="-999999" MaxVel="999999"/>
 
Thanks for the Lanc lights; I'll try them. The last picture I uploaded was from the bombardier's position and I notice the bomb-sight ring is very dark. Historically was that likely?

Now I am thinking if Joost's TI "h2s" could in fact be used more like Oboe navigation for the PF Mossies in particular. All the TI info other than the actual target would have to be neutral or transparent (no red or blue icons) so only the target icon has color.

The picture below shows both the new h2s and Joost's TI version. I note it was much bigger so I guess you are right about the new h2s size being fine.
The TI also shows why I think all the enemy icons need to go except the target one if to be more like the Oboe. Joost also gave info on the relationship between height and speed for when to release a TI or bomb using the scales. I'll dig out the trials we did on that.


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mongoose said:
Recived email with thanks. That picture looks great. Does the colorize function just overlay or change the map colors based on what they are in the map. In other words would the blue (river) water show up as black(ish)?

Off hand, do you know where the airplane icon comes from as might change that to a circle if possible.
Click to expand...

Hi, I think the image you are looking at is in uires/mb and is a cursor called pln.cur?
 
The shape seems to be different than the cursor file you suggested. Perhaps the airplane shape used for the map is a pre-compiled game resource buried inside a dll file.

As far as making indicators disappear from the TI the key to making that happen is resetting the colors that are assigned in the ViewUI.xml file located in your Documents and Settings directory under Application Data/Microsoft/CFS3. If they match the color of the TI screen the marker disappears. I used this trick for my Night Fighter AI and P-61 SCR-720 mods.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?catid=13&linkid=15462

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?catid=13&linkid=388
 
You are a source of much unknown stuff, althoughI do have both of those but so far haven't installed them as I have been using a slightly different NF version but I'll check the readme's for info. Looking at Joost's (h2s) Tac display (which also seems the basis for our current map h2s overlay) I suppose I have to know the actual colors used in that. Not something I am all that good at although i do have his original photoshop file with its many layers! I'll give it a go later today after tile grouting if I can!

I sort of suspect you are right about the ac icon.
 
Good and bad news re map swaps!
I forgot to add to the ETOEraSwapper where appropriate

REN mapdata.xml TOW_mapdata.xml
REN ETO_mapdata.xml mapdata.xml

or the reverse

This seems to work!

However this does not seem to be working

REN \dialogs\dlgingamebriefmap.xml \dialogs\ETO_dlgingamebriefmap.xml
REN \dialogs\TOW_dlgingamebriefmap.xml \dialogs\dlgingamebriefmap.xml

or reverse

I suspect we are not following batch file format somehow when a file is in a folder.


On another matter; when you say " the map in MAW that happens to have 3D terrain feature", does that mean the ETO one doesn't and is 'flat'?
 
The one in MAW uses color to show the shape of the terrain like flood plains, hills, mountains, volcanoes, etc. The one in ETO uses color to show country borders, rivers, roads and railway lines, but everything is otherwise flat.
 
Further on the map and in fact your(Andy) overlay (based on Joost's I assume)
The Joost TAC h2s version had those marking based on miles from the target and of course the fact that the target could be aligned at 12 o'clock.
Of course the TAC display can be set from 8 to 1 mile radius, so the first question is, although one can zoom in or out on the map, is there any way to determine the radius/distance one is viewing, even at default setting?
Could the overlay markings be changed to shoe concentric circles instead of the North facing straight line markings? That would be better given the aircraft is not always facting directly at 12 o'clock (or North).
 
I just assumed that was what you wanted to use for the overlay as you had posted it earlier in the thread. The overlay could be just about anything you'd like, or you could skip the overlay entirely.

The original in game map function provides a distance scale along the top that automatically changes as you zoom in or out. Perhaps you just want a circular overlay with a cut-out so that still shows through?
 
MajorMagee said:
I just assumed that was what you wanted to use for the overlay as you had posted it earlier in the thread. The overlay could be just about anything you'd like, or you could skip the overlay entirely.

The original in game map function provides a distance scale along the top that automatically changes as you zoom in or out. Perhaps you just want a circular overlay with a cut-out so that still shows through?
Click to expand...

Ah! I didn't realize that's why you did that.


The picture below does indicate a circular screen at least. I am assuming that any range makings are on a rotating bezel such that they can be aligned with the course direction. In our case we don't seem to be able to do that with the may at least; so that's why I am suggesting rings.
I hadn't paid attention to the distance scale before, but not it basically doubles (or halves). In which case the concentric circles could be based on the 7.3 mile setting; the closed to the TAC 8 miles. IKt would be nice to have a cut out for that! :)



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This also doesn't seem to work.:banghead:

REN dlgingamebriefmap.xml TOW_dlgingamebriefmap.xml
REN ETO_dlgingamebriefmap.xml dlgingamebriefmap.xml

and v.v.
 
Looking at a variety of cockpit images confirms that the bezel could be rotated to assist in calculating the azimuth to follow from the current location and heading to the target. The v shape at the top-center of the straight line pattern appears to be an aid in accounting for drift. I also found one animated gif that shows the bright line as a beam sweeping around the screen leaving the radar image behind it as an afterglow that faded out about 90 degrees behind the beam (classic oscilloscope functionality). Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to simulate either the rotating bezel or the beam sweep animation with the current overlay approach.

p.s.
Since our map always points north, we could get a version of the rotating bezel - relative azimuth effect if we had a way to change the airplane icon into the shape of the grid.
 
I thought the aircraft icon was likely buried in some .dll file.
If that can't be done, then just concentric circles based of the 7.3 mile zoom scaled to every 1/4 mile could be a substitute ( plus the range cut out)

Meanwhile I am thinking how to make the dense city areas show more clearly. The maps are pretty useless in defining them, so I suppose I could just do a rough out of some of the major ones and make them more white ( or the rest less!).
 
Do we know the relationship between those and the old h2s radar images? It seemed more to do with reflective qualities. I'll have to study that more.
 
I agree that H2S was measuring radar reflectivity differences, but I'm not sure where we would be able to find that data. The height map data at least provides something to navigate by. In general higher terrain is more rugged, and would product more radar contrast, than the flat coastal plains. If it could be added to a map of rivers, lakes and cities that produce their own enhanced radar signature then the image would be complete.
 
Meanwhile, what we have here is equivalent to WWII h2s Mk I :mixed-smiley-010:
Better than nothing. Now I want too see if I can use the mission builder map to give a briefing photo of the desired h2s signature of the target area. It was never as precise as Oboe anyway; and that was fine with Harris's bombing objectives!
 
Below is Cologne target. I had to color out all the gsl target data. It could be used in a mission without waypoint indicators and real navigation with no TAC. Just use 'z' sometime to check bearing and h2s en route for coast line info. That would be a mission of maximum difficulty!
(Would have to have photo on another monitor or tablet or something,)

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Map swap solved, given I have night and day only eras, by changing masterstartup.bat to

@ECHO OFF
CLS
CALL ETOEraSwapper.bat
CD "C:\Combat Flight ETO TOWplus\global_layer"
CALL ETOGLSwapper.bat
CD "C:\Combat Flight ETO TOWplus\dialogs"
CALL ETOdialogsSwapper.bat
CD "C:\Combat Flight ETO TOWplus\sounds"
CALL ETOMusicSwapper.bat
CD "C:\Combat Flight ETO TOWplus"
START cfs3.exe

and addiing details in the ETOdialogsSwapper.bat similar to those in the ETOMusicSwapper.bat.

Now if one only has standard ETO Eras or some other install, one would have to make a batch file external to CFS3 the same way as for NF radar or different TAC screens or gauges or brackets, and have the files in their own folder somewhere.
 
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