TAC Displays, HUD gauges, and brackets.

**gecko** · February 18th, 2017, 15:43

The same method could also simulate instructions from a ground controller.

**mongoose** · February 18th, 2017, 18:44

Talking of night fighter crew positions, while it is relative clear with Bf 110s and Ju88s, that the funker was behind the pilot, for Mosquitos they were side by side with the navigator slightly offset behind. Off hand I don't think CFS3 shows views from his position.
here is a pretty clear view.

The Beaufighters had the 2nd crew in the back but again I don't know off hand if CFS3 shows his position.

I like the 110 as I can be in the funkers position with the radar and auto pilot and when necessary switch to the pilot and turn off TAC until I am on the new course when I can revert to auto pilot, the funker, and TAC radar.
Once within visual I can dispense with the funker and the radar.

Not so easy with the mosquito.

Also single engine F190 wilde sau did have radar which I suppose the pilot had to operate at the same time.

Anyway Daniel's ideas are very promising if they can be made to work.

**gecko** · February 18th, 2017, 20:12

Yes, it's no good as a solution for the single seat fighters with radar. Off the top of my head, Fw 190, Bf 109, F4U, F6F, and a couple of Typhoons. The Defiant's radar I believe was pilot operated as well, must not have been room in that little turret.

**mongoose** · February 19th, 2017, 06:47

So are your box and autokey ideas workable or doable?
The other thing which I noted before, is that I don't seem to be able to move the target cone's position?

**gecko** · February 19th, 2017, 06:56

Not sure about the box, someone will have to build it as even a simple box is beyond my current gmax knowledge. Autohotkey scripts are definitely possible, shouldn't take long but I do have a couple things in line ahead of it.

***NachtPiloten*** · February 19th, 2017, 07:00

Well I made a new target cone but still need to get the brightness and opacity correct. I think position will always be an issue since it is center screen. I have mentioned this once before several years ago but I made a radar station that had the dials as guns. The dials moved once an enemy was in range and you could use the dials to guide you to an intercept. All you need to do is make the radar station a pilot station and you can fly the plane as well as be guided to the target. It worked ok but the gauges were difficult to see at night, however, with the new illuminated gauges this should be solved. I tested it some but never did much with it since the textures for the gauges were limited. What I did i was add a dot in each dial to represent the target and it moved in accordance with the axis the dial was oriented to. That is elevation was just for and aft (up/down) while azimuth was only left right (this was done in the xdp). Distance well that really was never modeled well, but toggling between the funker and pilot made interceptions possible and really quite the challenge. I abandoned this but still have all the gmax/max models. I think that Daniel's idea of an intermittent target bracket and cone may be ok, as I do not hold out much for the modified target cone. Let me know what you guys/gals want.

**mongoose** · February 19th, 2017, 09:02

I don't think I ever saw that idea from you back then. Can you provide some pictures as seems I'm a bit slow to grasp what it looked like.
Your new cone; was it Daniel's open box?

***NachtPiloten*** · February 20th, 2017, 05:04

It is difficult to explain or show in still pictures. I took a fug 212 display and used the textures from the ground crew bf 110 g series planes. Made the display housing and the three dial faces, each for range, azimuth, and elevation. Then you make a gun for each and in the xdp give it the characteristics that each dial represents. So for elevation the range was plus/minus 60 degrees (up/down) with no lateral movement. For azimuth l/r 60 degrees and no elevation. Range well this one was the draw back as there was not real way to have the guns show you are getting closer unless you made several guns each with different range limits in the guns folder (which you can do) so that say at 6 km one indicator starts to work then at 3km another and say at 1km still another, clunky but would work. The "indicator" was an oval object that was linked to the gun but displayed on the gauge. So as the gun aimed the oval moved showing the location of the target. You flew the plane to have the oval move into the center of the dial indicating that you where directly behind and at the same altitude of the intended target. One you were there, you could use the tactical display to check for range and "pauke" "pauke", down went another invader.

It worked ok, but the cfs3 gun movements are not so smooth at times and with multiple targets it jumped around which would represent the presence of a large bomber stream. I made the radar station flyable so you could watch the screen and move to an intercept (needed to use hud gauges to keep the plane stable). The biggest draw back was the lack of luminous gauges so night intercepts were very tedious and just unrealistic at times. Maybe now it could work more effectively.

I made a cylinder with a horizontal line, just need to get the colors and transparency correct. I did not like it that much, but will still keep pursing the holy grail of 3 axis radar in cfs3.......

**mongoose** · February 20th, 2017, 07:44

TED. Interesting. I don't suppose you could zip your old one to me by email just to see how it worked. Maybe let Daniel and me test out your cylinder when you are ready!

**mongoose** · February 20th, 2017, 07:47

Meanwhile if no one has any objections, I'm going to upload a readme and contents for the TAC, brackets, and HUD gauges with Batch file info. If the contents are still in the Library, I'll just add a link. If I can't find them I'll include them.

***NachtPiloten*** · February 21st, 2017, 07:30

James-

This will take a while since I do not think I have any of the cockpits equipped with this radar system. Also, will need to create new xdp's to have it work. So it will be a while I am afraid.

Ted

***MajorMagee*** · March 26th, 2018, 04:39

With the recent interest in the topic again it's time for a

**gecko** · March 26th, 2018, 09:04

Ted, I think we have the capability now to overcome the issues you encountered, I can add it to the other TOW work I'm doing.

***NachtPiloten*** · March 26th, 2018, 09:37

Hi - not sure what issues you are speaking of? The illumination sure that can be done.

I was so impressed with what I saw in IL2, it was amazing the radar they have...

Oh well.

I was speaking with a IBM programmer the other day and shared our little world. She said just h%#k the engine/program and rewrite what you want.... So easy i guess if you don't care about legal eagle stuff. Yes this is evil I know, but the alternative noCD options (ssshhh) they had to h#$k the program to get that to work - just evil dreams of an morally corrupt person...

Now you know this idea is just complete rubbish that I would never advocate we do, just seems so frustrating .....

Oh, found all the files and stuff I used just have way too many things in the mix - maybe I should listen to the wife and retire???

Dan- ever get the visibility range on the beacons to be the 8-10 km we need? Also colors any luck other than white for the searchlights? I send you the models I have. I will make one with an emitter as well.

***MajorMagee*** · March 26th, 2018, 10:01

Looking at the target cone as a 3D object that can have variable levels of transparency has me thinking of ways to create something that looks like a working radar screen.

Start with a four part model:

A light green mostly transparent sphere.

A light green rod slightly shorter than the diameter of the sphere that is a little less transparent than the sphere.

A brighter green opaque dot slightly larger than the rod diameter on the end of the rod that will point away from the target.

A darker green opaque dot the same diameter as the rod on the end of the rod that will point at the target.

As the target cone moves the line and dots will point at the target within the sphere that will appear as a transparent green circle on the screen.

The line will be the longest when you are looking exactly 90 degrees off axis from the target.

The line will shorten as you line up more directly with the target.

Looking directly away from the target the image will appear as a bright green halo around the darker green dot highlighting your course error and warning that they are now on your six.

When you are looking directly at the target the image will appear as a bright green dot in the center of the scope.

Simulated images with the target ahead and up to the right, directly behind, and directly in front of the player.