Changing the map to an H2S?

[MajorMagee]

Okay, I've got it working now by making the cancel button do double duty.
dlgingamebriefmap.xml will look like this:

<Dialog Image="help/ingamebriefmap.bmp[1]" Movable="No" ZOrder="Top" Position="Center">
<Button ID="Cancel" X="20" Y="38" Width="469" Height="463" NoCaption="Yes" Image="common_screens/overlay.bmp"/>
<Label ID="ctrl6" Caption="H2S Display" X="256" Y="21" Width="80" Height="14" FontName="metaltype" Align="Center"/>
<EditBox ID="edtDescription" X="517" Y="51" Width="247" Height="441" ReadOnly="true" Image="common_screens/dropbox.bmp[1]" FontName="textfontflt" Textcolor="#000000,#000000,#000000"/>
<MissionMap ID="map" X="20" Y="38" Width="469" Height="463" Image="ctrl"/>
</Dialog>

This requires that you to create a 469 x 463 pixel 16 bit overlay.bmp file with everything you want transparent to show the map underneath as magenta (it must be exactly 256, 0, 256), and the overlay can be painted in the green lines you want. I would use a hard edge drawing tool because if you soft blend it into the surrounding magenta you'll end up with purple halos around your lines and numbers. Place it in the uires/common_screens folder.

The other changes you've already figured out will take care of the rest.

[MajorMagee]

@ Clive. Do you think the combined map and H2S was actual or that iss a demo? Not that I thinl we could do both anyway.

@Major
I'll look at your xml suggestions. Meanwhile re
"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."
Not entirely sure til I try what you mean but can it be done either with paint.net or Gimp?

and

"I checked the limits for the map files, and they can be made quite large (I tried up to 7504 x 7376) to provide better feature resolution (285 m/pixel). They do need to be saved as 16 bit or index color bitmaps or you get a color shift."

Do you mean I should first resize them before changing making them black and white, and then reduce them to 16 bit colors? The green layer anyway is separate and then merged down. Should this be the one using " 16 bit or index color bitmaps"?

At least in the quick overlay file I tried the colors in game looked like what was drawn in the bmp file, so no color shift to worry about in this case.

You can draw the green and black map either way that is easiest for you. The very large file dimensions I suggested makes for a really big file, but on my system seems to display just fine. The real H2S system had better pixel resolution than even what I suggested, but I'm not sure anyone really wants to deal with 420 MB file just to get 150m (factory building size) pixel resolution.

[mongoose]

I had actually got an initial solution with your dropboxblack.bmp using GIMP to greyscale it to 16 bit.
Now a bit lost with the rest

Are you saying the ingamebriefmap.bmp bit that the map should show through is magenta and the the 469 x 463 pixel 16 bit overlay.bmp has the lines which would be on the H2S radar (the middle circle and the sweep hand)?

Does that dropboxblack still have to be used as not in your xml version?

Meanwhile I resized the maps first to your 7504 x 7376 before changing them to black and white. I assume they have to be sized back and changed to 469 x 461, but ? only after I merge the green layer do I have to change to 16 bit?

EDIT: Resizing the maps and then reducing them back made them very fuzzy!?

[MajorMagee]

I had actually got an initial solution with your dropboxblack.bmp using GIMP to greyscale it to 16 bit.
Now a bit lost with the rest

Are you saying the ingamebriefmap.bmp bit that the map should show through is magenta and the the 469 x 463 pixel 16 bit overlay.bmp has the lines which would be on the H2S radar (the middle circle and the sweep hand)?

Does that dropboxblack still have to be used as not in your xml version?

Meanwhile I resized the maps first to your 7504 x 7376 before changing them to black and white. I assume they have to be sized back and changed to 469 x 461, but ? only after I merge the green layer do I have to change to 16 bit?

EDIT: Resizing the maps and then reducing them back made them very fuzzy!?

ingamebriefmap.bmp is the dialog box background, and probably needs to be black as you had it to hide the mission text in the EditBox.

The maps do not need to be resized back down which would defeat the purpose for increasing their resolution. The game takes care of presenting them inside the dialog box at the right size.

[mongoose]

Further on dropboxback.
In the QC all the briefing bit disappears but on a mission I sill get that slider bar.
Also of course it is a solid black hiding whatever is underneath the map. Not that it really matters if the problem can't be solved asas I can always have the map on the bottom right.

EDIT I suppose the dropbox could be moved to other coordinates?

QC



On a mission

[MajorMagee]

Okay, I wasn't seeing a scroll bar most of the time because the mission text was short enough that it all fit in the box.

Yes, you can just push the whole thing off the right side of the dialog background by giving it a high x value, and none of it will be displayed in game.

Better yet, just make a new ingamebriefmap.bmp that is the same size as how big you want the map display, and have it start at position 0,0.

<Dialog Image="help/ingamebriefmap512.bmp[1]" Movable="No" ZOrder="Top" Offset="10,10">
<Button ID="Cancel" X="0" Y="0" Width="512" Height="512" NoCaption="Yes" Image="common_screens/overlay.bmp"/>
<Label ID="ctrl6" Caption="" X="256" Y="21" Width="80" Height="14" FontName="metaltype" Align="Center"/>
<EditBox ID="edtDescription" X="517" Y="51" Width="247" Height="441" ReadOnly="true" Image="common_screens/dropbox.bmp[1]" FontName="textfontflt" Textcolor="#000000,#000000,#000000"/>
<MissionMap ID="map" X="0" Y="0" Width="512" Height="512" Image="ctrl"/>
</Dialog>

[MajorMagee]

You can also edit mapdat.xml so you only need to have one new map.

Replace the three entries so they look something like this:

<Level Alt="500000.0">
<Map Image="map\h2s.bmp">
<UpperLeft Lat="N55" Lon="W7 4.5"/>
<LowerRight Lat="N41" Lon="E14 4.5"/>
</Map>
</Level>
<Level Alt="200000.0">
<Map Image="map\h2s.bmp">
<UpperLeft Lat="N55" Lon="W7 4.5"/>
<LowerRight Lat="N41" Lon="E14 4.5"/>
</Map>
</Level>
<Level Alt="0.0">
<Map Image="map\h2s.bmp">
<UpperLeft Lat="N55" Lon="W7 4.5"/>
<LowerRight Lat="N41" Lon="E14 4.5"/>
</Map>
</Level>

Those are the map coordinates from ETO, and would be different for MAW, etc.

[mongoose]

Thanks. Lots to work on now plus yr pm ideas.

[mongoose]

I am still not clear about this
This requires that you to create a 469 x 463 pixel 16 bit overlay.bmp file with everything you want transparent to show the map underneath as magenta (it must be exactly 256, 0, 256), and the overlay can be painted in the green lines you want. I would use a hard edge drawing tool because if you soft blend it into the surrounding magenta you'll end up with purple halos around your lines and numbers. Place it in the uires/common_screens folder."

To re query, are you saying that the part of the ingamebriefmap.bmp that the map should show through is magenta or the the 469 x 463 pixel 16 bit overlay.bmp is magenta? Also the overlay bmp is where one would draw the lines which would be on the H2S radar (the middle circle and the sweep hand)? In other words I am not clear as to what the overlay.bmp should look like ( also, or or, its properties)

[MajorMagee]

The ingamebriefmap.bmp is a solid background and does not need to be magenta (255, 0, 255).

The map has the radar data in black and green and is displayed over the background.

overlay.bmp is where you create the magenta transparent layer that holds the fixed pattern of lines, tic marks, numbers in green that is shown on top of the map. This is where you can make the square map display look like the round CRT.

I'll post a picture of this in a little while.

[mongoose]

Thanks and I await your picture.

Besides that:-

Your idea to edit the mapdat.xml worked well.
Also did the H2S map with 7504 x 7376 and left it at that size which also seemed great.

RE
"Yes, you can just push the whole thing off the right side of the dialog background by giving it a high x value, and none of it will be displayed in game.

Better yet, just make a new ingamebriefmap.bmp that is the same size as how big you want the map display, and have it start at position 0,0."

I take it the associated dialog xml with the above comments does not include thew high x value? In any case I wasn't clear which x value to change. I tried in the Label ID but IIRC the whole map disappeared.

[MajorMagee]

This version is based on the map in MAW that happens to have 3D terrain features. I made the sea black, and used Photoshop's colorize function to make everything else shades of green.

Here's a shot while flying up the east coast of Sicily directly toward the crater of Mt. Etna. For now I left the city markers as black dots with white circles to help with navigation. Unfortunately the MAW map does not have any of the streams and rivers shown on it.



I'll e-mail you the background and overlay file, but the map is way too big to send that way.

[mongoose]

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.

[mongoose]

OK got it as picture. A couple of things:-

Although I made it ' Movable="Yes" ', it didn't seem to move. Is there a good reason for that?

How could I reduce the size; if possible?

Would it be possible to have the aircraft icon aligned with the flight path lines as I seem to remember could be done when Joost had this based on the TI? I imagine not.

Other than that and my colorize question before, this is really great. ( All I need now is cockpit lights in the Lancaster )

[MajorMagee]

Seeing it as a night shot makes me think that the metal face of the H2S display needs to be a much darker grey.

I couldn't make the moveable function do anything either. That's why I switched from Center to using the offset function to keep it out of the way for flying.

The size is defined by the background bmp size and the values in the dialog xml. I'd be careful going much smaller as the overlay details will start to disappear when they drop below 1 pixel in size.

The issue with the map and icons is that the North-South orientations are fixed, and do not reorient to what's in front of you as the aircraft turns like the actual H2S display would have.

[MajorMagee]

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"/>

[mongoose]

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.

[Daiwilletti]

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.

Hi, I think the image you are looking at is in uires/mb and is a cursor called pln.cur?

[MajorMagee]

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/sohforum...3&linkid=15462

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...=13&linkid=388

[mongoose]

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.

[mongoose]

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'?

[MajorMagee]

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.

[mongoose]

A pity! Below is the best I can do colorizing it anyway.

[mongoose]

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).

[MajorMagee]

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?