Sgt_Baker

Yeah... that was one of my primary motivations for not stopping at "oooh look! Draggable displays!" and going down the full-fat zero configuration path. Being somebody who works with computers a lot, the last thing I want is to delve about deep in some lua files on the rare occasions I use the things for recreation (and everything has invariably updated over the top of this or that shiny setup).

Hi Folks, I was having a read about the LITENING Pod over here. Of particular note was the following paragraph: "Rafael reports considerable demand for upgrades to previous generations of its best-selling targeting pod. "The system is modular so we can upgrade it relatively easily with sensors and electronics," a source says. One of the upgrades comes in the shape of a colour CCD sensor on the Litening. Ash says as more air forces upgrade fighter cockpit screens to digital colour, the need for a colour CCD sensor is obvious. "We will offer the new sensor at the end of 2014," Ash adds." So without further ado, I'd like to introduce: Which still retains its B&W IR mode: ...with both MFCDs running on my second desktop with DCS in windowed mode. Regards, Baker

Additionally: There will be real-time exports to external touch-capable devices (iPad etc). The reason it's not in this release is entirely on account of that functionality not meeting our expectations where image quality and latency are concerned. For us, a 200ms delay is unacceptable.

Incidentally, if you are using a third-party app, the displays you're exporting will remember their configuration, so you're not forced to drag things hither and thither every time you fly. Dead serious about this "zero configuration" thing, you see.

hehehe

Options, options, options. Everybody and their options. It's practically impossible to develop any software without those options being innate. :)

Yup, all of the usual candidates are supported. Edit: Although some, such as the RWR, are obviously not clickable.

The project's present state is this: Everything you see in the YouTube video works reliably (i.e. it wasn't clever video editing). There are also various other features, such as positioning hotkeys, which aren't demonstrated. However, being a software developer who is often hired to make really slow stuff run really fast, I've been applying that particular brand of OCD to the mod since the video was recorded. It now utilises about 25% of the resources (RAM, CPU etc) it did this time last week. B

Thanks for the kind words, folks. @Sceptre: You make a good point. It's worth mentioning that the mod works both in fullscreen mode (MFCDs are constrained by whatever screen-space the game is running on) and windowed mode (you can drag them anywhere on your desktop space, and on to any screen you might have connected). It's also worth mentioning that this isn't a "basic sceencap of exported displays", as is the case with certain other mods of this nature. You'll not have the annoyance of "phantom" MFCDs lurking somewhere just to tick you off. B

Hi Jib, Yes, it will eventually support the KA-50's display. At present it is my intention to get A-10C support out of the door first in order to get some user feedback, then introduce additional features along with any bugfixes that may be required. Watch this space! B

Hi folks, Edit: Public beta here https://ultramfcd.com/ I've been developing a new mod for DCS which exports the A10's MFCDs without any configuration hassle at all. They also become clickable, sizeable and draggable. Have a look at the beta preview on YouTube: Would anybody be up for helping out with a public beta in the near future? Regards, Baker

Yes, in that brief summary those factors are ignored for the sake of brevity, but not entirely beyond the yield of the concept in my opinion. Hence my closing "many nanometres apart". There are numerous approximations made during the initial proposal, yet the factor of wavelength could be modelled, versus each radar frequency, by the degree of "blur" (averaging) applied to each az/el sample (as opposed to full-frame for the long-range/long-wavelength search radar I was referring to initially). All of those calculations are an offline process, so cost the actual game very little when compared to "versus radar XYZ use RCS ABC". Fundamentally, if one were looking for a vague approximation of RCS, as opposed to complete assumption, one couldn't start in a cheaper place than the idea I mentioned and develop the concept from there if required/desired. How else do you think they design low-RCS jets before plonking for a scale model? It's worth mentioning that Microsoft Allegiance implemented a mathematically non-uniform model of radar back in 2000. If that worked "way back then", I'm relatively certain a "slightly realistic" modelled RCS based on the above would prove very efficient in the age we live. As I said, it was all off-piste, but worth mentioning given this being the most interesting thread I've read so far. Baker

Hi Folks, I apologise in advance for diverging quite significantly from any notion of "simple" in the latter part of this post. I believe this technique mentioned by sobek has been in use for quite a while. I'm specifically thinking of instances where amateur HAM operators would deliberately "jam" (annoy) the Woodpecker radars by playing back pseudo-random pulses from earlier, recorded, transmissions. Regarding RCS modelling, would it not be a relatively simple matter to shove monochrome versions of DCS's aircraft models through a readily-available raytracer (with ambient occlusion etc)? I was thinking that you could generate images from a select number of azimuth and elevation angles, then simply average the resultant images from each angle with a view to generating an "average brightness" of the target, thus being able to generate a rather simple 3D model of the RCS. Think of it as having 100 RCS averages, then creating a 3D Bezier/NURBS/Whatever surface from those (now) vectors. If one were feeling particularly anal one could alter the initial model's material properties based on their assumed radar reflectivity. There we go. I'm waaaaay "off piste". And I know that radar and light are many, many nanometres distant. :) Best regards, Baker

You have to admit it's a rather comical way of getting your KIA on. If you're interested in seeing something similar, I posted a track of his trying to take off from inside the hangar over in the AI bugs forum.

You're not alone in having experienced this precise problem. I've taught a friend the basics of DCS A-10C, and this is precisely the thing he had the most difficulty understanding (after learning the sim ropes in WWII aircraft). After numerous botched pickles, the way I found to explain it most effectively was: "Unless you're in full-manual mode, pressing that big red button merely indicates to the aircraft that you consent to release to munition. As long as you're still in consent, the aircraft will automagically choose the best moment to do so."

The Missile Approach Warning does sometimes alert you to MANPADS popping small poles of death-by-boom in your direction, which will give you some time to react and drop countermeasures. Then again, it also has a habit of going off when nearby aircraft fire missiles at ground target.

The British Typhoon pilots who were recently in action over Libya did precisely that, despite the battlefield networking and radar available to every pilot. Suppose you can't beat a good ol' eyeball on target, what what eh?

I personally activate a little-known cheat, which is accessed by typing LSHIFT+LCTRL+LWIN N O S E D O W N. More details can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalkeeper_CIWS

That'll teach me to fly without my glasses, eh? :music_whistling:

Hi folks, Have I hitherto been blind, or is the HUD's steerpoint heading indicator new in 1.2.3? Bloomin' useful for SA, in any case. Baker

Indeed, it's perhaps not the most sportsmanly thing to do, but I like to fly with labels off etc. Was just pleased to discover a method for putting him to use in scenarios where the mission dictates that his AI-brain isn't on the expert setting. Incidentally, when the wingman is set to "expert", I find you can task him with anything and he'll be so efficient as to make you look like a new-born foal.

Yes, I've heard stories of people "target stealing" in MP. Nothing worse than seeing your "buddy's" munition striking the target three seconds before yours does, eh?

Oops, yes that's what I meant. Told ya it'd been a while. :)

Hullo folks, Sorry if this is a repost. I'm a DCS-A10 pilot who's been away for a while in order to concentrate on the actual 3D world. I discovered an interesting aspect of the suicidal AI wingman's "eagle eye" abilities today. A simple how-to follows: 1. Fly into a combat zone while maintaining good separation between yourself and whatever anti-A10 assets the enemy have. 2. Your AI wingman will start screaming multiple messages of "Mud Spike" over the radio. (or whatever targets are in the area) 3. Set your SOI to TAD. 4. Via in-game radio comms, send your wingman to attack the target-type of interest. (AAA, SAM, Armour, whatever). 5. As soon as you've issued the order, your wingman will start sending target positions via the datalink. Your wingman likes to check out and SPI-designate every option. Spend some time in the TAD marking his determinations using hook/mark knowledge. 6. Task your wingman with an "anchor" order while you obliterate the targets he's discovered for you. That is all. :) Baker Edit: TSD -> TAD