Wind directions ME vs. in-game vs. BRIEFING SCREEN

We all know by now, that you set wind directions in the mission editor as "wind blows to". This might just be due to the fact that the same mouse-clickable "compass thingy" is used for the wind directions as for everything else where one has to set a heading.

In real life, wind directions are given as "wind blows from". So mission designers have to keep that in mind and to set up their missions accordingly. Once you know it, it is no big deal anymore.

BUT, what I wasn't exactly aware of up to today, IS, that the pre-flight briefing screen automatically displays the weather data directly in a 1:1 fashion as it was entered in the ME. So the briefing screen states wind as "blowing to".

This is not an inconvinience anymore, this is plain wrong. This is a bug - please fix it, ED! :o)

edit:

Should be easy to fix. Responsible for this behaviour is a function in ...\MissionEditor\modules\me_autobriefing.lua

-- convert wind structure to wind string
function windToStr(wind)
   local str = string.format("%0.1d %s", wind.speed, cdata.speed_unit)
   if 0 < wind.speed then
[color=Red][b]        str = string.format("%s, %0.2d°", str, wind.dir)[/b][/color]
   end
   return str
end

edit2:

I would probably replace the red line with something like this (not tested, yet!):

[color=RoyalBlue]      local trueDir = wind.dir - 180
     if trueDir <= 0 then
           trueDir = trueDir + 360
     end

     str = string.format("%s, %0.1d°", str, trueDir)[/color]

Hang on, if those are the same numbers from the ME, then isn't the wind speed also in meters per second?

I don't know if it makes sense to convert to knots or not, but it seems like you could include the unit of measure in the string.

Hang on, if those are the same numbers from the ME, then isn't the wind speed also in meters per second?

 

I don't know if it makes sense to convert to knots or not, but it seems like you could include the unit of measure in the string.

Yes, the values are - as in the ME - given in meters per second. The output certainly could be enhanced by allowing automatic conversions to the user's preferences, but that would be beyond the scope of this bug(!) report. :o) And probably m/s is international standard anyways? Hrm ... not sure, though.

(btw, the temperature is also given in degree celsius - and that is not even displayed! :o)

Would be nice to see it fixed... Also would be nice to have the option to change all parameters in ME to imperial units..

The imperial vs metric debate would probably open a whole can of worms.

All I can say is that the S.I. units for speed are m s^-1, and as such, they are the internationally recognised unit. Likewise, kg is the correct S.I. unit of mass etc etc.

While having imperial units would be a convenience for some less scientific members of the community, surely, it makes the most sense to have all calculations and standards in S.I. units.

That way you would avoid NASA type cock-ups where the two units of measurement get confused, and you end up with a multi-million dollar project going tits up, and a space craft crashing into Mars instead of entering orbit.

Just a thought.

In real life, wind directions are given as "wind blows from".....

You need to substantiate your allegation :)

Imperative to do so with ALL reports. Do we know that that is what happens in Russia as well? Is it not coded to accord with principles other than Western?

I do not know, hence the necessity for corroboration/substantiation of all reports at time of reporting - aids greatly in investigation.

 

While having imperial units would be a convenience for some less scientific members of the community, surely, it makes the most sense to have all calculations and standards in S.I. units.

.

i understand perfectly your opinion and in my country I use S.I. all the time.. But in aviation in most of the world imperial unit are the standard.. Either we like it or not (thats another story).

And if we are going to fly an a-10 or any non-russian airplane the briefing and ME should have the option to change its values to imperial.

We can change coordinates dont we?

Why not units?

And its not that my scientific ability doesnt let me do conversions from m/s to kts.. Its that I learn to fly using imperial units and to me, its much more natural.

You need to substantiate your allegation :)

 

Imperative to do so with ALL reports. Do we know that that is what happens in Russia as well? Is it not coded to accord with principles other than Western?

 

I do not know, hence the necessity for corroboration/substantiation of all reports at time of reporting - aids greatly in investigation.

• "Wind direction is reported by the direction from which it originates." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_direction)
  
• "Die Windrichtung ist die Richtung, aus welcher der Wind weht." (The wind direction is the direction from where the wind wafts/wiffs/blows.) (http://www.deutscher-wetterdienst.de/lexikon/index.htm?ID=W&DAT=Windrichtung)
  
• "12003MPS indicates the wind direction is from 120° (...)" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/METAR)
  

admittedly, primarily due to lack of language skills, I found no sources for russia & co.

But last but not least, common sense: who cares where the wind goes to, it only matters how and where it affects me when it comes to me. :o)

edit:

lol, and perhaps even the use of language indicates this: wind "blows", like "over there is Mr. Wind and he blows into my face."

The opposite would be "sucking": "The vacuum cleaner sucks the air out of my lungs." (wtf? n/m :o)

"blowing" -> pushig toward me, "sucking" -> dragging away from me

... and I never heared anyone saying "the wind sucks to the east" when they mean "the wind is blowing from the west" ;oD

Wind directions ME vs. in-game vs. BRIEFING SCREEN

You need to substantiate your allegation :)

 

 

 

Imperative to do so with ALL reports. Do we know that that is what happens in Russia as well? Is it not coded to accord with principles other than Western?

 

 

 

I do not know, hence the necessity for corroboration/substantiation of all reports at time of reporting - aids greatly in investigation.

Yes... The METAR info on the winds its "from" international... Russian metars uses something like this 09005MPS

To specify a wind of 5 m/s from the east

Aaaa falgrum beat me!

OIC, it has the speed units in the string after all. I haven't played in a bit so I wasn't sure if it said the units as displayed; that's all I need.

Did the mod get tested and prove effective Flagrum?

I for one would definitely like this one. I'm guessing it would be possible to add in a conversion factor in the string too, so it reads in whatever format we choose?