Tacca's NVG mod for 2.5+

[shastasm]

Hi All.  Where is this mod supposed to go.  I have a mod folder in both my saved games and also in the root directory for beta.  I do not see a folder named Tacca's NVG Mod 1.2.0

[tomeye]

22 hours ago, shastasm said:

Hi All.  Where is this mod supposed to go.  I have a mod folder in both my saved games and also in the root directory for beta.  I do not see a folder named Tacca's NVG Mod 1.2.0

This should go in your root DCS directory. It is not meant for saved games.

[Florence201]

Using this mod for a while now, but having no luck in 2.8. If got all the file tweaks done as suggested, but no full screen anymore.

[DCSJulien]

I made a tutorial to get a clear Fullscreen NVG in DCS 2.8. In the video I show how to deactivate the noise and blur! Hope this will help somebody.

 

[tacca]

On 3/26/2022 at 6:56 PM, MTrenda said:

 

Tacca's NVG Mod 1.2.0\Bazar\Shaders\PostEffects\NVD_HDR.fx

After Line 18 

add this: float noiseFactor;

 

 

Hey Mtrenda, I have just come back to DCS after not using it for over 2 years. I was just wondering how you found this error as the format of DCS logs seems to have changed. It used to be pretty explicit listing file/line of code/variable that was the issue but now it is a jumble of hex code?

[heloguy]

On 2/7/2023 at 3:55 PM, DCSJulien said:

I made a tutorial to get a clear Fullscreen NVG in DCS 2.8. In the video I show how to deactivate the noise and blur! Hope this will help somebody.

 

I’m curious what this is meant to simulate.   All NVGs provide a limited FOV, and must be focused outside to provide any usefulness.   In reality, you can’t view aircraft instruments through NVGs if they’re focused correctly to the outside world, you must look beneath the NVGs.

 

To each their own, though, if realism in this regard doesn’t matter.

 

Thanks for posting this, though, as I was wondering how I was going to get an NVG mod working again with the new patch.  Now I'll just have to edit this one, but it seems to be working fine.

Edited March 12, 2023 by heloguy

[heloguy]

12 hours ago, tacca said:

Hey Mtrenda, I have just come back to DCS after not using it for over 2 years. I was just wondering how you found this error as the format of DCS logs seems to have changed. It used to be pretty explicit listing file/line of code/variable that was the issue but now it is a jumble of hex code?

Hey Tacca,

 

Is there any way to change the color?  Like have the US NVGs be white like the Russian ones?  Also, in VR, is there any way to adjust the center point of each eyes' image independently?

[TAIPAN_]

3 hours ago, heloguy said:

I’m curious what this is meant to simulate.   All NVGs provide a limited FOV, and must be focused outside to provide any usefulness.   In reality, you can’t view aircraft instruments through NVGs if they’re focused correctly to the outside world, you must look beneath the NVGs.

 

To each their own, though, if realism in this regard doesn’t matter.

 

Thanks for posting this, though, as I was wondering how I was going to get an NVG mod working again with the new patch.  Now I'll just have to edit this one, but it seems to be working fine.

 

The computer monitor actually already simulates a limited FOV. 

You'll notice when you get in a cockpit in real life, your picture accuity is the equivalent of the zoomed in view in DCS yet at the same time your FOV is way wider than DCS in a computer monitor.

The NVG full screen with an appropriate FOV/zoom level is the equivalent of real NVG FOV, whereas the default DCS implementation is unrealistically small.

If we weren't limited by DCSs "pop in" mechanics that hides many objects until you zoom in then it might not be so much an issue.

In any case, we can't say that the default DCS NVGs are realistic at all.

As you say - "To each their own" and opinions may differ, so choose based on personal preference.

[heloguy]

27 minutes ago, TAIPAN_ said:

The computer monitor actually already simulates a limited FOV. 

You'll notice when you get in a cockpit in real life, your picture accuity is the equivalent of the zoomed in view in DCS yet at the same time your FOV is way wider than DCS in a computer monitor.

The NVG full screen with an appropriate FOV/zoom level is the equivalent of real NVG FOV, whereas the default DCS implementation is unrealistically small.

If we weren't limited by DCSs "pop in" mechanics that hides many objects until you zoom in then it might not be so much an issue.

In any case, we can't say that the default DCS NVGs are realistic at all.

As you say - "To each their own" and opinions may differ, so choose based on personal preference.

Yeah, I guess because I fly mainly in VR, that was my point of reference.  It's true that a monitor is going to be more limiting.  When flying in VR, to be more realistic, the NVGs should not take up the entire FOV, depending on the headset.  My Index for instance, has about 130deg FOV, and NVGs only have about a 40deg FOV.

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

I checked and it still works with MT. But it is not in one-circle in VR anymore... Miss that in NVG, the panel text was blurred.

[MTrenda]

Tacca, 

 

this was quite a while ago so from memory I think i compared the new file with one that you were replacing and noticed the new variable.  with a little trial and error i was successful in getting the mod to work again.

thanks 

Falcon JTF 191

 

 

[tacca]

On 3/13/2023 at 6:45 AM, heloguy said:

Hey Tacca,

 

Is there any way to change the color?  Like have the US NVGs be white like the Russian ones?  Also, in VR, is there any way to adjust the center point of each eyes' image independently?

Hey HeloGuy. I am back working on this and trying to implement all the old features that I had working back at the start of DCS2.2 As part of that you will be able to change color but im not quite there yet. @Ryuk47 has also done some work to the mod with regards to different viewports. We are going to combine our work and update here once we have done that (im also moving it all to gihub to make maintainance much easier etc).

On 3/13/2023 at 10:31 AM, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

I checked and it still works with MT. But it is not in one-circle in VR anymore... Miss that in NVG, the panel text was blurred.

@VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants As I have said previously I dont have a VR headset so I am unfortunately blind how this mod performs in VR. Until I get a new GPU (still rocking GTX1070) and a vr headset I am going to have to rely on others.

On 3/13/2023 at 12:56 PM, MTrenda said:

Tacca, 

 

this was quite a while ago so from memory I think i compared the new file with one that you were replacing and noticed the new variable.  with a little trial and error i was successful in getting the mod to work again.

thanks 

Falcon JTF 191

@MTrenda Thanks for that. makes sense

[tacca]

Version 1.3.1 - 15 March 2023 - IM BACK!!

Can be downloaded here or on first post

Change log

Fixed for to work with DCS 2.8 and Multi threading versions.

Removed noise files as DCS incoportates simplex and perlin noise calculation .lua's

Future focus

- noise and color user control

- additional viewport options

Edited March 14, 2023 by tacca

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

1 hour ago, tacca said:

@VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants As I have said previously I dont have a VR headset so I am unfortunately blind how this mod performs in VR. Until I get a new GPU (still rocking GTX1070) and a vr headset I am going to have to rely on others.

No problem, this is still the NVG I stick with. If you find me of anything remotely helpful, please let me know.

[tomeye]

19 hours ago, tacca said:

Version 1.3.1 - 15 March 2023 - IM BACK!!

Can be downloaded here or on first post

Change log

Fixed for to work with DCS 2.8 and Multi threading versions.

Removed noise files as DCS incoportates simplex and perlin noise calculation .lua's

Future focus

- noise and color user control

- additional viewport options

 

Thanks for the update!

I think first post hasn't been updated with the correct link for 1.3.1

[AlexCaboose]

The first post still links to V1.20

[tacca]

17 hours ago, AlexCaboose said:

The first post still links to V1.20

Link is fixed on first page, thanks for that.

[tacca]

So good news all. I made a fair bit of progress over the last 2 days and I have sorted out the following controls/options

- contrast
- NVG color (eg what shade of green)
- noise pattern (sprite type, size, timing)
- noise intensity (much reduced by my current default as I think DCS is way over done)

Doing all this though means using my own RBG-HSL/tinge-RGB conversion which means the default depth of field blur doesnt work. That is my next priorty over the next week and once I have that done Ill upload it all as a new version rather than drip feeding mod versions.

Screen shots show

1. high contrast -this wouldnt be default but just evidence that everyone will be able to tweak the pickup/intensity curves

2. mid contrast - what ill probably have as stock settings

3. ring effect and my stock color

4 & 5. alternative color choice (also shows how moonlight/trees casting shadows is visible using my NVG amplification curves)

Edited March 17, 2023 by tacca
picture annotations

[JeffreyC]

Looks great! I actually try to remove the blur myself.

[tacca]

Hey All

Version 1.4 is now up

NOTE - SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO HOW VALUES ARE INTERPRETED. Suggest starting fresh with the MOD_nvg file in the download and update/play with values slowly

This is also missing thr depth of field blur effect. That is next on lost of features.

Version 1.4 - 22 March 2023

Features:

NEW - Change colour, noise levels or contrast

NEW - Ring/tubes/google number option - simulate monocular/biocular/quadocular NVGs - THANKS TO RYUK47 for this code addition

Set NVG center point, size and ring dimensions

Black ring effect with adjustable thickness settings.

Variable render mode options

Fixed folder naming issue to be truly OVGME ready

 

Download here. OVGME read.

As per old mod, change settings BEFORE APPLYING MOD

Edited March 22, 2023 by tacca

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Thanks for the update.

I still cannot get the monocular view in VR -- because in VR, the left eye and the right eye render in a slight offset with each other. So if one sets the EYE_CENTER variable, both eyes are at the same position so there is no way the NVG circles overlap each other into one single circle.

My uneducated solution would be either render one eye, or the right eye "center" shifts a little to the left and then the left eye "center" shifts to a little right.

Please let me know how I could help to fix this.

Thanks again.

[tomeye]

15 hours ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

Thanks for the update.

I still cannot get the monocular view in VR -- because in VR, the left eye and the right eye render in a slight offset with each other. So if one sets the EYE_CENTER variable, both eyes are at the same position so there is no way the NVG circles overlap each other into one single circle.

My uneducated solution would be either render one eye, or the right eye "center" shifts a little to the left and then the left eye "center" shifts to a little right.

Please let me know how I could help to fix this.

Thanks again.

I have the same exact issue with misalignment. But I recall that in some older version this was not present.

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

3 hours ago, tomeye said:

But I recall that in some older version this was not present.

Just remind me the version some time ago.

[tacca]

On 3/23/2023 at 8:40 AM, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

Thanks for the update.

I still cannot get the monocular view in VR -- because in VR, the left eye and the right eye render in a slight offset with each other. So if one sets the EYE_CENTER variable, both eyes are at the same position so there is no way the NVG circles overlap each other into one single circle.

My uneducated solution would be either render one eye, or the right eye "center" shifts a little to the left and then the left eye "center" shifts to a little right.

Please let me know how I could help to fix this.

Thanks again.

Hey PJ, i completely understand the problem but this has to do with 3d reprojections and without a VR headset I have no way to trial possible solutions. To be clear I have zero background in shaders or coding, just handy at maths and some patience combined with LOTS of trial and error. I have an inkling about where I might need to start but no way to try. 

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Thanks for the reply. Turns out it is the default behaviour of NVG so there ain't much you could have done. Some suggested that using some shaders would solve the issue.