cannot reproduce targeting pod drifting

[chuckd]

does target pod mostly drift on bridges. doiung a operaton pontus mission

and its difficult to lase target

[Phantom711]

Are you just designating a waypoint? Is the elevation for that waypoint set correctly? 
Try cycling through the tracking modes ->area track->point track->

[Muchocracker]

waypoint is likely not exactly at the altitude of the bridge. It "looks" like the pod is drifting but it's actually just rotating along a point above your intended target. 

[chuckd]

No target is designated with tdc. This brings up a point. When using area track it doesn't drift. What's the difference between using target designated, point track and area track. Area track stays on target. What's the point of using the other 2 if there is drift. We're talking about a non moving target, as I know area track also works on moving target

[Phantom711]

The names are different depending on whether you are talking about the Litening or ATFLIR, but usually the pod should not drift. 
IRL area track and point track actually track the pixels of the image, which makes them susceptible to losing track due to clouds or trees or simply because it gets fucked up. the „other“ mode is ground stabilized on the position you are looking at based on DTED (digital terrain elevation data). 
Usually, in DCS if you cycle through the modes with SCS right, it resolves itself.

Edited February 5 by Phantom711

[chuckd]

I noticed yesterday locking target on bridge using scs right, litening pod, there was no drift and stayed on target, I was in ir, when would you use other 2 modes instead of I guess is question

[Muchocracker]

49 minutes ago, chuckd said:

No target is designated with tdc. This brings up a point. When using area track it doesn't drift. What's the difference between using target designated, point track and area track. Area track stays on target. What's the point of using the other 2 if there is drift. We're talking about a non moving target, as I know area track also works on moving target

for the exact reason i had described. If you only did waypoint designate the pod is slaved to the coordinates of that waypoint. If the altitude is off it'll look like the pod is not actually tracking the bridge (because it isnt, and never is). When you change the pod to a track mode it then makes the TGP your sensor of interest and it contrast tracks whatever is at the center of the camera's FoV. 

Edited February 5 by Muchocracker

[Phantom711]

@chuckd

Point track is for smaller and also moving targets.

if in your described situation above, where you were in Area Track on the bridge….you could press the TDC and when you cycle to the ground stabilized mode, it would now stay on that point as well, because you now „told“ it where the actual coordinate/elevation is to look at.

In any case, in DCS it hardly matters which mode you use, since the real life deficiancies of each one are not fully implemented.

Or does anybody know if area track loses track due to clouds? I never really tested this intensively.

[chuckd]

Not designating way point. Slaving cursor and designation target was causing drift

[bfr]

On 2/5/2025 at 9:37 AM, Muchocracker said:

waypoint is likely not exactly at the altitude of the bridge. It "looks" like the pod is drifting but it's actually just rotating along a point above your intended target. 

TBH doesn't just using the pods without a waypoint tend to behave as if its locked where the line of sight intersects with terra firma (which might be slightly past the target) rather than the point on the object you've designated?  Certainly i've noticed on things like bridges that you can designate the bridge deck but the pod's lock seems to pivot around a point on water surface 'through' the deck (and this becomes more apparent as you fly closer/over the target and possibly have to nudge the targeted point back a bit).

Glad to be corrected but this is how its usually feels like its behaving to me. Obviously when targeting things like tanks where the elevation difference is much less then you don't notice it so much.

[chuckd]

yeah thats what i experience, i notice lock with area track lock it resolves issue, guess just being obsessive about how thing exactly work

[Precog]

For bridges try targeting the bottom middle of the bridge support to prevent drift.