missing evidence Designate L&S/DT2 from SA Page

[Wizard_03]

Should we have this ability in DCS hornet? 

 

Considering we Already have TUC data on the SA page and can now Designate offboard track files, and we can designate from both the Radar Attack page and the AZ/EL page.

 

Shouldn't we be able to also designate directly from the SA Page. It would seem to me the computer should treat all track files the same regardless of which display they are on? I.E. if it has the yellow cursor, and the tracks are all corrolated across multiple displays (the whole point of MSI) we can make the track an L&S or DT2 contact from whichever display. Otherwise what's the point of having a cursor for the SA page at all? 

[Viral-51st-Vfw]

I'm a few patches behind,but iirc you can tdc depress [but only] on ownship contributed via sa page. 

 

I'm with you though I would expect that if the bug has msi... why wouldn't they[Macdonald douglas] implement it.  But i can understand no public unclass docs point to it....

 

 

 

Edited November 17 by Viral-51st-Vfw

[Wizard_03]

17 hours ago, Viral-51st-Vfw said:

I'm a few patches behind,but iirc you can tdc depress [but only] on ownship contributed via sa page. 

 

I'm with you though I would expect that if the bug has msi... why wouldn't they[Macdonald douglas] implement it.  But i can understand no public unclass docs point to it....

 

 

 

I really find it hard to believe that the SA page cursor is only used for TUC data and can't interact with trackfiles. Like you can Designate on a track file with the cursors on AZ/EL and Attack Radar pages, but the designers just omitted it for the aircrafts main DL display page. Everything on those three pages works the same except the ability to designate. Doesn't sound reasonable. 

 

The cursor on the SA page is almost completely superfluous with the current implementation. But we know for a fact the SA page has a captain's bar cursor. It just doesn't do anything except change display settings and show TUC stuff. Which, by the way, indicates that the data is in fact corrolated in space. Makes no sense. This is one of those cases where I would have hoped ED could just make a good guess about how it works. Because It's pretty obvious. I appreciate EDs commitment to realism but we like 99 percent there already.

 

As for restricted information The advanced functionality cat is also already out of the bag, L&S on offboard tracks. The cursor working the same way across tactical pages is very much a convenience thing. And for the record I really really doubt that the government would have an issue with the cursor functionality but not the network warfare capability. Lol Publicly available documents already acknowledge the SA page has a cursor and in the absence of direct evidence that it works differently then the other tactical pages surly common sense and deductive reasoning should be enough. 

 

In otherwords what evidence is there that it doesn't work that way? 

Edited Tuesday at 04:42 PM by Wizard_03

[Tholozor]

@Wizard_03 Unfortunately the "common sense" argument has been used for a variety of arguments for different planes over the years, and is almost never accepted as a valid point to constitute a change.

That aside, I still agree with you that I believe the functionality of MSI trackfile interaction on the SA page should function as it does on the ATTK format. From my own observations I can still designate offboard tracks on SA, with the caveat that the MSI trackfile is currently present within the confines of the ATTK scope, regardless of the actual scan volume of the radar antenna.

[Wizard_03]

2 hours ago, Tholozor said:

@Wizard_03 Unfortunately the "common sense" argument has been used for a variety of arguments for different planes over the years, and is almost never accepted as a valid point to constitute a change.

That aside, I still agree with you that I believe the functionality of MSI trackfile interaction on the SA page should function as it does on the ATTK format. From my own observations I can still designate offboard tracks on SA, with the caveat that the MSI trackfile is currently present within the confines of the ATTK scope, regardless of the actual scan volume of the radar antenna.

I appreciate that, I wouldn't them to just take anyone's word for it, certainly but it just frustrating sometimes when the correct implementation is so obvious and it seems like it's just out of reach. 

 

It makes sense based on the whole idea of MSI (early form of Sensor fusion) that trackfiles are just that, files and the MCs doesn't care what display that contact is on. It's even color coded with the other tactical displays. They clearly wanted the pilot to be able to see the battle space as one cohesive picture rather then discreet sensor displays as it is in older jets. 

[raus]

It very much makes sense to me, as well. But, regarding evidence, I thought this is where having some SMEs comes handy. Just a simple question “was this capability available for the model we are simulating?” yes/no answer, as long as that is ( I can hardly think it would be) not classified/restricted info. Done. 
 

are there no Lot20 ca. 2007 Hornet SMEs available to ED?

Edited Wednesday at 11:30 AM by raus
Typos

[Muchocracker]

Just for everybody to remember. The MSI changes wasnt an all in one upgrade, there is still things for them to do before it's complete(evidenced by know issues post in the bugs forum)

[Anubis_94]

On 11/18/2025 at 11:37 PM, Tholozor said:

From my own observations I can still designate offboard tracks on SA, with the caveat that the MSI trackfile is currently present within the confines of the ATTK scope, regardless of the actual scan volume of the radar antenna.

Are you sure you can TDC Depress on offboard tracks on SA page?

I am unable on my test : 

 

 

TDC Depress on onboard tracks, OK (DT2 -> LS -> STT)

TDC Depress on offboard tracks, KO (at 30sec when TDC isn't moving = multiple TDC Depress)

Then re-doing TDC Depress on onboard tracks

 

(We can see the current bug of the elevation going crazy, let's ignore it)

Edited Wednesday at 11:27 PM by Anubis_94

[Tholozor]

48 minutes ago, Anubis_94 said:

Are you sure you can TDC Depress on offboard tracks on SA page?

After testing it again it appears my previous observations were out-of-date.

[Muchocracker]

it's possible that you may have been able to L&S non radar contributed MSI trackfiles as long as it was within the gimbal limit for some amount of time before there was changes in the next patch, i don't recall right now. 

It should behave that way though. MSI Trackfiles are MSI trackfiles no matter the contribution and you should be able to L&S any of them no matter the circumstance. The way they drop out as soon as it leaves the radar's field of regard right now even when not being a contributor is incorrect.