Aircraft Visibility

[Weta43]

Also, the TGP is basically a second camera that is placed just over they ground where the TGP looks at. That's right, no extremly zoomed camera, a normal one that is placed right over the ground. That also makes tanks flicker sometimes on the TGP when the camera goes inside their model. The face that the camera is placed right where the TGP looks at makes the rendering engine switch to high levels of detail for the TGP camera. That's why you always see high quality stuff on the TGP.

 

And the target pod is then occluded by wings, pylons, weapons how ?

 

(in case that's too oblique, I think you're mistaken :) )

Edited February 1, 2014 by Weta43

[Nealius]

Are you on low settings? I can spot tanks just by zooming in at 10nm. Well, i won't find any but if i know there is one i can see it.

 

Also, the TGP is basically a second camera that is placed just over they ground where the TGP looks at. That's right, no extremly zoomed camera, a normal one that is placed right over the ground. That also makes tanks flicker sometimes on the TGP when the camera goes inside their model. The face that the camera is placed right where the TGP looks at makes the rendering engine switch to high levels of detail for the TGP camera. That's why you always see high quality stuff on the TGP.

 

The only thing I have set to low is water....

[egaRim]

The visibility of units, especially aircraft, in this series has always been a major issue for me. It is probably the most important reason why I never really got into air-air in this sim. Within our online group we even have major trouble to keep visual contact within a flight in tactically spaced formations (the new smoke effects might relax this a bit). Yes, spotting aircraft is hard and it should be so in game. But as players we are also facing technical limitations. Sims display a certain FOV of the game world on a screen, which covers a much smaller angle of our own vision. This naturally makes everything relatively smaller.

 

Modified labels never appealed to me due to the already mentioned reasons. Even the smallest characters are already too plainly visible and lables are unobstructable. The solution is in my oppinion a dot system as has been implemented in various other sims. This visibility of far away units is enhcanced by drawing more pixels than geometrically needed, while still being affected by the LOS limitations of the actual unit. This has worked very well for me in Il-2 or Rise of Flight, where spotting is still hard (it is by far the most important factor in air-air combat) but doable enough to visually build up situation awareness.

 

I predict that unless ED works on the visibility properties of their engine, air-air heavy modules depending on visual search, such as WWII up to Vietnam, will ultimately fail in the larger community.

 

Very well put.

 

I won't even consider buying any WVR-Dogfight related module until this major drawback of the DCS engine is fixed.

 

This should be reviewed by the developers. Please give us a short feedback that you heard our pleas.

[theGozr]

Yes bigger dot for higher resolutions with reflections !! a MUST ! 100 % agreed

[Serp Supreme]

Hey, this got a lot more attention than I thought :D Lets cross our fingers that WAGS D: is listening. But then again they can't implement everything we ask for so I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't go through.

[theGozr]

Implementing details that accentuate realism are always welcome.

[splash]

Hi, do you know which settings do we have to activate to increase spotting, if possible?

[sonic]

I don't know with setting increase spotting but i think HDR off is best to spot pixels...

It's a pity to remove special effects to increase spotting. I wish ED could improve spotting both for air contact and ground contact. We only have screens: the pixel game is boring and not realistic.

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

i dont know, for me actually it seems, that with HDR enabled, contacts appear sooner than without it...

while having MSAA turned on, decreases actually the spotting distance...at least thats what i came up with after a couple of tests...

[Jimbolya]

i'm no one to really talk about with regards to skills but i use the LLTV to spot stuff while staying above aroun 4000ft. i don't typically go below that hard altitude. i don't have track-ir or any other easy way to view around in the world...just my two cents...

[splash]

My problem is the Georgian Oil War campaign for Su-25T. Lots os missions are with very bad weather and there is a cloud layer above 2.000 m, so you must descend to see enemies and there are lots of AAA and IR SAMs.

[Wolf Rider]

My problem is the Georgian Oil War campaign for Su-25T. Lots os missions are with very bad weather and there is a cloud layer above 2.000 m, so you must descend to see enemies and there are lots of AAA and IR SAMs.

 

 

and they do like to hide them (in RL) so they can't be easily seen :huh: and get you if they can

Edited February 5, 2014 by Wolf Rider

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

i am confused as everybody seems to say, that increasing the resolution will actually increase the spotting distance?

for me its the exact opposite...

at the lowest resolution i can spot planes as well as ground targets way sooner than with my native resolution, which i actually use...

[camsr]

That's because you are seeing the game's culling draw a big pixel where something should be smaller. Since the game draws what's in front first, the pixel is filled with the object and everything behind that object that could fit in the pixel is ignored. Try using AntiAliasing at the higher resolution, things will look a little blurry.

[otto]

From my experience i spot contacts easier the higher the resolution.

But it's ridiculously hard to spot a contact.

And i noticed that if you zoom into an area you spot a contact that is not visible at "usual" fov.So when flying the p51 i used to zoom in slices of sky(left , up , right-up etc) to try and spot contacts and it is tiring work.

I really hope they implement the dot system that is used in other simulations because DCS WWII will be a pain in the eye without it :D.

[grimm862]

Spotting Targets

 

I know I will garner some hate for this, but I still cannot get away from using labels to locate and destroy targets. More so the ground targets I just simply cannot see them. Half the time I can't even see them when using the labels either. Say the first mission for the SU-25t How does anyone see the ground targets? They literally blend in with the scenery. Unless your flying really low and slow I just can't seem to pick them out.

 

I am also running the game maxed out graphics wise at 1920x1080, would using a bigger screen or lowering my resolution to make things bigger help? How do you guys spot targets?

[Exorcet]

Unless your flying really low and slow I just can't seem to pick them out.

This is a good tactic depending on threats.

 

I am also running the game maxed out graphics wise at 1920x1080, would using a bigger screen or lowering my resolution to make things bigger help? How do you guys spot targets?

Bigger screens help immensely. There was a thread on this by PeterP I believe. I know when I went from 1366x768 to 1920x1280 it became much easier to track a P-51 in a dogfight.

 

I don't play the missions that come with the sim so I don't know what Su-25 mission you're referring to. In general, flying low, using smoke rockets, and using landmarks in the terrain will help with target spotting. Wingmen are pretty good at finding things too, so listen to them.

[Steel Jaw]

Guilty as well from time to time. The visual acuity on any monitor will not compare to RL well.

[Python]

I have an Asus VG278HE, it is 27" 1920x1080 and 144hz, even with all settings on max I have a torrid time trying to spot things in DCS world so you are not alone. I am very much looking forward to 4k, or even 8k and the required hardware becoming affordable as that should make quite a bit of difference. Until then it will be a struggle.

[grimm862]

I also have to use the mouse to look around as I don't have any type of tracking system which makes following targets in close A2A combat difficult sort of. Really need to invest in some type of trackr setup.

 

I use a 23 inch LCD computer monitor usually and again its at 1920x1080 its native res.

 

I've tried playing on a 32 inch LCD tv but even though the picture was much larger, even at 1920x1080 stuff just was not nearly as clear as on the 23 inch. Like you said 4k would probably make things much easier, and maybe the nevada map as well due to the desert.

 

I play strike fighters 2 with mods from time to time and the landscape (usually isreal/syria) is just desert and the graphics aren't quite as good as dcs so spotting tanks and targets is a cinch.

Edited April 12, 2014 by grimm862

[wolfstriked]

Why not make the ground objects not get too small so that they are viewable.BOS has done this with planes where before they would dissapear onscreen unless you zoomed in all the way and now they are always a dot onscreen.

[Haukka81]

Why not make the ground objects not get too small so that they are viewable.BOS has done this with planes where before they would dissapear onscreen unless you zoomed in all the way and now they are always a dot onscreen.

 

Because it would be too easy solution. Realsim junkies don't like if virtual pilots are not blind like some kind of airborne paraolympics :lol::lol:

 

 

 

Dot's like in IL-2 would be good. (custom labes are not so good solution, because they won't be same for all in mp and those are visible trough clouds etc..)

'

 

Maybe edge will bring help to this, some kind dot/lod thing :thumbup:

[javelina1]

Because it would be too easy solution. Realsim junkies don't like if virtual pilots are not blind like some kind of airborne paraolympics :lol::lol:

 

Dot's like in IL-2 would be good. (custom labes are not so good solution, because they won't be same for all in mp and those are visible trough clouds etc..)

'

 

Maybe edge will bring help to this, some kind dot/lod thing :thumbup:

 

One can hope there mate! can't wait for EDGE! Woot! ;)

[AtaliaA1]

Guys Spotting Targets has been a problem for Humans sense Jet Fighting was created. Read A10s Over Kosovo and how they needed Binoculars to see anything down there. Even the Facs in Vietnam had to have Binocs. This isn't a fault of the Sim. it is a Human Fault we all live with. Changing things wouldn't make the Sim. Immersive, it would take away the integrity that DCS hoped you would consider a "Must Have" when deciding on a Sim. to purchase.

 

I guess is everyone does it, it would become the norm. Something I hope will not happen. Speaking for myself of course. But maybe an option in a latter ver. of this great and immersive Sim. we all know and love.

 

NateIRL Hop in here Man. I remember you talking about this subject back a few yrs. ago.

Edited April 12, 2014 by AtaliaA1

[javelina1]

Guys Spotting Targets has been a problem for Humans sense Jet Fighting was created. Read A10s Over Kosovo and how they needed Binoculars to see anything down there. Even the Facs in Vietnam had to have Binocs. This isn't a fault of the Sim. it is a Human Fault we all live with. Changing things wouldn't make the Sim. Immersive, it would take away the integrity that DCS hoped you would consider a "Must Have" when deciding on a Sim. to purchase.

 

I guess is everyone does it, it would become the norm. Something I hope will not happen. Speaking for myself of course. But maybe an option in a latter ver. of this great and immersive Sim. we all know and love.

 

As you do, and all others, we love this sim... So it's not cheating to use the Zoom, cause it's supposed to resemble the binoculars. :thumbup:

 

Qtr master clerk: "good morning sir"

2nd Lt: "good morning Cpl"

2nd Lt: "I'll need a set of Mark I eye balls...."

Qtr master clerk: "Yes Sir.... Here you go Sir...."