Searchlights anyone?

[Fidd]

This is a webpage I put together as a possible idea for AH. There's a fair bit of maths in it, and I know there are one or two errors for sure (need to upload amendments). What do you chaps think about it?
 http://www.mthuff.clara.net/clara.net/m/t/h/mthuff/webspace/ah/SL.html

Fidd

[XNachoX]

I believe that webpage improved my IQ 5 points....sheez...lol.   I like the idea  

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XNachoX
 
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[This message has been edited by XNachoX (edited 05-09-2001).]

[tofri]

Great work, fidd!

I see already my fps go down to 1  

tofri

[Tilt]

Yes it would be a superb addition....also on fleets.

The tactical considerations are well thought out IMHO.

I Like the ack tracking.
I Like the slave SL's increasing white out.

Some thoughts

Light blinding should be easily triggered by the TPOV looking straight at the beam source when in the cone.

The cabin could be brightly illuminated by the existing system that illuminates it from the sun......but brighter when in the cone.

A pilot in the cone but not suffering from light blindness should still be able to see out of it.

The cone.....why is it visible? In practice its visibility is down to how "dirty" the air is. Dust, water vapour, smog etc.

If we assumed AH world is pollution free then worrying about cone graphics could be dismissed except when under rain clouds or shining at cloud bases or local mountains.


If not and a visible cone is considered more representative (morning dew?)(and threatening), at what range would the cone be visible from RPOV?

I think that the more visible the cone the harder it is (from a distance)to see any thing illuminated by it due to cone "glare". Hence a dirty cone (highly visible) is harder to see out of and into.

Would the SPOV need to see his cone at all? Would not a red cross hair showing the direction he is pointing be sufficient? (unless illuminating a cloud or mountain)

An aircraft lit by an SL would then simply light up (even better if icons were very short range at night and simply went long range when lit by an SL)from the SPOV point of view or any RPOV able to see the lit part of the aircraft.

An RPOV above the TPOV (out of the cone)may not see anything except the bright light source.

Tilt

[RGJ]

Asked for searchlights in a less complicated manor ages ago.

see below.
   http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/Forum8/HTML/000805.html

RGJ

[Fidd]

 

Originally posted by Tilt:
Tilt: Light blinding should be easily triggered by the TPOV looking straight at the beam source when in the cone.

Fidd: I believe from accounts of night ops, that being illuminated by SL's had a considerable blinding effect irrespective of where the viewer was looking. Hence all crew positions/views are "blinded" (progressively) if a SL registers a "hit".


Tilt: The cabin could be brightly illuminated by the existing system that illuminates it from the sun......but brighter when in the cone.

Fidd: Ideally yes, but I understand that an additional light source is not practical (from HTC)

Tilt: A pilot in the cone but not suffering from light blindness should still be able to see out of it.

Fidd: He can, but his vision is reduced with each additional light that acquires him; when the 4th light cones him, he will be able to see virtually nothing.

Tilt: The cone.....why is it visible? In practice its visibility is down to how "dirty" the air is. Dust, water vapour, smog etc.

Fidd: Mainly for the "pucker" factor, and thats what the movies show! I take your point, I envisage the cone being up to 9000ft visible lenghth, being bright white near SL and virtually transparant at range.

Tilt: If we assumed AH world is pollution free then worrying about cone graphics could be dismissed except when under rain clouds or shining at cloud bases or local mountains.

Fidd: Yes, but I think the light cones add atmosphere.

Tilt: If not and a visible cone is considered more representative (morning dew?)(and threatening), at what range would the cone be visible from RPOV?

Fidd: I hadn't calculated that yet, but it will be dependant on how near the vector from you to SL is that of target to SL.

Tilt: I think that the more visible the cone the harder it is (from a distance)to see any thing illuminated by it due to cone "glare". Hence a dirty cone (highly visible) is harder to see out of and into.

Fidd: Remember that the cue here is the light all converging on a single point. Most of the time they'll be wandering randomly around their freedom of movement.

Tilt: Would the SPOV need to see his cone at all? Would not a red cross hair showing the direction he is pointing be sufficient? (unless illuminating a cloud or mountain)

Fidd: SPOV does not see his cone at all.

Tilt: An aircraft lit by an SL would then simply light up (even better if icons were very short range at night and simply went long range when lit by an SL)from the SPOV point of view or any RPOV able to see the lit part of the aircraft.

Fidd: I suspect that may be overcomplex to code. My aim was to design a useable, reasonably believable model, which would be as simple as possible to code. Bearing in mind that there are many other pressures on HTC's programers time.

Tilt: An RPOV above the TPOV (out of the cone)may not see anything except the bright light source.

Fidd: Not sure I follow you on this point.
Tilt

[Tilt]

Given that the main mechanism of AC location is based on crossing cones "tracking" a located AC..........

I think the only area I would return to is the so called "light blinding".........

It would seem to me that a TPOV would suffer higher glare related blinding  closer  it is to the SPOV. This would be a little more difficult to model than a simple increment of blinding per SL. However it could be tied to a simple altitude related multiplier.

I still like the idea of blinding via the TPOV "looking" into a view quarter with a light source in it. This allows "heads down" fly by instruments and will lead the gunner a "dance" when tracking enemy fighters.

Also fighters flying thru the beam and looking at the source should be blinded for a period longer than the fleeting passage thru the cone.

In any event this is sterling work and I hope that some element of it could be implemented.

Tilt

[GRUNHERZ]

Nacho those 47Ns look nice, even being repulsive US fiters!