Custom Attitude Indicator

[Saxman]

Real easy way to find your AoA:

Look left or right.

[rough_wood]

Tough to do when dive bombing.

[boomerlu]

How do you control making holes in the dash to see threw?

HiTech

Good concern, and I had thought of this. I assumed that the current system would prevent this from happening, but I don't know how the underlying code works.

Others have mentioned - disabling transparency. I was under the impression that underneath the dash is the airplane itself, so that there would be no such transparency problem.

Another solution would be to use the skins' underlying color as background for the dials. Transparency would only allow you to see the grey/black that's already underneath.

[RTHolmes]

you realise why they werent graduated? because as soon as you pull any kind of ACM your instruments are somewhere between inaccurate and useless. I think it was JEJ mentioned that it would take literally minutes for his spit instruments to settle after maneuvering before they were usable.

[rough_wood]

So what you're saying is "Why have a horizon/attitude incicator at all"?

I hope and suspect not.

In the game they are stable, so maybe since they are, the angle graduations should be displayed?

Or at least selectable, like custom sights.

[Motherland]

Others have mentioned - disabling transparency. I was under the impression that underneath the dash is the airplane itself, so that there would be no such transparency problem.

If you make a section of the bitmap transparent, it's transparent, period.
And, since it's transparent, and shapes that can't be seen are not textured (since there's no need to normally) you'd just see right through to the terrain.

So what you're saying is "Why have a horizon/attitude incicator at all"?

He's saying they're more harm than good in a combat situation. 99% of the time you're better off using the actual horizon rather than the artificial one.

[boomerlu]

If you make a section of the bitmap transparent, it's transparent, period.
And, since it's transparent, and shapes that can't be seen are not textured (since there's no need to normally) you'd just see right through to the terrain.

So the solution is segregate the "underneath" section of the dash from the "custom" portion.

The skin dictates the "underneath" texture and guarantees that it will be opaque so that even if the "custom" dash is completely transparent, it's only see-through down to the skin-dash.

This way, we wouldn't have to modify the skins - if you want the old (i.e., ones defined by the skin) indicators just set full transparency on the custom dash.

It's redundant, sure, but it solves both problems - wanting a custom dash and preventing the use of a transparent dash to cheat.

[RTHolmes]

So what you're saying is "Why have a horizon/attitude incicator at all"?

no I'm saying that the instruments we have ingame are already far more useful than they were IRL, if you're aiming for realism you're heading in the wrong direction.

Real easy way to find your AoA:

Look left or right.

wise words

[MachNum]

Tough to do when dive bombing.

I find it pretty easy to just flick a look out to the side to get a quick estimate of angle. It doesn't need to be all that precise. Besides, having your head outside the cockpit is a good thing

[OOZ662]

Tough to do when dive bombing.

Funny you say that, since many dive bombers had angle markers etched/painted onto the sides of the canopy.

[rough_wood]

We don't have those markings

And I'd rather be able to look forward the whole time.

There are plenty of other ways to do it, heck I could use an astrolabe, but I'd rather have angle increments on my Attitude Indicator.

I'm failing to understand the big deal.

This is hardly different from having custom gunsights.

[Saxman]

We don't have those markings

And I'd rather be able to look forward the whole time.

There are plenty of other ways to do it, heck I could use an astrolabe, but I'd rather have angle increments on my Attitude Indicator.

I'm failing to understand the big deal.

This is hardly different from having custom gunsights.

And IMO, HTC should drop the custom gunsights as well. ALL aircraft should be equipped their historical gunsight, period.

[RTHolmes]

I'm failing to understand the big deal.

well the problem is the instruments we have ingame are already far more useful than they were IRL, if you're aiming for realism you're heading in the wrong direction.

I'd prefer historical gunsights as well.

[Gabriel]

That's a dual cue flight director seen in overlay on a modern attitude indicator.

You didn't find them in WWII airplanes during wartime.

Well, most planes didn't have ammo counters either. And yet....

[Golfer]

Why are you (you being whoever wants a more detailed attitude indicator) looking at the AI during combat anyway?  To be effective your head needs to be outside watching your enemy.  The only thing I might look inside for is to keep an eye on engine temperature or oil level, especially critical if I'm fighting with a damaged radiator/oil system or the airspeed indicator.

If you're trying to get an idea for your pitch attitude for some reason then I'd like to hear what that reason is.