Scanner Targeting Enhancement not working for all pods

[JazHaz]

I'm having trouble with the STE equipment. On some cargo pods I get the target box, but not on all. In fact more times than not, I don't get the target box. This is making tracking pods very difficult, especially when they are the Griff ones.

Could this be an OXP issue? I have the UPS OXP, but not Pods or Pods/UPS.

To try to work around this issue, I've just downloaded the Cargo Shepherd OXP.

[Wildeblood]

Is the problem affected by range, i.e. does it happen when the cargo pods are close by? I have a similar problem: I've noticed the last few days that after cracking an asteroid to boulders and the boulders to splinters, I then can't get a target on the splinters at close range. I doubt the spinters have changed; what's changed here is the version of Oolite I'm using [version 1.75.4.4668 (x86-32 test release)] and I've been experimenting with frame callbacks in an OXP.

[JazHaz]

Is the problem affected by range, i.e. does it happen when the cargo pods are close by?

Probably. I can't see them from far away, as most of them are dark. I think my eyesight is deteriating with age.

I often find myself chasing space dust instead of the pods!

[JazHaz]

I'm not getting any messages in my log regarding this issue. Is there any logging options I can turn on that might catch this problem?

[Eric Walch]

Probably. I can't see them from far away, as most of them are dark.

All objects in Oolite are drawn based on their size/distance ratio. If the size would only be one pixel, oolite does not try drawing them. That is to not waste time on drawing small objects that would be almost invisible anyhow. Things like pods only come visible when they are already close by.

I think the not being able to target the small stuff is because your ship hat a big parallax resulting from the laser position being quite far from the view position.

[JazHaz]

All objects in Oolite are drawn based on their size/distance ratio. If the size would only be one pixel, oolite does not try drawing them. That is to not waste time on drawing small objects that would be almost invisible anyhow. Things like pods only come visible when they are already close by.

I'm not sure you understand the problem. Its not that I cannot target cargo pods, I can, they are targetted, its just that I don't always get the broken green box around them from the Scanner Targeting Enhancement equipment. Only occasionally does this work.

This is what I mean:

I think the not being able to target the small stuff is because your ship hat a big parallax resulting from the laser position being quite far from the view position.

This was happening with my Griff Cobra too.

[JazHaz]

I'm not getting any messages in my log regarding this issue. Is there any logging options I can turn on that might catch this problem?

Any ideas on this?

[Svengali]

You could try again with the standard HUD... Somehow it smells like a HUD specific thing.

[JazHaz]

You could try again with the standard HUD... Somehow it smells like a HUD specific thing.

Tried removing MilHUD OXP and restarted with shift held down. Didn't get the standard HUD back, just got nothing, but I have a hud.plist in a Config folder in my AddOns.

Can someone who undertstands HUDs have a look and let me know if there is something in here that might be causing the issue:

Code: Select all

{	// this PLIST changed by sdrubble
	// it assumes that MilHUD OXP is available
	// mimicks the values used in sdrubble's tweaked version of MilHUD's 'milhuddock.plist'
	// REASON: MilHUD's 'script.js' does NOT trigger 'milhuddock' when LOADING a saved game
	// 
	crosshair_scale		= 32.0;
	crosshair_width		= 1.5;
	crosshair_color		= "greenColor";
	dials			= //these are drawn, in order, after the legends
	(
		{	// Targeting enhancement
			equipment_required 	= "EQ_SCANNER_SHOW_MISSILE_TARGET";
			selector		= "drawTargetReticle:";
		},
//		{	// scanner
//			alpha		= 1.0;
//			selector	= "drawScanner:";
//			x		= 0;
//			y		= 60;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 72.0;
//			width		= 288.0;
//			rgb_color	= (1.0, 0.0, 0.0);
//		},
//		{	// scanner zoom indicator
//			alpha		= 1.0;
//			selector	= "drawScannerZoomIndicator:";
//			x		= 108;
//			y		= 24;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
		//{	// stick sensitivity indicator
		//	alpha		= 1.0;
		//	selector	= "drawStickSensitivityIndicator:";
		//	x		= 151;
		//	y		= -165;
		//	height		= 12;
		//	width		= 12;
		//},
//		{	// compass
//			alpha		= 1.0;
//			selector	= "drawCompass:";
//			x		= 132;
//			y		= 24;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			rgb_color	= (0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
//		},
//		{	// station aegis
//			alpha		= 1.0;
//			selector	= "drawAegis:";
//			x		= -132;
//			y		= 24;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// fuel scoop status
//			alpha		= 0.75;
//			selector	= "drawScoopStatus:";
//			x		= -132;
//			y		= 88;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// speed bar, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
//			draw_surround	= yes;
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawSpeedBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= 200;
//			y		= 95;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// roll bar, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
//			draw_surround	= yes;
//			height		= 6;
//			selector	= "drawRollBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= 200;
//			y		= 80;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// pitch bar, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
//			draw_surround	= yes;
//			height		= 6;
//			selector	= "drawPitchBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= 200;
//			y		= 70;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
		//{	// yaw bar, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
		//	// this is disabled by default, uncomment as required to enable
		//	draw_surround	= yes;
		//	height		= 8;
		//	selector	= "drawYawBar:";
		//	width		= 80;
		//	x		= 200;
		//	y		= -130;
		//},
//		{	// energy gauge, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
//			draw_surround	= yes;
//			height		= 48;
//			selector	= "drawEnergyGauge:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= 200;
//			y		= 35;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			labelled	= yes;
//		},
//		{	// forward shield bar, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
//			draw_surround	= yes;
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawForwardShieldBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 94;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// aft shield bar, can draw a surround 2 units out from the dial size specified
//			draw_surround	= yes;
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawAftShieldBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 78;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// just draws a surround 2 units around the selected size, you could also use drawGreenSurround:
//			height		= 40;
//			selector	= "drawYellowSurround:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 46;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// fuel bar
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawFuelBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 61;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// cabin temperature bar
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawCabinTempBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 51;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// weapon temperature bar
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawWeaponTempBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 41;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
//		{	// altitude bar
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawAltitudeBar:";
//			width		= 80;
//			x		= -200;
//			y		= 31;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
		{	// missile display, x and y give the location, the x-spacing is given by spacing, the size defines the icon size
			height		=   10; // ORIGINAL value = 12
			selector	= "drawMissileDisplay:";
			spacing		=   12; // ORIGINAL value = 16
			width		=   10; // ORIGINAL value = 12
			x			= -325; // ORIGINAL value = -228
			y			= -220; // ORIGINAL value = 16
			y_origin	=    0; // ORIGINAL value = -1
		},
//		{	// status indicator light, x and y give the location, the size defines the icon size
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawStatusLight:";
//			width		= 8;
//			x		= -108;
//			y		= 24;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
		{	// ship's clock, x and y give the location, the size defines the character size
			height		=   11; // ORIGINAL value = 12
			selector	= "drawClock:";
			width		=   11; // ORIGINAL value = 12
			x			= -258; // ORIGINAL value = -48
			y			= -215; // ORIGINAL value = 6
			y_origin	=    0; // ORIGINAL value = -1
		},
//		{	// weapons systems offline text, x and y give the location, the size defines the character size
//			height		= 8;
//			selector	= "drawWeaponsOfflineText:";
//			width		= 8;
//			x		= -175;
//			y		= 2;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//		},
		{	// fps counter, x and y give the location, the size defines the character size
			height		=   10; // ORIGINAL value = 18
			selector	= "drawFPSInfoCounter:";
			width		=   10; // ORIGINAL value = 18
			x			= -375; // ORIGINAL value = -300
			y			=  225; // ORIGINAL value = -20
			y_origin	=    0; // ORIGINAL value = 1
		}
	);
	legends		= // these are drawn, in order, before the dials, add any other images you want here
	(		// the label 'legends' and the pair of parentheses therein have been KEPT on purpose, while ALL dicts inside have been commented out.
			// the desired result is to BLANK all legend elements, that otherwise would undesiredly show up when LOADING a saved game...
//		{	// LHS
//			text		= "FWD";
//			x		= -264;
//			y		= 82;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 20;
//			width		= 10;
//		},
//		{	text		= "AFT";
//			x		= -262;
//			y		= 66;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 20;
//			width		= 10;
//		},
//		{
//			text		= "FUEL";
//			x		= -264;
//			y		= 52;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 14;
//			width		= 9;
//		},
//		{
//			text		= "CT";
//			x		= -255;
//			y		= 42;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 14;
//			width		= 9;
//		},
//		{
//			text		= "LT";
//			x		= -254;
//			y		= 32;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 14;
//			width		= 9;
//		},
//		{
//			text		= "ALT";
//			x		= -260;
//			y		= 22;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 14;
//			width		= 9;
//		},
//		{
//			text		= "MISS";
//			x		= -266;
//			y		= 4;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 16;
//			width		= 10;
//		},
//		{	// RHS
//			text		= "SPD";
//			x		= 241;
//			y		= 82;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 20;
//			width		= 10;
//		},
//		{
//			text		= "ROLL";
//			x		= 241;
//			y		= 72;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 12;
//			width		= 9;
//		},
		//{	// yaw bar legend, disabled by default
		//	// uncomment as required to enable
		//	text		= "YAW";
		//	x		= 241;
		//	y		= -138;
		//	height		= 12;
		//	width		= 9;
		//},
//		{
//			text		= "PITCH";
//			x		= 241;
//			y		= 62;
//			y_origin	= -1;
//			height		= 12;
//			width		= 9;
//		}
	);
	overall_alpha	= 0.75;
	reticle_target_sensitive = yes;         // DEFAULT WAS 'no'
	cloak_indicator_on_status_light = yes;
// START of pasted block - as suggested at https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=152560#p152560
message_gui =
{
   width      =  260; // WIDTH  OF 'INVISIBLE' BOX                                                  - original= 210 ; attempted=250
   height     =  180; // HEIGTH OF 'INVISIBLE' BOX                                                  - original= 160 ; attempted=
   x          = -240; // HORIZONTAL OFFSET (more negative equals 'more left ')                      - original=-230 ; attempted=
   y          =  -25; // VERTICAL   OFFSET (more positive equals 'more up   ')                      - original=-35  ; attempted=
   row_height =   10; // 
   };
   comm_log_gui =
{
   width      =  260; // WIDTH  OF 'VISIBLE'   BOX                                                  - original= 250 ; attempted=
   height     =  140; // HEIGTH OF 'VISIBLE'   BOX (grows towards TOP border)                       - original= 100 ; attempted=130,150,140
   x          =  210; // HORIZONTAL OFFSET of RIGHT-MOST BORDER (more positive equals 'more right') - original=-195 ; attempted=50,80,110,140,180,200
   y          =  170; // VERTICAL   OFFSET of BOTTOM     BORDER (more positive equals 'more up   ') - original= 200 ; attempted=170
   row_height =    9; // 
   };
// END   of pasted block - as suggested at https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=152560#p152560
}

[Smivs]

Is the fact that almost everything is commented out the problem?

[Capt. Murphy]

If you are using milHUD, the target box is disabled when you are at green alert IIRC. So if there are no (masslocking) ships in scanner range you won't get the target box. Can be worked around either by varying the milHUD script or the milhudgreen.plist.

See these posts...

https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.ph ... 60#p152754

[Wildeblood]

Is the fact that almost everything is commented out the problem?

It's a blank HUD, only intended to be used when you're docked. If that file with everything commented out is named simply "hud.plist" it will be the reason you have a blank HUD when you removed MilHUD.
AS Capt. Murphy says, milhudgreen.plist is probably the cause of JazHaz's mysterious problem with the target reticle.

[Capt. Murphy]

JazHaz, I've had an opportunity to download and have a quick look at MilHud 3.4. The easiest way to avoid this issue is to edit milhudgreen.plist.

Here are the first view lines as they are normally,

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>crosshair_color</key>
	<string>greenColor</string>
	<key>reticle_target_sensitive</key>
	<false/>
	<key>cloak_indicator_on_status_light</key>
	<true/>
	<key>overall_alpha</key>
	<real>1</real>
	<key>dials</key><!-- these are drawn, in order, after the legends -->
	<array>
		<dict><!-- scanner -->

Adding this entry so it looks like this should do the trick...

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>crosshair_color</key>
	<string>greenColor</string>
	<key>reticle_target_sensitive</key>
	<false/>
	<key>cloak_indicator_on_status_light</key>
	<true/>
	<key>overall_alpha</key>
	<real>1</real>
	<key>dials</key><!-- these are drawn, in order, after the legends -->
	<array>
		<dict><!-- Targetting enhancement -->
			<key>equipment_required</key>
			<string>EQ_SCANNER_SHOW_MISSILE_TARGET</string>
			<key>selector</key>
			<string>drawTargetReticle:</string>
		</dict>
		<dict><!-- scanner -->

Edit to add - the issue and the solution are also in the milHUD thread.....

https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.ph ... 15#p135182

[JazHaz]

I forgot to add to my last post - the reason I did add this file, was simply to add the comms log and messages GUI boxes to MilHud.

[sdrubble]

@JazHaz,

it seems you and I are always bumping around each other in this forum around HUD tweaking issues...

OTOH, it also seems you're the only other one person around the forum (other than the devs and the OXP makers) that cares to roll up your sleeves and fiddle with HUD tweaks - just as I do.

And yet on another hand, I currently don't find myself with enough disposition to fiddle much with tweaking any more... and I've been sometimes absent from the forum (and also from many aspects of RL too ) for increasingly extended periods of time.

[HIGHLY offtopic] And indeed it's only fitting, as I find - feel - sense that the tri-dimensional "RL" world is finally crumbling to its demise... [/offtopic]

As you'll probably recall from another thread, I was about to publish tweaks and screenshots regarding the Chupacabra OXP. I did finish the tweaks and have amassed a lot of screenshots. What I initially intended to accomplish is all now functional, and mainly along the lines of what interests you most - i.e., placement and other properties of comms_gui and msgs_gui - although 'real' battle tests are somewhat pending.

BUT - I have been reluctant to publish these. It took me a LOT of work to assemble things, some more work to collect snapshots, and it would all probably mean even more work to upload all these and also to concoct a meaningful description for everything.

Now that I've noticed how things can become really screwed up - and you've started with some code that I'd sent you - it's now clear to me that I really should NOT publicly publish my tweaks. I'm not prepared to help multiple people to fix their HUDs from beginning to end !!! (And believe me, properly tweaking the Chupacabra HUD required fairly good mass-editing skills and coordinated changes to not dozens, but HUNDREDS of lines).

OTOH, I'm more than willing to help you personally (and would indeed very much appreciate that, since we've interacted a bit around this same issue before and I know it would be an interesting activity). If you're interested, drop me a PM and we can work thru this step-by-step, out of the forum and using whatever collaboration tools - Skype, MSN, TeamViewer, file transfer etc. And at a slow-and-unpressured pace for sure.

Now back to the situation at hand.

You probably missed the 2nd line of the snippet you posted:

Code: Select all

{   // this PLIST changed by sdrubble
   // it assumes that MilHUD OXP is available

which means that, since you've probably removed MilHUD, you'll **PROBABLY** solve your issues by also just REMOVING [b][color=#0000FF]...\Oolite\AddOns\Config\hud.plist[/color][/b] altogether (supposing that you're using the exact version of this file that I've sent you).

Other than that, and if my offer of personal support appeals to you, I'll be expecting your PM and we can work from there!!!

I should apologize to the general Oolite community on this issue. While most of the time I've been interacting in this forums just like everyone else - and offering tips and suggestions here and there - I found that this whole "HUD tweak" issue got bigger than the available energy I can find to continue handling it in a manner that would benefit more people.

Cheers to all