[RELEASE] Telescope OXP v1.15

[private_lock]

By chance I found out about Telescope 2.0 ... though it is still beta.

[Cholmondely]

Two questions.

1) I can set Telescope's options to detect up to 200 items. What on earth is the point of this? I can't seem to get the MFD to show me anything other than the 10 nearest. There seems to be no scroll function. What am I missing?

2) What difference does the small dish make? Again, it seems to need the station (or equivalent) close by to work. But the station is almost always surrounded by close ships, and the further away large items like the planets are detected anyways without Telescope extension. Again, what is the point of this?

[hiran]

Two questions.

1) I can set Telescope's options to detect up to 200 items. What on earth is the point of this? I can't seem to get the MFD to show me anything other than the 10 nearest. There seems to be no scroll function. What am I missing?

2) What difference does the small dish make? Again, it seems to need the station (or equivalent) close by to work. But the station is almost always surrounded by close ships, and the further away large items like the planets are detected anyways without Telescope extension. Again, what is the point of this?

This looks like a request for documentation.
I'd have exactly the same questions...

[Cholmondely]

Two questions.

1) I can set Telescope's options to detect up to 200 items. What on earth is the point of this? I can't seem to get the MFD to show me anything other than the 10 nearest. There seems to be no scroll function. What am I missing?

2) What difference does the small dish make? Again, it seems to need the station (or equivalent) close by to work. But the station is almost always surrounded by close ships, and the further away large items like the planets are detected anyways without Telescope extension. Again, what is the point of this?

This looks like a request for documentation.
I'd have exactly the same questions...

If I can just repeat these and add a third: Can I disable Panoramic targeting? And if so, how? I think it might just be the major problem with using ILS to dock.

[Cholmondely]

Peculiar error messages in the latest.log which only come when Telescope is added.

Note that there are no other oxp's present, and when Telescope is removed, there are no error messages.

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18:06:26.613 [dataCache.rebuild.pathsChanged]: Cache is stale (search paths have changed). Rebuilding from scratch.
18:06:26.614 [searchPaths.dumpAll]: Resource paths: 
    ~/Desktop/Oolite/  Oolite 1.90.app/Contents/Resources
    ~/Library/Application Support/Oolite/Managed AddOns
    ~/Library/Application Support/Oolite/AddOns
    ~/Library/Application Support/Oolite/AddOns/oolite.oxp.Norby.Telescope.oxp
18:06:26.622 [shipData.load.begin]: Loading ship data.
18:06:26.650 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_prototype_boa_normalmapped-player is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.651 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_prototype_boa_normalmapped-player is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.651 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_prototype_boa_normalmapped-player is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.651 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_prototype_boa_normalmapped-player is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_green_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_green_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_green_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_green_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_blue_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_blue_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.652 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_blue_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.653 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_blue_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.653 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_alpha_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.653 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_alpha_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.653 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_alpha_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.653 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_alpha_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_Template is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_Template is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_Template is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_Template is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_red_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_red_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_red_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:26.654 [shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange]: ----- WARNING: ball turret weapon range of 7500 for subentity of ship griff_NPC_prototype_boa_decals_from_red_channel is too high, using 7200.0.
18:06:27.225 [startup.complete]: ========== Loading complete in 0.87 seconds. ==========

I wonder if this is necessary for some aspect of this complex oxp? Perhaps allowing one to "lock onto" objects in the far distance? Not too sure how the boa decals fit in, though!

[cag]

1) I can set Telescope's options to detect up to 200 items. What on earth is the point of this? I can't seem to get the MFD to show me anything other than the 10 nearest. There seems to be no scroll function. What am I missing?

The 200 item limit is for the number of the color-coded lightballs (13 colors!) for ships, etc. in the scanner. With Telescope Extender, the point of this is strategic, beyond scanner range. A trader sees a swarm of ships between their position and the station; perhaps the direct route is ill-advised. A smuggler sees a GalCop patrol headed his way and scampers.

The 10 line limit of an MFD limits its utility. It's handy for chasing scoopables & navigation, if your scanner is not too cluttered. It is sorted intelligently:

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55, 156
Beacons are identified in the whole system due to the transmitted radio signals.
...
The Target list contains hostiles first, if any, then all ships in normal scanner 
(25.6km), followed by Cargo and Escape Pods, then ending with ships which are not 
in the normal scanner.

There is a function to step forward/backward through the MFD list:

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141-155
With the Telescope primed (Shift+N), the mode button ("b") cycles through the 
functions of the activate ("n") button:

 Nearest target
 Rescan
 Step forward in the target list
 Step back in the target list
 Steering: off / nearest target only / both nearest and step in the list
 Lightballs: off / navigation only / ships / masslock borders / large
 Sniper ring km: off / 5-25.6 / 10-25.6 / 15-25.6 / 5-30 / 10-30 / 15-30
 Targets: 20 and limitation in red alert / 50 / 100 / 200
 Visual target: off / weapons off / no ring / no station / no question mark / all
 Visual target size: 1-8
 
The first 4 functions are commands which happen instantly when activated.
The "Step forward" and "Step back" will rescan if you step over the end of the 
target list.

The ability to wrap around the end of the list enables you to switch the list from really far objects (navigation) to the closest one (scoopables, yum).

2) What difference does the small dish make? Again, it seems to need the station (or equivalent) close by to work. But the station is almost always surrounded by close ships, and the further away large items like the planets are detected anyways without Telescope extension. Again, what is the point of this?

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251-255
Detect ships from one third farther out (for example an Asp at 120km) but can only 
fit onto ships over 130t mass (from Cobra MkIII) due to the size.

Needs Gravity Scanner, it is a just piece of metal.

Fast CPUs can draw 200 targets without relevant FPS drop, slow systems draw it also 
but with some drop (tested on Intel Atom netbook). In this case scan for Gravity 
targets only when needed and turn it off when Telescope range is reached.

It's a level-up for your gravity scanner. Don't buy it if you don't find it useful or are running on a slower PC (tracking the full 200 items is resouce intensive and the gravity scanner(s) & dishes will fill the list further and faster). To turn if off:

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214
The Gravity scanner works only when you turn off your weapons with underscore ("_") 
button, otherwise only visible targets are displayed.

Also, without Telescope Extender, you won't detect any ships outside the normal scanner range. It could be considered a cheat, which is why it is a separate oxp. As Norby writes, "buy this equipment separatedly to confirm you want step over the rules of the standard game." (170).

If I can just repeat these and add a third: Can I disable Panoramic targeting? And if so, how? I think it might just be the major problem with using ILS to dock.

Norby wrote both Telescope and ILS, so they can work together.

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11-15
If you change or remove the target lock the ILS turn off automatically.

Another way to avoid ILS is the missile targeting mode: use the "t" key instead of 
"r" to lock a station and ILS will not switch on.

No ILS in red alert except if weapons are offline.

So keep your weapons on-line to turn off Panoramic targeting and use the ILS. It could get a bit dicey if you're fighting your way into the dock. I don't use ILS (I keep it installed to clear the traffic) but if I need to exit/avoid a fight by docking, I'm not asking for clearance or waiting for some technician/algorithm to get his act in gear. Storm the gate, pay the fine. (Crash the gate, pay the repair bill )

Peculiar error messages in the latest.log which only come when Telescope is added.

These can be ignored. Some time in the past, the maximum weapons range for a turret was reduced from 7500 to 7200 (I think). You can expect these messages from any oxp with turrets that was not updated since this change. The reason these messages show up in Telescope is it uses ship data as effect data for its 3D model and the turret spec.s went along for the ride.

If you want the messages turned off, you can edit

/Oolite/oolite.app/Resources/Config/logcontrol.plist

and set

shipData.load.warning.turret.badWeaponRange = no

but this will suppress these errors from ALL oxp's. This is not recommended for development installations but should be fine otherwise. I have a separate install for just playing and use this setting.

[Cholmondely]

Thank you for this, cag.

Very helpful!