Oolite Bulletins

In the process of developing the Sniper Camera System prototype I came up with an interesting way to change between 2 different scanners(or other gauges for that matter) that is kind of cool. I set up a frame by frame animation between the 2 different scanners with a different scanner for each frame over the span of 27 frames and the result is a fluid morph from one scanner into the other. It adds a real step up for the way gauges are swapped. Has to be seen. The next release of numeric hud will have these "morphs" built in to the scanner and compass swaps as well as a few other icons.
Additionally the next version will probably have some version of the Sniper Camera System built in and probably include shipdata-overides for some of the core ships or a customizable shipdata-overides file where a player could relabel a list of custom views to make it work for their ship.
This should be decided upon in the 2 weeks or so after the custom hud system for the chupacabra has been finished which should be a few weeks from today.

First off, I have to say this is an amazing creation. Some of the numbers take a bit of getting used to, but others are pure gold (I may add the energy bars back somewhere in my version).

Got a bug for you, and a couple of things that could be bugs or features depending on your point of view.

First, the definite bug: If you hyperspace while looking at an info screen (F5-F8) instead of what's around you (F1-F4 & v), then you end up with the trading hud on the forward view in the new system. You can get rid of it by looking at an info screen, and then back to the scenery.

The range finder, should it work without the scanner targeting enhancement?

And finally, I'm finding that the scanner and the space compass switch between colours between blue and the alert level every second or so. With the speed gauge flashing for top speed, the fuel gauge flashing for not enough fuel, and none of them in time with the others it can be quite distracting.

All the best,
Eldon

Eldon wrote:

First, the definite bug: If you hyperspace while looking at an info screen (F5-F8) instead of what's around you (F1-F4 & v), then you end up with the trading hud on the forward view in the new system. You can get rid of it by looking at an info screen, and then back to the scenery.

The range finder, should it work without the scanner targeting enhancement?

And finally, I'm finding that the scanner and the space compass switch between colours between blue and the alert level every second or so. With the speed gauge flashing for top speed, the fuel gauge flashing for not enough fuel, and none of them in time with the others it can be quite distracting.

Thanx for posting your bug discovery.
That is a definate bug and will be fixed next version.
If you can't wait put the following at the top of "this.shipWillEnterWitchspace=function()

player.ship.hud = "numerichudv1.plist";

As for the rangefinder, why not. Feature of the hud and people like to see it, for now.

Finally, you may not like the next version as I'm sure it will only be even more distracting. All that you describe is as it is on purpose. I hear the standard oolite hud is somewhat inconspicuous however...

Thanks for the quick fix, got another one for you: if you're close to your target and eject, when you launch again your cross-hairs still display the up-close and personal view as well as the un-targeted view.

After a bit of a play I've got why the numbers flash, but why does the scanner/compass? And would it be possible for everything that flashes to flash in time with each other?

Eldon wrote:

Thanks for the quick fix, got another one for you: if you're close to your target and eject, when you launch again your cross-hairs still display the up-close and personal view as well as the un-targeted view.

That's quite possible as not much testing was done while ejecting. A recent problem was also found while ejecting and causing a big log error. I will look at this and include a bugfix in the next version.
Thanx for going out of your way to playtest for me.

Coming soon to a numeric hud near you...


Sunrise by CommonSenseOTB, on Flickr
It's a beautiful sight the sunrise is from the station zone.


Final Approach by CommonSenseOTB, on Flickr
Lined up for a few last tense moments.


Safety by CommonSenseOTB, on Flickr
It's Miller time!

Public Domain pin-up art(petty-0033) courtesy of freeclassicimages.com

Eldon, your escape pod glitch is patched and will be in the next version along with an escape pod hud.

Thargoid, I hope you like it. I have a question. Is there any kind of event that precedes the launch of the escape pod or do I have to wait till ship.WillDockAtStation = function()? Or would it be best to use isValid as a trigger only? Just thinking about the future animation possibilities for ejecting. Any ideas on this are appreciated.

Thargoid wrote:

I like the escape pod idea yes, although I think the petty pic could get repetitive (and you could maybe have some fun with exactly what image you put there [/color]

Then again, it has a claustrophobic atmosphere to it that seems appropriate . . .

Very Very clever CSOTB! Bravo.

(Could you use the decal shader code to add random picture? (Non-shader users would get the standard Petty pic))

DaddyHoggy wrote:

Very Very clever CSOTB! Bravo.

(Could you use the decal shader code to add random picture? (Non-shader users would get the standard Petty pic))

Better yet, when 1.76 arrives with equipment conditional for images and text in the hud.plist it will be possible to have randomly selected pictures and some could be added by the player and labelled in the required way for the script to activate it. I see you are thinking of a similar idea. Cool!

CommonSenseOTB wrote:

Better yet, when 1.76 arrives with equipment conditional for images and text in the hud.plist it will be possible to have randomly selected pictures and some could be added by the player and labelled in the required way for the script to activate it. I see you are thinking of a similar idea. Cool!

Unless Ahruman explicitly authorizes it, this is a new feature and, as such, cannot go into 1.76 during a feature freeze. It can only go in post-1.76.

another_commander wrote:

CommonSenseOTB wrote:

Better yet, when 1.76 arrives with equipment conditional for images and text in the hud.plist it will be possible to have randomly selected pictures and some could be added by the player and labelled in the required way for the script to activate it. I see you are thinking of a similar idea. Cool!

Unless Ahruman explicitly authorizes it, this is a new feature and, as such, cannot go into 1.76 during a feature freeze. It can only go in post-1.76.

It's already in the code and just needs to be activated. I thought the plan was to have it in 1.76.

CommonSenseOTB wrote:

It's already in the code and just needs to be activated. I thought the plan was to have it in 1.76. :?

No, the plan is to have no new features in 1.76.

Ahruman wrote:

CommonSenseOTB wrote:

It's already in the code and just needs to be activated. I thought the plan was to have it in 1.76.

No, the plan is to have no new features in 1.76.

Hey, no problem. Thanx for the info.

But you could still have escapecapsule01.png, escapecapsule99.png and select any one of those 99 pictures randomly...