Oolite Bulletins

Hello!

Just thought I'd share a little pet project I've been working on for a little while, the Medusa Hud.


http://www.crimsonforge.co.uk/cloister/ ... ud.oxp.zip

should look something like this:




I've tried to keep everything a dog fighter would need "to hand" but not so close that it obscures your target!

Key features include;

1) Large darkened centre scope, for general tracking of targets.
2)Contrast resistant centre spot for pin point accuracy against space, planet or sun backdrops.
3) Scope also contains speed and laser temp information. For quick referencing during a fire fight
4) Over mounted ID and missile information, in-line with the scope. For easy weapon selection whilst still retaining visual target lock.
5) Low contrast IFF for easier ship identification.
6) combined pitch,roll and compass information.
7) combined shield fuel,temp and power graphic logically laid out for quick referencing.
Designed to be compact, unobtrusive yet easy to read. Giving the pilot the best possible trade off between visibility and accessibility.

I like it, it looks rather well balanced between functionality and eye-candy. Between this and the Fighter HUD, yours is more functional though slightly less cool - but it's only a matter of opinion and taste.

In any case, I won't be surprised if it becomes one of the board's favourite.

Very nice

Particularly like the concentric rings on the Main Scanner.

You should add it to the Wiki.

Excellent!

I'm using the fighter hud at the moment, mainly because of it's appearance, but it does have visibility issues when dogfighting so this looks like an excellent alternative, I'm giving it a go.

Looks good. Please allow me three remarks, however.

2)Contrast resistant centre spot for pin point accuracy against space, planet or sun backdrops.

Note, however, that usually you won't have to aim dead centre, because weapon and camera are not in the same line.

6) combined pitch,roll and compass information.

Really like that one!

7) combined shield fuel,temp and power graphic logically laid out for quick referencing.

I know of the temptations of symmetry, but to me the fuel indicator seems a little too dominating. Perhaps it could become narrower, and the energy bars could grow? Anyway, just a suggestion.

The overall impression is really good! I think I'll try it out.

Cmdr. Maegil wrote:

Between this and the Fighter HUD, yours is more functional though slightly less cool - but it's only a matter of opinion and taste.

In any case, I won't be surprised if it becomes one of the board's favourite.

Well, you can't really compete with the fighter hud, it's just too pretty & very atmospheric. So it's best not to try. There are many different and equaly valid solutions to the same problem. Atmosphere, accessability, visibility , micro scale, frivolous and themed. To name but a few. Hell you could even do a miner hud with fuel scoop guide lines. If you wanted. I did play with the idea of a IFF and average price key for CJ's physially fixed as a read out in the hud but decided it would take up space, look crap and confuse pilots more than help them.

I was thinking of having a faff with micro gif images but the lack of transparency put me off.

Still it's been a wonderful learning curve, might take a look into ship designs next.

Gunney_Plym wrote:

Very nice

Particularly like the concentric rings on the Main Scanner.

You should add it to the Wiki.

Glad you like it. I can send you the photoshop files if you want to have a play.
I'll get my head round the wiki and put it up.

TGHC wrote:

Excellent!

I'm using the fighter hud at the moment, mainly because of it's appearance, but it does have visibility issues when dogfighting so this looks like an excellent alternative, I'm giving it a go.

By all means road test. Any problems or annoyances I'm more than happy to hack it open and do some minor alterations.

I do have to say that the picture doesn't really do it justice. The scope looks a lot prettier in game, it's just that because it's unobtrusive (so you can concentrate on what your shooting at not how it's framed) it doesn't stand out in a screen grab.

ClymAngus wrote:

Still it's been a wonderful learning curve, might take a look into ship designs next.

Sounds like you're on the same curve that I'm on, take a look at my Wiki bit. I've got as far as the models and one of the textures. Sorting out the plist files is taking a little longer .

Good luck with your design.

PS: Looked at your website, love the jewellery and the converted leather jacket is just superb.

Gunney_Plym wrote:

my Wiki bit. I've got as far as the models and one of the textures. Sorting out the plist files is taking a little longer .

The shape progression reminds me of the FE2/FFE evolution from the Imperial Courier, the Imperial Trader (the Vixen, but I'm sure the Imps would also have a military ship out of the same platform) and the (FEU only) Cougar

ClymAngus wrote:

Well, you can't really compete with the fighter hud, it's just too pretty & very atmospheric.

Don't be so sure, you're doing a damn good job!

Very nice HUD!
How about a different hud for each standard Oolite ship?

Some OXP ships do have customized HUDs, often including part of the ship's nose; changing the HUD eliminates these visual obstructions. If this can be called an increase on visibility (realistically or not) or a loss on the ships' individuality (the Falcon comes to mind) is up to each player's tastes.

In any case, I think it'd be more realistic to have new HUDs purchasable on the shipyards as expensive extras than just throw them into the addons folder.

Commander McLane wrote:

Note, however, that usually you won't have to aim dead centre, because weapon and camera are not in the same line.

Interesting so an image set at 0x,0y may not necessarily be where your blasting? To clarify, the red dot (four pixels) has a black surround to stop said red dot from disappearing when it's pointed at something bright.

Commander McLane wrote:

6) combined pitch,roll and compass information. Really like that one!

Well I find the pitch and roll some what redundant but considering they can be squished down into spots (as illustrated in some of the earlier huds). Why not overlay all 3? It's an interesting effect at the very least.

Commander McLane wrote:

I know of the temptations of symmetry, but to me the fuel indicator seems a little too dominating. Perhaps it could become narrower, and the energy bars could grow? Anyway, just a suggestion.

Symmetry when out the window when I realized I'd slapped all that on one side and only the alt and compass on the other

It's probably the solid fuel block vs multi block battery that's making the one look smaller than the other. It looks better say, on a cobra mk3 where there are less blocks. I can see your point though.

Commander McLane wrote:

The overall impression is really good! I think I'll try it out.

Yeah cool I'd like to hear your thoughts on the sight. Go on, blow something up.

I like the idea of buy a hud. Cockpit upgrade maybe?

pagroove wrote:

How about a different hud for each standard Oolite ship?

Good idea if it can be linked to the ship OXP so that it comes with the ship when you buy it.

minor improvements (new picture) the clock has been moved and more see through plastic inserted (everyone loves a bit of see through plastic)

Having some difficulty centering the missile display. Might take a look at some other huds, see if anyone else has cracked it.

ClymAngus wrote:

Interesting so an image set at 0x,0y may not necessarily be where your blasting? To clarify, the red dot (four pixels) has a black surround to stop said red dot from disappearing when it's pointed at something bright.

Exactly what he was trying to tell. Consider you would have a gun...and place the sights for it somewhat away - in this example, a few centimetres are enough, in oolite it's meters. You look and aim through the sights...but there's this offset between sights and gun barrel that would always lead you to shooting a little bit off. You could fix the sights for a certain range to match, but then you need to consider that they won't show properly targets which do have a different distance.

I was pretty astonished about that effect myself, as it can be very strong on some ship models. Switching from a Dredger Trader to the Merlin instantly improved my aim dramatically.

I guess this also comes into account with that targetting enhancement that claims "you would hit now" while that's not true.

ClymAngus wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

6) combined pitch,roll and compass information. Really like that one!

Well I find the pitch and roll some what redundant but considering they can be squished down into spots (as illustrated in some of the earlier huds). Why not overlay all 3? It's an interesting effect at the very least.

Strange. I once saw a hud which merged the spots, but got annoyed that they wouldn't move as one spot, but two within that thing. Couldn't imagine to like that info to be brought into the space compass - I practically never look for those indicators while I use the compass heavily for it's purpose and both are very different.

Concerning the scanner size, I noticed that it's much easier with a big scanner than with a downscaled one...which would rise the question which size the scanner is in this package.

As someone suggested that some ships come with pre-defined ship-specific huds: I noticed that many of those do have the wrong offset for the image, which creates a really strange look. For the Merlin it was enough to switch to the image supplied for the Kestrel HUD. Still, the scanner is too small in that version, but the ship's abilities outweigh that by far. I sold it, because it was making the game too easy.

Screet