Adding Recon Cameras

[Tannethal]

Hi there,

 

since Sep 2008 patch was out, i've looked hard into the possibilities of a better representation of recon capabilities on aircraft.

First and foremost:

 

A camera can now be angled sideways and up or down!

 

Some of you might have noticed that the camera yaw and pitch values for recon pods in weapondata.ini now actually work.

 

However there are still some limitations:

 

1. Recon pod values or onboard SystemType=EO_CAMERA are not threaded the same way. The values for onboard cameras are slightly different, see my example.

 

Weapondata.ini values for angling recon pod camera:

CameraYaw=0.000000

CameraPitch=-70.000000

CameraRoll=0.000000

 

onboard systemType=EO_CAMERA or LASER_DESIGNATOR values in youraircraft_data.ini:

CameraAngles=0.0,-70.0,0.0

 

2. No more than one Eo_camera can be used on an aircraft. This means either the onboard camera or a recon pod work but not both. It seems that pods are generally prefered over onboard systems.

 

3. You can circumvent this limitation by using a SystemType=LASER_DESIGNATOR in addition to the EO_CAMERA

This gives you at least two cameras. Have a look at the example below:

I've also attached the used seekerframe.tga file for testing

 

//Changes to RF-4C_DATA.INI

 

[Nose]

SystemName[009]=LASERDESIGNATOR

SystemName[010]=KA56A

//new Systems

 

 

 

// Weapon Stations ---------------------------------------------------------

 

[LeftInnerWingStation]

StationGroupID=3

 

 

[RightInnerWingStation]

StationGroupID=3

 

//Must be changed: pairs the wing ECM hardpoints but frees a group to be able to select new KA56A "camera weapon"

 

[KA56A]

ReferenceName=Station for KA56A stabilized camera

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=9

StationGroupID=2

StationType=INTERNAL

LoadLimit=10

NumWeapons=1

AllowedWeaponClass=LGB

AttachmentType=USAF

SpecificStationCode=KA-56A

DiameterLimit=1.21

LengthLimit=0.01

BombBayAnimationID=

BombBayOpenTime=0

BombBayCloseTime=0

MinExtentPosition=0,0,0

MaxExtentPosition=0,0,0

AttachmentPosition=0.0,11.9,0.0

AttachmentAngles=0.0,-30.0,0.0

EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,0.0

AttachmentPosition001=0.0,0.0,0.0

 

 

 

// Recon Cam -------------------

 

[ReconCam]

ReferenceName=

SystemType=EO_CAMERA

CameraFOV=36.000 //increase value for broader view

CameraPosition=0.000000,10.062,-0.956

 

CameraYaw=15.000000 //delete

CameraPitch=15.000000 //delete

CameraRoll=15.000000 //delete

 

CameraAngles=0.0,-70.0,0.0 // Yaw , pitch , roll? here looking forward angled 70° downwards

SightTexture=Seekerframe.tga // can be any tga file in flight folder

EODisplayFlags=268435456

 

[LASERDESIGNATOR]

SystemType=LASER_DESIGNATOR

CameraFOV=8.00000

CameraPosition=0.000,11.900,-0.960

CameraAngles=0.0,-30.0,0.0

SightTexture=avq23sight1.tga

EODisplayFlags=268697600

SeekerRange=15.000000

SeekerGimbleLimit=30.000000

 

//new "camera"

//without groundtarget selected points forward 30° downwards

//locks on selected groundtarget when target is inside 60°cone

//(two times SeekerGimbleLimit=30.000000)

//reduced SeekerGimbleLimit=0.000000 gives a fixed view regrardless of selected groundtarget

 

 

Optional Changes to RF-4C_AVIONICS.INI:

 

[TVDisplayData]

UseRadarTexture=FALSE

 

//removes green filter effect

 

 

 

And to make the new station useable:

Add to Weapondata.ini and renumber the added entry.

Then open weapondata.ini with latest WoI weapon editor and save.

 

[WeaponData9876]

TypeName=KA-56A

FullName=KA-56A camera stabilized

ModelName=

Mass=9.000000

Diameter=1.200000

Length=0.009000

SubsonicDragCoeff=0.120000

SupersonicDragCoeff=0.100000

AttachmentType=USAF

SpecificStationCode=KA-56A

NationName=USAF

StartYear=1969

EndYear=1999

Availability=0

BaseQuantity=8

Exported=FALSE

ExportStartYear=0

ExportEndYear=0

ExportAvailability=0

WeaponDataType=0

RailLaunched=FALSE

Retarded=FALSE

FinStabilized=TRUE

SpinStabilized=FALSE

EffectClassName=

DragAreaMultiplier=1.000000

WarheadType=0

Explosives=0.000000

FusingDistance=0.000000

ClusterBomblets=0

ClusterDispersion=0.000000

GuidanceType=4

Accuracy=100

MaxTurnRate=0.000100

MaxLaunchG=0.000100

LockonChance=100

LaunchReliability=90

ArmingTime=4.000000

SeekerFOV=30.000000

SeekerGimbleLimit=60.000000

SeekerTrackRate=20.000000

SeekerRange=15000.000000

ReleaseAnimationID=-1

EODisplayFlags=0

CEP=0.000000

Seekerframe.zip

Edited October 19, 2008 by Tannethal

[+ErikGen]

Thank you very much Tann ... i tried many times in order to get this feature working . Now The recce Voodoo can have the viewfinder working and bombers a bomb sight.

Edited October 19, 2008 by erikgen

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

How can I control or via ini work edit the zoom?

[Tannethal]

Blackbird:

 

CameraFOV=36.000 //increase value for broader view

It's the only value that influences zoom via ini work.

 

1.0 gives very narrow zoomed in view and the higher the number the broader the view.

Third pic with the frame was at 30 or 36.

 

S!

[Jeremiah Weed]

Tannethal,

 

This is great, thank you. I think you forgot to add this, (I had to make this change as well in my install anyways)

 

To get rid of the green filter

 

Optional Changes to RF-4C_AVIONICS.INI:

 

[TVDisplayData]

UseRadarTexture=FALSE

 

//You also have to change this entry

 

ApplyFilter=FALSE

 

It took me a couple minutes to figure that out.

[+Dave]

Guys, please keep the questions to the main forum. I am moving this to there until we get a final on this, then we can post it to the KB.

[EricJ]

If you can add a "Black/White" filter, can make targeting pod use more "realistic"

[FastCargo]

Stupid question...does this now allow the use of a camera 'post last LGB drop' In the old days, after the last EOGB/EOGR/LGB/LGR was launched, you lost the camera...is that now solved?

 

FastCargo

[Tannethal]

[WeaponData9876]

TypeName=KA-56A

.

.

.

MaxLaunchG=0.000100

 

 

Basicly this is a LGB that can't be dropped unless you achieve near zero gravity load.

As long as this one isn't dropped you have the image. It's a old idea i ran with, wasn't mine but posted long time ago somewhere in the modding forum.

 

You get the Eo Camera view by switch through radar modes.

And with the Camera LGB Weapon via A/G weapon selecton the Laserdesignator sight pic.

 

 

S!

[gbnavy61]

[WeaponData9876]

TypeName=KA-56A

.

.

.

MaxLaunchG=0.000100

 

 

Basicly this is a LGB that can't be dropped unless you achieve near zero gravity load.

As long as this one isn't dropped you have the image. It's a old idea i ran with, wasn't mine but posted long time ago somewhere in the modding forum.

 

You get the Eo Camera view by switch through radar modes.

And with the Camera LGB Weapon via A/G weapon selecton the Laserdesignator sight pic.

 

 

S!

 

In that case, can it be made to be a ridiculously high negative G - virtually assuring that no one will ever reach it? It's easy enough to reach zero G - one might pickle the camera by mistake. Just an idea.

Edited October 20, 2008 by gbnavy61

[FastCargo]

Also, I'm still not clear on something. Is the EO_CAMERA (installed on a aircraft and NOT using a pod) a 'fixed' camera? In other words, does it 'gimbal' at all? Because the aircraft entry doesn't show any 'gimbal' limits.

 

And, even if the negative G entry works...would you still lose the external pod camera if you hit 'Jettison all'?

 

FastCargo

[Tannethal]

The EO_camera in the data.ini is a fixed camera.

 

 

The KA-56A weapon is a LGB not a recon pod.

 

As stated before only one EO_camera system on a player plane, be it interal or a kind of recon pod sitting on a hardpoint. The Pod gets prefered over the internal camera.

 

Therefor the "hack" with the Laserdesignator and that fake Camera LGB to get at least two different views. But since the Camera LGB is a weapon, it could be jettisoned and then you will lose the LGB sight image.

 

S!

[+Crusader]

Stupid question...does this now allow the use of a camera 'post last LGB drop' In the old days, after the last EOGB/EOGR/LGB/LGR was launched, you lost the camera...is that now solved?

 

FastCargo

 

Yes... if you have a laser designator pod the video will stay on after you dropped your last LGB, it will go off ( and remain off ) when you select a different mode or store.

 

EOGB and EOGR video will be off when last weapon is released, which is OK for weapons like non data link Walleyes, HOBOS, GBU-15 and Mavericks.

Data link for later Walleye's, Popeye etc which give video feedback is not supported.

[Tannethal]

EricJ:

Unfortunately black and white imaging is ruled out by the way the filter works. That's what TK told me once in the past, as the filter texture operation in the avionics.ini can not change a image into greyscale.

If one of the effect gurus knows of a way please let us know too.

 

However it is possible to change the color of the filter by pointing to a different "filter.bmp" in the cokcpit folder. An example was included in that Radar modification for the F4E.

 

 

S!

[EricJ]

That's what I meant.

[+Spectre_USA]

Hey, could this thingmie be pointed out the left side of a Spectre as a cockpit mounted site?

 

Maybe a TGA or summat for crosshairs?

 

I get awfully disoriented lining up a shot whilst looking out the left window...

[Tannethal]

Have a look at Yet another Spectre Gunship.

Been there done that.

 

It's just that the angles of guns and sight have to be fiddled a bit to get it really on the spot.

 

S!

[+Spectre_USA]

Er, OK.

 

Is that a thread title I should be searching for?

 

I can fiddle while Rome burns, no problems!

[+ST0RM]

Too bad the 105 & 40mms cant be trainable. On the real aircraft, they do have some movement to help with accuracy. The 20mms were fixed, while the 25mm on the U-boat is also flexible a bit.

 

Storm

[+ErikGen]

Thanks again for the tips ... this is the new viewfinder of RF-101C made with internal laserpod ... the only annoying thing is the autotargetting that modifies the view angle ... putting the SeekerGimbleLimit=0.000000 the camera points forward ... the camera points down only if no target is locked.

 

[Tannethal]

If you want to add only one viewport use the section of Reconcam,

the Laserdesignator was added to have another viewport.

 

If limiting seekergimblelimit=0.0 in the aircraft_data.ini doesn't prevent the camera LGB from locking onto target try if limiting the camera weapon helps.

 

Sorry can't test myself, so just a suggestion.

 

S!

[+ErikGen]

If you want to add only one viewport use the section of Reconcam,

the Laserdesignator was added to have another viewport.

 

If limiting seekergimblelimit=0.0 in the aircraft_data.ini doesn't prevent the camera LGB from locking onto target try if limiting the camera weapon helps.

 

Sorry can't test myself, so just a suggestion.

 

S!

 

Thanks Tann. What's the difference using EO_Camera instead of laserpod? Like the laserpod it needs a electro-optical weapon loaded in order to switch on the screen. For the autotargeting i think it's linked to the "max visible distance" entry of target , i dont know how to prevent it.

[Tannethal]

If you define a system=eo_camera like in the Reconcam section from the example, it doesn't need a weapon to be useable. This can be used by cycling through the radar modes till you get the view displayed. Drawback is once the EO_camera is selected via the radar mode selection, the radar screen goes blank.

 

As for the camera LGB locking onto a target will see if i can further investigate that on the weekend.

 

S!

[rhugouvi]

Just my 2 cents about preventing the seeker to track the target...

If you modify the "SeekerRange" in the INI to SeekerRanger=0, does it change anything?

Hope it might help.

 

Just my 2 cents about preventing the seeker to track the target...

If you modify the "SeekerRange" in the INI to SeekerRanger=0, does it change anything?

Hope it might help.

 

Just my 2 cents about preventing the seeker to track the target...

If you modify the "SeekerRange" in the INI to SeekerRanger=0, does it change anything?

Hope it might help.

 

Just my 2 cents about preventing the seeker to track the target...

If you modify the "SeekerRange" in the INI to SeekerRanger=0, does it change anything?

Hope it might help.

[+ErikGen]

If you define a system=eo_camera like in the Reconcam section from the example, it doesn't need a weapon to be useable. This can be used by cycling through the radar modes till you get the view displayed. Drawback is once the EO_camera is selected via the radar mode selection, the radar screen goes blank.

 

As for the camera LGB locking onto a target will see if i can further investigate that on the weekend.

 

S!

 

Thank you Tann ... it works ... i have added a dummy radar to the Voodoo and now the EO_Camera shows a fixed image (no lock on target).