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Author Topic: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.  (Read 814 times)

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genXgamer

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2024, 02:03:46 PM »

Looking at your screenshots the middle one appears to be similar to what I'm after, which is seated in default FOV.
So the mirror has been tilted 5 degrees down?
I guess it comes down to each individuals positioning, that is why it would be great to have the ability to adjust mirrors in-game.
Saying that, this is the only aircraft I've had issues with.
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WxTech

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2024, 03:52:25 PM »

Here I've substituted the F4U-1A mirror with that taken from the F4U-1. It offers three advantages:
- No dark bar across the lower edge, resulting from a 'reflection' of the baseMirror's lower edge.
- No odd distortion which causes a bending across the middle of the image when viewed from a nearer distance.
- The shape is more suited to the canopy.

This substitution has the same new tilt as applied for the F4U-1, but is aimed a bit lower. I could raise the tilt by 5 degrees, I suppose. Not that it's really necessary as the image below shows. Indeed, an advantage of the lower look angle is that planes sneaking up from below are more readily detected.

In this 3-view image, as before, the views are from farthest back, about middle, and farthest forward, with the line of sight pretty much in line with the gun sight reticle. The expanded 6dof limits greatly expand on the range of coverage for the mirror's image than is shown here.


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WxTech

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2024, 04:03:00 PM »

As an example of the potency of the Hi Rez mirror mod (here, a 1024px texture) in conjunction with expanded 6dof limits set in the cockpit class. Here I've pulled up close to the F4U-1's mirror; not much farther and I'd leave a nose smudge.  ;D Furthermore, my default wide 105 degree FoV is in effect. The field of view provided by the mirror is HUGE, and the large mirror texture provides a still reasonable level of detail. (Recall the old days when we ran 1024x768; here the mirror has essentially the same resolution when filling the screen width.)

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WxTech

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #15 on: February 26, 2024, 04:12:01 PM »

Once I make a few additional fixes, I'll release these two cockpit mods with the cockpit classes incorporating the expanded 6dof code, and the Body.msh in which reside the CAMERA view hooks by which one can tune the PoVs to taste. The hier.him files will include at least one extra mirror and baseMirror entry one can make active (and make the other(s) inactive via "//" characters.)

While it would be a big deal to make in-flight adjustable mirrors, we can at least provide one or more alternates in hier.him.

As long as one is set up to take full advantage of a head tracker's 6dof capability, the mirror issue is much less critical. One thing I keep seeing in YT vids by players of '46 is either an inability or an unwillingness to fully use the capacity of fore-aft axis of their trackers, thus needlessly losing out on a very useful aid to better seeing within and outside the cockpit.
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genXgamer

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #16 on: February 26, 2024, 04:17:17 PM »

Good choice in changing the mirror shape, do we have a mirror that is more rounded?

EDIT:  I'll answer my own question, Vampire.
I'm adding three mirrors as everything I've found points to F4U-1A, 1C and 1D having them as standard.





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WxTech

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #17 on: February 29, 2024, 05:36:14 PM »

I've been doing some more work, mostly on the Birdcage 'pit at first. This image highlights the main stuff.

The improved range of virtual head movement warranted the addition of new surfaces for the top side of the gun/gun sight switch box (left of the sight), as well as outside and underside surfaces for the reflector head of the gun sight. I hated the way the Sun could shine through the sliding canopy framing, and so I made up a new texture that does NOT have an alpha channel. (Other planes suffer this issue, the 109 being always a problem; assigning a texture without alpha channel is the cure.) Adding the collimating lens reflection (which varies in intensity with the angle of illumination) makes the sight picture just that little bit more 'dynamic'. The new glass texture offers less dimming, and I provide a new glass texture for the sight (formerly the same texture was used, which made for an even greater dimming/reduction in contrast.)


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genXgamer

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #18 on: February 29, 2024, 05:47:46 PM »

There were two gaps in the framing both left and right side.
Thanks for fixing, as it was an annoyance for me as well.
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WxTech

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #19 on: February 29, 2024, 05:58:15 PM »

I'm certain the later Corsairs are more popular. ;)  Here's the improvement in the view aft with the expanded 6dof limits. Mostly it's the ability to lean farther forward which affords the gain in the view angle.

Of course, it requires the player to have his tracker's Z axis (fore-aft) configured properly. Based on most YT vids I've watched where it's clear a head tracker is in use, the creator appears content to have his virtual head practically bonded to the head rest, thus suffering unnecessarily restricted views aft.

In my TrackIR setup, I have the translation axes (X, Y and Z) set so that the virtual movements are no less than 15 times greater than the reported distances I'm physically shifting in my office chair. That is, if I lean forward (on the Z axis) by a reported 1cm, in the game my PoV moves forward 15cm. Now, I don't have full confidence that the software is reporting a strictly correct value of my physical movement; it feels like it's under-reporting it. The main thing is that I achieve by trial a result that is a good compromise where I don't have to move about too much, but at the same time not have an overly sensitive in-game movement that makes it harder to quickly settle on a desired in-cockpit position.

If I come across as stridently persistent in my advocacy of good tracker setups, it's because I bemoan the lost opportunities in view and situational awareness improvement suffered by too many players.


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WxTech

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #20 on: February 29, 2024, 06:08:09 PM »

There were two gaps in the framing both left and right side.
Thanks for fixing, as it was an annoyance for me as well.

Shane, I was referring to the 'transparency' of the frame bars which did not block the Sun as a properly opaque bar does.

I think you're referring to the gaps where the aft ends of the horizontal bars meet the overhead armored plate on the rear of the sliding canopy on the F4U-1A and later. I haven't touched that yet, but was hoping to add it to the list.

There are SO MANY improvements to make! Here and for a gazillion other cockpits. I only wish modders were more keen on fixing the basics of existing (important) content that on making yet more new planes. We already have an embarrassment of riches on the aircraft front. Indeed, we tend to end up with just more and more stand-in cockpits and frankenpits for all these birds, which for me is no great advantage, particularly when our new plane was a prototype, or even confined to the drawing board.
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genXgamer

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Re: Thoughts on F4U Corsair's mirror positioning.
« Reply #21 on: February 29, 2024, 06:13:18 PM »

Sorry mate, I'm at work and sort of skimmed over your post.
I'll take a screenshot later in the afternoon, 2 o'clock Friday knockoff!

EDIT:

And here it is, not that you need the arrows.


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