15 replies to this topic

[NewGuy_]

Many ROF fans would like to see an Aldis sight. So how can we properly implement an Aldis sight? Do any of you know of other sims or games that effectively dealt with similar sight systems? It does not have to be a flight sim either. I am just curious about harvesting such info, so that it may be made available for modelers willing to tackle the Aldis sight system.

p.s. It would be nice to get information to help someone model pilots in the cockpit, a Lewis gun annimation for reload, clickable cockpits, more detailed cockpit engine management (like hand pumps to manually build up pressure, etc) but that is for another day! lol

[Viper69]

This sim is ever evolving. Dont be suprised down the road if they release the code there will be tons of 3rd party mods for this wonderful sim. For now we need to wait for our next lovely addon

[FlyingShark]

Like I already said in some other topics about this matter, we have the aldis sight in First Eagles and Over Flanders Fields. I don't get why the makers of Rise of Flight who gave us this great sim suddenly don't know how to develop a simple cilinder with a crosshairs inside it.

~S~

[NewGuy_]

Like I already said in some other topics about this matter, we have the aldis sight in First Eagles and Over Flanders Fields. I don't get why the makers of Rise of Flight who gave us this great sim suddenly don't know how to develop a simple cilinder with a crosshairs inside it.

~S~

I think the problem has been in simulating the fact that it is an unmagnified collimated sight, like a modern reflex sight, and apparently there are implementation issues regarding this matter. I wonder if there are any sims where collimated sights were properly implemented? Well, how about the Spitfire gunsights in IL2 up 2.01 and such? They seem to have the collimated lens issue worked out or am I wrong?

[NewGuy_]

We would need the ALDIS version of this collimated effect:

[Jason_Williams]

The team is very much aware of the desire for an Aldis sight, but yes, there are some technical coding issues that prevent us form doing it at the moment. Hopefully we will be able to have in the future.

Jason

[J.j.]

And a manual reload for the Lewis gun? Without an animation? Just the reload thing, to differ with a synchronized gun which is alimented by bands?

[Viper69]

Yes that is on their list, I am sure, where it is however is up to them, its not a game breaking issue now so who knows.

[HotTom]

J.j.:

You remind me of my dogs if I walk anywhere within 10 meters of the pantry where their treats are stored.

Or my grandkids at the supermarket.



Those "other" sims model the Aldis incorrectly. It really is much more akin to a modern holographic rifle sight as Newguy's video demonstrates (or the WWII fighter sights as mentioned): No matter what your sight angle to the scope, if you can put the pipper on the target, the gun is lined up properly.

If it was as simple as putting crosshairs in a tube, the Germans wouldn't have grabbed them up from every Allied plane that was shot down. They would have made their own.

If RoF is going to do it, let's do it correctly.

S!

HT

[Gimpy117]

I could try to whip it up in autocad 2009 maybe i can export to 3DS

[Masaq]

Guys, as Jason said the issue isn't the 3d model, it's how the engine handles the actual sight picture itself; effectively like a modern reflex insight. As a developer of a FPS, I can tell you that recreating the visual effect of a sight like the M68 Aimpoint on a 2d screen is rather problematic.

Jason, a guy on our team has created a very good reflex sight shader for the C4 engine. If his experiences of doing that would be useful to the rof team, let me know and I'll drop him a line for you.

M.

[Sensenmann]

The problem isn't in creating a 3D model for it, but in modeling the way the thing works. It does not require the line-of-sight as a ring and bead iron sight does, but you get a line-of-sight view no matter what angle you view it from. That requires some tricky coding there.

It would be possible to do a realistic modeling of the refraction process of the lenses, but you couldn't do that in real time (modeling light ray paths is very heavy on processing power), so it requires some sort of ingenious trickery. Perhaps placing a "camera" at the far end of the Aldis, and using an "animated texture" showing the view of the "camera" on the pilot's side would simulate it properly? Not sure if that is quite right though

[JoeCrow]

The problem isn't in creating a 3D model for it, but in modeling the way the thing works. It does not require the line-of-sight as a ring and bead iron sight does, but you get a line-of-sight view no matter what angle you view it from. That requires some tricky coding there.

It would be possible to do a realistic modeling of the refraction process of the lenses, but you couldn't do that in real time (modeling light ray paths is very heavy on processing power), so it requires some sort of ingenious trickery. Perhaps placing a "camera" at the far end of the Aldis, and using an "animated texture" showing the view of the "camera" on the pilot's side would simulate it properly? Not sure if that is quite right though

I think it involves producing a seperate 'picture-in-picture' effect to get a realistic eyepiece view. The eyepiece lens enabled you to see the target even when your eye was off-centre to the tube (which means bending light-paths). The more I think about it the more problematic it seems to be.

[Masaq]

It's especially hard if the engine you're using isn't geared up for that kind of optical trickery. The refractor engine isn't, which is why Project Reality for BF2 has never been able to implement realistic reflex sights in weapons - we have to use a simple 3d model with a flat red sight ring that is always centred, rather than a proper 'floating' reflex image.

Bohemia interactive have got a decent representation in ArmA2, and as I said above - it's possible in C4 simply with some good shade scripting. Whether or not it's possible to do it that way in DN, I don't know. I'm happy to offer the rof team a chance to discuss it with a guy who's modelled the visual effect of a reflex sight in another engine, tho…

[ZaltysZ]

Also, one must be cautious with trickery. Results of some tricks looking ok, may become unacceptable when stereoscopic view is introduced. Sight reticule not only has to show where bullets will go, but it also needs to be "projected" at infinity, or you will get 2 reticules in stereoscopic view.

[=MFC=Gunloon]

J.j.:

You remind me of my dogs if I walk anywhere within 10 meters of the pantry where their treats are stored.

HT

squirrel!