Remember when Virtual Reality was going to be the next big thing? Seems odd having to re-create something virtual in a game that is virtual, the modern Apache has evolved a bit since the late 1990s. Being able to display in the pilots 3D monocle (yes that's a joke) a lot of data to the crew about targets hidden behind objects, terrain contours. These 'virtual' items are matched 1:1 with the crews head movement unlike a lot of the symbology that is static.
The first one we're going to look at is the "head-tracker". This is a broken diamond that represent the nose of your aircraft. As you look left you should see the diamond maintain a relative position to the nose of the helicopter. For give my "Novalogic" terrain map.
I had a bugger of a time getting the function to match up to the outside world until I worked out I was missing the aspect ratio of the window (the HUD has a scale factor too in case it's too big or small for your resolution). We're ready to add the waypoint indicators and LOAL/LOBL missile constraint boxes. The flight path indicator is another one, that represents the position of the aircraft in (I think) one second? Have to check my notes on that.
You might see some alerts on the UFD that shouldn't be there, as always it's not final and I know about them.
The cockpit seems slightly offset from the absolute outside world position, now the crew does seem to sit off axis but I'm checking this out. The camera positions are absolute and bang on the X axis zero line of the aircraft and not directly centred on the crew seats. It looks a bit odd otherwise. Looking into that anyway.
*update*
I've corrected the head tracker so it now sits 4.5 degrees below the nose (4.5 is the angle our Apache sits on its current undercart). On flat and level ground, if you line up your head so your LOS reticule (the cross) is in the middle of the head tracker (the broken diamond) you should be looking level with the horizon and along the nose of the aircraft. And you can see this in the above screenshot. Compare that to yesterdays screenshots (above) where the head tracker is at zero degrees elevation and above the horizon.
Hi. More than Novalogic I would say LHX (I've been addicted to this for a long time:-)). So that broken diamond is there only for giving You some reference where the nose of the aircraft is going or where the nose is pointing? :-o
ReplyDeleteI wrote it worng. I meant...........if it its something like Flight Path Indicator or just showing where the nose is pointing. Yes. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe flight path indicator is different. The "head tracker" just indicates where the nose is. However I just learned that it's not exactly aligned with the nose.
ReplyDeleteWith the aircraft sat on level ground it would be 5 degrees below the nose, sitting on the horizon or runway.
It might sound like a lot of fuss over very little especially when we're not going to model every nook and cranny otherwise we'd be at this for years. But I feel it's important to get the HUD and primary instruments correct.
OK. Thank You. I can only agree with Your approach to the realism in HUD symbology. I like, when there is everything like in real thing. Thank You for answer. I didnt know, there is this kind of symbol. Im sure it isnt there for nothing. :-) Do You also plan to give the TD box over target that "shaking" feel? I mean...when it tracks the target it doesnt stay exactly on one place but its moving on the target. I know its something very insignificant...but just asking.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean with regard to the designator. I was wondering if it was possible to do some kind of contrast level extrapolation to compute a bounding box. I looked at shaders and if it was possible to feed back but that was a dead end. Reading values and textures from a video card is a slow process compared to writing them.
ReplyDeleteCertainly it's something I wanted to try but not spend too much time on it if it doesn't quite work out. Failing that, put in a bit of cubic spline wobble to fake it, just for effect.
You really think of everything. :-) I really dont know if it tracks the heat or laser dot, but if its a complicated think to do, its a waste of time. :-) One last question. About that head tracker.....if I rise the nose up, does it rise as well or its purpose is really to stay on that horizon position for some attitude reference?
ReplyDeleteWell I was just reminded that I was thinking about an earlier problem with Mavericks I was trying to solve using shaders for something unrelated. So ignore what I said about that.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, and I expect some of this material to end up in the manual, the head tracker is virtually glued to the nose.
ReplyDeleteImagine you can't see the cockpit or outside at all, like you have your head in a sack but still wearing your HMD. That head tracker will always be a non-moving reference for the nose of your helicopter. Put the LOS cross in the middle of it and you're facing front.
When we add the PNVS image to the HMD you'll be able to fly 'blind', in theory. Not that you'd want to as I imagine it's a pain in the arse to put it bluntly.
Got it. Useful little thing that head tracker. :-) I dont think flying only by Your PNVS sight is annoying. It improves the realism and thats good. I think its gonna be something similar to PNVS in Blackshark. Also very entertaining flights. :-) Dont know if there is possible scenario of the cockpits lighting going bye bye and the only lit up gadget is Your HMD. One will be very busy while landing with this. :-)
ReplyDelete