XWA Upgrade

Hello,
Here is a new hook.

This hook permits to select the reticle image index for any craft.

xwa_hook_reticle.zip

Suppose that the craft is "FlightModels\[Model].opt".

To select the reticle image index, create a file named "FlightModels\[Model]Reticle.txt" or create a section named "[Reticle]" in "FlightModels\[Model].ini".
If the file does not exist, default values are used.

The format is:
Reticle_XX = image index

XX is in { 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 }.

The reticle images are in "HUD.dat", group ID 12000.
The images are referenced by their position in the group, starting at 1.

I'm not sure what this Hook will do, can you explain and/or perhaps show an example?

Thanks!

Simply put you can now have special crosshairs for different ships.
That is an example but not a final product.
You just need to create and add new images to the HUD and then you can assign them to different flyable ships.

That is fantastic and does well more than most would realize to capture a sense of difference in feel in flying different craft. Stylized reticles with art styles reminiscent of their parent craft are going to be fantastic.

Additionally it makes me wonder if we are closer to a gun snake style HUD element. Something that displays a constantly calculated bolt trail and puts some indicator on the trail where the current target's sensor range is. That would be fantastic, even if not really done in SW.

Just a note for potential reticle authors: In order for the new custom reticles to be properly supported in VR, you'll have to start numbering them starting in group 12000, image 5001. I've already added support for this:

Neat! I wouldn't mine making one of them completely transparent through, making it more challenging and realistic. Only thing, can the reticle parts that light up when you're taking enemy fire be moved somewhere on the dashboard through DC project, like the laser bars and so forth ?

I'd like to request a setting to scale the reticle independently of the rest of the HUD, if that's possible. I've upped my HUD scale from 1.49 to 1.75 now that we have better font handling, and I like the resulting font sizes, but I'm finding that I dislike the enlarged reticle.

ual002 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:04 pm

Additionally it makes me wonder if we are closer to a gun snake style HUD element. Something that displays a constantly calculated bolt trail and puts some indicator on the trail where the current target's sensor range is. That would be fantastic, even if not really done in SW.

I understood almost none of that. Could you explain the jargon?

Ok, so I confused a couple technologies. Gun Snake or Gun tunnel/funnel is used when you DON'T have lock on ability and its a guide for visually aiming and firing weapons based on the calculated trajectory of the bullet, a known wingspan and several other factors. Its rough, passive and not the most accurate.


With a sensor/radar lock, a simpler gun sight is calculated and predicted in front of the aircraft based on some quick math and its current speed and course. Its basically a predictive aim point.


This is a little off topic by my own self-admission. And ultimately probably not appropriate for a SW game.

On the second type, XWA already calculates lead because it turns the retile green (and bleeps) when enough lead is given.
So, all you need is to show that lead.

Trev

Jeremy, this might end being handled somewhere completely unrelated to the visuals for the reticle, but do you know if it would be possible for different reticles to have different sound effects associated with them?

What I'm thinking is that if it's now possible to get an Imperial style reticle for the TIE Fighters, it would be cool to get the TIE style targeting computer sound when you have your target bracketed and then change the Rebel fighters to use the X-Wing style sounds.

Not a big deal at all, and might not even work given that the stock XWA reticle design is based around the sound being very brief (you could end up with a lot of overlapping sound if the target bounces in and out too quickly and the sound is too long).

Just curious if this could be done.

Hello,

I am a new comer, sorry in advance for my question.

I edited "xwing.ini" file in "FlightModels" directory.
I added Reticle section [Reticle] in it and wrote:
Reticle_21 = 21

But nothing has changed, my x-wing has still the vanilla crosshair/reticle...

Could you help me to set another reticle than the standard one ?
Is there a way to view what the reticles look like in order to make a choice before installing them ?

Suggestion: add a new reticle (as option) in each downloadable craft. This way the mod will be ready for use with best in class ships. X-Wing aand Tie Fighter could perhaps include a crosshair close to the one seen in the movies, no ?

Thx for the help.

Bob_Sinclar wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:07 am

Hello,

I am a new comer, sorry in advance for my question.

I edited "xwing.ini" file in "FlightModels" directory.
I added Reticle section [Reticle] in it and wrote:
Reticle_21 = 21

But nothing has changed, my x-wing has still the vanilla crosshair/reticle...

Could you help me to set another reticle than the standard one ?
Is there a way to view what the reticles look like in order to make a choice before installing them ?

Suggestion: add a new reticle (as option) in each downloadable craft. This way the mod will be ready for use with best in class ships. X-Wing aand Tie Fighter could perhaps include a crosshair close to the one seen in the movies, no ?

Thx for the help.

You can't change the INI file unless you have already created a new Reticle to use.
New reticles have yet to be released.
Please see this forum post: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=12613