another idea - radar range on geoscape

[kkmic]

Slightly changed ocean/land level altering, to make it more subtle still noticable.

moriarty, in order to add this officialy, it need to get caching, and hover function when creating new base.

Can't wait to see it in an official build.

[Volutar]

I would recommend posting a separate thread with all your findings on the original UFO detection algorithm so it can be fixed.

What for? I already posted all info on UFO detection. Game units could be converted to geodesic units (and btw radar range circle work in geodesic units, i.e. radians). No need to start separate topic in sake of info already posted. IMHO.

[Volutar]

Does anybody know how practical to show borders between countries? I don't remember myself using those borders... IMHO they are too obstructive while useless.

[moriarty]

I wouldn't know how to "use" the borders either, but I kind of expect them to be there... just to show me where the countries are. I always thought of it as a geography lesson

seriously, I don't need them, but I like them. they also sometimes aid your orientation while zoomed-in.

[SupSuper]

Yeah they're just a nice little extra so you can tell the funding countries apart from the rest of the world.

What for? I already posted all info on UFO detection. Game units could be converted to geodesic units (and btw radar range circle work in geodesic units, i.e. radians). No need to start separate topic in sake of info already posted. IMHO.

I just like things tidy. Fine.

[Volutar]

So plan is:
1. make FC (Fast Clipping) for my FP line;
2. add cache coord lists (lat/lon) for each base, and draw cached coords (smooth circles);
3. add immediate radar drawing for xcom crafts (less vertices in circles);
4. add multiple radar drawing when placing new base in "hover" mode (probably opaque and colored radars). The thing is - in mods there could be 10 types of radars and that will become a pain for this "feature".

[Yankes]

Volutar how many radars can you draw using your method?

[Volutar]

Yankes, I don't think there's a limit except for getting image too messy. The game can handle maximum 8 bases, each base can handle ..say 8 crafts... so 64 craft radars + 8 base radars.
Why are you asking?

[Amunak]

Yankes, I don't think there's a limit except for getting image too messy. The game can handle maximum 8 bases, each base can handle ..say 8 crafts... so 64 craft radars + 8 base radars.
Why are you asking?

I think he asks for performance (and I'm curious too). What if you drew like 100 those radars? Will FPS drop dramatically?

Also is it possible to "add" those circles together so it makes one plane (if they are overlapping)? I think that someone actually already made this with the "shadowed" version of radar borders.

[Volutar]

Amunak, what for 100 radars? Are you going to play with this mess on the screen? Or it's just a benchmarking curiosity?
200 radars (2 bases with 100 radars on each). Without line clipping and any optimizations.

Main flaw of "shadowed" version is that it obstructs earth lighting heavily and really can confuse. Same for multiple "circle" radars. I don't think it's a good option.

[Yankes]

Amunak, what for 100 radars? Are you going to play with this mess on the screen? Or it's just a benchmarking curiosity?
200 radars (2 bases with 100 radars on each). Without line clipping and any optimizations.

Main flaw of "shadowed" version is that it obstructs earth lighting heavily and really can confuse. Same for multiple "circle" radars. I don't think it's a good option.

I think couple steps ahead If we have tech to draw circles on globe, what another thing we can use it for? Right now I thinking about my radar "tech" and it is any thing that my radars can do and yours cant (limit how many things you can draw is one of this)
If I will not find any niche for my solution I will stop working on it because we dont need two implementation of exactly same thing

[Amunak]

Amunak, what for 100 radars? Are you going to play with this mess on the screen? Or it's just a benchmarking curiosity?
200 radars (2 bases with 100 radars on each). Without line clipping and any optimizations.

It's half of a benchmarking curiosity, but some day there can be mod (or something) that draws on globe a lot (and something that makes sense) so just to see if it'S possible.

Main flaw of "shadowed" version is that it obstructs earth lighting heavily and really can confuse. Same for multiple "circle" radars. I don't think it's a good option.

I didn't meant this; I meant "union" of the circles (see the attachment).

By the way, what's the blue number in the top left corner?

[moriarty]

yankes, I like your shading visualization. for now, though, I think the simple circle thing is cleaner. and I'm sure we will find a good use for your shading skills I'm thinking of on-the-globe visualization of all that info in "Graphs": Alien Activity, XCOM Activity,... those would be perfect as a shading overlay. Have you ever played SimCity2000 and used the direct visualization of pollution or happiness on the map? kind of like that.

[Volutar]

Amunak, 100 circles on the globe make no sense, not saying about 200. In any globe viewer.

I meant "union" of the circles (see the attachment).

This is not possible. I draw simple circles on the map. For "union" you'll have to ask Yankes, but I'm not sure if he can do 1px "outline", with any zoom level (which I believe is possible).
Blue number is just lighting value under cursor. Debug info.

[Startling]

If you were to go for shading visualisation, why not display actual radar scanning process? Like they do in the movies

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAAFZV9hTrYklZb8wr1qI0j_6yv5lBQZ8AueJl5_SwvMWW7qAF

With a little colour difference it should look pretty decent (button to display radar ranges might actually help as well, or be it in options)