Same as the HLP post, but I know there are some very tallented people here who don't visit HLP much, and I'd really like their ideas on this too.

Also apologies to the forum layout in advance if the auto resize doesn't work.

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Here's what I've been working away on for the past weeks: It's yet to be shine and glowmapped, but that'll come - it uses a 1024 res map.

In-game it currently looks like this:
And we need to get it to display most if not all of this:
So what I currently have in mind is something like this:
So for the artists round here, does anyone fancy having a go at drawing up a better interface layout using the templates above?

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On the development side of things:

A request was made a long time ago by SCP coders for modelers to build a cockpit model that could be used to properly create an internal cockpit view with. The idea of this one was initially to have it built into HTL models and displayed using "show ship" and an inverted detail box, but I realise that's not going to work very well in this case. The huge amount of work it would be to put it into each model and make sure everything is the right size and all would be insane.

So what I'm now thinking is that there be a "show internal cockpit model" setting in the in-game options. What this would do is render this POF with the POF eyepoint lined up with the players one unless the players ship had "show ship" turned on (in which case it wouldn't do anything). It would probably also need to force the FOV to a specific setting (I used default for my template) so that nothing gets misaligned.

Assuming that can be done, the only question remaining is of how to actually put the HUD down there like that. I kinda doubt scripting would be able to replicate all the HUDs current functions - especially things like radar, so it'd more likely have to be a different HUD layout correct? Or possibly an amalgamation of a new HUD and scripted stuff.

Anyone have any ideas or pointers here? I don't really have a clue where to start.

In any case, this separate HUD display would also need to be toggled by that "show internal cockpit model" option.

Doesn't WMC's Hud_Guages.tbl allow you to move all the parts of the HUD?

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Hud_gauges.tbl

It's a bit of a pain in the arse, but hud_gauges should allow you to move every hud bit into position.

EDIT; I see your pilot is right handed. Interesting.

Pilot dude in the FS1 intro was, I am - so I guess that never even occured to me.

Aha - Kara, that's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Thanks.

However - I had a quick read through that wiki page, and saw this:

List of known supported retail gauges: Player Shield, Target Shield, Shield Mini, Afterburner Energy, Weapons Energy, Escort List

Does that mean that it can only move those parts?
A search of the forums and the Wiki doesn't show much else of use.

Ahhh... this brings back memories of the good ol' X-Wing games.

Two other versions from HLP:

we'll need some special HUD images for the "ENEMY HULL INTEGRITY" box...

Vasudan Admiral wrote:List of known supported retail gauges: Player Shield, Target Shield, Shield Mini, Afterburner Energy, Weapons Energy, Escort List

From the looks of it, those ones only. BUt the others might not be difficult to add. I'd have to read the code in a lot more detail before I was sure though.

where will the subsytem damage indicator go without spilling over into the shield icon?

akenbosch wrote:where will the subsytem damage indicator go without spilling over into the shield icon?

No idea, but I doubt there are many subsystems as long as 'ENEMY HULL INTEGRETY' unless it has a subsystem called 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!' Or 'Super ultra mega beam of absolute ultimate megadeath'.

nononono, the list of damaged subsytems that drops down from the "hull integrity" box.

karajorma wrote:

Vasudan Admiral wrote:List of known supported retail gauges: Player Shield, Target Shield, Shield Mini, Afterburner Energy, Weapons Energy, Escort List

From the looks of it, those ones only. BUt the others might not be difficult to add. I'd have to read the code in a lot more detail before I was sure though.

That'd be great if you could.

While you're here also: before I go further with this, I really need a coders thoughts on the implementation.

What would you think would be the best way to handle players turning cockpit view on or off?
My current idea is to have it as an in-game or at least launcher option rather than having to add bits and pieces in the right places.

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To get such a feature working, it would need a couple of aspects to it:

1) If the flag "show ship" is present on the ship the player is in, then nothing should happen. (Ie, this assumes the modder has their own cockpit model they want to use)

2) It would need to lock the FOV the game used to the default. (Using something else would totally mess it up)

3) It would need to load up this cockpit POF and position it so that the models eyepoint is placed around the viewpoint, and rendered only when in normal view (ie, it would be hidden when in chase view)

4) It would need to switch the HUD over to this alternate layout (once a form has been decided on). I'm not really sure how this would be handled - and it's the main part I need a coders input for.

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There are a couple of longer term and slightly more complex features that should probably be implemented eventually too:

5) This might be possible to do via scripting already, but it'd need to display the appropriate canopy struts for the ship the player is in. They'd then be set up as separate appropriately named submodels in the cockpit POF that could be hidden or revealed by the script/code.

Ie, you'd call the Herc's strut submodel "fighter06" or "GTF Hercules" depending on which is better/easier to access.

6) Some way for the modder to define the cockpit POF used so it could basically be changed on a per-fighter basis for anyone macho enough to make multiple cockpit models. This would really be needed for things like the SWC or BTRL which have craft that have very distinct cockpits rather than FS' style of one standard fits all.

I'm SO the wrong coder to ask how to implement this. I avoid the model code like the plague.

One thing I'd add is that there needs to be a way to switch cockpits on and off since not every player likes them.

That was first on my list:

Vasudan Admiral wrote:What would you think would be the best way to handle players turning cockpit view on or off?
My current idea is to have it as an in-game or at least launcher option rather than having to add bits and pieces in the right places.

Make it like the external camera and view commands and stuff. Maybe you could have a second eyepoint inside the cockpit, and when you activate this command it switches to this eyepoint and turns on "show ship".