Included in Build Larger Size for "Cheap Compass"

[Black Bart]

The simple compass is too small! I remember in a previous version (Beta 1 most likely) i had to add red to the north 'N' direction to help it stand out a bit more, but the current scale (to fit inside the basic green 'arc of fire' circle on the hud) is so small even picking out the red 'N' is near impossible! The normal Compass is no problem at all, for a comparison of the problem.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

What screen resolution do you use? That might affect it.
Anyway, if I recall the size of that thing is set in PROGRAM\BATTLE_INTERFACE\BattleInterface.c ; should just require changing a few numbers to resize it.

 

[Grey Roger]

Put this in "PROGRAM\BATTLE_INTERFACE". The display for no compass / cheap compass is now size 120 instead of size 80.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Put this in "PROGRAM\BATTLE_INTERFACE". The display for no compass / cheap compass is now size 120 instead of size 80.

Thanks for helping out with that one!

Would you consider that a general improvement that should be added to the mod?

 

[Grey Roger]

Would you consider that a general improvement that should be added to the mod?

Depends on whether other people find the existing display for no compass or cheap compass to be too small.

If so, "PROGRAM\Reinit.c" may be needed as well. It also mentions the display settings for the compass types, though when I pressed F11 to do a re-initialisation it didn't seem to make any difference whether the modified settings or original settings were in this file.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Depends on whether other people find the existing display for no compass or cheap compass to be too small.

Yes, it does. So for that sake, I made a new thread for it on Brainstorming along with a poll.
Hopefully we can figure out if I should include this or not.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I don't have a problem with it as I can usually tell which way I'm going by looking at the sun or moon. Of course storms suck..........

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I don't have a problem with it as I can usually tell which way I'm going by looking at the sun or moon. Of course storms suck..........

So you do have a compass that doesn't tell you where North is, so you have to rely on the sun and moon to find out instead?
I think that is a strong indication that it DOES need enlarging!

 

[Black Bart]

Exactly Sun and Moon is all fine and good, but the purpose of a compass is to be able to read it, you used to (in older builds) for the basic compass, but not so much now. It doesn't need a huge increase in size btw, really just enough to tell the difference between the red 'N' and the other cardinals. I've yet to try the changes mentioned above but when i do and once i have a reasonable compromise (as in we want to keep it in that lower left part of the HUD where the basic green cannon indicator is right?) i will post it.

I run the game in 1280x960 windowed.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Still virtually no votes yet. Except from @Hylie Pistof, who says he doesn't mind, but also says he cannot read the compass.
And no vote from @Black Bart who DEFINITELY wanted this done and no vote from @Grey Roger who actually did it.
Uhm... what message am I suppose to be taking away here? Complete and utter apathy?

I run the game in 1280x960 windowed.

Plenty high then, so that shouldn't be the issue.
Please try @Grey Roger's files and see if that is better. If it is, I want to know if it should be added to the main mod.

 

[Grey Roger]

Personally I'm not that bothered. The cheap compass isn't as useful because it doesn't show the "radar" display of ships in the vicinity, so if I don't have a normal compass as part of the initial set-up then buying one is a priority, and I get the enhanced compass, which shows ships as hostile or friendly as well as contributing to showing your position on the worldmap, as soon as possible too. But someone wanted a larger simple compass display and, having been pointed at the file which controls it, the mod was easy enough so I did it.

Having said that, a larger simple compass was requested, and having been pointed at the file which controls its size, I found the mod easy enough to do, so I did it. Unless someone actively objects, it may as well go in the modpack. If someone later complains that the almost-useless simple compass takes up more display space than it's worth, it can easily be put back to the original size.

 

[Black Bart]

I did notice the poll (finally!) and voted yes obviously as i like to see things function in the game. I still have a few issues with it currently, as i don't think it is really fix/finished just yet, having play tested it........

Edit:

I just ran the changes to set it to 120, and it may be a little too big, but also the ammunition loaded icon needs moving as it sits inside the compass radius, any idea where that would be to move it's location also?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I just ran the changes to set it to 120, and it may be a little too big, but also the ammunition loaded icon needs moving as it sits inside the compass radius, any idea where that would be to move it's location also?

Probably BattleInterface.c somewhere as well.

 

[Grey Roger]

The section of code which controls the compass is:

   BattleInterface.navigation.aspectRatio         = showWindow.aspectRatio;
   if (bRealBattleInterface) {
     BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth     = RecalculateHIcon(120); // ccc 192, then 80
     BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight     = RecalculateVIcon(120); // ccc 192, then 80
     BattleInterface.navigation.rightPos         = sti(showWindow.left)+RecalculateHIcon(120); // ccc showWindow.right
     BattleInterface.navigation.topPos         = sti(showWindow.bottom)-RecalculateVIcon(220); // ccc showWindow.top
     BattleInterface.navigation.speedOutYOffset     = sti(showWindow.bottom)-RecalculateVIcon(80); // ccc -88
     BattleInterface.navigation.shipSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(37); // ccc 80
     BattleInterface.navigation.windSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(-35); // ccc -80
     BattleInterface.navigation.fontScale       = 0.35; // ccc 0.75
     BattleInterface.navigation.windWidth       = 15; // ccc 30
     BattleInterface.navigation.windHeight       = 50; // ccc 120
   } else {

After the "else" comes the code which controls the larger display for "normal" and "enhanced" compasses - leave that alone!

The 'BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth' and 'BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight' lines control the size of the simple compass - play around with those to make the compass the size you want. Below them are the commands to position the compass, so try changing 'BattleInterface.navigation.topPos' to move the compass out of the way of the ammo display.

And then, I'm not sure if it's significant but "PROGRAM\Reinit.c" has similar code. So just to be safe, change that to match.

 

[Black Bart]

Ok i'll see what i can do for moving the ammo icon a little.

I've run tests in various resolutions, from 800x600 (fullscreen and windowed) and a setting of 100 (in place of 120) looks better (but 95 is the value i ended up with as the best). It is only slightly larger than the 80 current setting, but you do atleast clearly see the red 'N' which you don't at the current 80 setting.

In defence of the simple compass, it is actually one i like the best in the game, as it does what a real compass does, and nothing more (no gamey advantages etc), so that is why it seemed ashame it was now broken

 

[Pieter Boelen]

In defence of the simple compass, it is actually one i like the best in the game, as it does what a real compass does, and nothing more (no gamey advantages etc), so that is why it seemed ashame it was now broken

Agreed.

 

[Black Bart]

  BattleInterface.navigation.aspectRatio  = showWindow.aspectRatio;
  if (bRealBattleInterface) {
  BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth  = RecalculateHIcon(95); // ccc 192, then 80
  BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight  = RecalculateVIcon(95); // ccc 192, then 80
  BattleInterface.navigation.rightPos  = sti(showWindow.left)+RecalculateHIcon(95); // ccc showWindow.right
  BattleInterface.navigation.topPos  = sti(showWindow.bottom)-RecalculateVIcon(180); // ccc showWindow.top

Ok so those values of 95 work well (only need to change those three in the two different files (BattleInterface.c and Reint.c), as in makes it more readable, and keeps the dimensions on par with the previous 80. Screenshot comparison below.

I messed around with other values, trying to get better separation with the ammo icon, but they seem linked, so this was really the best scale i could see to not unbalance the thing?

The screenshot is slightly deceptive as depending on the background light, the current size 80 basic compass does not always show any easily visible colour for the red 'N', here you can just make that out, but at night in particular i've found it hard/impossible to notice at that scale.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

So in BattleInterface.c:

  BattleInterface.navigation.aspectRatio         = showWindow.aspectRatio;
   if (bRealBattleInterface) {
     BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth     = RecalculateHIcon(95); // ccc 192
     BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight     = RecalculateVIcon(95); // ccc 192
     BattleInterface.navigation.rightPos         = sti(showWindow.left)+RecalculateHIcon(95); // ccc showWindow.right
     BattleInterface.navigation.topPos         = sti(showWindow.bottom)-RecalculateVIcon(180); // ccc showWindow.top
     BattleInterface.navigation.speedOutYOffset     = sti(showWindow.bottom)-RecalculateVIcon(80); // ccc -88 - PB: Should this be 95 now too?????
     BattleInterface.navigation.shipSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(37); // ccc 80
     BattleInterface.navigation.windSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(-35); // ccc -80
     BattleInterface.navigation.fontScale       = 0.35; // ccc 0.75
     BattleInterface.navigation.windWidth       = 15; // ccc 30
     BattleInterface.navigation.windHeight       = 50; // ccc 120
   } else {
     BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth     = RecalculateHIcon(192);
     BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight     = RecalculateVIcon(192);
     BattleInterface.navigation.rightPos         = sti(showWindow.right) - RecalculateHIcon(25);
     BattleInterface.navigation.topPos         = sti(showWindow.top) + RecalculateVIcon(18);
     BattleInterface.navigation.speedOutYOffset     = RecalculateVIcon(-88);
     BattleInterface.navigation.shipSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(110);
     BattleInterface.navigation.windSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(-110);
     BattleInterface.navigation.fontScale       = 0.75;
     BattleInterface.navigation.windWidth       = 30;
     BattleInterface.navigation.windHeight       = 120;
   }

And Reinit.c:

    if(bRealBattleInterface)
     {
       BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth     = RecalculateHIcon(95); // ccc 192
       BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight     = RecalculateVIcon(95); // ccc 192
       BattleInterface.navigation.rightPos         = sti(showWindow.left)+RecalculateHIcon(95); // ccc showWindow.right
       BattleInterface.navigation.topPos         = sti(showWindow.bottom)-RecalculateVIcon(180); // ccc showWindow.top
       BattleInterface.navigation.speedShowFont     = "bold_numbers";
       BattleInterface.navigation.speedOutYOffset     = RecalculateVIcon(-40); // ccc -88
       BattleInterface.navigation.shipSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(37); // ccc 80
       BattleInterface.navigation.windSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(-35); // ccc -80
       BattleInterface.navigation.fontScale       = 0.35; // ccc 0.75
       BattleInterface.navigation.windWidth       = 15; // ccc 30
       BattleInterface.navigation.windHeight       = 50; // ccc 120
       BattleInterface.navigation.mapRadius       = 5; // ccc 54
       BattleInterface.navigation.chargePos       = RecalculateHIcon(70)+","+RecalculateVIcon(73); //ccc 160 & 174
       BattleInterface.navigation.chargePictureSize   = "20,20"; //ccc "32,32"
       if(show) Log_SetStringToLog(XI_ConvertString("NewStatusRadar")+"...");
     }
     else
     {
       BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorWidth     = RecalculateHIcon(192);
       BattleInterface.navigation.navigatorHeight     = RecalculateVIcon(192);
       BattleInterface.navigation.rightPos         = showWindow.right;
       BattleInterface.navigation.topPos         = showWindow.top;
       BattleInterface.navigation.speedShowFont     = "bold_numbers";
       BattleInterface.navigation.speedOutYOffset     = RecalculateVIcon(-88);
       BattleInterface.navigation.shipSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(80);
       BattleInterface.navigation.windSpeedXOffset     = RecalculateHIcon(-80);
       BattleInterface.navigation.fontScale       = 0.75;
       BattleInterface.navigation.windWidth       = 30;
       BattleInterface.navigation.windHeight       = 120;
       BattleInterface.navigation.mapRadius       = 54;
       BattleInterface.navigation.chargePos       = RecalculateHIcon(160)+","+RecalculateVIcon(174);
       BattleInterface.navigation.chargePictureSize   = "32,32";
       if(show) Log_SetStringToLog(XI_ConvertString("OldStatusRadar")+"...");
     }

And nothing else.

Did I get that right?

 

[Black Bart]

yeah that looks like it, just 6 value changes (we keep the current 180 value from when the compass was too small (80)) over the two files

You know i had to sail to Jamaica to find a basic compass to buy it to test it! (it took me three attempts, as my crew mutinied one time (i had forgotten to buy enough food and rum!) and the other time i died before saving in a street brawl after i had arrived in Jamaica)

 

[Hylie Pistof]

You read too much between the lines. I did not say I can not read that compass and in fact I can read it and prefer it sometimes over the radar screen. It gives a more natural feel to the game.

Repeat: At 1920 X 1080 I can see it ok. It is not easy to see but I CAN and do use it as is.