85. Split-screen FLIR display
Mod: Split-screen FLIR display
By Frankie
Description: This mod is an extension of Mod#84. When you hit the 3 key, an additional three objects will cycle sequentially:
1. TV-Tab sized FLIR display (top left of screen)
A FLIR picture inside a Tracking View picture. Try hitting F3, F4 or F5 for a surprise. 2. Half-screen sized set to a FLIR display (top half) and external view (bottom half) which you can change to F1, F2 F3 or F4 views.
Half-screen FLIR in action. Bottom half of screen is an interchangable external view. More split-screen stuff. Now I can see both directions at once from my Tornado!
Looking forwards and looking backwards at the same time. Bottom half of the screen is the Drone view. What this means is that you can now watch an ingress to the
target area from both your Tornado's and your wingmen's perspective. Endless possiblities. 3. Full-screen FLIR display which is steerable but without a HUD
Full screen FLIR view. The whole idea of split screen was serendipity. Initially I wanted to have the map view overlapping the tracking view just to enjoy the Tornado 3D scenery and landscapes. So one thing lead to another and I discovered that Kevin already had the half screen display coded in the simulation. For example, when you are in the Pilot's cockpit view (Home), the top half of the screen is half-screen height. So I just created an illusion of split-screen by overlapping a half-screen display on top of a full-screen display. So far the assembly language code is holding up. Occasionally I do see some horizontal black bar lines at the top left of the screen which is visually irritating, but does not impair the rest of the gameplay
So now the full complement of mini-windows initiated by hitting F1 key followed by 3 or Shift+3 is:
1. Map display
2. Waypoint flight path display
3. Moving Map Reference display
4. TV-Tab sized FLIR display (top left of screen)
5. Half-screen sized set to a FLIR display (top half) and external view (bottom half) which you can change to F1, F2 F3 or F4 views.
6. Full-screen FLIR display which is steerable but without a HUD7. Radar display - Ground Radar
8. Autopilot modes display
9. Instruments Landing System (ILS) display
10. Blank (no mini-windows)
I think it is fantastic that 25 years later, the Tornado assembly language code is able to "multitask" and produce
stunning visuals as these. Only possible with low-level programming and x86 ASM.
Attached is the latest FLIGHT.EXE. Enjoy.
So in summary, with this split-screen feature, Tornado now joins the ranks of console games like Super Mario Kart and Goldeneye 007. Just kidding. Until my next mod, have fun.
UPDATE 2ND AUGUST 2018I decided that the only way I could make the split-screen FLIR view useful was if I added an iron gunsight to the view. I find this preferable to a blank centre (see below) - which is rather hard to steer due to the lack of a visual reference point. The only time a visual cue is available is when I bank the Tornado hard left or right.
The only visual cue moments are when the Tornado is banking to the side. Other times, it's just a centre devoid of any cues. The iron gunsight is also better than this ... an alien-like strange blob of green in the centre (see below) - which is the Tornado's cockpit viewed from slightly above.
One way of giving a visual reference for steering - show the top of the cockpit. IMHO, the gunsight gives the gamer a visual reference point and it is practical if one decides to go on a strafing run. Even though the gunsight appears, you have to explictly hit the Alt+Enter key to arm the Mauser cannon.
Gunsight in the split-screen comes in handy when shooting soft targets. Here's what the split-screen looks like now. See the Youtube video below.
Getting hammered by AAA and SAMs. The action is fast and furious. It would help if I could change the colour of the
AAA tracer. As it is now, the Mauser shells and the AAA (ZSU-23-4) shells show up in yellow colour.
I have updated the FLIGHT.EXE file.
Cheers
Frankie Kam