I like the idea of being ambushed by the enemy and didn't see it coming. But I didn't like it when I couldn't see the brown colored BE2c's I was escorting over NML which was also brown... then I got ambushed and almost died. I don't like using TAC, because the message always warns you to run when there's enemy, so it's hard to be ambushed. Also, I always lead because my flight leader can "see" things better than me, so very hard to get ambushed as well.

Then, I decided to try to make the enemy's labels invisible, but be able to keep track of my escort (or squad). The game wouldn't allow me to set the labels to invisible, so I did the next best thing which was color the labels white with 5% opacity. Here's what I got:



But, I also tried to make the waypoints and frontline disappear while keeping track of my plane (so, still a work in progress):



Here's the part of the ui.xml file I adjusted:

<Colours leaderColour="0x54FFC000" formationColour="0x54FFC000" friendColour="0x54FFC000" enemyColour="0x0CFFFFFF" deadColour="0x0C101010" neutralColour="0x0CFFFFFF"


<Labels mode="Activity" distanceFactor="0.5" fontSize="VerySmall" backgroundScreen="n" dropShadow="n">


<Map show="y" showRoute="y" showBackGroundImage="y" backGroundImage="map_background.dds" showOverlays="y" fontSize="Small" showFrontLine="n"


Here are the opacity codes for anyone who is interested to try this out:

Thanks for this info, Yaan!

Well, that's pretty cool!

Very nice, Yaan!

Does anyone know what all the "Labels mode=" options are? I'm hoping that there is a minimal option. I like using the labels at a distance, but there's too much info in them, IMO.

Yeah, it would be great if we could set friendly and enemy labels to just read Alb5 or Dr1 for instance. Just the bare minimum to know what it is. Same for ground units...an army base could be AB. A table where the player could set the abbreviations would be great.

Nice we have those lovely simple variables in there eh

Don't be so coy, Pol. Tell us your secrets!

I couldn't get the waypoints to disappear, so I'm not using the inflight or game map and just using a printed map.

However, I did some more adjustments and got my final settings:

<Colours leaderColour="0x7FF6B107" formationColour="0x7FF6B107" friendColour="0x01F6B107" enemyColour="0x01B0201C" deadColour="0x01101010" neutralColour="0x01505050" playerTargetColour="0xFFE0E000" missionColour="0xFFFF98C0" aiTargetColour="0xFF8020E0" frontLineColour="0x01101010"/>

The "01" makes the labels invisible. So, with labels set on identity, I am only able to see my squad labels with no other labels visible including ground objects or other crafts (friendly or enemy). With labels set to identity, I also get the benefit of being able to adjust my view distance of labels in workshop to 1.9 km.

What does this give me. Well, I can now identify my squad up to a certain distance, but can't tell if the other planes are friendly or enemy until they get up close... then BAM! AMBUSHED! Also, I need to rely on my map and not see any labels for ground objects.

Yaan

That's the type of unpredictability I like to fly with..this is just what I was looking for.

If I change my ui file to exactly what you have in the above post, will I get just what you are describing? Or are there other file adjustments that need to be made?

I like the light green/yellow color and size of the label. Will the above give those as well?

Also, what workshop settings do you have set up for distance ID? I would like to be able to see an a/c or dot in clear weather at about 2-3 miles/4500 kms.

Has anyone figured out how to display the least information, while still being able to have some sort of label?

cptroyce, I only adjusted my workshop settings and ui.xml file which gave what you see in the screenshot. Don't forget, to only see a limited distance, then you should use either "label ID" or "label ID + dots" and not "Activity" setting when you turn on labels.

Increase the distance factor to set "obj" distance to what you like.

Yann

Thanks for that info. I don't use labels that much..flick them on and off occasionally, just to get a sense of what's around me. When I do use them I have it set to ID+dot.

Using the settings from you first above post, my map route line which I need, is a very,very pale orange..not the dark green I had before. What would the line color code letters be for that; if you know?

I am using nibbio's last map mod.

Thanks

Unless someone knows something different, as far as I can tell, the color of your label cannot be separated from the color of the waypoints. I noticed that the waypoint lines, plane and objects that are displayed on the map are all tied together and use the same color. It is the line with "formationColour="

To darken the color, just change the "7F" value to "FF". Then you can choose a color by inputting hex numbers corresponding to the color you choose - This web site: http://www.colorhexa.com/

So, a dark green would be: formationColour=FF00600C

Thanks Yaan

Yaan, you may be interested to know that a couple of years back in OFF, someone came up with two fabulous little mods for the game.

The mod was, as I recall, to the ui.xml file, and involved two changes.

The first was to render all aircraft on the TAC in white - that's a #%&*$# since you don't know at a glance who's friend and who's foe.

The second was to have the same effect on screen, but to add massive opacity, so therefore as you flew towards a labelled aircraft - simulating as far as possible the fact that airmen at the time could see aeroplanes in the same way that we, as players, can't, it becomes maddeningly difficult (until it's too late sometimes) to see whether they're on your side or not.

Those two little changes transformed my enjoyment of the game. If you'd like a copy of the file, let me know on here and I'll post it up for you to play with.

Simon

Could you post that mod? I'd like to try the second part.

Thanks

Hi Captain, been a while since I've been able to look it up, but I shall do so as soon as I can and post it as an attachment to a post. It's a small mod, but one that is so good that I've never figured out why OBD didn't just make it part of the game!

Thanks..whenever you get a chance to post it

I've only been using the Dots setting for spotting planes at longer distances, and keeping the TAC open at shorter range (2km at the moment) to ID friend from foe at close range, since their symbols on the TAC change from grey to red/blue/green up close to represent enemy/friendly/flight mates.

I don't use labels at all since I don't really need to know the names of the pilots and started trying to visually ID the enemy aircraft types for my kill claims. Also been turning off the TAC once a dogfight starts so that I still have to keep visual on everything with TrackIR. The Dots go away long before 2km distance so there is no label at all up close when dogfighting. However, I often have trouble discerning aircraft below me, possibly due to the colors of the ground textures, so I still turn it back on when in pursuit of a wounded plane flying low & running. Picking out even a nearby & smoking enemy aircraft down low is very tough to do in WOFF and my eyes just can't pick up the movement against the backdrop as I like to think they should. So I cheat a bit here.

What I still want to adjust is the size of the TAC so that it's more difficult to see specifically where an enemy plane is in relation to me. I figure if it's pretty small but the aircraft symbols stay the same size, then it will be less precise regarding the bearing and make visual sighting, even after such a cue, to be a bit more difficult.

There was a previous post on how to reduce the TAC UI size but it didn't work for me. Not sure if the UI file in the User WOFF settings folder is being used for that in the current version or whether I just overlooked something.

For anyone interested, I have a JSGME ready mod of the UI.XML file on my dropbox. I you need to do is download it and place the folder into your mods folder and activate it using JSGME.

Updated 25 Apr 2014 to make your plane slightly visible on the in game map. The previous one made it invisible.



Here is a view of the mod enabled in JSGME Mod Enabler window:





The link to it is as follows but get it while it is still there as I will have to delete it if I run out of space on my dropbox.

JSGME ready UI_XML mod - Black Dot

JSGME ready UI_XML mod - Red Dot

Best Regards;

When the labels key is turned on the mod will display a red dot or a black dot (depending on which mod you choose to download) in the distance when enemy craft are approaching, and the labels visibility has been suppressed to rather faint pastel so as to not be so obtrusive. This mod is an amalgamation of many suggestions by WOFF fliers and I take no credit for it but the red dot is my personal implementation to help with my eyesight. I do find that it is not realistic and probably will tune it down to a yellow or fainter tone but you can make your own adjustments as you see fit.

Best Regards;