127 replies to this topic

[Heinreich]

This is an excellent idea. I hope this reaches the devs and they reach out to the OP for help in implementing it

[WVAnonymous]

Other thermal threads have the "don't worry about real life, it's a game".

I approve of this suggestion as "please worry about real life, it's a simulator. Balance the game by adjusting the real life parameters".

[moneyBURNER]

This is exactly the kind of writeup I was hoping to find that explains how an actual simulation of thermal imaging could be implemented rather than the crude and illogical impression we have now.

The module suggestions are also fantastic and what I would've expected for a more serious mech sim.

[Frozenrose]

In that credit where credit is due =) I saw the tank IR camouflage video CnlPepper mentioned some time ago and have admit it is an intruiging idea, in both real world and IR paint 'mechs.

[jay35]

This is probably going to go way over the head of whoever created "thermal vision" by applying a black & white monochrome filter to normal vision mode and threw a wall of fog effect in at 700m. But thanks for sharing it just the same. Here's hoping...

[Hired Gun]

Great idea CNLPEPPER

Having used a lot of thermal cameras in my work too, I agree that this would be an interesting and accurate way to mimic the function of one.

It would look cool as well.

Hope they take it up:O)

Excellent work!

[Razerbeast]

A mech standing on snow should pop out. currently the mech just blends in with the snow. This is just pure laziness on the dev part. This idea is perfect and needs implentation.

[CnlPepper]

Ok I made some quick mockups. When you look at these please bear in mind the following:

1) I have simulated all the mechs in their hottest state - in this proposed model the mechs would naturally be ~50C above background until they started firing which would further camoflage them beyond what you will see here.

2) though you can see some of the mechs at long ranges on the cooler images, I'd invite you to try and hit them!

So what are you about to see...

I've taken two screenshots on Tourmaline from a training session which shows mechs at different ranges. I've removed the hud and have relit the terrain to approximately "simulate" three temperature ranges.

The virtual thermal camera has a (rather convenient) range of -55C to 200C for a fully emissivity object. I have adjusted the terrain to cover approximately three temperatures:

100C: pixel intensities of ~115 to 155
25C:pixel intensities of ~45 to 80
-50C:pixel intensities of ~0 to 10

The mechs are all 200C upper bodies and ambient + 50C for the legs.

The images are ~100 pixels across. This could be further reduced to nerf longer distance engagements, though as you will see, I doubt even at this pixel level snipers will get much more that lucky hits unless they have truly extreme skill.

You will see three images derived from each screenshot showing these temperatures. A reference image then follows showing where the mechs are. I invite you to try to pick out the mechs in the hot terrain images before looking at the cold ones and try and decide how many mechs there are and where!

Close up mechs:

100C


25C


-50C


Reference


Far Mechs:

100C


25C


-50C


Reference

Edited by CnlPepper, 03 April 2013 - 02:37 PM.

[Krzysztof z Bagien]

Yeah, that's pretty much like I'd like to see it. Maybe a little less pixelated.

[CnlPepper]

Just for you Krzysztof z Bagien here are some with double the number of pixels. As you can see it would be slightly easer to hit longer range targets....though to be honest it would still be a challenge.

Edited by CnlPepper, 03 April 2013 - 03:20 PM.

[Krzysztof z Bagien]

Brilliant!

[Cest7]

Honestly, if it was that ugly and pixelated I would want to use it even less.

[Kageru Ikazuchi]

This makes sense, and it's not a complete nerf to the previous system (like cutting off the range at 700m).

I would prefer blurring the high-res render, rather than the blocky low-res render, and 10 pixels may be too much, but I like it.

[Axident]

Perhaps you could make MC camoflage earn its pay here. Different types of camo paint with different IR and visual characteristics. Not canon to the battletech universe, but I'd be more willing to pay MCs for paint that catually did something.

[Hex Pallett]

Krzysztof z Bagien, on 02 April 2013 - 04:48 PM, said:

could look like this:


(it's just a quick mock-up)

Bumping for justice!

[Tommytools]

Logged in just to like this thread, I love this idea.

TT

[ChaosGrinder]

+1. Most constructive idea i´ve seen on the forums beside the goldmountain.

[Kerrisis]

THIS would be awesome, and infinitely better than what we currently have. I endorse this suggestion! =)

[wuselfuzz]

I like the higher resolution mock-ups very much.

I was really irritated that you can read the signs in RCN now using heat vision. I understand that neon lights are getting warm, but the surrounding case would heat up, too, and you'd probably see only a blurry box.

[jay35]

Krzysztof z Bagien, on 03 April 2013 - 03:09 PM, said:

Yeah, that's pretty much like I'd like to see it. Maybe a little less pixelated.

Yeah, that's WAY too pixelated. I mean come on, there's a difference between plausible resolution and going crazy trying to force something that's clearly not normal or reasonable. Some slight pixelation is fine to mask the furthest distances, but at the end of the day anything inside ~800m should still look like a freaking mech and not a stick figure.

Edited by jay35, 04 April 2013 - 04:39 AM.