Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Water Models / August 2005

Comments on the code feature [view swap, ship or land]:

I think being able to do this view swap is extremely important
because it ensures that the simulator will cover the two main
perspectives: [1] ship's captain and [2] land-based RC-enthusiast.

** Enthusiast Interest **
===================

For view [2], I think it would be desirable to allow the definition of

   a) size of viewing field
   b) height of viewing lens above water surface
   c) non-proportional view projection, so as to provide
           visual effect of looking down on ship from steeper angle
           when ship is closer (as is the case in real life)

You did not mention, so I do know, whether your S/W does
this:

   d) a "ship-zoom" box placed (and moved) anywhere on the
           screen, so that you can get a sense of the distance
           proportions (in the main view) and the ship orientation
           and response (in the placeable caption view)

I also don't know if you considered always maintaining the main
view centered at all times **horizontally-only** on the ship, while
allowing the ship position vertically, in the main view, to reflect
the ship's distance from the main point of reference for viewing,
maintaining "horizon" at about 10% from the top of the screen,
and the "pond viewing field" being from 15% from the top of
screen to the bottom of the screen (corresponding to the
equivalent of a 45% downward viewing angle).  These
relative dimensional estimates are my suggestions for trying
to maintain a realistic sense of the "ship in pond" versus
the traditional "orthogonal viewing" of all points, not allowing
for view adjustment based on view lines as in traditional
perspective drawing techniques (all lines point to a common
center at distance of infinity==horizon).

** Commercial Interest **
====================

The ship's captain view [1] is most certainly of primary interest
to commercial shipping interest, but also of interest to those
who may actually want to simulate being on deck, with
ocean wave heave, and this simulation would be from the
viewpoint of the mariner, not a camera fixed to a post on the
ship.  This would be extremely important as a "training
simulator" for people contemplating going on a open-ocean
sailing voyage between continents or off-shore of continents
in whatever "ocean-state" conditions the master/captain
may encounter.

As a mariner, the eyeball remains properly focused and
stabilized on the horizon, but the ship's response and behaviour
[yaw, heave, roll] are all things that a seaman's legs "spring" to
absorb, so as to ensure proper eyeball stability [the eyeball
is fixed on a post which maintains absolute vertical on a
pivot-point which allows full-spherical motion of the ship below
it, namely +- 40 degrees yaw and +- 40 degrees roll.

I've only played with a few games that try to simulate this
type of environment, but even the best seem to do
extremely poorly at properly simulating the interaction
of seaman's viewpoint, ship's motion and horizon
stability.  It is this seaman's stable view which is key
to the seaman's being able to develop his "sea legs" and
to properly gauge the amount and type of response and the
timing of the changes in piloting control for effective
mastery of motion via the proxy of a simulator [ namely
remote-piloting of ship/sailboat ].

** Collaboration ? **
================

I would be willing to collaborate with you to make the source
code multi-platform (UNIX/Linux, OpenGL), if you are interested.

I speak French (mother tongue) and English (mastered better than
my French), and would say that I know Spanish at a 15% level.

If you would like to know more of my background, reply to me
directly at my e-mail and we can discuss this further.

Eric