Pencil marks

[IceFire 0]

You know what would be a great idea??

If in maps you had a pencil, in addition to the radio, notebook, compas etc, to make marks or erase your marks on the map.

Like you could make your own scribblings for personal notes.

Then if you wanted to erase your marks you could just use the back side of the pencil and erase them.

If any of you have ever used "paintbrush" in windows, it would kinda be like that only to resemble pencil graphite.

This way you could make notes when you are doing recon with your binoculars. Like an X on where you placed the bomb, or remember how you where you want to set up your men. Or you just want to draw a route on your map that you want to take, or a path that enemy patrols seem to be taking back and forth.

I think being able to write on your map could be incredibly useful as well as being very realistic.

Cmon people, what do you folks think?

Maybe someone should make a patch or something that has this feature? I would love it.

[I)eaI)Eye1809 0]

i dont know if you know about this but double click on the map anywere with no teammates selected and you could put tmarking and stuff

[IceFire 0]

What is tmarking?

All you have to do is double click?

I had no idea. Brb. I'm gonna check this out.

[sgt bastard 0]

And if you switch to side-channel first, you can make markers that only you and your team can see.

[I)eaI)Eye1809 0]

it should work cus i do it all the time tell me if it works for you

[IceFire 0]

Ok, I tried it. But what I meant was basically "pencil scribbling"

I mean with the way they make new mod guns and stuff, I would think this would be a peice of cake.

Kindof like the way "paintbrush" works.

Basically you would zoom in all the way on your map, and then use your "pencil" to scribble whatever you want. And when you zoom out, your scribblings would lose detail too.

Very simple concept. Think about it, it would be sooo useful.

I'm not saying the current map markings arn't useful. Now that I know about them I will be sure to use them to my advantage. But I think real pencil markings would be VERY handy when you wanted to for example "you want to mark a specific route that you want to take. Or even add sketches for a plan.

[CamperKiller 0]

I think there are more important things to worry about than this.

[I)eaI)Eye1809 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (CamperKiller @ Feb. 28 2002,10:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think there are more important things to worry about than this.<span id='postcolor'>

like what? i dont think so i think it would be a good idea

[ALDEGA 0]

I don't think you'd have much time to write down "T-80 is firing sabot at me"

[arjen 0]

Wat do you think of this?

I would like to see the possibility of reading the caption of any marker placed by the user.

For example: Select a type of marker using the command enter (with reload, weapon on back etc. not sure how it is called precisly) and then switch to the map and place that type of marker with some additional information. For example a platoon ID or section ID...

For example an arrow would mean advance at all costs, a target marker will mean take this piece of land (town) .. and a different marker could mean travel to this place and the label would indicate how and who. For example: CH4-S12; chopper type 4 (blackhawk), Section 12. Or bring supplies to some place, and indicate to some Section to rearm there.. the AI is smart enough to handle battle's on its own.. like fighting itself to  a pickup point.

It would make it much easier to create a Commanding type of player which has controll over the whole battlefield.

And if you attomate the actions of this player it becomes a strategic target as well

I hope BIS reads this request...

gr.> arjen

[I)eaI)Eye1809 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (arjen @ Feb. 28 2002,12:04)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Wat do you think of this?

I would like to see the possibility of reading the caption of any marker placed by the user.

For example: Select a type of marker using the command enter (with reload, weapon on back etc. not sure how it is called precisly) and then switch to the map and place that type of marker with some additional information. For example a platoon ID or section ID...

For example an arrow would mean advance at all costs, a target marker will mean take this piece of land (town) .. and a different marker could mean travel to this place and the label would indicate how and who. For example: CH4-S12; chopper type 4 (blackhawk), Section 12. Or bring supplies to some place, and indicate to some Section to rearm there.. the AI is smart enough to handle battle's on its own.. like fighting itself to  a pickup point.

It would make it much easier to create a Commanding type of player which has controll over the whole battlefield.

And if you attomate the actions of this player it becomes a strategic target as well

I hope BIS reads this request...

gr.> arjen<span id='postcolor'>

omg i did not understand one thing you said

[IceFire 0]

Arjen, maybe it's because I'm sleepy, but I really didn't get all that.  But from what  I did get, I think you misenterpreted me.

I am not talking about orders, I am talking about pencils on maps.

And Aldega, I am not going to be making notes while in combat.  I will be making notes while in preparation for the mission or combat.

That means either in the before the mission starts, and then even while I am in the mission.   Like I am doing reconnaissance on enemy movement by stealth, say I am on top of a hill using my binoculars.  I can see everything.  Then I can mark all hostile locations on my map, the directions they are facing, draw up estimated boundaries for all their fields of vision, and have my men move to proper locations using my map sketches to prepare for the attack.

I can clearly draw points to move in case of retreat so that I can locate it easier on the map.

All this while seeming like a very simple idea could do wonders. Even if it's just to help me "visualize" my plan of attack.

I could use it to help plan my strategies, especially in large scale combat.

And it would basically work like a pencil on paper, or like that "paintbrush" program.

I think someone should make a "mod" to include this feature.

[whisperFFW06 0]

Arjen, you CAN put marks of different types on the map already. Double click on the map (with no unit selected), and use your arrow keys (up/down or left/right, I don't remember) to change the type.

As to give orders by this way, it is already feasible as you described, you just have to script it to make it work.

Functions exist (getMarkerPos, getMarkerType) to check new markers and their type. A script to periodically check new markers and give the orders adequatelly would do the job.

Almost everything requested in this thread already exists, except for precise "painting" on the map, for example to mark ennemy units and unit's facing. BUT, when you "announce" an ennemy unit (ie right click on it), a specific mark will appear on the leader's map which will give the type (soldier, vehicle, chopper, plane), orientation, time when revealed and by who it was revealed. No need to add a new mark. Problem is, it only appears on the leader's map.

For the other stuff, I already use double-click marks to indicate path of attack, FUP, rejoin points, egress points, ennemy spots, etc.... during planning and mission. And it works very well, using the ability to create different types of markers

Whis'

[IceFire 0]

I don't know, Jeez I just thought having some type of sketching feature would be alot easier. You would have the ability to make these things more accurate or to even shape them.

I tried that double click thing and it kinda just made this circle appear there.

I think I'm gonna hit the sack now.

[whisperFFW06 0]

yeah, I agree with you it would be easier and more precise. And faster, because sometime you have to try 2 or 3 times before double-click works, then change the marker type, and write your text... A bit long when in the middle of a fight

[arjen 0]

okay.. what i ment is this:

when you add a marker to the map.. by double clicking you can type in a caption or label...

I would like to read that label, and as far as I know that is not yet possible. You can read the type but not what is typed with it.

[Guest]

Icefires suggestion is an excellent one and I understand exactly what he means.

Using the markers is "OK" but being able to write and use your own custom symbols on the map would be great. It would add alot to the emmersion factor IMO because it would look ALOT more like a HUMAN was there writing it rather than pre-designated COMPUTER drawn icons and COMPUTER written text.

I also think a nice idea would be that in-order to see what someone has written on their map they must be close to that person. That way you couldn't mysteriously read the map of someone who is on the side of the island.

Only concern I can think of is network traffic:

Using the current system it is just simple 1 byte per character of text your write on the map. If this system was to be implemented I imagine it would require more data sent because as you are writing it would have to transmit the data as a bmp/gif/jpg that it overlays on the map, right? That would slow things down

[arjen 0]

and what i meant with "read" in my previous post is: reading the value in a script so that it can be used with some kind of logic.

[scr28 0]

Also, after you double click on the map to leave a mark with a note you can choose from several marks by pressing UP and DOWN arrows.

[IceFire 0]

Glad there are some agreements. Maybe some good modmaker will see this and do his magic. Hehe.

[madmike 0]

It would be too difficult to right, try writing your name in paintbrush and it look horrible.

I never knew about clicking on me map. I'll try it