TGP Getting Masked & White Hot Leaf Graphics

Since the introduction of the TGP for the Hornet, the TGP in the A-10C gets masked when it shouldn't be. An example would be when you are at an altitude of about 10,000 and at about a mile from a target and flying directly away from it, the TGP suddenly is masked by a grey box. I know for a fact that it wasn't doing this before the introduction of the TGP on the Hornet. Also, the trees are looking a little better, not quite the white hot pencil sticks they have in the past under certain conditions, but I noticed that parts of the trees in the leafs are showing up as white hot graphic areas attached to the tree branches.

Confirming the new odd masking behavior...

And yes, tree trunks are white sticks and there’s also a lot of snow white shadows under trees when you flip to IR.

Could you provide a track, please?

Here's the current behaviour, IIRC the MFD blanks a little earlier than previously but can't say if it's incorrect.

Ramsay, thank you for track, I'll check it!

The masking may have changed and it is good to see a track where the problem is suspected

This is a picture from 1.5.6, it looks like the previous TGP's masking was perhaps overly generous ?

I've noticed the need to climb to higher altitudes to avoid masking in 2.5.5 but can't say it's unrealistic.

Note: In 2.5.5.34108, rather than the TGP self masking, beyond a certain gimbal limit the MFCD image instantly blanks.

I think that they need to check the set angle because I was only about 70 degrees off of the target at 10,000 feet when it became masked but I'll check it again.

Yes, masking was changed to blank image when some angle is exceeded.

The TGP on the Hog has never “Not Masked” but now, as of its addition to the Hornet, we no longer seem to have the field of view we used to have (especially aft)

Something weird is going on because I tried the IR pointer and it's not coming out of the lens but rather between them. It's like the ball is off some degrees from the actual camera lens or view angle.

... we no longer seem to have the field of view we used to have (especially aft)

As far as I can tell the maths for 2.5.5.34108 looks good and the previous (1.5.6) "look back" was overly generous.

Using Altitude and Slant Range from my previous post, I calculate the rear cone half-angle as 44°.

AFAIK the TGP rear half-angle is approx. 40°, the blank occurring 4° sooner than expected, is likely due to the A-10C being pitched up at approx +4.5° as shown in the tacview.

I was flying level and not even close to 40 degrees but I'll check it again. I didn't have a non static object on the airfield so I can't see the angle in Tacview.

OK, so here's a picture of my Tacview showing the exact time that the TGP was masked at 7:52. I did a select jet of some BDU's to time it and they came off the rack at almost exactly 7:54, two seconds later. If someone can explain to me how to get the slant angle, I'll post it. I'm not very good with the functions in Tacview. But that looks pretty darn close to 45 degrees to me. I know it can be deceiving though so I would like to get the exact angle.

OK, so here's a picture of my Tacview showing the exact time that the TGP was masked at 7:52. I did a select jet of some BDU's to time it and they came off the rack at almost exactly 7:54, two seconds later. If someone can explain to me how to get the slant angle, I'll post it. I'm not very good with the functions in Tacview. But that looks pretty darn close to 45 degrees to me. I know it can be deceiving though so I would like to get the exact angle.

If you right click the middle field at the top that’s between You and the object you’re tied to, you can change the display to relative bearing.

It’s possible that our previous FOV was overly generous, but if it was changed, then it should be documented and reported as such to the community. This is how “Bug Chases” start and it could be avoided with one line in a change log.

RGR, I set it at "Range/Relative Bearing" and I'm assuming it's from off the nose and if you guys say that the nose is up 4 degrees then that would be 180-139+4. That would be 45 degrees, correct? Yes, and it would be nice if we knew this were going to happen. I wouldn't have posted it as a bug.

Masking also has to do with what ordinance you have hung and the main thing it's for is to keep the laser from hitting the aircraft or ordnance.

The A-10C has 4 different levels of masking, M1 is the most restrictive and M4 the least. For example, most of the load outs we carry in the 476th (Mav on one side, DRA on the other) it would fall into a Mask Zone 3. As soon as you fire off the mav it should automatically change to Mask Zone 4.

I would assume ED didn’t go into that much detail and I can’t remember if the mask zone number is displayed in the MFCD in DCS like it does in the real jet. Mask Zones are automatically set by the CICU which continuously evaluates the DSMS.