Draw proper lines with whiteboard

[Razorjack]

Hey everyone,

Thanks to Defcon community, i found out some really usefull mods (like Bert's one with ennemy territory radar range showed up).

I would like to know if anyone ever made, or heard about a mod to allow Line draw on the white board.
Let's be more specific : the idea would be to click on 1 point on the map, then you could move the mouse, click an other time, and a line would appear between the 2 points. Pretty much like in paint.

The more i consider it, the more i think it would be very usefull while scouting the ennemy silos. On the paper, with that mode and only two fighters, it would be possible to find the precise position of all of them.
It could be a "little revolution" in defcon advance gaming

If anyone heard about something like this or is willing to make it please tell me !

[Ace Rimmer]

If you click and hold, then use the arrow keys, you can obtain perfectly straight and diagonal lines.

[Razorjack]

Hey Ace

That was quick and usefull ! Even after three years playing, i still have tips to learn, thanks a lot !

[Ace Rimmer]

Sure thing, except a long time ago I saw somebody else doing it (can't remember who) and just asked (I think) "how did you do that?! O_o".

[Nightwatch]

Good god Ace.
Any other things you sitting on?!

[Ace Rimmer]

Well, I never considered it that important to draw straight lines, except in premium diplomacy.

"Stay out of here <whiteboard>, or your navy dies..."

[Razorjack]

Hey again !

I just tried, it works. But it's not exactly what i was looking for. Clicking - holding - using arrow direction, is perfect to draw straight vertical - horizontal - diagonal lines.

But usually, incoming silo's AA fire is sub-horizontal or subvertical, then you're still not able to trace the precise line between the silo and your fighter !

Bouhouhou i'm sad now !

[Ace Rimmer]

I'm sure you could with some practice.

I'm not sure that a Bot can keep track of silo AA, but if it can, my Bot will be triangulating.

[Razorjack]

But could a "movable" line between a first click, and an other one, could this be added to the whiteboad ? Just like the straight line drawing in paint : you click once, you can freely moove your mouse, and when you click a second time : a straight line is draw ?

I'm trying to explain it with the hands, it may not be understandable...

P.S. I'm angry with irregular tense verbs i know !

[Ace Rimmer]

I'm pretty sure something like that would have to be done in a patch and wouldn't be possible with a mod.

[Razorjack]

Well thank you anyway (at least i know how to draw vertical lines :p)

[xander]

I'm pretty sure something like that would have to be done in a patch and wouldn't be possible with a mod.

This is correct. It is not possible to draw "polygons" on the Defcon whiteboard, and there is no way to create a mod that would make it possible. It is possible that an AI could do so via the AI API, and someone with a great deal of time and motivation might be able to create an "AI" that extends the whiteboard capabilities of the game (I don't know if it is possible to create an AI that will accept human input, but if it is possible, then what you ask is, in theory, possible), but I don't imagine that anyone is actually motivated to do such a thing.

xander

[bert_the_turtle]

The server is also in full control of the whiteboard, I think. I haven't looked at the corresponding packets in detail, but they're bound to contain just coordinates and pen mode. It would be possible to straighten out lines, like many sketching programs do.

That said, I don't quite see the point.

[Razorjack]

That said, I don't quite see the point.

The point would to trace back the precise ennemy silos position, using straight lines on the whiteboard. This would allow effective "blind launch" on ennemy silos position, with only a moderate scouting campain.
I just thought that a mode like this may already exist since i discovered many usefull ones recently.

[bert_the_turtle]

Ah right, but that would require extending the line the player draws. That in itself is probably no problem, but detecting when the player wants his line extended and when not would be.