Added in your suggestion. Thanks!

Would it be possible to have the LCD panels cleared only when a new scan is done (i.e. keep the information on LCD panels)?

I'm not sure if the LCD panels are cleared because it's convenient from a coding point of view or because of a design decision, but it would save writing a script just to keep the information on the screen until the next scan!

It was a design decision. If I'm going to make scans disappear, I'd like the information that gets output to also disappear. If you want to use a PB to capture that info though, that's completely up to you to do :)

Never modded or anything but would this radar keep a text log of what it finds and where it is gps locationwise?
Thinking that if you sent out drones on a patrol around your station, you could take note of new NPC ships that are along this drones route.

ok so can you make it post the coordinates when it outputs to the lcd? otherwise it doesnt help that much to actually find the stuff.

The removing of data on the LCD is kind of useful from a program block point of view. I know when the data is new and up-to-date because there is a period of time where the data is removed. If the was not the case I would have to compare it or just always assume it up-to-date. I like how it is, it give the program block more data with less time consuming checks.

Maybe a texture for the block, like a dish or something that is round like the geo-scanner

New models will be coming eventually to make to complete the actual block.

Would the radar jammer (at least that's what I'm assuming the dampener is) be visible to affected radars when active?
Could, as a suggestion, antennas be able to spot other radars from a farther distance away than the radar could detect the antenna?

For the new model, I suggest looking at some of the radar units people install on boats and yachts today... to get away from the cliche of a "radar dome" being just a sphere. Google ought to have a few million example images.

That, or maybe something really hi-tech: just a box with flat textured panels on the sides, as a phased electronically-scanned array. Not as visually amazing, but more realistic for the game's setting, and it'd be really simple to model.

A rotating dish would probably be too complex... unless you could pick apart that new hologram table in the workshop and use that block's tricks.

I like Tigers Idea, make it look like a phased array. I can't tell just yet whether this is supposed to be an omnidirectional or not if it is a beacon. The other thing is that most aircraft don't know they are being pinged unless they have a specific piece of equipment.

Suggestion: 50km is an incredibly weak radar. Concider expanding range to at least 100 km, please.

Depends on the output power Darth, the radar I work on outputs around 45 kW and can see out to about 415km

Suggestion for how to adjust and use Radars...

DISCLAIMER- (This is a long post so dont feel obligated to make this any sort of short term goal or a goal at all, I get programming and modding is one helluva task. I just wish to show you what I feel would be the best way to go about radar.)

This mod is great btw and my community and faction are incorporating it into our ships, this mod has amazing potential. But the radar we have now is very limited in use and can very often over clutter our HUD: Leaving us blinded by the very thing we use to see.

To fix this as well as making it more balanced, user friendly, and realistic I have created some parameters here that I would like to see being used by this mod.


-Parameters.
There are five parameters that the radar block should have: one of them limits power, the other four use power. They are as follows.

Max Power: Defines the power limit of the radar (as to keep the radar from overloading the ship).

Range of Scan: Defined as how far the radar can see.

Scan Angle: Defined as how large of an angle (from an axis and sweeping out radially, forming a cone and eventually a sphere).

Scan Detail: Defined as how detailed the description of objects that are scanned by the radar. This is one of the more important and power hungry parameters of a radar. You would set detail via units of size from .5m or greater. At .5m^3 (the best you can set it) it would be able to identify the range and type (asteriod or ship/station) of anything larger than half a meter. If an object is smaller than the Detail Setting, it would not be able to be identified but can be ranged.

Scan Time: Defined as how often the radar can scan within its zone. You can set it to scan in "Scans Per Second". This would increase or decrease the "refresh rate" in essence.


-How do these parameters effect the power useage?
Lets take a look at the four power using parameters again and define how they shall take up power...

Range/Angle: Range and angle are tied together for this one, as they would take up power by how much volume of space is covered.

Detail: Detail takes up power by how many units are within the volume covered (So 1m^3 Detail with 1000m^3 volume would be 1000 units).

Scan Time: Take detail and multiply it by how many units it scans per second (Meaning at 1m^3 Detail and 1000^3 per every second would be 1000 units per second.)

making the equation for power usage would be as follows...
M=(V*D)*S
M: Max Power (in units)
V: Volume of scan area
D: Detail of scan area
S: Scans Per Second

-Example

Lets say I have a fighter, fighters dont generally generate as much power as somthing like a station. So I will have to set the max power usage pretty low, limiting my options greatly. Lets say I set a very low 100 units to use for this fighter. Using our equation, we can set the total and look for options.
100=(V*D)*S

From there I can try to define how my radar should work. Should I make it super long range and detailed by sacrificing the other two parameters? Or should I balance all the features to make a radar that can see decent Range, Angle, Detail, and Scan Time? An Engineer must balance these features to suit the needs of his craft.

This in the end creates balance, as one must create a dedicated craft for a radar for it to function as a "Super Radar". Otherwise one must balance their Radar by either decreasing its Max Power Usage or increase the Power generated by the craft.

In the end how much actualy power is required for a "unit" is up to you, the creator. But I feel that this would be some of the starting touches of a basic "Realistic and Balanced" Radar system.

If you are intrested in this at all and would like further information feel free to PM me or add a reply here (I will be subscribed to this discussion).

Thank you for reading (or not) my rediculously long post.

I have a suggestion to add to above:
A radar mode that lets you lock onto and continuously track a target, at the expense of not seeing anyone else. Oh, and decoys might fool it.