Surface Scanning Module: what does the output mean?

[petersohn]

When I am using the Surface Scanning Module, the output either says "x.yz%" or "(x.yz% avg.). What's the difference between the two values (supposing they are the same numerically). I guess avg. means average, but what difference does it make?

Edited November 8, 2015 by petersohn

[DeMatt]

The "x.yz%" is an exact amount of ore at that landing site.

The "(x.yz% avg.)" is an average amount of ore over the entire planet.

If the Surface Scanning Module is showing the average, tell it to run its analysis. That will change its report to the exact amount of ore where the scanner is. Note that you conveniently only have to run one analysis per biome.

[qoonpooka]

The "x.yz%" is an exact amount of ore at that landing site.

The "(x.yz% avg.)" is an average amount of ore over the entire planet.

If the Surface Scanning Module is showing the average, tell it to run its analysis. That will change its report to the exact amount of ore where the scanner is. Note that you conveniently only have to run one analysis per biome.

Is that because ore intensity is biome-wide? or because it gives you all of the information for the whole biome in one go?

If neither, then that suggests that if you pick the wrong spot to analyze, you just lost whatever potential deposit that biome might've had?

[DeMatt]

...it gives you all of the information for the whole biome in one go?

This.

[petersohn]

That's strange. If I move along the terrain, even the average value changes. When I run an analysis, it turns to exact but the number is the same. I guess that it's a bug in the game that even if I don't run an analysis, it shows the exact value. Well, duh.

[DMagic]

The "x.yz%" is an exact amount of ore at that landing site.

The "(x.yz% avg.)" is an average amount of ore over the entire planet.

If the Surface Scanning Module is showing the average, tell it to run its analysis. That will change its report to the exact amount of ore where the scanner is. Note that you conveniently only have to run one analysis per biome.

The surface scanning module is a bit confusing because it incorrectly uses that [x% avg.] notation making you think that it works the same way as the narrow-band scanner, which functions as described above.

The surface scanner really shows the fully accurate resource value, regardless of whether or not the biome has been scanned from the surface. It only works from below 1000m above the terrain, so it doesn't change much as far as resource scanning goes, but it's still confusing.

You can test this by opening a narrow-band scanner's menu and a surface scanner's menu at the same time while on the surface. Before scanning the biome they will most likely show different values (drive around a bit if they don't), but both will show the [x% avg.] format. Now scan the surface and you'll see that the narrow-band scanner's readout will change to match the surface scanner's.

There is a field in the surface scanner's config file (RequiresUnlock = false) that can be used to toggle this behavior; it should change the narrow-band scanner's readout if you add they field to that too.