Deadweasel

[TABLE=width: 800] [TR] [TD] ^^This. The patches are really only relevant to the team involved with the project/group. Usually the imagery is created based on inside jokes or references that are passed around like a meme. Also, mission logos for NRO/NSA aren't always so seemingly threatening. For the most part, they are like this: The latin phrase is roughly translated as "We are not going to war." This one has little known background, but is thought to originate from another Area-51 testing project. The "motto" is apparently very muddled Latin/Greek, and is probably most accurately translated as "Freedom throughout the cosmos" [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

No, zoom doesn't work while paused (at least not for me on .22). Also, yes, of course rendering happens without physics calculations, or you wouldn't be able to access the pause menu while paused. However, I think you're confusing the idea of "rendering" with actual animation, which is what camera movement is, in a sense, and which itself requires additional rendering work. I know at least this much is true based on experiments with frame buffer captures that result in geometry that includes not only the local stuff, but also a huge slice of whatever else is within view range of the camera at the time (such as a wide swath of Kerbin's surface). If the geometry is present at the time of capture, that geometry obviously needs to be calculated and introduced as the camera changes its angle, and I definitely see the geometry changing between captures at different view angles. Captured while looking at the nose of a plane on the runway, immediately after launch This tells me that the pause function really is a total pause, where the engine won't render anything different from what was visible in the camera at the moment the pause was enabled, because changing the camera angle means doing additional rendering work to include the "new" geometry in the view. One element that backs this theory is the fact that while the game is running, say on a basic ship on the runway, the fan on my video card is ramped up slightly to the point where I can hear it. If I hit pause, the fan spools back down to about the level it's normally at, sitting at the desktop. Yes, I know that's really only a reliable indicator that physics calculations have been paused, but given that the fan speed goes up the more I move the view around on the ground, I think it's a fairly logical connection to say that the camera view is locked because the pause function halts ALL new processing, not just physics. Just based on what I've discovered so far, I would imagine that if there were a way to bypass the frame freeze at pause and move the camera, you'd see nothing but black beyond the edges of what was in view the moment you hit pause.

For that last part, here's a hint: Watch the mouse pointer when positioning. The part is placed based on the mouse pointer's location, so try to point right at the connection point of the decoupler before you place, and cam up/down vertical to ensure the part is on properly. After that, just drag a copy of the hookup to the subassembly manager. Eventually you'll never have to worry about placing individual components on those decouplers again.

I wonder if the complete freeze thing on pause has to do with Unity itself. It may not be possible to have movement of any sort when the game is paused, because Unity acts as a "player" (as in media player) when running, and moving the camera is a kind of scene animation/navigation that's not possible while the player is halted. Just a thought, no idea how accurate it may be.

Nope, just random points (from C7): http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1262906&page=116

They don't really follow anything in particular; they are simply animating to look like they are.

I've just been rooting around in the source, and... yeah, I'm definitely no C coder. However, I think I found the portion that's relevant: private static float scale = .65f; private static int gaugeWidth = 800; private static int gaugeHeight =814; private static Rect gaugeRect = new Rect(0, 0f, gaugeWidth * scale, gaugeHeight * scale); private static float visiblePortion = .76f; private static int settingsWindowHeight = 68; It seems the assertion that the size is hard-coded was dead-on. I was going to play around with different values, but alas, I don't have .Net Studio installed because it's a behemoth of a space hog that takes ages to download and install, so I can't compile the new source to see what happens. EDIT: I run at 1920x1080, and I certainly don't see image degradation anywhere near what that screenie is showing! :/ EDIT 2: *cough* Didn't realize NavyFish was already aware of the situation. I'll just go take a seat over there and watch quietly now, kthx. >_>

There are a few more, most likely, and they will probably all be associated with programs based at Area 51 or White Sands, New Mexico. Folks who operate on those bases are just normal people like everybody else; they hear all the chatter about the places that employ them. This will inevitably wind up being reflected in program patches based out of their respective facilities. Not sure I can find those, unless one or more of my AF buddies might have run across one during their work, but in the meantime: This one is from a t-shirt, featuring a stylized version of the patch that U2 (aka "Dragon Lady") crews would wear

Well he's got a real world job to handle. How about diving in and figuring out how things work to make one for yourself? It only takes a vision and some determination to learn... I started working with Photoshop back in v3 simply because I wanted to know how people were doing some of the crazy images I was finding. Now I can easily use it as an everyday part of my day job.

LOL okay, this one takes the cake for being just wrong.

"I'm pretty sure I had a ship, right flippin' here man! Something isn't right, I know it!"

Friend of mine with the Marines worked with VMA-311 for a time. I always wondered who in the flying hell came up with their mascot (which used to be represented in an obviously amateur but massive painting inside the squadron's maintenance hangar in Yuma). I'm not so sure that's what the FAIR use act was supposed to allow for...

I get that skipping every ten seconds or so on a high part count ship, but the frame rate in general will be low. The actual skips aren't nearly that frequent for me, but it's really hard to try to pin down what's "normal" where PCs are concerned. I have a 550ti card and the game runs from a 7200rpm drive. The major difference between us may be either in driver versions or in other apps running on the system. For example, I refuse to run the latest nVidia drivers because they've had a bug in them in the last few versions for our cards, where the system will lock up solid with some ludicrous and irrational error showing in the system logs. I had to fall back to version 314.22 because of it, and I left out all the stupid auto-updater and 3D junk (which hog unreasonable amounts of memory) as well.

Heheheheh nah, you're safe. The internet is truly a big place, so I can hardly get indignant about running across somebody else who had a similar idea. I've had this moniker for many years now, since before the internet was even a (publicly-accessible) thing. I honestly find it pretty cool to stumble across other "weasels" on the Web, but if my nick actually inspired yours, I am at once honored and righteously tickled pink! There's a user on the small IRC network I frequent, who went by "SneakyWeasel". There's a bit of a legend surrounding him, as he died just before I came aboard, but his nick remained logged-in on the network for almost a year afterward. I felt a little weird when I heard about it, but the others simply saw it as an interesting coincidence and opportunity to give chills to the newbies.

I dub thee: NCC-KX01 "Expedition"! Side-note: Interesting how your computer handles the lag, with the odd regular gaps in processing. Unless you're on a laptop with a 5400 RPM drive, or relatively low-powered video card that's struggling with the game and simultaneous video capture.

HAHAHAHA wow... Man, talk about poking at the conspiracy nuts!! I'll bet anything that's not the intention they had in mind with the design, but I agree they're definitely testing the limits with that one. Also: "Decent Weasel"? Heh, didn't know there were more weasels around the forums. Ogrish/Liveleak, sure, but not here.

Oookay? So you're saying "criminals are weird", right? Actually, I'm pretty sure the patch designers are pretty far removed from the folks in charge of the programs they're working on. I highly doubt some senator or Pentagon official sat down and literally doodled out any of those patches, as quirky as they may be.

Please update your home location so I know whether I need to be prepared to move away, kthx. XD

Awesome! I'll be throwing down on one or two of these, though after the holidays have passed. The wallet is currently sobbing for mercy under the crushing demand of so many gift purchases.

"PWAH! PWAH PWAH PWAAA!"

To both: Hyperedit. You're welcome. (And HOLY CARP BahamutoD, that looks SWEET!)

A lot of sci-fi doesn't try to be as hard as possible, but is sometimes forced to introduce "BS factors" in order to make a particular setting or critical plot point possible to the story. I've always balked at the term "science fantasy", because it's unnecessarily redundant. It's fiction; of course it's fantasy. It doesn't matter how hard you try to make it, there will always be something in there that takes some suspension of disbelief before the story can be enjoyed. Humans working in deep space, living on other habitable planets, interstellar warfare, the list goes on, and applies to just about any space-based science fiction story (that isn't based on possible real world scenarios, such as Gravity). The Honor Harrington series goes out of its way to play the "hard science" card, but at the same time has some elements that are a bit of a stretch. They're all for the sake of the story though, and the general idea isn't that the reader is trying to pick apart the physics, so much as enjoy a good yarn full of action, intrigue and imagination. That said, I usually find myself caught up in the space battles, which are usually based on tactics used in actual historical naval engagements. <3

[TABLE=width: 800] [TR] [TD]Some of the government entities that operate here can be more than a little unnerving, unsettling or just downright weird. When one gets a look at some of the mission patches they've come up with over the years, the goosebumps are almost inevitable, especially when you realize this: mission patches are to commemorate a particular program and participation in it. Most of these are extremely secretive projects, so did participating pilots get these patches? Why would any organization looking to keep something secret give participants something that could easily find its way outside the black veil? Anyway, on with the crazy train! (pulled from http://cabinetmagazine.org/issues/24/paglen.php) This is a program patch from the National Reconnaissance Office, the United States’ "black" space agency whose existence was a secret until the early 1990s (the agency was formed in the early 1960s). DRAGON is an old code name within the BYEMAN information compartment for the infrared imaging capabilities on CRYSTAL (advanced KH-11) reconnaissance satellites. A National Reconnaissance Office program patch, whose referent remains entirely obscure. The Latin inscription translates as "Never before, never again." TENCAP is an acronym for Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities, a collection of programs that involve developing tactical (battlefield) applications out of reconnaissance satellite capabilities (which are normally thought of as strategic). "Special" almost invariably means "black" or highly classified. The phrase Oderint Dum Metuant is usually associated with Caligula, the first-century Roman emperor whose name became synonymous with depravity, madness, and tyranny. It translates as "Let them hate so long as they fear." The text of this patch roughly translates as "A Secret Squadron / From Deep in the Night / Don’t Ask Any Questions." This patch is or was probably worn by an obscure unit, operating out of a secret Air Force Base near Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada, called the "Ghost Squadron." The single star in the southwest United States presumably designates the group’s operating location. The Ghost Squadron may be a helicopter support and search-and-rescue team for test squadrons flying classified aircraft. Also based at Groom Lake, the Special Projects Flight Test Squadron is the Air Force’s premier "black" squadron for testing classified prototype aircraft. The squadron’s mascot is a wizard. A collection of six stars (five plus one) on the patch is a reference to the unit’s operating location: the secret base known as Area 51. The sigma symbol in the wizard’s right hand is a reference to the ideal radar signature of a stealth aircraft: zero. On the right side of the patch, the falling globe references aluminum balls dropped from the sky to calibrate radar equipment. Lightning bolts, such as the one emanating from the wizard’s staff, often refer to electronic warfare. The aircraft in the lower right is probably a generic symbol representing flight testing. The sword at the bottom of the image refers to a recently declassified Boeing stealth demonstrator known as the "Bird of Prey": the handle on the sword approximates the shape of this prototype. This commemorative patch for a classified flight test of an F-22 Raptor aircraft at Groom Lake shares many symbols with the Special Projects Flight Test Squadron. The mascot here is a Raptor clothed in the garments of a wizard, with a sigma symbol hanging from the figure’s neck. The collection of six stars is again a reference to Area 51. The phrase "1dB" may reference either the intended or actual radar cross-section measurement of the aircraft. This was the original version of a patch commemorating a flight test of a B-2 "Spirit" stealth bomber. The sigma symbol on the test shape’s outline signifies invisibility. The number "509" refers to the 509th Bomb Wing, which operates the United States’ stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The alien is probably a reference to the 509th’s lineage. In 1947, the 509th was based at Roswell, New Mexico, home of the infamous "Roswell incident," which ensued after the 509th’s commander, Col. William Blanchard, issued a press release whose headline stated: "Roswell Army Airfield Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region." The dog-Latin phrase Gustatus Similis Pullustranslates as "Tastes like chicken." The shapes on either side of the alien head seem to signify a fork and knife, which would be consistent with the patch’s theme of eating. This patch was eventually modified when Air Force officials insisted that the phrase "Classified Flight Test" could not appear on the design. In an updated version of this patch, that phrase has been replaced with the words "To Serve Man." This patch signifies a "black" project conducted by the Navy’s VX-9 Air Test and Evaluation Unit, based at Point Mugu, California. VX-9’s mission is to test strike aircraft, conventional weapons, electronic warfare equipment, and to develop tactics involving said weapons systems. The Latin phrase Si Ego Certiorem Faciam … Mihi Tu Delendus Eris roughly translates into a cliché commonly heard in the vicinity of "black" programs: "I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you." But the phrasing here is unusual because it is written in the passive voice: a more accurate translation of the Latin would be "I could tell you, but then you would have to be destroyed by me." By employing the passive voice, the patch’s designer makes two references that would not exist in other phrasings. The first reference is to the Greek god of Chaos, Eris, about whom Homer wrote in Book Four of the Iliad: "[Eris] whose wrath is relentless … is the sister and companion of murderous Ares, she who is only a little thing at the first, but thereafter grows until she strides on the earth with her head striking heaven. She then hurled down bitterness equally between both sides as she walked through the onslaught making men’s pain heavier." The passive phrasing of the Latin also echoes the words of the second-century BCE Roman senator Cato the Elder, who roamed the Senate repeating the words Carthago delenda estâ€â€"Carthage must be destroyed." In 149 BCE, Cato got his way and Rome attacked the North African city, located near present-day Tunis. Three years after beginning their assault, the Roman army overran Carthage, tore down its walls, and sold its inhabitants into slavery. After the Roman Senate declared that no one would ever again live where the city had stood, legend holds that Rome salted the earth around the city in order to ensure that Carthage would remain a wasteland. ...and the most recent entry in the crazy mission logos category:(from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/nro-satellite-logo_n_4394577.html) Being applied to an upcoming satellite launch, commissioned by the National Reconnaissance Office. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which also oversees the NSA, tweeted pictures of the launch preparation. That spurred Christopher Soghoian, of the American Civil Liberties Union, to give the spooks some free advice: "You may want to downplay the massive dragnet spying thing right now. This logo isn't helping."[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

These were both "reversed" into their bay. Just select the target port, then right-click the port that will be docking to it, and "control from here". At that point, don't look at your ship in the way it normally flies. The docking port is the new "nose", and all you'll really need to watch is the gauge, and you're in business.

LOL okay good, at least it's not just me being thick, then.