Mortar mathematics
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TheLordHighExecutioner
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 2015-12-12 05:20
Mortar mathematics
My friend and I are trying to use math and field tests to pre-calculate mortar firing positions. I just have a few questions about mortars and maps.
1. What is the velocity of the mortar projectile?
2. Does the mortar projectile obey physics? I.e. range = v^2 * sin(2*angle) * (1/g).
3. Or does it follow the polynomial approximation: Angle = -8.869232072*10^(-22)*x^8 + 5.863078464*10^(-18 )*x^7 - 1.645660969*10^(-14)*x^6 + 2.552955503*10^(-11)*x^5 - 2.385872722*10^(-8 )*x^4 + 1.370373343*10^(-5)*x^3 - 4.712480004*10^(-3)*x^2 + 8.691949397*10^(-1)*x + 19.70789909, where x is the range
4. Is there a way to measure distance on maps, besides the lasers and the squad leader's marker?
5. How large is each map square on Muttrah and Al-Basrah?
1. What is the velocity of the mortar projectile?
2. Does the mortar projectile obey physics? I.e. range = v^2 * sin(2*angle) * (1/g).
3. Or does it follow the polynomial approximation: Angle = -8.869232072*10^(-22)*x^8 + 5.863078464*10^(-18 )*x^7 - 1.645660969*10^(-14)*x^6 + 2.552955503*10^(-11)*x^5 - 2.385872722*10^(-8 )*x^4 + 1.370373343*10^(-5)*x^3 - 4.712480004*10^(-3)*x^2 + 8.691949397*10^(-1)*x + 19.70789909, where x is the range
4. Is there a way to measure distance on maps, besides the lasers and the squad leader's marker?
5. How large is each map square on Muttrah and Al-Basrah?
Last edited by TheLordHighExecutioner on 2015-12-12 19:19, edited 1 time in total.
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SkyEmperor
- Posts: 186
- Joined: 2015-06-22 17:34
Re: Mortar mathematics
TheLordHighExecutioner wrote:My friend and I are trying to use math and field tests to pre-calculate mortar firing positions. I just have a few questions about mortars and maps.
1. What is the velocity of the mortar projectile?
2. Does the mortar projectile obey physics? I.e. range = v^2 * sin(2*angle) * (1/g).
3. Or does it follow the polynomial approximation: Angle = -8.869232072*10^(-22)*x^8 + 5.863078464*10^(-1*x^7 - 1.645660969*10^(-14)*x^6 + 2.552955503*10^(-11)*x^5 - 2.385872722*10^(-
*x^4 + 1.370373343*10^(-5)*x^3 - 4.712480004*10^(-3)*x^2 + 8.691949397*10^(-1)*x + 19.70789909, where x is the range
4. Is there a way to measure distance on maps, besides the lasers and the squad leader's marker?
5. How large is each map square on Muttrah and Al-Basrah?
1. Don't know
2. Most of the games don't have 99% accurate physics, so not sure about that
3. Probably
4.You can use Pythagoras, I believe you can see this hint sometimes while loading.
5. Check the bottom right corner of your map,depending on how big is the map you should see something like 150m or 300m or 200m...
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rPoXoTauJIo
- PR:BF2 Developer
- Posts: 1979
- Joined: 2011-07-20 10:02
Re: Mortar mathematics
1. 148.643923 bf meters/sTheLordHighExecutioner wrote:My friend and I are trying to use math and field tests to pre-calculate mortar firing positions. I just have a few questions about mortars and maps.
1. What is the velocity of the mortar projectile?
2. Does the mortar projectile obey physics? I.e. range = v^2 * sin(2*angle) * (1/g).
3. Or does it follow the polynomial approximation: Angle = -8.869232072*10^(-22)*x^8 + 5.863078464*10^(-1*x^7 - 1.645660969*10^(-14)*x^6 + 2.552955503*10^(-11)*x^5 - 2.385872722*10^(-
*x^4 + 1.370373343*10^(-5)*x^3 - 4.712480004*10^(-3)*x^2 + 8.691949397*10^(-1)*x + 19.70789909, where x is the range
4. Is there a way to measure distance on maps, besides the lasers and the squad leader's marker?
5. How large is each map square on Muttrah and Al-Basrah?
2. Yes. Keep in mind that bf G is not 9.8, but around14.86 m^2\s.
3. wat
4. Depends on conditions. If you're ingame dude, then nothing you can do besides those you mentioned + Pythagoras stuff. If you're server admin, you can develop a python tool that will measure distance for you, just need to specify conditions and output format.
5. Bottom right, scale is displayed.

assetruler69: I've seen things you smurfs wouldn't believe. Apaches on the Kashan. I watched burned down tank hulls after the launch of the single TOW. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to give up and respawn.
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Fir3w411
- Posts: 341
- Joined: 2014-03-01 17:56
Re: Mortar mathematics

"Sometimes you just gotta use torture tactics."
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TheLordHighExecutioner
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 2015-12-12 05:20
Re: Mortar mathematics
1. Okay, so my estimated projectile velocity as 148.492424 was pretty close.rPoXoTauJIo wrote:1. 148.643923 bf meters/s
2. Yes. Keep in mind that bf G is not 9.8, but around14.86 m^2\s.
3. wat
4. Depends on conditions. If you're ingame dude, then nothing you can do besides those you mentioned + Pythagoras stuff. If you're server admin, you can develop a python tool that will measure distance for you, just need to specify conditions and output format.
5. Bottom right, scale is displayed.
2. Do you have a source on this and the projectile velocity? I've heard that g is 14.7.
3. This is the equation the mortar calculator uses.
4. What is Pythagoras? Is it just the Pythagorean theorem? Also, if I make a local server, can I make a Python tool to measure distance?
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[TP]Olsen
- Posts: 25
- Joined: 2012-01-30 15:09
Re: Mortar mathematics
On a 300m grid Map:TheLordHighExecutioner wrote: 4. What is Pythagoras? Is it just the Pythagorean theorem? Also, if I make a local server, can I make a Python tool to measure distance?
D=sqrt((300m^2)+(300M^2))
This will find the distance across a grid on the diagonal.
So you can also apply more advanced mathematics of geometry and sin/cos/tan
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Tit4Tat
- Posts: 514
- Joined: 2009-12-11 12:41
Re: Mortar mathematics
BlackGus wrote:
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Tommygun
- Posts: 325
- Joined: 2011-03-16 08:08
Re: Mortar mathematics
Isn't there a random variance around the target, like a 25m hit spread either side? If so, your fancy mathematics may amount to nowt? Can one really get pinpoint accurate with mortars & maths in this game? Would it mean you have to deploy your mortars in exactly the same position each time on each map?
Mortars are pretty fast, simple and effective with good operators right now.
Mortars are pretty fast, simple and effective with good operators right now.
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HarryTheGuv'nor
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 2015-12-13 19:23
Re: Mortar mathematics
I know how to write boobs on a calculator.
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TheLordHighExecutioner
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 2015-12-12 05:20
Re: Mortar mathematics
The more accurately I can pinpoint where to shoot, the more accurate my shots land, even accounting for dispersion. If my aiming has a 2m dispersion, my shots will land, at most, 27m away from my target. If my aim has a 50m dispersion, my shots will land as far as 75m away from my target.Tommygun wrote:Isn't there a random variance around the target, like a 25m hit spread either side? If so, your fancy mathematics may amount to nowt? Can one really get pinpoint accurate with mortars & maths in this game? Would it mean you have to deploy your mortars in exactly the same position each time on each map?
Mortars are pretty fast, simple and effective with good operators right now.
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[at]Vio-Lence
- Posts: 64
- Joined: 2013-06-29 20:13
Re: Mortar mathematics
An old player by the name of JordacheJeans figured out an equation when the mortars were bugged (around version 1.0 i think?). If I remember correctly he figured out how many seconds you need to hold the W key down for any specific distance when the mortar is at maximum range (by holding A down for like 20 seconds or something to get it zeroed so to speak). The shorter the time you hold W the greater the distance
Last edited by [at]Vio-Lence on 2015-12-15 02:36, edited 1 time in total.
In game name: Vio-Noob__
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Fir3w411
- Posts: 341
- Joined: 2014-03-01 17:56
Re: Mortar mathematics
Pythagoras is really useful for exact ranges with the mortars. The range given in the caps screen is a range rounded to nearest 50 meters. So if you have 160 meter range, it shows as 150 meters. This results inaccuracy in shots (which is why you almost always land short or far.)
It's a really nice way to land targets dead on if you have to hit armor or a roof.
Edit:
I made a docs of the mortar equation. It's a bit cleaner now:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GO ... sp=sharing
It's a really nice way to land targets dead on if you have to hit armor or a roof.
Edit:
I made a docs of the mortar equation. It's a bit cleaner now:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GO ... sp=sharing
Last edited by Fir3w411 on 2015-12-25 05:06, edited 3 times in total.

"Sometimes you just gotta use torture tactics."

