1. A summary of key points from the video shown below, for a better and in depth explanation click on the link. Thanks to rdks.
You Tube Video: Explaining Mechanics: Vehicle Spotting - YouTube (website link)
Additionally watch the following vid:
It basically boils down to this, not exposing your emitters (keeping them covered/concealed) and positioning detectors where they can spot opposing vehicles. Shooting at vehicles outside your max view range or if they are within max view range that your view is masked from their observation (behind a solid object, in a depression, on the backside of a hill, etc).
2. Spotting Terms.
Max Draw Range (Outer Circle) :
Maximum Distance Vehicle Can See.
Can see vehicle if spotted by another vehicle.
565 Meters (Depends on Vehicle)
Max View Range:
Range you can Spot Vehicles
Up to 445 Meters
Both for Enemy and Allied Vehicles
Can shoot without being spotted if outside this distance
Can be spotted if firing within this distance
Current View Range:
Distance you can see
Can be hit if firing in Current View Range
3. Each Vehicle has 7 Visibility Checkpoints (Emitters/Sensors - Detectors - Receivers), 2 of which function as View Range Ports (receivers/detectors/sensors). There are five (six?) emitters: One on front, rear and each side, one rear of tank and one on high point of turret (one at the mantlet ?). Note all the emitters are hidden.
There are three circles (provided you have enabled them in settings). The draw range, the max view range, and the current view range.
If you fire within a vehicles current view range you can be spotted. if you fire at your max view range you should not be spotted.
Spot by parallel to or side scrapping 45 degrees or less away from enemy keeping front and side emitters from enemy <--- / (generally when shooting you side scrap front at a angle
[ \ ] towards enemy forces.
4. What the circles on the mini-map mean.
Max Draw Range (Outer Circle) :
Maximum Distance Vehicle Can See.
565 Meters (Depends on Vehicle)
Max View Range (Middle Circle):
Range you can Spot Vehicles
Up to 445 Meters
Both for Enemy and Allied Vehicles
Can shoot without being spotted
Current View Range (Inner Circle) :
Distance you can see
Can be hit if firing in Current View Range
Note regardless of view ranges, cover or concealment all vehicles will spot another vehicle within 50 meters.
To enable or disable the Circles. In the Garage in the upper left is a "gear wheel" click on that a menu will appear, click on "Settings" at the top of the list. A settings box will appear click on the "General Tab"
On the right side of the "General Tab" is the "Battle Interface" check boxes, immediate below that is "View Range Indicators on the Minimap", check all three of the boxes.
5. Location of emitters and sensors. As can be seen below the vehicle on the left has the emitters covered. The green circles are the location of the sensors that detect other vehicles.
Note: If you getting spotted and the side/front/emitters are hidden, then it is possible you are getting spotted via the top emitter because the other tank is on higher ground or you have an extremely high cupola (Many American Tanks: M4 .... M60)
6. Examples of incorrect emitter and sensors.
a. Incorrect. Emitter not hidden.
b. Correct. Sensors can detect, the front emitter not detected. Would it be better to have the front slope at an angle facing away from the enemy (Side Scrapping?
c. Incorrect. Emitters can be detected sensors can not detect.
d. Correct way to spot on a hill, note the sensors can detect and the emitters can not be detected.
7. Crew skills and equipment difference between a tank with skills and equipment and one without. The crew with the skills and equipment in this example can spot the opposing vehicle at 427 and the one without can spot at 375. (View Range is dependent on the vehicle, the numbers given are not for all vehicles - just for the vehicles shown below).
8. Maxed out View Range is dependent on:
Equipment (Binos - Optics)
Consumables
Crew Skills
Cdr - Recon (on some vehicles the Cdr is the RTO, both skills must be selected)
Radio - Situational Awareness
If the Cdr is knocked out the vehicle loses 6th sense and 50 percent of view range)
9. Firing at a vehicle outside the view range using the map. Aline your camera view angle (yellow line) with the target on the map, then using your view shoot at the most likely location of where vehicle is.
