FSX/FSX-SE Aircraft and Panel Design Forum - How To

All,Using the recent TinMouse 732 (fantastic job!) but confused by the number of active systems in the panel. Is there a startup checklist that anyone can direct me to? Also, how do you get the plane to climb without using the joystick? I can't seem to get the nose pitch up to climb using the autopilot.Thanks for your help.;)

Just want to confirm that basics of proper gauge lighting.The following should be done:BITMAPS-------An alpha channel is created masking those areas that will be luminous at night. (bmp in imagetool will look black over areas being illuminated luminous)In MACROS---------Use IMAGE_USE_LUMINOUS for those elements which should be luminousIn Gauge Callback-----------------Do something like this: case PANEL_SERVICE_PRE_UPDATE: // Update gauge lookup_var(&panel_lights); if(panel_lights.var_value.n) { LIGHT_IMAGE( pgauge->elements_list[0]->next_element[0] ); } else { DARKEN_IMAGE( pgauge->elements_list[0]->next_element[0] ); } …

Someone has actually managed to persuade me to look again at FS... :) but I'm finding that quite a bit of my old sd2gau tutorials is now completely out of date. I've caught up with a lot of it and added some new stuff, but one area that I specifically need no longer works. Does anyone know how to grab the mouse cursor co-ordinates from a gauge? Getting cursor co-ordinates for the entire panel is dead easy but equally useless :/ and using the method that I detailed in sd2gau for FS2K and FS2K2 simply crashes FS9. I want to rotate an ASI speedbug by dragging the mouse and I need to check that the left button down action is within the bounding box defined by the size and pos…

Dear MSFS Design Experts, I urgently need help on designing a model for MSFS 2002. I have 2 days time and it is really hard for me to get to learn Abacus flight design studio. I would be very very happy if anyone can help me with this model:http://bayhaluk.googlepages.com/uavpicturesI actually have the model's 3D design and can export it in many 3d formats such as stp, igs etc.Please let me know,thanks in advanceEmail: [email protected]

Well, to control the bank indicator I tried this:double dampening = 0.91;FLOAT64 FSAPI Attitude_Bank_cb(PELEMENT_SPRITE pelement){ FLOAT64 bank_degs; lookup_var(&bank); // MODULE_VAR defined above if(isPowerOn & isGyroPowerOn) { // Battery ON AND Gyro switch ON -track toward var_value bank_degs = bank.var_old.n * dampening + bank.var_value.n * ( 1.0 - dampening ); bank.var_old.n = bank.var_value.n; } else { // Gyro not powered -track toward 28 degrees bank bank_degs = bank.var_old.n * dampening + 28 * ( 1.0 - dampening ); bank.var_old.n = bank.var_value.n; } return bank_degs;}but while the bank indicator moves as desire…

Is it possible to have a guage control only certain FX files?For instance, I wish the throttle to control certain Augmentor views, but wish the Augmentor to disappear when the throttle goes to 0-25% range.It was my thoughts that this only controls 'lights' or smoke, thus the Augmentor would be circuit 8 for Strobes and the controller gauge would activate that. However, if a person could activate 'precise' FX files, this would enable quite a bit of effects such as wing top surface 'vapor' on high G pulls, to appear without having to tax Smoke or Lights sections.Many thanks for any help or advice,BillLHC

In my work getting OpenGL rendering to C gauges I've always been mystified as to why the IMAGE_FORMAT enumeration that is used in the IMAGE structure in gauges.h lists so many formats as shown below:IMG_8_BIT_MONOCHROME = 0,IMG_8_BIT_INDEXED,IMG_15_BIT, // 1555IMG_16_BIT, // 565IMG_16A_BIT, // 4444IMG_24_BIT, // 888IMG_32_BIT, // 888IMG_32A_BIT, // 8888IMG_DXT1, // DirectX Texture Compression DXT1IMG_DXT3, // DirectX Texture Compression DXT3IMG_DUDV, // Pertubation dataIMG_MAX // keep this lastWhenever I create a 24-bit image in Photoshop and use…

I am trying to make an icon that is composed of 15 images (including the background), but it will only recognize return values of 0 - 9. Is there a 10 image limit, or am I doing the memory mapping wrong? Here is what I have:#define BMP_ICON_BACKGROUND 0x2700#define BMP_ICON_45LEFT 0x2701#define BMP_ICON_30LEFT 0x2702#define BMP_ICON_45LEFT30PITCH 0x2703#define BMP_ICON_45LEFT45PITCH 0x2704#define BMP_ICON_30LEFT45PITCH 0x2705#define BMP_ICON_30LEFT30PITCH 0x2706#define BMP_ICON_45PITCH 0x2707#define BMP_ICON_30PITCH 0x2708#define BMP_ICON_45RIGHT 0x2709#define BMP_ICON_30RIGHT 0x2710#define BMP_ICON_45RIGHT30PITCH 0…

I am trying to keep a vortice from rotating. The effect is for a trail of white compressed air to form over the top of a wing when over Mach1. The problem I am having is that the view of the effect stream rotates with the viewer. Is there a way to 'lock' the bitmap flow effect so that it is level with the vehicle's surface?I need it to look like a blanket forming at the leading edges and flowing up and over the wings and forming a slight trail behind the vehicle.Here is the effect so far in my rough beginnings.//////////////////////////FX START[Library Effect]Lifetime=5Version=1.00Display Name=fx_SlipDrive_QUANTUM[Properties]Virtualcockpit=1Cockpit=1Spot=1Tower=1[Emitt…

Hi,I'm just beginning to learn about repaints. I removed UNITED from the fuselage BMP then saved. Opened FS chose the aircraft and the entire fuselage was grey. Replaced the BMP with another from a different paint and had my colors back. I see most everyone is using paintshop pro or corel. I made this small change with Microsoft's default paint program. Are the BMP's of a special type? I noticed some other programs could not open them? Anyone have any thoughts on this problem?Thanks!Roger

After rechecking the masks for correct RGB values (transparent and mask), and verifying they are correct, I still am having a problem at the right edge of the mask used in MAKE_MOVING for the horizon marker:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/152215.jpgI'm using these image flags in the sprites and moving elements: IMAGE_USE_TRANSPARENCY | IMAGE_USE_ERASE | IMAGE_BILINEAR_COLOR,and these in the STATIC IMAGE_USE_TRANSPARENCY | IMAGE_USE_LUMINOUS,actually, I need to add the luminous to the others now that I think about it.Any ideas? I am assuming the bilinear flag just allows bilinear resampling if the bitmap is reduced.Patrick

It's a litte too bright, so I'm going to tone it down just a little.Using a circular gradiant fill to create the spherical effect is more art than science, haha.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/152176.jpg

Hello, While not to do with panel design i would like some help if possible, I am using a panel in an aircraft which is not for this particular plane, everything works ok except for the throttle switch ,ie i would like to be able to set the speed on the autopilot, at the moment it lights up but will not hold it, is there anything i can change in the panel CFG file to fix it, Thanks,

Let's see where to begin...http://www.astech-engineering.com/systems/...nicssystems.gif

I am wanting to make my electric gyro instruments only come alive after their gyro power is switched on by a separate switch.So, I created my own attitude indicator, and the switch of course.the MAKE_SPRITE uses ATTITUDE_INDICATOR_PITCH_DEGREES ATTITUDE_INDICATOR_BANK_DEGREESwhich automatically "spool" down and up, but with battery power.So, in the SPRITE callback, if I use the power switch to just not connect them to the gauge, it would just sit in the zero position (which I could adjust) but then would snap to the spooled up values.So, it would seem that I will have to create functions that spool up to the current values, when they are switched on, and spool down …

Hi,After trying for half a day I cannot get the runway length in (L: Runway Length, feet) I keep getting 0. Obviously I am doing something wrong. But What?RoelofC:fs9gpsC:fs9gps (A:GPS POSITION LAT, Radians) (>@c:NearestAirportCurrentLatitude, Radians) (A:GPS POSITION LON, Radians) (>@c:NearestAirportCurrentLongitude, Radians) 1 (>@c:NearestAirportMaximumItems) 5 (>@c:NearestAirportMaximumDistance, NMiles) (A:GPS POSITION LAT, degrees) (>@c:GeoCalcLatitude1, degrees) (A:GPS POSITION LON, degrees) (>@c:GeoCalcLongitude1, degrees) 0 (>@c:WaypointAirportCurrentRunway) (@c:WaypointAirportRunwayLength, feet) (>L: Runway Length, feet)%Runway Length %((L:…

Is anyone out there using an alternative method of loading their gauge bitmaps other than storing them as resources attached to the .gau file and giving the MAKE_STATIC macros their resource handle? I'm not entirely experienced with .dll style coding and do not yet know how to proceed any differently.Ideally, I'd like to have all my gauge artwork in a seperate, compressed file that I load and decompress at run-time and then provide a pointer to the image for the MAKE_STATIC to refer to.Doing this has two benefits. The disk space 'footprint' of my gauge files is reduced for the user and the masterful artwork I painstakingly create for my gauges is better protected from ext…

Hello, I am trying to make the propeller pitch gauge for the Bf-109. Unfortunately I don't know the way it works on the real planeI have checked a book about cockpits and an Airliners.net photo and both gauges pict show: LUFTSCHRAUBE Stellungsanzeige (here is a pict). Graduations are 30,60,90, etc... as the blade angle, but the thing I don't understand is why are they 2 needles, a long and a smaller one. One should be enough for the blade angle using PROPELLER_1_BETA variable.A possibility for the small needle could be the percentage of the lever position (PROPELLER LEVER POSITION), so it could be easy to compare both values.Can anybody let me know the use of both needles…

In the panel SDK it says:The initialize_ ar function initializes a token variable. Before a token variable can be used, you must initialize it with initialize_var. initialize_var(PMODULE_VAR module_var)Now seems to me that since a module_var is really just a pointer to a structure, that this function would "function" to fill the structure with data.To be honest, I have not used it at all, and everything works. I define the MODULE_VARs I'm using like: MODULE_VAR electricity = { MAIN_BUS_VOLTAGE };in a Globals.cpp, and as EXTERN in an Extern.h, and then when I'm in a callback, I simply use lookup_var(). Now I'm guessing that this fills the structure with the curren…

Hello all,I am attempting to recreate the alpha shadow/light properties as used on the magnetic compass XML gauge from the DC3. The problem I am facing is how do I create or modify the bitmap that is an alpha channel?I use an old version of paintshop pro (5.1) and any modification I make to the shadow_alpha bmp, for example, results in a loss of transparency even if I make no changes and simply "save a copy as". It seems to have no trouble seeing the bmp, all the information is present except the alpha channel apparently.I have tried creating it as 24 bit and 8 bit greyscale, 24 bit true color (at least black is transparent in 24 bit) and even just simply manipulating a …

Here's the relevant code:static FLOAT64 FSAPI getSwitchPos(FLOAT64, ID, PCSTRINGZ, MODULE_VAR *, PGAUGEHDR){ return genSwitchPosition;}MOUSE_TOOLTIP_ARGS(switchArgs) MOUSE_TOOLTIP_ARG(MODULE_VAR_NONE, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, getSwitchPos, NULL, NULL)MOUSE_TOOLTIP_ARGS_ENDMOUSE_BEGIN(generatorSwitch_rect, HELP_NONE, 0, 0) // Toward RESET MOUSE_PARENT_BEGIN(0, 0, 75, 65, HELP_NONE) MOUSE_TOOLTIP_TEXT_STRING("genSwitchPosition: %1!d!", switchArgs) MOUSE_CHILD_FUNCT(0, 0, 75, 65, CURSOR_UPARROW, MOUSE_LEFTSINGLE, clickUp_mcb) MOUSE_PARENT_END // Toward ON MOUSE_PARENT_BEGIN(0, 85, 75, 65, HELP_NONE) MOUSE_TOOLTIP_TEXT_STRING("genSwitchPosition: %1!d!", switchArgs…

Edit: This is now working with the expected desired scale of 1.0. I am guessing this is scaling the sprite relative to the background. But still the reverse of what I would think.I cannot seem to find the reasoning behind the scale factors, and what they are scaling to what.For example, I have some .bmp's like this:mask1 - 97 pixels wide x 90 pixels highsprite1 - 145 pixels squarebackground - 145 pixels squareand for example this:MAKE_SPRITE( attitude_sprite_inner, // Name BMP_GAUGE_ATTITUDE_CARD1, // Res_ID attitude_sprite_horiz_list, // Next list attitude_fail, // Failure record IMAGE_USE_TRANSPARENCY | IMAGE_BILINEAR_COLOR, 0, // ASI flags 24, 2…

I am wanting to have a separate switch turn on the power to electric gyros. The current instruments come on with power, battery or alternator/generator.So, I'm guess that it's failure actions contain: { FAIL_SYSTEM_ELECTRICAL_PANELS, FAIL_ACTION_ZERO }, { FAIL_NONE, FAIL_ACTION_NONE }In aircraft.cfg there is stuff like this:[electrical]; BUS 0=Main, 1=Avionics, 2=Battery, 3=HotBattery, 4-7=Gen/Alt(1-4)light_strobe = 0, 5, 17.0 avionics = 0, 5, 17.0 directional_gyro = 0, 5, 17.0directional_gyro_slaving = 0, 5, 17.0additional_system = 0, 2, 17.0How do we decide which of these (and others available) an instrument is assigned to?It would seem that to assign one t…

Here's a little movie of what I've done so far. I am really enjoying this.http://home.comcast.net/~pwaugh/video/B206.Start.rarPatrick

Hello all,I'm working on creating a simulation of a sensor on an aircraft (in particular, a c-130) using Microsoft Flight Sim. Let me rephrase that... I have a running simulation of an aircraft that has no 3D visualization of the plane/terrain/world/etc. I want to use Flight Sim as a 3D tool to allow someone to control a sensor on the side of the plane.The sensor (on the real plane) has a HUD that shows the elevation and azimuth as well as the lat/long of where the sensor is looking. A person running my simulation should start Flight Sim and control where the sensor is looking and the zoom level and he/she would see the same HUD as in the aircraft.The problem appears to b…