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

Imagine my utter surprise when I went to launch GMax today to do some update work on the SR20G2, only to discover...my entire gmax folder had disappeared!!!Thank God I'm a firm believer in backups! My latest backup of the entire gmax folder and contents was done a week ago, and all critical files are backed up daily to not only my "archive machine" but to the ESDG ftp server as well...This has been a strange week!:-bang :-fume :-grr :-hang :-kewl :-8 *:-* :-newburn

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I don't know if this has been poszted before, but you might know that C gauges can't use transparent GDI drawing (IMAGE_CREATE_DIBSECTION leads always to non-transparency, however the "old" way of GDI drawing, i.e. bitwise copy to the image buffer, might work with transparency). So e.g. HUDs with GDI are impossible with C gauges. XML gauges however can use the "CustomDraw" elements, and their black (RGB(0,0,0)) parts are transpararent, therefore XML gauges can use transparent GDI drawings for HUDs and similar. "All" you need to do, is to program a "C to XML" module DLL described in this topic:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...id=21558&page=3Arne Bartels

MQ-1B Predator HUD DesignI am a senior at USMA West Point, NY in the Engineering Psychology Dept.For my capstone project I was required to do a complete redesign of thePredator UAV HUD to address certain human factors, psychological, andsystems issues with UAV operation. We have a prototype layout but myteam lacks the ability to create a working HUD for FS2004. We arelooking for help to create this working prototype to present the firstweek of May. The design is very simple and looks similar to a fighterHUD but takes up the whole screen. If anyone is interested please posta reply with your email. This project is for the US Air Force and will bereviewed by General Atomics …

Hello There,Guys, sorry for my english first of all.I just wanna find answer on question how RealAir did fuzelagereplacement on their spifire ??? What is that ? XML ? Damage maps ? (no *_D.bmp textures on that model)Why knows help me, please.AndreyPS If you need a picture - I'd made that but couldn't place it here somewhat :(

Hello all.I want to have a go at making some custom gauges for FS2004 panels. I am a professional C++ programmer with years of games programming experience. I am looking for an aircraft modeller or panel artist to join up with. If there is anybody out there looking for a gauge programmer please get in touch with me!Mark

Does anybody know where I can find, or would like to create, a nozzel position gauge for a panel I am creating for the Alphasim F-111. Here is a preview of the 2d panel, a VC will be included, Thanks

I have the wonderful Flight 1 PA28 Archer, and enjoy lots of VFR flying around Biggin Hill in England. Last summer I had my one and only flying lesson from Biggin in a PA28, and am looking to repaint the plane to match the one I flew in.One thing that annoys me is that I have tried repainting the aircraft panel to replace the default aircraft registration code (N8439) with the actual one of the plane I flew in (G-LSFT).Although I have Photoshopped both the DF28_Main.bmp and DF28_Landing.bmp files in the panel folder to replace the code, the plane still shows N8439 on the Landing Panel. The Main Panel is okay and shows G-LSFT.So my thought is that maybe one of you genius g…

Hi to all of you!First at all, excuseme for my English. I'll try to write well.I'd like to add a gauge named radiocd4.gau to my panel of PMDG 737NG, but I can't.Like you see, i would like to lisen some music when I'm flying, specialy on those long flights.I guess a good place to put it, will be in the radio stack.I'll been trying but nothing hapens, the gauge refuse to apears. I don't know so much about design, i make my own adjustements in FS98, but now in FS2004 (FS9.1) is too difucult to me.Ok, if anyone can help me , I'll be very thanks to him/her.P.D.: Please if you can help me, be clearly with it, cause I'm not a designer, thanks.EmilioUshuaiaTierra Del Fuego(Argent…

Has anyone gotten the key_event KEY_SELECT_2, etc. to work?I'm trying to open both cockpit doors using the following, and it doesn't seem to be working. The pilot's door will open, then close again, rather than the copilot's door opening... ;(if (acft_on_grnd == 1 && chutetimer > 0 ){chutedown = 1 ;chutedeploy = 0 ;trigger_key_event (KEY_BRAKES,0) ;trigger_key_event (KEY_TOGGLE_AIRCRAFT_EXIT,0) ;trigger_key_event (KEY_SELECT_2,0);trigger_key_event (KEY_TOGGLE_AIRCRAFT_EXIT,0) ;}

Karl,I am trying to get numerals in a rotating compass to remain upright for the gauge I am working on, and I was told you might have the answer. I have tried everything I can think of, and the only way that worked for me (stepped bitmaps) isn't very practical. I would greatly appreciate any possible assistance.Thanks,Bruce

I have posted this question elsewhere and come up empty. What I'd like to be able to do is set a new default VC panel forward view so that when I start FS9.1 and go to my desired aircraft, the VC view for that specific panel will be set as I like it without having to adjust it every time (zoom, height, pitch, etc.). I am aware of the aircraft.cfg "eyepoint" setting and can make some of the needed adjustments there. I'm also aware of the panel.cfg "Views" section but the changes that are done there only affect the 2D panel view, not the VC.I have immersed myself in the SDKs but can't seem to find an answer. I'm going to be just fine if this isn't possible, but I'd like…

I just wanted to thank everyone who have put their minds into my problem with an oxygen system switch.Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to work any more on this, due to the fact that my company is doing so well right now.I have done a fairly extensive modification of FSQuality's SAAB105 that is originally a Swedish made jet trainer used by both the Swedish and Austrian airforce. Check out www.fsquality.com for more info.The FSQuality model is great, but I wanted a great looking Swedish version with a Swedish panel and gauges. So I decided to create one. As the work progressed in kind of grew into a much larger project. As it is I have the panel translated correctly. I…

I am working on an xml EHSI gauge and I need to have the numerals on the compass remain in an upright orientation. Is it possible to have numerals that both rotate with the compass, and rotate to remain upright?Bruce

Hi,Does anyone know where or if there is a listing for similar string operators such as "slen" ? For XML.Regards,Roman[a href=http://www.wheelchairaviators.org]http://online.vatsimindicators.net/820885/1793.png[/a]

Hello AVSIM Community. Me and a Friend are in the Process of Creating a New Virtual Airline on VATSIM Network. This would be a Fun Airline that would not be releated to any real world airline. We are in the process of Picking a Name for the Airline. The Paint for the Aircraft Would be Simple and Should not be that hard. I tried to make my own Paint but Failed. If you are Interested please Email me at [email protected] Painter or Painters would be a Admin on the Forums and have Privlages on the Website.I repeat. If you are Interested in Helping us get this Airline Started Please Email me at [email protected]!

Is it NOT possible to use alpha bitmaps for dynamic gauge elements? I am making some gauges that use alpha bitmaps, but anytime I try to use one for a needle or anything else that moves, it doesn't display. The rest of the gauge is, just not my alpha bitmap. I am using XML by the way. Is this just not possible?!? If that is so, I can't imagine why.Ian Grant

Hello - What determines visibility of gauges in a VC? (I couldn't find info on this in the SDK, nor any tutorials.)I've noticed in some VCs that gauges may not be visible in certain areas, or gauges may be cut off by an unseen boundary, as if they are visible through a hole in the panel. I haven't been able to find alpha channels that would seem to cause this, using either Photoshop or DXTBmp. Could someone give give me some hints about this? Or point me to a tutorial perhaps? Is FS Panel Studio the right tool to work on this?If a Vcockpit section specifies texture=$XXXXX, am I correct if thinking that textureXXXXX_L.bmp will be used, as well as other textures with deriva…

I know how to make a keyframe animation for a vintage aircraft (control surface, control horns, and cables).However, I have a problem with a specific aircraft. The elevator cable runs inside the tailplane (at right angles to the aircraft centre line then round a pulley to turn through 90 deg in r/l) then emerges from the tailplane upper surface to run to a control horn on the elevator.If I make the control cable to the upper horn long enough just to enter the tailplane upper surface when the elevator is fully down, the end of the cable projects below the lower surface of the tailplane when the elevator is fully up. There's a similar problem with the lower cable.Any bright…

Hi,Could someone please help me with the following, I have only just started looking at XML gauges and to be honest know nothing yet, although I have managed to make a couple of gauges purely by looking at how other peoples ones were made.What I would like to be able to do is create a pushbutton which will extend the PMDG 737 airstairs the first time it is clicked, and on the second click retract them.I understand how to make a gauge that will work to open doors for example but the problem I have with the PMDG 737 is that it uses two different commands one to extend the airstairs and another to retract them.To extend the airstairs it uses the "Extend Concorde Nose & V…

Has anyone done this gauge yet? I'm imagining a gauge for unpressurized planes that recognizes when you've been flying higher than X number of feet for X number of hours, and, if you haven't flipped the oxygen switch, it starts to make the screen get blurry or darker, and eventually crashes you if you don't recognize what is wrong and switch on your oxygen. Also, it keeps track of the amount of oxygen you have used, and, if you don't recharge the tanks, you eventually run out with applicable consequences.Thomas

Is there a way I can access the nav database for all my fixes, vors, and apts? I'd like to make my own map display and use the same navaids that are in FS2004.

Hi,I am currently working on an aircraft design in GMAX. Can anyone tell me how I include an animation sequence after the engines have been switched off. Something like service trucks pulling up etc... Also how do I make the pilot disapear out of the cockpit in the exterior view once the engines have been switched off. Help much appreciated.thanx

Hello,I am building a cockpit that is largely enclosed and has small windows, consequently there is very little light that gets in. Is there a way to assign VC interior material a self-illumination property, so that it stays lit with a uniform intensity (or, preferably, the texture with which it is textured does NOT get brighter or darger depending on how light is hitting it) no matter which way the sun shines? It looks very odd right now when the cockpit walls light up and there is no sun shining on them...Thanks,Misho

How would i set up the section of an XML switch to perform multiple actions. for example, how would you make it toggle all 4 afterburners at once.Also, is there a way to have a switch only work once? I want to fail a system and not be able to click it again to un-fail the system.I am still very new to XML, so bear with my ignorance-Matt