Help with Cockpit Graphics

[dolph98 24]

Hi,My advice: Make a backup of your panel.cfg first. The program will make backups for you each time you save unless you turn it off in settings (which I did) but it's best to name one yourself so you know where to find it if you goof up.Don't forget that you need to modify the bitmap to make it wider first, or this won't work.Then, it is pretty straight forward using FSPS. The program itself is very easy to use.I did one panel by had at first. You have no idea what a pain that was to change a number, then reload and see it wasn't right, then change it again, repeat. Over and over. That's why I invested the 25 bucks.I guess the hard part is getting the bitmap to your liking. Moving the gauges is easy but time consuming.Dolph

[dolph98 24]

I can't stand VCs for some reason. The perspective is way off to me. Yep, that's the ticket. Nice. Did you copy/flip/past the right side in that bitmap? That's what I did on some panels.Yeah, my Cessna 182 is exactly like yours, Radio stack filling in the right. I will do it more like your first shot when time permits or when I get the urge to fly a 182. That's the way it will work, I will do it out of necessity.

[thepilot 578]

>Hi,>>My advice: Make a backup of your panel.cfg first. The program>will make backups for you each time you save unless you turn>it off in settings (which I did) but it's best to name one>yourself so you know where to find it if you goof up.>>Don't forget that you need to modify the bitmap to make it>wider first, or this won't work.>>Then, it is pretty straight forward using FSPS. The program>itself is very easy to use.>>I did one panel by had at first. You have no idea what a pain>that was to change a number, then reload and see it wasn't>right, then change it again, repeat. Over and over. That's why>I invested the 25 bucks.>>I guess the hard part is getting the bitmap to your liking.>Moving the gauges is easy but time consuming.>DolphSo I have to make the bitmap wider first?Do you have any experience data for me? Like width/height setting?Regards,

[Fielder 3,677]

"Yeah, my Cessna 182 is exactly like yours, Radio stack filling in the right. I will do it more like your first shot when time permits or when I get the urge to fly a 182. That's the way it will work, I will do it out of necessity."The first shot of mine that you mentioned is simply the VC panel. All I did was hit the s key and there it was!FSPS does help some in modifying VC as well as 2D panels, but its more helpful with 2D's. Those natural point videos show how VC flying can work well even with 3 monitors, I wasn't sure, now I am!Assigning keys to panning works great in 2D panels, the panel stays still but the scenery seen through the windscreen (which is 3D) pans up or down, handy for seeing the RY's way below when landing.

[dolph98 24]

Oh haha, I thought it was your 2D "art". That shows you how often I use VCs. Didn't even recognize it.

[dolph98 24]

Well, I generally start by opening the bitmap with Paint and pressing CTL E. That gives the x by y size of the file. Since panels vary in size, you need to calculate the 5:4 size. So, take for instance a bitmap that is 1024 x 768 to start with. I want it to be about 20% wider so it scrunches down in the sim. 1200 or 1280 works nicely. Then change the 1024 to 1200 and resize the picture to fit the new background. This is not exact and the experts here are probably laughing their patukis off at me but it works and I have had some excellent results. If you try this and it doesn't look quite right in the sim, delete the file, restore the original, and start over. I am now working on the Flight1 Pilatus PC-12 which I just purchased last night. I will post a pic of it when I get done, should be this evening sometime. Dolph

[altstiff 71]

Wide screen with a VC is awesome.

[dolph98 24]

Here's my Flight 1 Pilatus PC-12 2D cockpit rework. It took awhile more than I thought. Finished V1 tonight. For V1, I captured the VC and opened the windows with opaque then repositioned the gauges. V2 will be their regular 2D panel redone by lengthening the left side. I have that .bmp half done but I'm having trouble meshing the bottom left corner to look right. The picture really doesn't do it justice, the .bmp is hi-res at 2304x1536 all scrunched down so I can upload it within Avsim's limits.I haven't even flown the plane since I purchased it night before last. Tonight I plan to read the manual and go for a putt.dolph

[Fielder 3,677]

Well that's an interesting way to always get a pretty good 2D panel out of the VC. I hadn't thought of using that method before.

[Guest LeeWang]

Have you ever played with resizing the 2D panel this way?Open up the panel.cfg, and add these lines:window_size= 1.000, 0.783 // use 78.3% of the screen widthwindow_pos= 0.000, 0.220Example of the default 737-400 panel.cfg(Window00)file=Main_640.bmpfile_1024=Main_1024.bmpsize_mm=640position=7visible=1ident=MAIN_PANELwindow_size=1.000, 0.783 <----------addedwindow_pos=0.000, 0.220 <----------addedProblem is, you now have to adjust your viewpoint in the panel.cfg to your liking as you lose some outside window view. But the guages are now round, perfect for "IFR".Lee

[dolph98 24]

Hi Lee,I actually have never done this so I tried it today. It is effective but it doesn't always work. It works on the default 737 and the 747 but not the 777. The 777 bitmap is standard sized at 1024x768 so that's why it doesn't stretch properly I think. And the 777 overhead switch panel is built into the bitmap and on the others it is a separate window. Their bitmaps are smaller in the Y axis, 540 pixels or so and therefore they stretch better. Other freeware aircraft may work with this trick but again it depends on their bitmap size.Anyway, I'm glad you found satisfaction by doing this. I don't fly heavies and if I did, I would no doubt redo my panel like I do the others and not IFR sized. Dolph

[dolph98 24]

Well, let me tell you that the Flight 1 Pilatus is worth the $27. I flew it about 700 miles last night and it's very well done. Of course I have never even seen a real Pilatus but the specs seem to be modeled properly. The money was worth it also because now I have some new gauges and things to put in other panels.And my new experimental panel? It worked pretty well. I have a full panel as well as a great outside view all without having to learn how to use a VC. VC's are nice, perhaps I will get used to them then I won't have to do any of this carving out new panel work. (I did find myself switching between VC and 2D a couple of times to try it)To be honest, I may not do another panel with the 3D capture as a background .bmp again because the numbers/letters on the gauges are very small even on my 24" monitor. Depends on the panel I guess. The Pilatus GPS is practically unreadable at that size. Fortunately, when you click the face of the GPS, and some other gauges, a bigger version pops up and you can read the silly things.

[thepilot 578]

Hi DolphThanks for your advice.I tried out what you said and it works, but it seems I'm not an expert in moving/resizing the gauges. Do you have a specific way you do this?Regards,

[dolph98 24]

You said you have FS Panel Studio. Read the docs, use your mouse, resize and reposition with the mouse. It is easy as pie. Put the gauges over the "holes" in the panel background or place them where they used to be. No science to it. dolph

[thepilot 578]

>You said you have FS Panel Studio. Read the docs, use your>mouse, resize and reposition with the mouse. It is easy as>pie. Put the gauges over the "holes" in the panel background>or place them where they used to be. No science to it. >dolphOK, will do. What makes it harder in my case is that the bitmap is basically blank.Regards,