FS2004, 2D panels & widescreen Monitor

[me4246 0]

Hi,I'm a newbie here and I'm looking for some help.I just installed a new Samsung 20" monitor, 1680x1050 resolution, and found - as you probably already know - that every panel is stretched, noticeably for the gauges locations that are now oval.I read some posts here about the issue, and gave a try with some solutions, but with no success, probably because each case was slightlydifferent from my situation and panel.cfg configuration. In one case, I obtained simply that my gauges disappeared, and I had to restore the original configuration from my backup.Now, I would like to have a standard operative sequence to follow in order to get a proportioned and not distorted panel with non oval gauges. For example, do I have in any case to modify my panel bitmap to my screen resolution (or in a similar proportion), or this is not always necessary?Which panel.cfg parameters I have to modify, if I should, and with which values?Will I have to open all the panels with FSPanels and move all the gauges to fit the new panel configuration or there is a magic parameter that makes the gauges proportionate in a single coommand?Excuse my dumbness and my bad english, but I hope you've get my problem and can help me.ThanksFrancesco

[Herbie63 0]

This is THE quick fix for all 1024 * 768 panels. Not the best, but the fastest fix...Open the main panel bitmap with Paintshop, Photoshpp, Gimp or whatever and add at its right side a dark grey (or any coulour you want - exepts pure black) area of 204 pixels width and 768 pixels height. So now the panel bitmap has a total size of 1228 x 768 pixels. Save it.Open the panel.cfg and add (or change the existing settings) of the main panel window [Window00] to this:size_mm=1228window_size=1.0,1.0position=0Save it and let go...The 1228 x 768 will give you the 1:1.6 ratio fitting to your 1680 * 1050 monitor. So a circle will appear as as a circle again.I know - this solution doesn't look very nice, but as allready said - it is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of oval gauges.Depending on the aircraft that additional grey area at the right can be used to keep pop up panels opened.Things look a bit better when adding those dark grey areas at both sides (102 pixels wide each). But then all the gauge positions need to be adjusted by this 102 pixels.Best regards,Herbert

[3Green 80]

Hi,I'm a newbie here and I'm looking for some help.I just installed a new Samsung 20" monitor, 1680x1050 resolution, and found - as you probably already know - that every panel is stretched, noticeably for the gauges locations that are now oval.I read some posts here about the issue, and gave a try with some solutions, but with no success, probably because each case was slightlydifferent from my situation and panel.cfg configuration. In one case, I obtained simply that my gauges disappeared, and I had to restore the original configuration from my backup.Now, I would like to have a standard operative sequence to follow in order to get a proportioned and not distorted panel with non oval gauges. For example, do I have in any case to modify my panel bitmap to my screen resolution (or in a similar proportion), or this is not always necessary?Which panel.cfg parameters I have to modify, if I should, and with which values?Will I have to open all the panels with FSPanels and move all the gauges to fit the new panel configuration or there is a magic parameter that makes the gauges proportionate in a single coommand?Excuse my dumbness and my bad english, but I hope you've get my problem and can help me.ThanksFrancesco

Or you can set up a custom resolution, providing you have a Nvidia card.This will allow you to run a FS on a widescreen, with any resolution you wish (yes 4:3 - no more oval gauges)Here's the link on how to that.Hope that helpsRJ

[me4246 0]

I know - this solution doesn't look very nice, but as allready said - it is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of oval gauges.Depending on the aircraft that additional grey area at the right can be used to keep pop up panels opened.Things look a bit better when adding those dark grey areas at both sides (102 pixels wide each). But then all the gauge positions need to be adjusted by this 102 pixels.Best regards,Herbert

Thanks Herbert, I tried in a similar way but I couldn't obtain a good result. Now I see 3Green give me another chance and I'm going to try.RegardsFrancesco

[LesPaulGuitarsRock 0]

How would I do this for a 32" monitor at 1920 x 1080 ?Cheers

[tgibson 11]

Note that with widescreen monitors, it's best to use a lower zoom value. In FS9, instead of a zoom of 1.0 use 0.75 for 16:9 monitors (1920 x 1080), and 0.85 for 16:10 (the case above).For a 16:9 monitor you can make the width 1365 instead. For other pixel heights just use the same proportions.Note that this simple approach may lead to the center of your view being very close to the center post of the panel (if any). It's better to add pixels to each side of the panel, but this requires a modified panel.cfg file (every gauge must be moved).Hope this helps,