Hello people,This is the first time ever I'm meddling with panels, and so I'm a complete newb. I've managed to successfully merge the 2D panel, and everything seems to work quite well, but the next step is to transplant the gauges from the 2D panel to the VC, and in the process I also want to update the VC textures with photorealistic stuff. However, the VC has some weird stuff going on with the gauges, and in my view the VC isn't very realistic, looking at gauge placement. The problem is I have no idea how to adjust the gauges. I have been looking into the panel.cfg file, and I noted where the gauges are. I then copied over the 2D panel gauges to the VC parts of the panel.cfg, and it mostly works, but some gauges are misaligned with the texture underground. Now, I know that the gauge placement itself is at fault here and there, but I'm not sure how to adjust these in the VC. What I do know is what each of the numbers stand for (coordinates, seen from the top left corner: x, y, gauge width, gauge height, right?), but I'm what the sim looks at when placing thes egauges in the VC. The 2D panel is simple: you define the bitmap, and you use the coordinates to plop the gauges on the bitmap, right? The VC seems to be different, because the VC textures are sort of scattered about (ya know, the engine instruments are downleft corner, the left half of the main panel is at the top right, etc, it's a bit of a mess). Now, my question is: how do I go about defining the spots the gauges should be placed at in the VC? Do I count pixels on the bitmap, to determine that way where a gauge should be placed?

Hi Ben,You're right VC's are a bit different. Unlike 2D panels, you can't just place a gauge wherever you like. You can only place a gauge on theVC where the panel modeler put a gauge surface. Which means you are somewhat limited in VC's regarding placement of gauges, becausethe panel modeller is likely only going to place gauge surfaces in the VC where 'they' intended to have gauges at design time.In general you'd probably only be able to replace the gauges already there using the coordinates from the existing VC gauges.To expose all the gauge surfaces usually what I do is take one gauge, start from position 0.0, and give it a huge width and height.Then look in the VC and You'll be able see parts of that gauge filling all the VC surfaces areas and you'll know what areas in the VC gauges can be placed in.Regards.Ernie.

That's a golden tip... Thanks! I'll try it out. Would you know if there's a good tutorial about these things? Been looking for one, but none seemed to be the thing I was searching for. Ya know, a "gauge manual thingy for newbs" or something of the kind.

While this specific article is focused on the virtual cockpit gauge lighting system, it does explain with illustrations the essential elements of virtual cockpit gauge design, and also has a link to an earlier article that was for FS8/9, and contains a different set of illustrations...FSX Emissive TexturesAnd How they Relate to Virtual Cockpit Lightingby Bill Leaminghttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/esp/cc788741.aspx