Thanks a lot for clarifying that. As I say though, I don't think the issue is there - with engines running and with the panel lights on at night time I can change the background illumination of other a/c, such as the default Cessna, at will. With the PMDG 737NG the change in illumination only lasts as I keep the sim paused. From then on the programme seems to remember this and the background changes from my lighter version to the PMDG black version within half a second of the a/c loading. I can try with a few other a/c to see if it is just PMDG a/c that 'suffer' from this, but I seem to need to find some file that is over-riding the panel.cfg file - maybe there is something 'hard-wired' into the gauge files?? M

Yes, this works with all other a/c I have tried (changing the values of RGB in ). But the PMDG 737 goes back to black immediately I unpause the sim. This is a real pain - why did PMDG make this otherwise very nice a/c so that you can't see any of the non-lit instruments at night (gear lever etc.)? I just have to make sure I fly it only during the day, but I'd still like to find a solution. Anyone at PMDG?Martin

Sent a 'ticket' to PMDG several days ago. No response there either. Give up (again)?

Still no joy here! PMDG didn't answer my ticket. Anyone else got any ideas. I'd like the night panel lighting to stay so that I can still see the levers and switches. not totally blacked out - see screenshots.Thanks!Martin

Your night time panel is perfectly legible on my screen!vololiberista

The background in the first screenshot is totally blacked out - you say you can see the switches that show up fine in the 2nd. pic? You must eat an awful lot of carrots, 'cos I can't. Ther cockpit is even worse --c an't see the gear lever at all for instance. Totally unrealistic. I want to set things so that the night panel is in no.2, but it won't 'stick'..M.

Edited February 9, 201214 yr by martinlest2

My screen is only set to 42% brightness and i can still see everything! You must remember that at night one's eyes adjust to low levels of light notwithstanding that the location of switches is habitually known by the pilots. It is impossible to match exactly various brightness levels in the sim. The only way you can adjust them to you liking is to change the values in the cfg file.I created a night panel for the VC10 and it took ages to get to a compromise that gave the feeling of reality.vololiberista

I don't get it, but no matter :-) If I posted a screenshot of the cockpit, I don't see how you could see (so to speak) the levers - they are not illuminated at all, and in general I have good night vision.Well, whatever, as I said before, setting the RGB values in the cfg file doesn't work with this a/c - when I have the cockpit view and FS9 is paused, it's fine, but as soon as I unpause the sim, the backrounds go black again, no matter what I do in the cfg file. Works with other a/c, but not this one. Very odd. What can be restting the panel lighting to default in that way??Martin

Edited February 10, 201214 yr by martinlest2

Maybe they have found a way to prohibit changes to cfg. You will never get a satisfactory result re night lighting. Because it doesn't actually exist from the cockpit point of view. It is usually as in the night panel I designed an overlay bmp which makes it look as if there is night lighting.vololiberista

"You will never get a satisfactory result re night lighting" ... You mean in the PMDG 737? Most of my a/c have fine night lighting - including the PMDG 747. In the end, I just avoid flying the 737NGs at night, or I struggle with the normal panel lighting. Not the end of the world, but a little annoying that it can't be adjusted..M.

What happens (I now see) is that I can get the night lighting as in the 2nd. screenshot when I first switch it on when dusk starts to fall, but at a certain point the sim switches to the first screenshot (with no input from me), presumably at a certain point as it continues to get darker. There must be something in the PMDG setup which triggers this - as I say, I don't get it with any other a/c..Any further ideas? Thanks....M.

Edited February 13, 201214 yr by martinlest2

I wonder if someone could test something for me. I had an email from PMDG saying that there is nothing in the 737NG setup that causes the panel lighting to switch on automatically as it grows dark. All my 737s do, even when I have no other addons loaded into FS9. Could somebody please test this on their FS9 setup: if you are flying in dusk through to night, does the panel lighting switch on by itself? And if so, is the panel itself almost invisible (too dark - though all the instruments light up; it's just the panel bitmap which is black, so I can't see gear levers etc.).

 

Many thanks,

 

Martin

Anyone?? :-)

 

M

 

 

the panel itself almost invisible (too dark - though all the instruments light up; it's just the panel bitmap which is black, so I can't see gear levers etc.).

 

Sorry to bump an old thread but I was searching for the same answer and want to share what I've found.

 

Open the PMDG 737NG panel.cfg and scroll down to this:

 

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window01] // PMDG_MAIN_PANEL
file=..\panel\737NG_Main_Background_1280.bmp
file_1024=..\panel\737NG_Main_Background_1280.bmp
size_mm=1280,960
position=7
visible=1
ident=20
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

gauge00=PMDG_737NG_Main!MainBackLight,0,0,1280,960,MAIN
gauge01=PMDG_737NG_Main!GearLever, 1198,635,83,223
gauge02=PMDG_737NG_Main!EFISDisplay,  50,670,250,250,PFD 1
gauge03=PMDG_737NG_Main!EFISDisplay,  388,670,250,250,ND 1
gauge04=PMDG_737NG_Main!EFISDisplay,  900,670,250,250,EICAS 1
gauge05=PMDG_737NG_Main!EFIS,369,398,181,113
gauge06=PMDG_737NG_Main!GearLights,1199,554,78,80
gauge07=PMDG_737NG_Main!FlapsDial,1114,549,71,74
gauge08=PMDG_737NG_Main!FlapsLights,1106,625,88,19
gauge09=PMDG_737NG_Main!FlapsReliefLight,1126,526,39,16
gauge10=PMDG_737NG_Main!MCP,550,383,730,130,MAIN
gauge11=PMDG_737NG_Main!N1_Set,881,544,35,31
gauge12=PMDG_737NG_Main!SpdRef,971,545,35,31
gauge13=PMDG_737NG_Main!FuelFlow,899,597,65,60
gauge14=PMDG_737NG_Main!AutoBrakes,1015,551,99,74
gauge15=PMDG_737NG_Main!DSP, 268,558,170,86
gauge16=PMDG_737NG_Main!TestPanel,478,548,128,98
gauge17=PMDG_737NG_Main!MasterCaution, 140,431,216,66
gauge18=PMDG_737NG_Main!FireWarning, 89,431,50,66
gauge19=PMDG_737NG_Main!SbyADI, 683,563,166,122
gauge20=PMDG_737NG_Main!SbyAltimeter, 683,685,166,122
gauge21=PMDG_737NG_Main!SbyRMI, 683,807,166,153
gauge22=PMDG_737NG_Main!Whiskey, 1019,66,48,31
gauge23=PMDG_737NG_Main!MFD, 966,596,50,45
gauge24=PMDG_737NG_Main!PanelSwitcher, 41,617,221,24
gauge25=PMDG_737NG_Main!AutoBrakesDisarm,1052,531,41,15

 

Disable "gauge00=PMDG_737NG_Main!MainBackLight,0,0,1280,960,MAIN" by entering two forward slashes like this:

 

//gauge00=PMDG_737NG_Main!MainBackLight,0,0,1280,960,MAIN

 

Do the same for VC panel .cfg as well.  Here are my results.

 

Before:

After:

 

Just trying to help...

 

GD

I'd given up on this one! Now I see the entry in the panel.cfg file (never noticed it before) I feel a bit silly for not having tried out what you have done - the wording makes it a definite possibility. And yes, it works for me too.

 

There is also the same problem with the Overhead Panel and of course this can be dealt with in the same way by changing the line in the Overhead Panel section:

 

//gauge00=PMDG_737NG_Main!OverBackLight,0,0,1280,960,OVERHEAD

 

So very many thanks for posting this: I can now fly my 737s at night!

 

Martin