Hi can anyone explain the following to me in simple terms ?, as I have tried to follow these instructions from another member, but cannot get it to work. Have tried contacting the author of this thread, but assume they must be away as have not been online for a couple of days. "This is just a simple one. Whole degrees and tenths. Only the digits show, the rest is transparent.Change "Orange" to whatever color you want, and "Quartz" to your font choice, noting that not all Windows fonts are available. Check the sims "Fonts" folder.Make a Black(0,0,0) bitmap 66x32, name it DTI_bkgnd.bmp.Copy all the code into notepad, save it with whatever name you want .xml as Encoding: UTF-8 in a named folder(my gauges) then put it in your panel.cfg"<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <Gauge Name="Digital Trim Indicator" Version="1.0"> <Image Name="DTI_Bkgnd.bmp" <Transparent>Yes</Transparent> </Image> <Element> <Visible>(A:CIRCUIT GENERAL PANEL ON, bool)</Visible> <Position X="0" Y="0" /> <Text X="66" Y="32" Bright="Yes" Length="4" Font="Quartz" Color="Orange" Adjust="Center" VerticalAdjust="Center" Multiline="No" Fixed="no"> <String>%((A:Elevator Trim Position,degrees))%!2.1f!</String> </Text> </Element> </Gauge>

Try removing the entire Visible line - perhaps you do not have that turned on?

This works.It has a digital readout, the trim can be increased or decreased and a null button is included to reset trim to zero. CheersKarol

<Gauge Name="Trim-Pitch" Version="1.0">//By Karol Chlebowski @ 2009 **<Image Name="F111ETRIM.bmp"  ImageSizes="94,51,0,0"/> <Element>    	<Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>  <Element>  	<Position X="1" Y="8"/> 	<Text X="45" Y="16" Bright="Yes" Length="5" Font="Quartz" Color="%('#FFFF00' '#00FF00' (A:ELEVATOR TRIM POSITION, degrees) 10 * near 10 / 0 >= ! ?)" Adjust="Right" VerticalAdjust="Center" Multiline="No" Fixed="No">      	<String>%((A:ELEVATOR TRIM POSITION, degrees) 10 * near 10 / )%!5.1f!</String>  	</Text>  </Element>      </Element>   <Mouse>  	<Tooltip ID="TOOLTIPTEXT_PITCH_TRIM"/>  	<Area Left="67" Top="1" Width="27" Height="25">        	<Cursor Type="UpArrow"/>        	<Click Event="ELEV_TRIM_UP" Repeat="Yes"/>     	</Area>  	<Area Left="67" Top="26" Width="27" Height="25">        	<Cursor Type="DownArrow"/>        	<Click Event="ELEV_TRIM_DN" Repeat="Yes"/>     	</Area>  	<Area Left="46" Top="5" Width="20" Height="23">    	<Tooltip>%Zero Elevator Trim</Tooltip>     	<Cursor Type="Hand"/>     	<Click Event="AXIS_ELEV_TRIM_SET"/>     	</Area>        </Mouse></Gauge>

This is what the bitmap looks like.- title = F111ETRIM.bmp- size = 94,51 CheersKarol

If you are new to instrument creation the following steps might help. 1. Go to either FSX gauges folder or an aircraft panel folder, Copy a short XML instrument.2. Paste your copied instrument into a folder in 'My Documents' area, You will be changing this into your new instrument shortly.3. In the above code box , very carefully click and highlight " all ' the code . That means everything in that box , missing even one letter is enough to ensure that the instrument will not work , take care. Copy the highlighted code.4. Go to the XML that you previously stored in My Documents, Open it (XML) with notepad. Highlight " all " the code , right click on the highlight and paste in your new trim code (copied in 3 above). Rename the XML to read ELTRIM_PITCH5. Create a new folder , name it TRIMMER and place your ELTRIM_PITCH xml into this folder. create bitmap F111ETRIM.bmp and place it into this folder.6. Copy this now complete Trimmer folder and paste it into the panel folder of your aircraft. Then add an entry to the panel cfg7. The panel cfg entry will be similar to:- gaugeXX=TRIMMER!ELTRIM_PITCH, 653,396,75,38 653,396 = X,Y location on your instrument panel (change to suit) 75,38 = X,Y size of instrument ( can be varied) SAVE the panel cfg which you have added this line to. This instrument will now appear when you fly the aircraft. Hopefully the above is of assistance. CheersKarol

I was unable to get your original posted code to work . I created the following , it is a digital display unit , text colour is green/lime , change it to orange if preferred,it has a black background created by the xml script , therefore you do not need a bitmap.I tested it and it works in FSX., as it is in ESP style xml script format it will not work in FS9. CheersKarol

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><SimBase.Document    	Type="AceXML"    	version="1.0_Karol_Chlebowski_SEP_2011"    	id="TrimData">	<Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>	<Filename>Trim_Disp.xml</Filename>	<SimGauge.Gauge id="Gauge" ArtDirectory=".">    	<FloatPosition>0.000,0.000</FloatPosition>    	<Size>46,18</Size><Element id="AIF">            	<FloatPosition>0.000,0.000</FloatPosition>            	<Element id="E_Trim">                	<FloatPosition>1.000,1.000</FloatPosition>                	<GaugeText id="Trim Readout">                    	<Bright>True</Bright>                    	<FontColor>lime</FontColor>                    	<FontFace>Quartz</FontFace>                    	<FontHeight>16</FontHeight>                    	<GaugeString>%((A:ELEVATOR TRIM POSITION, degrees) 10 * near 10 / )%!5.1f!  	</GaugeString>                    	<HorizontalAlign>RIGHT</HorizontalAlign>                    	<Size>42,17</Size>                    	<Transparent>True</Transparent>                	</GaugeText>            	</Element>            	<Rectangle id="Rectangle">                	<Bright>True</Bright>                	<Width>46</Width>                	<Height>18</Height>                	<FillColor>black</FillColor>            	</Rectangle>        	</Element>   </SimGauge.Gauge></SimBase.Document>

Hi, Karol. Just a HU, the original thread and subsequent PMs got johnboy through it.When I copied the xml originally the the image description was truncated.<Image Name="DTI_Bkgnd.bmp" should have been; <Image Name="DTI_Bkgnd.bmp" Luminous="no"> I will scarf up yours too!(As I have with most of your F-111 stuff)...Don

Don Thank you for the reply. CheersKarol

For anyone wishing to use either of the elevator trim display gauges.Shot shows both boxed in yellow.First one the trim can be changed at 3 hotspots.Second one is a display only of the current trim setting. CheersKarol