Hi all,

 

I'd like to learn how to edit VC panels; i.e. add RXP 430/530 to them and whatnot. I've done some searching but haven't come up with any good tutorials on how to do this, so if someone could point me in the right direction I'd very much appreciate it!

 

Also, is FS Panel Studio required for doing this sort of thing?

 

Thanks,

Scott

 

Also, is FS Panel Studio required for doing this sort of thing

 

No, but it sure makes life much easier.

No, but it sure makes life much easier!

Amen that!

 

Because the VC is modeled in various forms, by various authors, using various methods, there is no hard and fast way of editing them.

If you are working on a VC surface that was modeled flat and mapped across it's entirety ala the 2D it's easy. Just like doing a 2D panel.

 

Detailed 3D VCs basically are cast in stone as to instrument placement and usually only allow swaps, rather than additions.

 

I cheat for buttons and icons, with some, by overlaying them on a parent gauge in an unobtrusive location...Don

Cool, thanks for the replies fellas. So to back up, I know how to edit 2D panels easily enough by swapping out gauges using FS Panel Developer. How would I then swap or add gauges on a flat VC panel surface? Which files to I have to edit, and what basically has to be done? Thanks for the help!

 

Cheers,

Scott

If the "Flat" VC is mapped for gauge placement the same as in the 2D, the method should be the same.

Most VCs, even the Flat ones, are segmented in the model, with multiple [VCockpitXX] sections in the panel.cfg, so, it will usually be a case of trial and error until you get close.

 

With FSPS, you can open an existing VC window and instantly visualize it's layout.

 

If it's layout looks like a 2D FSPS window without the background bitmap, it's golden. Positioning new gauges to correspond with the VC visuals will take a little trial and error. The corresponding VC texture can also be edited to accommodate gauge placement. Different subject.

 

If it has gauges filling it, side by side, and stacked tight, the gauge's footprint is modeled to it's perimeter and generally your only recourse is a swap.

You can shrink and reposition a gauge within the original footprint, but they cannot be expanded beyond those coordinates.

Some are mapped with one [VCockpitXX] description per gauge. Minor sizing and placement tweaks are sometimes possible depending on how tightly the author mapped the model to the gauge.

 

One thing I do, after getting the basic placement done, is save the new panel.cfg in FSPS and open it in notepad.

Load the plane, make the minor coordinate adjustments using the text editor, and reload the plane.

If you are using FSX you can assign a button/key to Aircraft (reload). A real time saver...Don

Thanks Don, it makes sense now! I was hoping to modify the Carenado C206 panel to add the Malibu's G500 gauge, but it looks like the C206 uses the second method of gauge placement (side by side and stacked tight) so I'm outta luck. But that's alright; now at least I know how to do this sort of thing. Thanks again!

 

-Scott