Just about to get into flightsimig more seriously and about to buy Prepar3D; however, rather than leaping in to the deep end of the pool with my eyes closed, I'm trying to scope out the best path.

 

I'm seeing that there are 'panel builder' programs available which allow you to design  your own instrument cluster, but usually on a second monitor.  What I would like to do is modify the existing instrument panel on a P3D aircraft to accomodate a Mindstar G1000, ie removing the usual 6pack and placing the G1000. Would this be possible?  What software would support this?

 

My goal would be to be able to modify the instrument cluster on a variety of addon aircraft to using a Garmen instrument set up and avoid having to learn a variety of different addon designer's versions of glass instrumentation, or to maybe glassify a P-51. 

 

 

The short answer is that what you want isn't possible except in a very limited sense. We can modify 2d panels pretty much however we want depending on just how much effort we decide to put into the task. However...

 

...for the most part, we can NOT modify the virtual cockpit at all, as that is compiled into the actual interior .mdl (model) file.

Thx so much for the info. Please review the below and advise if I'm missing something.

 

From emails with Mindstar:

 

 

QUERY

Please advise me if this understanding is correct:

IF
- the aircraft I want to add a Mindstar instrument onto has 2D panel architecture (as I understand it, some addon aircraft are 3D instruments only), and
- I have a Mindstar instrument, and
- I have FS Panel Studio and have figured out how to use it, and
- I have EITHER FSX or P3D installed

THEN
- I can PROBABLY, my skills depending, install Mindstar instruments into many FSX or P3D aircraft, and
- one purchase of a Mindstar instrument will:
  - allow installation of the Mindstar instrument into more than one aircraft, and
  - allow installation of more than one instance of the Mindstar instrument into the same aircraft, ie 2x Garmen 530s

 

RESPONSE

 

The answer to each of your questions is yes. (that was easy!)

Thx so much for the info. Please review the below and advise if I'm missing something.

That was a very long winded way of saying what I wrote originally. Yes, if you have and know how to use FS Panel Studio, you can pretty much do anything you wish to any 2d panel and sub-panels.