HiAnyone purchased the Friendly Panels Releases New Boeing 2D Panels Pack? From the looks of it seems OK.Any good?Here is the linkhttp://www.friendlypanels.arrakis.es/Stelios

Personally I think you could probably find something similar in the freeware libraries. If this were $10 US I'd say why not try it if you want - but for 21 Euros - that's $30 US. With $30 US you could buy a high quality payware aircraft with all the bells and whistles.For $12 Euros you could get the Aerosoft A319/320 package which is fairly easy to use, has a fully functional FMC (albeit a Boeing 737 FMC but it works quite well), comes with a bunch of liveries, a full 3d aircraft model that looks quite nice, and it is a full realistic airbus panel. It's not quite as functional as say the PSS or PMDG panels though. http://aerosoft-shop.com/product_info.php?...f2ecb0e458a414bIf you want a full out real Boeing panel - go with the Level D 767 ( http://www.leveldsim.com ) or the PMDG 737 ( http://www.precisionmanuals.com )Again for the price they are selling it at, even though you are getting a few different panels, I'd recommend going with a higher quality full aircraft addon.

I looked at them but did not like their FMC workover based on the default GPS model. I do not care for the moving map (without terrain) layout used in the default GPS also used on the Friendly Panels FMC. The FP FMC is not a true one in that it is not coupled for aircraft performance control but as they state is really the default GPS with a facelift and is only couple for navigation.If you disregard the FMC, there are many fine freeware panels to download.What I have done is acquire FS Panel Studio (www.fspanelstudio.com) via flight1 about $25 US for an 8 MB download. (It is easier to update the download than the CD version offered.) This allows me to mix and match in a visual environment the various freeware panels and gauges I have downloaded.I also purchased (among some of their other products) the Reality-XP Jetline 2 (for turbo props and steam gauge aircraft) and JL 4 for more advanced jet panels (www.reality-xp.com) again via the Flight 1 wrapper. (All their gauges require now FS9 and WinXP.) These I install using their configurator utility and then place visually in the panel with FS Panel Studio. I especially like the design of their EHSI which includes TCAS and will also show your loaded flight plan as well as VORs, airport symbols, etc., much more like those MFD displays I've seen in some real panel picturers. Way down the line in the future they plan an FMC included in their JL5 suite. I also use their WX500 radar gauge. They also maintain a "community" section on their site where you can download panels or panel.cfg files their user community has created for many popular aircraft with the placement of the Reality gauges installed.There are some performance control freeware gauges available to place. Look for gauge files beginning with rcb in the file name in the libs here.

I didn't know FS Panel Studio was still around. Is there a way to use it for laying out VC's, or is it just limited to 2-d panel work? $25 is a bargain considering what I've heard about the program.-John

'CFGEdit' works OK too, and it's a freebie! It may claim not to recognise all the FS9 gauges, but so far, there's not many that I can't manipulate with it!It's great if you just want to add a few simple items to a panel, or swap one display for something a little 'better'! I've used it quite a lot to add Eric Marciano's excellent TCAS gauge to several panels that don't have any TCAS for example, and I've also used it completely make-over a 707 into a KC-135 panel, and to modify a few others too....Of course, a good paint program is also need to change the background bitmap to accomodate the new gauge layouts!

>From the looks of it seems OK.>From the looks they look very bad. But it is just my own observation.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpg

When I look at their 737 and compare it to the PMDG 737NG, I really am not impressed a then looking at the price in Euros and the USD converstion it really looks like a bummer to me. IMHOBob

Thanks for mention of cfgedit. For the types of panels I'd create, it seems all I need. But I notice that it cannot see "cab" files, the type which many MSFS gauges seem to be these days. I do get an outline I can move, etc, but I thought I'd make mention of that in case someone had worked around the issue.-John

Here is a link to the FSP support forum hosted by flight1. You'll notice not many threads but then again there do not appear to be many user noted problems. The only major recurring error question is resolved by checking the "Resolve Gauge DLL Depency" in the options page.Not sure about VC layout but maybe the answer is on the FSP site or in that forum. I generally do not use VCs but I do not think so. On the other hand people placing Reality-XP gauges do it somehow getting them into the VC panels unless I'm interpreting threads wrong on the Reality-XP forum. Check out the screenies on the Reality-XP site.

John, I wouldn't use cfgedit to modify existing panel.cfg files as it does alter some things like coordinates without you knowing, and causes some existing gauges to change shape slightly which is annoying when you are trying to fit everything perfectly. It is essential to make a backup for reference(I don't remember if the program makes a backup or not as I haven't done any panel editing for a while). It should be OK to create basic new panels though. With cab files you can always guess coordinates to begin with and again manually adjust but it does take some time that way. I find the best way to use it for my needs is to position the gauge (or its outline if that's all you see) and note the coordinates in the program, then manually alter the cfg figures instead of letting the program do it. Then look at the result in FS and make further manual changes if necessary. I haven't tried the payware version so I can't tell you if it has the same characteristics that I mention above.

>I didn't know FS Panel Studio was still around. Is there a>way to use it for laying out VC's, or is it just limited to>2-d panel work? $25 is a bargain considering what I've heard>about the program."Stil around?" John, it's the only game in town... ;)It will not "create" a {VCockpitXX} section for you, but it will load and work with one you've "started" manually.It will also allow you to extract/edit/insert .gau bitmaps, and edit/create XML gauges.It is also a dandy "gauge folder cleaner," allowing you to move or delete unused gauges.Truly, it is a "Swiss Army Knife" for panel work, much like FSUIPC is for the sim itself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------'CFGEdit' works OK too, and it's a freebie! It may claim not to recognise all the FS9 gauges, but so far, there's not many that I can't manipulate with it!------------------------------------------------------------------------Now thats interesting! I did spot it online once but didnt bother because it said it would not work for FS9 but now Im gonna check it out! Thanx to you!;)