Hello Everyone,

This is my first post to the forums and I am also pretty new to the whole flight sim arena, so please be patient with me.  I am building a C172 simulator for my son to use for practice with getting his license along with becoming familiar with using various GPS solutions.  I have been able to install the latest version of P3D, RXP, & RealSimGear plugin.  I configured RXP using the built-in wizard from the drop down menu and all looks good when the GPS windows pop-out.  I undock the GPS windows and relocate them to their appropriate locations on each screen.  At this point everything works as intended and the screens are placed correctly on both of the GNS430W/530W external screens.  However when I shut down P3D and restart it, the GPS windows are no longer popped-out.  When I do pop them out, they are no longer in the locations I placed them and are back to their default locations.  I am sure that this is a easy fix to either panel.cfg or another file to force the windows to remain where they are.  I am reading the RXP manual for details, but I thought that I would also jump on here and ask also since I am not sure whether this is something to config in RXP or P3D (or maybe both?)  Any insight would be much appreciated!

Welcome to the AVSIM hosted RXP support forum!   Have you tried saving the flight and would that help to keep things where you left them?

6 hours ago, Muttley-1973 said:

I undock the GPS windows and relocate them to their appropriate locations on each screen.  At this point everything works as intended and the screens are placed correctly on both of the GNS430W/530W external screens.  However when I shut down P3D and restart it, the GPS windows are no longer popped-out.  When I do pop them out, they are no longer in the locations I placed them and are back to their default locations.

You will need to learn how to edit the panel.cfg file that is in the aircraft's Panel folder.  There are positions you can define, and for even finer control you can define x and y coordinates for the popups.  If you specify the aircraft you are using and whether you are using the 430 or the 530 there may be a user who has "gone before you".  Otherwise, open the file with a text editor such as Notepad, and become familiar with it.  You should look for the [window##] section that contains the entry for the RXP GNS gauge.  It will look something like this:

[Window07]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=937,887
ident=15531
window_pos= 0.7705, 0.6085
window_size=0.2295, 0.3915
zorder=99
gauge00=rxpGTN!GTN_750_2, 0,0,937,887, UNPOP_RXP

Note that with the size and placement I used in this referenced aircraft, the window_pos= values for positon are first x (left to right) and then y (top to bottom).  Accordingly, the size= values are first, gauge width (x), then gauge height (y).   If you add the pos value for x and the size value for x they must equal 1.000, or less.  The same for the two y values.  So pos (x) + size (x) = 1.00 or less, and pos (y) + size (y) =1.00 or less.  I say less because two values for (x) that add to 1.00 will put the right edge of the gauge at your right screen margin; and two values for (Y) that add to 1.00 will put the bottom edge of the gauge at the bottom edge of your screen.

Hope that can get you started!  You can play around with the size and position values to get the size and position you want.  I use an excel spreadsheet to maintain the x and y size proportions (aspect ratio).

Edited September 30, 20196 yr by fppilot

19 minutes ago, fppilot said:

 If you add the pos value for x and the size value for x they must equal 1.000.  The same for the two y values.  So pos (x) + size (x) = 1.00, and pos (y) + size (y) =1.00.

Thank you Frank for this. I just to make this clear to the OP because it might be confusing: the sum = 1 because you're displaying a gauge which is aligned to the bottom right corner isn't it?

When using window_pos and window_size, the values are percentage of the screen width and height:

1. Say you want to display a gauge ¼ of the screen width and ½ of the screen height:
   window_size = 0.25, 0.50
    
2. Say you want to display a gauge with its top left corner at the top of the screen vertically, and at the centre of the screen horizontally, and this gauge is ¼ of the screen width:
   window_pos = 0.375, 0
   because 0.375 = 0.50 - (0.25 / 2.0)  with 0.25 = gauge width, 0.50 = screen center.
    
3. When using window_pos and window_size, which is the percent coordinate system, it is also best advised to use:
   size_mm = 100,100
   
   When doing so, you can setup your gauges dimensions in percent too within the popup window (which size is set with window_size). Therefore, to display the GNS at the top half of the window which is ¼ screen by ½ screen seen above:
   
   size_mm = 100,100
   gauge00 = rxpGNS2!GNS_530_1, 0, 0, 100, 50

 

PS: This is the coordinate system the panel assistant is using, which makes it universal whether you choose to add 2 GNS in 1 popup window or 2 GNS in 2 popup windows!

PPS: this is all extensively documented in the SDK manual here:
http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv4/sdk/panels_and_user_interface/panels/panel_configuration_files.html

Edited September 30, 20196 yr by RXP

6 hours ago, Muttley-1973 said:

When I do pop them out, they are no longer in the locations I placed them and are back to their default locations.

IIRC someone once said in the forum that you'd have to 'detach' the popup windows first, in order to make them standalone Windows window(s), then save a situation. When you're doing so, P3D takes care to restore the window state when you load the situation.

PS: this is not a limitation of the RXP GNS, but a limitation of the simulator if it can't restore the window positions and sizes.

PPS: if you're using popup window (not detached), you'd have to configure them in the panel.cfg file like explained above. This is how this works with all FltSim simulator versions.

Edited September 30, 20196 yr by RXP

35 minutes ago, RXP said:

Thank you Frank for this. I just to make this clear to the OP because it might be confusing: the sum = 1 because you're displaying a gauge which is aligned to the bottom right corner isn't it?

Yes. You may have read my post as I was editing it to say 1.00 or less for both x and y, and why "or less".

Edited September 30, 20196 yr by fppilot

Wow, thanks everyone for this valuable information.  I have saved the scenario with no success, but I was thinking that I needed to dig a little deeper into the panel.cfg file (it is always good to get confirmation.)  I have tried this out only on the A2A C172 Trainer, so I will try using the RXP pop-out windows with the built-in Mooney Bravo in P3D just to make sure that this issue is not isolated to using just that aircraft.  One quick question, does the coordinate variables in panel.cfg change dynamically while modifying a pop-out window?  For instance, if I change the location and size of the 530 pop-out window will these changes show up immediately in the config file?  I thought that may help me with screen orientating.  Thanks again everyone, I look forward to participating on the forums!

23 hours ago, Muttley-1973 said:

One quick question, does the coordinate variables in panel.cfg change dynamically while modifying a pop-out window?  For instance, if I change the location and size of the 530 pop-out window will these changes show up immediately in the config file?

Not sure what you are asking.  You edit the panel.cfg file with a text editor.  First, save a backup copy elsewhere.  The panel.cfg file is the so-called "config" file.  There is another file relative the gauge.  It is RealityXP.GNS.ini and once you have activated the RXP GPS gauge in a specific aircraft the file is created and then located in that aircraft's main folder.  More information on the .ini file can be found in the RXP Users Manual, which you can find listed under RXP in the Windows Start menu. 

Just a quick update.  I have been able to read through the RXP manual, various P3D help articles, & some additional posts on the forum.  The results where a resounding success!!  Thanks so much to Frank. Jean-Luc, & Charlie for your insight.  It was very handy in getting me going in the right direction.  My son is now flying back and forth from Louisville to Indianapolis in the P3D Mooney Bravo and the 530W & 430W undocked windows are sitting right where they are supposed to be.  It looks like the main issue that I was having had nothing to do with RXP or P3D but the A2A Cessna 172 since I have been able to successfully implement the pop-out windows and undock them in other P3D aircraft without issue.  So the end result was to re-install the A2A Cessna and only use traditional radios (he needs the practice in a non-GPS cockpit anyway.)  I'll post a pic or two later of him behind the yoke in action if you all would like to see the end result.  Thanks again guys!!  🙂

Edited October 4, 20196 yr by Muttley-1973
Typos.

Thank you for the follow up! I'm glad you've got it all sorted out.

Don't hesitate to share pics too!