I'm afraid I'm fairly dense with these sorts of computer topics, but will someone tell me in step by step form how to properly set the RXP 430 or 530 into a third party panel? Or point me to where that is done already. I have found any of the help directly written by RXP is completely confusing and unclear for someone with no programing experience.

Or, for the sake of getting the 430 integrated in at least one of my third party planes (Airfoil Labs C172), can I simply replace the following HIGHLIGHTED text in my AFL C172 RealityXP.GNS.ini file with the text listed in the post above by DRS referencing same?

Spoiler

 

[GNS_430_1]
; comma separated list of render targets.
drawto = WINDOW, PANELS
; is the master device if true.
MasterDevice = true
; connects to: 'PFC_STACK','PFC_430','PFC_530' or any '#PID' (#D002 for PFC_430)
; no value connects to first found, 'OFF' disables connection.
HardwareDevice = 
; hardware selector number or -1 to disable.
HardwareIdx = -1
LinkVor = true

[GNS_430_1.WINDOW]
; display window if true.
visible = false
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = false
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = WINDOW
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 1470,990,447,188
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true 
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = false
; VR mode position and dimension (left,top,width,height) (requires XP11.20)
vrmode.rect = 0,103,245,103
; display as popout window if true (requires XP11.1).
undocked = false
; display mouse tooltips if true.
tooltips = false
; freeze display position if true.
locked = false
; auto hide in external view if true.
autohide = false

[GNS_430_1.PANELS]
; display window if true.
visible = false
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = true
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = PANELS
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 0,0,0,0
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = true

 

 

Edited December 23, 20214 yr by RXP

As usual I'm grinding my way through some of these things as a non-computer guy, and the Reality XP instructions are definitely not written for folks like myself. So please bear with me or point me to where I should go...

That said, I've attached the (I think) relevant .ini file to do this, but I can't for the life of me interpret what the instructions say to do to it.

I have however gotten (again ... I think...) the coordinates for the screen in question: 328, 616, 430, 240 (left, top, width, height)

Can someone be so kind as to tell me precisely what to change in the .ini file? The instructions say 

• Right below the section header, locate the line starting with drawto = .
• Type a new render target to the end of the list. For example: drawto = WINDOW, Garmin_530_screen

So - to a non-computer person, "Type a new render target to the end of the list" means ... nothing. What is a render target? What list? What qualifies as a "list" in the .ini file? Where exactly do I write it?

Sorry for being slow but I really think the RXP instructions could be written better for those of us with no experience modifying actual programming code.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks all.

Since I can't attach a file here, I'll post my .ini file in a post below.

Edited February 2, 20224 yr by CerroTorre
Corrected coordinates - 1432 to 616

 

[GNS]
; comma separated list of gauges
gauges = GNS_430_1

[GNS_430_1]
; comma separated list of render targets.
drawto = WINDOW, PANELS
; is the master device if true.
MasterDevice = true
; connects to: 'PFC_STACK','PFC_430','PFC_530' or any '#PID' (#D002 for PFC_430)
; no value connects to first found, 'OFF' disables connection.
HardwareDevice = 
; hardware selector number or -1 to disable.
HardwareIdx = -1
LinkVor = true

[GNS_430_1.WINDOW]
; display window if true.
visible = true 
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = false
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = WINDOW
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 1467,962,447,188
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true 
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = false
; VR mode position and dimension (left,top,width,height) (requires XP11.20)
vrmode.rect = 0,103,245,103
; display as popout window if true (requires XP11.1).
undocked = false
; display mouse tooltips if true.
tooltips = false
; freeze display position if true.
locked = false
; auto hide in external view if true.
autohide = false

[GNS_430_1.PANELS]
; display window if true.
visible = false
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = true
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = PANELS
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 0,0,0,0
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = true

[GNS_530_1]
; comma separated list of render targets.
drawto = WINDOW, PANELS
; is the master device if true.
MasterDevice = true
; connects to: 'PFC_STACK','PFC_430','PFC_530' or any '#PID' (#D002 for PFC_430)
; no value connects to first found, 'OFF' disables connection.
HardwareDevice = 
; hardware selector number or -1 to disable.
HardwareIdx = -1

[GNS_530_1.WINDOW]
; display window if true.
visible = false
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = false
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = WINDOW
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 1430,1060,490,357
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = false
; VR mode position and dimension (left,top,width,height) (requires XP11.20)
vrmode.rect = 0,178.5,245,178.5
; display as popout window if true (requires XP11.1).
undocked = false
; display mouse tooltips if true.
tooltips = false
; freeze display position if true.
locked = false
; auto hide in external view if true.
autohide = false

[GNS_530_1.PANELS]
; display window if true.
visible = false
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = true
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = PANELS
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 0,0,0,0
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = true

[GNS_530_2]
; comma separated list of render targets.
drawto = WINDOW, PANELS
; is the master device if true.
MasterDevice = true
; connects to: 'PFC_STACK','PFC_430','PFC_530' or any '#PID' (#D002 for PFC_430)
; no value connects to first found, 'OFF' disables connection.
HardwareDevice = 
; hardware selector number or -1 to disable.
HardwareIdx = -1

[GNS_530_2.WINDOW]
; display window if true.
visible = true
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = false
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = WINDOW
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 1430,1060,490,357
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = false
; VR mode position and dimension (left,top,width,height) (requires XP11.20)
vrmode.rect = 0,178.5,245,178.5
; display as popout window if true (requires XP11.1).
undocked = false
; display mouse tooltips if true.
tooltips = false
; freeze display position if true.
locked = false
; auto hide in external view if true.
autohide = false

[GNS_530_2.PANELS]
; display window if true.
visible = false
; show screen only gauge if true.
nobezel = true
; display type: WINDOW,PANEL2D,PANEL3D,PANELS
frame.type = PANELS
; display position and dimension (left,top,width,height)
frame.rect = 0,0,0,0
; screen only border size (pixels).
border.size = 0
; screen only border color (#RGB or #RGBA).
border.rgba = #000000
; enable mouse clickspots if true, disable if false (use SHIFT to override)
usemouse = true
; left mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true.
popleft = false
; right mouse button on the screen toggles popup window if true (requires XP11.1).
popright = true
 

 

Edited February 2, 20224 yr by RXP

6 minutes ago, CerroTorre said:

As usual I'm grinding my way through some of these things as a non-computer guy, and the Reality XP instructions are definitely not written for folks like myself. So please bear with me or point me to where I should go...

I am another user who frequents these forums and topics.  I have read your two posts and you make no mention of what aircraft models from what developers you are dealing with.  In order to receive help please fall back, collect yourself, and determine how to better and succinctly define your issue.  Then this community will be better empowered to provide help. Right now you have us in the clouds.

Ok thanks for the advice. I'm not sure where the "collect yourself" comment is coming from but ... sure, I'll happily "collect myself" despite feeling fairly "collected" at the moment. 😃

Apparently I don't know enough to realize that the aircraft model and maker is critical information in this case. As I understood the instructions, the coordinates for the display are the pertinent information that allow me to modify the ini file. Regardless, the aircraft is the Airfoil Labs Cessna 172 (old version, not the newest with G1000 - if that isn't obvious).

Thanks again.

Edited February 2, 20224 yr by CerroTorre

@CerroTorre

On 12/23/2021 at 6:04 PM, CerroTorre said:

I have found any of the help directly written by RXP is completely confusing and unclear for someone with no programing experience.

 

10 hours ago, CerroTorre said:

As usual I'm grinding my way through some of these things as a non-computer guy, and the Reality XP instructions are definitely not written for folks like myself. So please bear with me or point me to where I should go...

Hi,

You might find all this overwhelming and it can appear like it is so, but you're already making good progress and although you might feel it is a steep learning curve at first sight, you'll be amazed once you successfully pass the initial hurdles how easy it is. Let me try to further help you.

First, I'd suggest you re-read the tutorial and try not be overwhelmed by the language. It might sound like programming something but in the end it is just simple configuration: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/535116-tutorial-upgrade-x-plane-11-baron-58-gps/

For example:

10 hours ago, CerroTorre said:

So - to a non-computer person, "Type a new render target to the end of the list" means ... nothing. What is a render target? What list? What qualifies as a "list" in the .ini file? Where exactly do I write it?

Sorry for being slow but I really think the RXP instructions could be written better for those of us with no experience modifying actual programming code.

- A list is a bunch of different items separated with a coma. The end of the list is one past the last.

- A render target, like the name implies, it is something onto which rendering takes place, and rendering is basically "painting" the content.

Nothing much computer programming related so far.

Matching this with the tutorial:

"In X-Plane, there are panels only, and stock gauges/parts only. Everything else is custom-drawn on the screen every time X-Plane redraws the screen. X-Plane has 2 different panels: the 2D and the 3D. Each offer a 'render surface' and it is up to the aircraft 3D model to tell a particular rectangle area from the render surface gets drawn to a particular polygon. [...] With this, it can have per-aircraft configuration, which tells on which panel(s) and at which coordinates you'd like to render the GNS gauge (2D/3D) [...] Type a new render target to the end of the list. For example: drawto = WINDOW, Garmin_530_screen"

Matching all this with the User's Manual:

- You configure a per-aircraft .ini file in which you give instructions for rendering the GNS in your panel(s).

- You can configure where the GNS will draw itself on the panel and this requires to setup the coordinates (a rectangle) within which it draws onto.

- You can configure multiple rectangles to draw to simultaneously (the render targets) and each one is separately configured (obviously) and differentiated with a unique name of your choosing.

- In order to tell the GNS what are the separate render targets it will draw onto, you have to list them in a list, using the unique names you have chosen, which is a as the name implies (a list is a bunch of coma separated items) will be a list of coma separated names.

 

This might sound complex at first but this is just nested bricks of configuration you have to setup, each one enclosing the others, and this reflects in the .ini file via named sections marked within brackets, and values in the form key = value.

I'd suggest you also re-read the RXP GNS User's Manual chapter "Aircraft Configuration" p14 which shows this tree-like nested construction using color codes. In addition, sometimes, comparing different configuration files against each other can help decoding and understanding the structures. You might want to also compare with other panel configuration mods from the Official Panel Configuration topic in our forum to see how everything fits together.

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 20224 yr by RXP