Virtual Cockpits - Using Default FSX VC's with other planes?

[Guest twoodster]

HiJust wondering - I've downloaded some addon aircraft (mainly from ProjectOpenSky) and most don't appear to come with virtual cockpits. I'm just wondering - is it possible to link a default FSX virtual cockpit with a downloaded aircraft? For example could I put a 737-800 virtual cockpit on my downloaded 757? I know it wouldn't be remotely accurate but for me it would be much better than nothing! Thanks!Tom

[Guest UlfB]

Hi Tom,I found your question a bit down in the forum without any answer. I'm no expert, but as far as I know the VC-graphics part is contained within the aircraft model file. The model file is stored in the model folder. The default 747 aircraft: "...Microsoft Flight Simulator XSimObjectsAirplanesb747_400model". This is one of most essential files the for the aircraft. So my guess is that the model file for the ProjectOpenSky aircrafts is what you get, that's it: No VC. And you can't use a VC from any other aircraft together with the ProjectOpenSky aircraft. This is only my guess. If I'm wrong, I'm sure some FSX guru will give us a solution :-)Ulf B

[Mace 1,904]

To the best of knowledge, Ulf is correct.The VC is built into the aircraft model (mdl file). You can't use an mdl file from one aircraft in another. The textures won't work right, among other things.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[Guest twoodster]

Ah well, never mind. I thought they might act independently of each other. Thanks for your help!

[tf51d 284]

>To the best of knowledge, Ulf is correct.>>The VC is built into the aircraft model (mdl file). >>You can't use an mdl file from one aircraft in another. The>textures won't work right, among other things.>>Rhett>>AMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS>A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150>gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb>5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster PraetorianThis is true for FS9, but not FSX! The VC model is separate from external model! That doesn't mean though that you can do this with FS9 aircraft in FSX! The model has to use bump mapping, for it to work! Only native FSX aircraft is capable of this. Since you can set it up to use the VC only (You won't see a exterior aircraft in spot or tower view), external only, or both, I don't know why Aces set it up this way! If they just loaded the interior model in VC mode and the external model in spot and tower view, you would be able to do the same thing with older FS9 no VC models. The only thing I can think of is they did it this way to reduce loading times between views, but aircraft loads pretty quickly anyway, so I don't think that would have been a big deal!! Take a look at the model folder of the 747 or 738 to see how it's setup!!

[Mace 1,904]

>This is true for FS9, but not FSX! The VC model is separate>from external model! That doesn't mean though that you can do>this with FS9 aircraft in FSX! The model has to use bump>mapping, for it to work! Only native FSX aircraft is capable>of this. Since you can set it up to use the VC only (You won't>see a exterior aircraft in spot or tower view), external only,>or both, I don't know why Aces set it up this way! If they>just loaded the interior model in VC mode and the external>model in spot and tower view, you would be able to do the same>thing with older FS9 no VC models. The only thing I can think>of is they did it this way to reduce loading times between>views, but aircraft loads pretty quickly anyway, so I don't>think that would have been a big deal!! Take a look at the>model folder of the 747 or 738 to see how it's setup!! >Way cool jr! So you mean, I could take an iFDG A319 (an FS9 aircraft) and add the A321's VC to it?RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[tf51d 284]

>>>This is true for FS9, but not FSX! The VC model is separate>>from external model! That doesn't mean though that you can>do>>this with FS9 aircraft in FSX! The model has to use bump>>mapping, for it to work! Only native FSX aircraft is capable>>of this. Since you can set it up to use the VC only (You>won't>>see a exterior aircraft in spot or tower view), external>only,>>or both, I don't know why Aces set it up this way! If they>>just loaded the interior model in VC mode and the external>>model in spot and tower view, you would be able to do the>same>>thing with older FS9 no VC models. The only thing I can>think>>of is they did it this way to reduce loading times between>>views, but aircraft loads pretty quickly anyway, so I don't>>think that would have been a big deal!! Take a look at the>>model folder of the 747 or 738 to see how it's setup!! >>>>Way cool jr! So you mean, I could take an iFDG A319 (an FS9>aircraft) and add the A321's VC to it?>>>Rhett>>AMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS>A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150>gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb>5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster PraetorianNo! Like I said, it won't work on FS9 aircraft, it will only work on native FSX aircraft, that use bump mapping! If Aces designed it to load separately like I outlined above, then you would be able to marry FSX VC mdls with non VC FS9 aircraft such as IFDG, but they chose to go the bump map route instead, presumably for performance reasons switching views!

[RFields5421 1]

Can you do it with today's FS9 aircraft? NoWill you be able to do it in a year or two with FSX designed aircraft? ProbablyOne item is that there are textures in the main aircraft folder for the aircraft/ model with the VC which will have to be moved to the new aircraft folder so that the VC will not be just a grey shape.The default A321 interior model calls these textures:A321_reflection.ddsAirbus_A321_1_C.ddsAirbus_A321_1_night_C.ddsAirbus_A321_2_C.ddsAirbus_A321_2_night_C.ddsAirbus_A321_3_C.ddsAirbus_A321_3_night_C.ddsAirbus_A321_4_C.ddsAirbus_A321_4_night_C.ddsAnd then the issue of gauges and panel in the VC.

[n4gix 4,947]

>One item is that there are textures in the main aircraft>folder for the aircraft/ model with the VC which will have to>be moved to the new aircraft folder so that the VC will not be>just a grey shape.Reggie, this ie easily handled by simply adding the full path to those textures in the texture.cfg file for the a/c in question.For example, in the texture folder for your "alternate VC aircraft" you would add a new "fallback.n" entry like this:fallback.1=..texturefallback.2=........SceneryGlobaltexturefallback.3=............SceneryGlobaltexturefallback.4=SimObjectsAirplanesAirbus_A321Texture