Legacy Virtual Panel, and ...

[Guest Fly1]

Well, making a little bit of progress here. Some of the virtual panel is coming together. Also been experimenting with the illumination techniques Bill has been kind enough to share. Pretty Cool!!A problem I am seeing in the quages is the text is smaller than should be. Any hint of why this happening would be appreciated.Thanks!!Bob C.

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hey Bob.Phenominal stuff, is all I have to say! The virtual cockpit will be where most people will fly this plane from.I am not sure what small writing you are talking about...

[Guest PhLem]

Bob, that VC is looking very nice. I too am now doing some experimental venturing into the VC world. Maybe you can change the resolution of the gauges in the panel.cfg. Maybe it should be higher, maybe lower. I am using 1024x1024 pixels for my gauges, which are showing very sharp and clear, even from my viewpoint I can read the altitude !!!Take care,Udo.:-wave

[badderjet 181]

Ah, I knew I had seen this engine display before... Actually, on that hi-tech-ultra-exaggerated-equipped Katana DA-20 out there at EDFE. See pic attached... But it does have a very cool pure blue background lighting, that gauge. :DRegards,http://www.flightfactory-simulations.com/i...enne_Banner.jpg[a href=http://www.flightfactory-simulations.com]FlightFactory Simulations LLC[/a]http://forums.avsim.com/user_files/16264.jpg

[Guest]

>Well, making a little bit of progress here. Some of the>virtual panel is coming together. Also been experimenting with>the illumination techniques Bill has been kind enough to>share. Pretty Cool!!>>A problem I am seeing in the quages is the text is smaller>than should be. Any hint of why this happening would be>appreciated.That is really shaping up nicely, Bob! Congratulations!As was said already, use the highest resolution possible on those VC gauges in your panel.cfg file. As small as that panel is, there won't be that much of a frame rate or gauge-refresh hit if you do. Note also that the size_mm= doesn't have to be the same as the pixel_size= entry.The size_mm= parameter sets the size of your drawing surface, and pixel_size= sets the drawing resolution of the gauges. If you have a small "panel" with only one or two gauges, you may get by with using size_mm=256,256 & pixel_size=512,512On the other hand, with a panel section such as the one below, with a great many hi-res gauges, you'll need to set the maximum drawing surface of size_mm=1024,1024 and pixel_size=1024,1024{Vcockpit01}file=vc_left.bmp Background_color=0,0,0 size_mm=1024,1024visible=0render_3d_window=1pixel_size=1024,1024texture=$vc_leftFor reasons which should be obvious, you never want to use a larger entry in the drawing surface than the gauge resolution! I've actually run into {Vcockpitxx} sections where the designer had done precisely that:size_mm=1024,1024...pixel_size=256,256The results were, as you might imagine, rather horrible... a large, illegible mess of pixels displayed in the VC... Fuzzy picture anyone? :(BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[Guest Fly1]

Thanks guys!!My VC panel config is using pixels at 1024 by 1024, but I am still getting squashed digits in the chronometer, radio, and some of the engine display. The panel size is 1024 by 430 due to the bmp size. It appears fine. I have another VC panel in another plane with a rectangualar panel size and 1024 by 1024 pixel with no digit problem. Things that make you go Hmmmmmmmmmmm.Oh, Bill. I also applied your illumination to the exterior version of the panel bit map that you see from outside the plane, and now I can see the gauges from the exterior at night. Too Cool!! Pic below.Later!!Bob C.

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hey Bob.Perhaps the 1024x430 needs to be more like 1024x1024? Just guessing here, never really tried this.

[Guest PhLem]

I think Fabio may be right. That may be causing your squashed text in the gauges. You projection mesh can be any shape, but the bmp must be square with a square mapping as well ( haha, thanks to Bill !! ).Take care,Udo.:-wave

[Guest Fly1]

Appreciate the feed back. Well, yes the 1024 x 1024 in the panel config was important, but to fix my problem I had to go back to the panel texture assigned in Gmax, and paste the rectangular bmp to a 1024 x 1024 0,0,0 black bmp, then reassign it accordingly to the panel object. Now with the pixels at 1024 square the digits are correct. Now I have to redo the illumination bmp. So, that takes care of that one. On a little different tilt, since I am working on night details now, I have noticed that the strobe lights are causing what appears to be a spuratic blue band where usually the spectral light would shine. This can appear all over the plane, where ever a spectral shine whould appear. Pic attached, plus a few others. I will post a note over at the Middleman site. Any others seen this?Thanks again for the help!!!Bob C.

[Guest]

>Appreciate the feed back. >Well, yes the 1024 x 1024 in the panel config was important,>but to fix my problem I had to go back to the panel texture>assigned in Gmax, and paste the rectangular bmp to a 1024 x>1024 0,0,0 black bmp, then reassign it accordingly to the>panel object. Now with the pixels at 1024 square the digits>are correct. Now I have to redo the illumination bmp. So, that>takes care of that one.Actually, you really need only use a 256x256 $dummy.bmp in GMax. The actual size of the texture generated by FS2k2 at run-time will be whatever you specify in the panel.cfg... The only thing you are doing in GMax is assigning a filename! Of course, as you've now had reinforced for you is that the texture unequivocally MUST be square and a power of two... :)Additionally, the color of the $dummy.bmp isn't important either; it could be green with pink polka-dots for all GMax or FS2k2 cares! All that's critical is (a) the filename and (:( the pixel size. >This can appear all over the>plane, where ever a spectral shine whould appear. Pic>attached, plus a few others. I will post a note over at the>Middleman site. Any others seen this?Oddly enough Bob, I have no clue whatever on this one! :)Those screen shots are stunning! The illuminated panel at night help elevate an already incredible model to a whole new level!BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[Guest Valid_Andy]

Yeah Man, that exterio illuminated panel is great, i never seen one like that before, definityl gives FS a more realistic approach while flying at night!Andy :-wave

[Guest]

>Yeah Man, that exterio illuminated panel is great, i never>seen one like that before, definityl gives FS a more realistic>approach while flying at night!>>Andy :-waveHmmm.... Obviously then you've never flown the Socata TB20GT my team and I made then... When it was released last November it already featured a visible and *active* cockpit from the spot view! :)I just did some checking, and was astonished to find that it is still the #22 "most frequently d/l'ed of the FS2002 a/c" here at AVSIM, just nudging out the terrific DR400 by a few d/l's...It is currently #43 on the "Top 100" downloads at AVSIM. The total # of known d/l's now tops 47,000! BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Excellent, Bill, congrats on the success of the Socata!

[Guest]

>Excellent, Bill, congrats on the success of the Socata!Of course, we can only dream, but imagine if I'd charged only say, $10 for the kit! :)I'm confident that FFS's delightful Cirrus SR22 will be a great hit! It's absolutely stunning workmanship!I'm still slugging away on the TB20GT as I have time, trying to sand off some rough edges and give 'er a spit shine... :)BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hey Bill.Thank you for the compliments. Coming from you, I am very honored to hear that.