Updating my Boeing 737-NG Panel...

[Guest Ionizeyou]

Bill...A while back, you'd mentioned to me about how to make my panel light splashes work. With your help, I'd finally like to get this thing working like I want it to. Okay? So, here's the deal....I would like a three way switch that does this:Lights pos. #1, panel back-lighting off, panel light splashes off.Lights pos. #2, Panel back-lighting on, panel light splashes off.Lights pos. #3, Panel back-lighting on, panel light splashes on.So far I have a two-way switch that does on and off, with no light splashes. Here's the code for that... pretty basic.**************************************************************** (A:Light panel,bool)****************************************************************I need to add a third position obviously, and also find a way to use your "overlay" suggestion for my panel splashes. Where I'm confused is how to assign the overlay to that third position. Quoting you from a previous post:>>> 3) make the entire overlay transparent, but with the 'lightsplashes' added to the bitmap (the same technique you woulduse in an Alpha channel). IMHO, this is the better method....As far as the control goes, you you can either tie the overlay tothe PANEL_ID_xx in your panel lights switch code, or use an"autoswitch." <<

[phjvh 0]

Hi,As you guessed, i'm busy with that but a very long way to go.Jan"Procul Negotiis"

[phjvh 0]

Hi,You can try this:Make a 3-way switch.Use in the click events:1 (>L:Switch,enum) (L:Switch,enum) 1 == if{ (>K: PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF) }2 (>L:Switch,enum) (L:Switch,enum) 2 == if{ (>K: PANEL_LIGHTS_ON) }3 (>L:Switch,enum) (L:Switch,enum) 3 == if{ (>K: PANEL_LIGHTS_ON) }Make an (L:Switch,enum) 3 =="Splashlight.bmp" etc.Jan"Procul Negotiis"

[Guest Ionizeyou]

Thanks everyone for all of your help... it's coming along nicely.New Issue:After making some improvements to several of my gauges, I'm finding out that the panel is now becoming sluggish, and there is noticeable "stuttering" in the animation of several of the displays: airspeed, altimeter, gauge needles, gauge numbers, etc. The funny thing is when I check the framerates, it says that I'm getting aroung 22 to 25 fps. What could be causing these gauges to act in this manner? Kevin SparkuhlBTW... How does "update frequency" affect the performance of the gauges? What values do the numbers represent?Thanks again. :)

[phjvh 0]

Hi,An example of a premature MFD with the new FS9-GPS possibility's in XML:Jan"Procul Negotiis"

[phjvh 0]

Hi,Not sure about the , i don't use it;"Refreshements"/minute?Like to show what could be achieved for a ND using parts of the FS9GPS.Adding more text or RMI-lines (VOR, NDB) no problemo.Jan"Procul Negotiis"

[phjvh 0]

Hi,Not sure about the , i don't use it;"Refreshements"/minute?Like to show what could be achieved for a ND using parts of the FS9GPS.Adding more text or RMI-lines (VOR, NDB) no problemo.Jan"Procul Negotiis"

[Guest Ionizeyou]

That looks nice Jan...Which tags are you finding these display elements from within the GPS gauge? I'd like to play too...Kevin

[phjvh 0]

Hi, see:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho..._id=13920&page=Jan"Procul Negotiis"

[Guest Ionizeyou]

Hi Jan...I'm still having trouble being able to apply a "splashlight" image to my background and implementing it into my lighting. I'm really pulling my hair out on this and was hoping you might be able to help lead me in the proper direction... is there a "test" code that I can use? Also, how do I use this splashlight image by making an alpha channel? Is it a standard 32 bit alpha image and how does it become "active" with the lighting parameters that we're given. I guess where I'm becoming confused, is with the main panel image being in the panel folder, how does it work to make a splashlight image without having to create a whole new image in the panel folder? I hope I don't confuse you in trying to explain this!! lol...Thanks again guys.... it's really coming along nicely.BTW... how's that MFD coming along?Kevin

[phjvh 0]

Kevin,First,Still busy with the MFD, but it works wonderful.Has a lot of elements of the fs9gps in it and i'm now busy to get rid of the last bitmaps, because i only want to use the new "vector" possibility's of FS9.I think it will be almost 100% compared with the real thing.Concerning the "splashlight" the following:I have no experience in alpha channels, even don't know what it means and what you can do with it; something for later..?What i use is an 8 Bit #000000 bitmap (MSPaint).The size is as big as the main panel bitmap (1024*768).On that bitmap i draw in dark gray some text or figures.This bitmap belongs in the Gauge folder(!) together with the appropiate XML gauge.That gauge (switch) activates the bitmap (like any other gauge).I use 3 seperate switches (Real thing)A. Panel light switch: (MS default)B. Backlight switch: (Custom made) Activates the tag Bright="Yes".C. Splashlight: (Custom made) Activates the "Splash" bitmap.(So i can still use the other MS defaults)So i have 8 effects using the 3 switches:1. Panel lights off/Gauge backlighting off/"Splash" off.2. Panel lights off/Gauge backlighting off/"Splash" on.3. Panel lights off/Gauge backlighting on/"Splash" off.4. Panel lights off/Gauge backlighting on/"Splash" on.5. Panel lights on/Gauge backlighting off/"Splash" off.6. Panel lights on/Gauge backlighting on/"Splash" off.7. Panel lights on/Gauge backlighting off/"Splash" on.8. Panel lights on/Gauge backlighting on/"Splash" on.Of course you can use this technique for individual gauges, but i found it easier to implement this for the whole panel.(Use it also for overhead and pedestal)Here an example (small part overhead) from my "splash".bmp:Jan"Procul Negotiis"http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/40700.jpg

[Guest]

>Hi Jan...>I guess where I'm becoming confused, is with the main panel>image being in the panel folder, how does it work to make a>splashlight image without having to create a whole new image>in the panel folder? I hope I don't confuse you in trying to>explain this!! lol...What Jan has called a "splashlight," I call "text backlighting" when it's used in a gauge...Here is a "lightmask" that I used in the Premier I to provide gauge backlighting and a cool "floodlight effect" on the main panel in the VC view. It is a simple 8-bit image that was created in Adobe Photoshop using a "screen capture" of the panel from FS Panel Studio as a template, then creating the gray "light mask" areas on a new layer. The layered file was then collapsed and converted to an indexed 8-bit image, and scaled down to 256,256 from 1024,1024.What "triggers" the lightmask is the standard _L suffix (tied by FS to the panel lights by default).In other words, the 'main image' is applied in the vcockpit entry of the panel.cfg file as follows:[Vcockpit01]file=PREM_MAIN.bmp :)BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/40707.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/40708.jpg

[Guest Ionizeyou]

Okay...Can someone just put me out of my misery!! So... I made my 8-bit gray-scale image and tied it to the texture folder with the "L" suffix, "Main1024_L.bmp" to no avail. The main panel wouldn't load as well, so I don't know... The image was still 1024x768, in gray-scale, so I didn't think that would matter. I attached this gray-scale image as a second "alpha" layer to the main bitmap using Paint Shop Pro 7, then assigned it to the "L" suffix along with the other main image as shown. Here's the header of my Main Panel section with what I did....//--------------------------------------------------------------[Window00]file=Main1024.bmp size_mm=1024,768window_size_ratio=1.00 position=7visible=1ident=Main_Panelwindow_size=1.000, 1.000window_pos=0.000, 0.000texture=$Main1024_L.bmp----------------------------------------------------------------Am I missing a step here? I really want to make this happen as it's the finishing touch to my update... and man, it looks great!! Check out the photo of its progress to date. Thanks to Jan for the tip to scrap the GPS for added code... it displays what the GPS loads into it and it's really fun to see your flight plan as you fly it!!I'd really appreciate any help to get this panel "flood-light" issue worked out.Regards,Kevin Sparkuhl

[phjvh 0]

Kevin, Looks great!No tips for the bitmaps.Another useful thing is to put the "rest" of the GPS in the Boeing CDU.I have almost completed the thing and it looks much better in a 767 than the Garmin.Keep all functions, scrap all colours and fancy stuff, make the text Arial #00ff00, align here and there etc. etc.Rearrange the buttons and make them alive.BTW. You can control the ND/MAP from the MCP using the "simple" K-Events. I use the radar display section on the pedestal.So you can switch on/off Map, different symbols etc. just like in real live.Jan"Procul Negotiis"http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/41727.jpg

[Guest Ionizeyou]

>>BTW. You can control the ND/MAP from the MCP using the "simple" K-Events.That sounds great Jan... can you give me an example of how to do that? It's simple for you!! : ) I understand the concept, just lacking a bit in application of such an immense code. Do I duplicate the entire code for the radar section and reference the K-events, or... well, you get the idea. Thanks again!Kevin