Beginner wants to makes a landing panel

[Guest MasterBlaster]

I am a newby and would like to know if it is possible for someone at my skill level to add a landing panel to Flight1's C152. My knowledge level can be described as someone with a good functional understanding of the structure and functions of panel.cfg and someone who has made modifications to mainpanel.bmps successfully.Can someone explain at the conceptual level how to convert a mainpanel.bmp into a landingpanel.bmp and get it to replace the main panel when it is called up? I say "conceptual level" because I would like to know if it's going to be something I can do with just Photoshop 6 and any freeware tools that are out there.TIA

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hey TIA,Sure, it can be done. It will take a little bit of work, but it can be done.There will be two stages to this. First, you will need a new background BMP. Second, you will need to re-position some gauges and not include some others.To make a new BMP you can either use the original and clip some of it's lower part, or if you feel like it, you can go to an Aeroclub that has a 152 and snap a shot or search the net for a picture that you can use (I recommend you ask permission to the photographer in this case, just to be safe, even if it is just for you). Basically you will only need the portion of the panel you are looking to have into view in this landing perspective. I assume you have seen other landing panels, so you know what I am talking about. If not, speak up and I will clarify.Keep in mind that if you use the original BMP and it has anything that extends to the top of the screen (like a side column or a center post, not sure on either of these, I don't have this product), by clipping the panel, you are effectivelly 'moving it down', so that these parts will not touch the top of the screen. Here you will either add something to again reach the top, or you will live with it. If there are no portions of the image touching the top, no sweat.Go into Photoshop and use the selection tool to select just the portion of the panel you will use. It is important you keep this new BMP with the same width, so that in FS it is not stretched to fit. So when you select, make sure you start on the left and go all the way to the right. The height will obviously be what you think should show in FS. Select File, New, and paste it. Save it.Now comes the harder part. You will have to manually place the gauges you want in this panel. It would be easier with FSPanelStudio, a great tool that can save you lots of time when moving gauges around. But you mentioned only Photoshop, so I presume you do not have it, although I recommend buying it if you can.Since you said you have done similar things before, I am not going to go in depth on gauge placement. Also because the SDK, even though it is not excellent, can probably explain better than I can. Again, if you are having trouble, give us a shout.The SDK also explains how to place the bitmap to look like you want it to. I know this is not a very detailed explanation, but I don't know what you already know or not, so it is a start. Once again, if you need assistance, stop by.The SDK is called Panels And Gauges SDK and can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimul...wnloads_sdk.asp

[badderjet 181]

>Hey TIA,hehe... TIA = thanks in advance I assume, never mind... :-hah

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, am I tupid or am I tupid?

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hello MasterBlaster,Forgot to mention you wil have to add another Window to the panel.cfg so that you can hit, for example, S H I F T+5 and have the landing panel show up. Again, refer to the SDK.

[Guest MasterBlaster]

Hey, FabioWith help like that you can call me any thing you want!2 Concerns: Won't using a [shft+#] to bring up a window just pop a new window on top of Window00?I would love to get tricky and make a click spot on the panel, but I'm guessing you need FSPanelStudio to do that.. or is that in the .air file?

[Guest MasterBlaster]

>Won't using a [shft+#] to bring up a window just pop a new>window on top of Window00?Whoops.. this forum won't support special charaters.. should read:Won't using a shift plus a number to bring up a window just pop a new window on top of Window00?

[rcbarend 37]

Hi MB,I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "landing panel", but if this is just a "lowered" version of the main panel (so a much better forward view):"Won't using a to bring up a window just pop a new window on top of Window00?"Yes. And since your landing panel should probably be much smaller (less high) than your main panel, there's two things you can easily do (and probably more alternatives)1. Make your landing panel [window00] and adjust your panel.cfg default x/y coordinates accordingly.And make your original [window00] an overlay window [windowxx], which by default is on (visible=1) and overlaps the landing panel.Switching the main panel on/off can be done by a simple XML gauge (like a SimIcon)with a transparant bitmap (hotspot) that toggles the original main panel on/off.You can make this simply with Notepad.2. Another way of implementing the landing panel is to define a [window**] with the Ident=Minipanel statement; now you can select the landing panel with the "w" key.Disavantage: obviously you lose the default minipanel.See:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=searchCheers, Rob

[Guest]

>Switching the main panel on/off can be done by a simple XML>gauge (like a SimIcon)with a transparant bitmap (hotspot) that>toggles the original main panel on/off.>You can make this simply with Notepad.Well, if you are going to the trouble of making an XML gauge, then you might just as well use the TOGGLE_PANEL k:event to simply swap out the two panels, like I did in the Socata TB20GT to switch between pilot and copilot positions. A simple click on the simicon I made does the trick! :)BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[rcbarend 37]

Hi Bill,Yes, you are right (I assume you mean one XML gauge that includes 2 TOGGLE_PANEL events). As I said, there are more alternatives :-)Cheers, Rob

[Guest MasterBlaster]

Whoa! Don't forget me down here.Update: step one is complete... I managed an all pro job of cutting the panel in half and building up a seamless windscreen post on the left side by copying and flipping, etc. I immodestly declare it payware quality so far. (I'm having fun, I see why you guys do this.)Rob,Do you mean have both panels visible with the main.bmp covering the landing.bmp? I sorta did that by accident but the landing.bmp comes out on top of the main.bmp. Does having 2 panels visible at the same time give you a frame rate hit or is it null because they are the same gauges?Bill,TOGGLE_PANEL k:event? Way over my newby head! I've got your Socata TB20GT, can I dig out your code and simicon and use it? This is off topic but distracting: Dreamfleet made Window00 file=F1152_NULL.bmp. It

[Guest]

>Bill,>TOGGLE_PANEL k:event? Way over my newby head! I've got your>Socata TB20GT, can I dig out your code and simicon and use it?Assuming that you have v2.0 of the TB20GT, examine the entries in window00 and window01 sections of the panel.cfg file, paying particular attention to the ident= entry. Note that I've given window01 the ident=RADIO_STACK_PANEL...Now, I could have called it nearly anything I liked, but did not change it because I was lazy and didn't want to uncab and edit the XML code for the simicon I used.This is the entry in the panel.cfg that places the icon and controls the "panel swap:"gauge17=TB20GT_FS9!Panel Icon, 270,391,13,13This is the code for the panel swap icon:- - Toggle Co-Pilot's Window50 (>K:PANEL_ID_TOGGLE) 0 (>K:PANEL_ID_TOGGLE)Notice the "50" and "0" in the section. This simply tells FS to swap the windowxx sections with the idents of 0 (main panel) and 50 (copilots panel). The numeric code of 50 is identical with RADIO_STACK_PANEL as it happens.You could easily change the ident= entry in the panel.cfg for [window01] to ident=50 and it would still work fine.BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[Guest MasterBlaster]

Thanks a million guys! This was my first major panel work and I'm sure, not my last.The landing panel took half a day with only photoshop and a calulator, which makes me wonder why Dreamfleet didn't include it in the first place. (They do on every other product.)Bill.. I will have to digest and play with the click spot. I downloaded the SDK so I can figure out what the hell you guys are talking about.Now, I'll do the newby thing and post the finished product. (Last time.. I promise...)Norm

[Guest MasterBlaster]

OK I said I was a newby.. Second try on the attachmentNorm

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hey Norm,Looking great man! I couldn't tell this was not done by Dreamfleet, looks very professional. Great job.