Deleting VC in 2D side view?

[scott967 62]

I have some nice panels with photoreal fixedwindow side views. The problem is that when used with .mdl that has a VC, the VC shows behind the "window" of the sideview bmp. Is there anyway to "turn off" the VC in 2D side views? I can kill the VC panel, but that isn't an issue in cockpit view.scott s..

[Guest]

>I have some nice panels with photoreal fixedwindow side>views. The problem is that when used with .mdl that has a VC,>the VC shows behind the "window" of the sideview bmp. Is>there anyway to "turn off" the VC in 2D side views? I can>kill the VC panel, but that isn't an issue in cockpit view.No, you cannot. The VC "side views" in the 2d are a part of the "physical model" itself.BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

[Guest Karl R Pettersen]

Well, you can try to define (or create) in the view section so that when you look out to the right, the eyepoint is moved forward just long enough so that the mdl is no longer shown.The other method involves repainting the vc textures so they become transparent, but this obviously affects vc as well and might not be the best of solutions.

[scott967 62]

Tnks Bill & Karl. I was afraid of that. I kind of figured that when I looked at the default panel.cfgs and none of the ones with VCs had any fixed window views that there was a problem there.scott s..

[Guest Douglas K]

>I have some nice panels with photoreal fixedwindow side views. The problem is that when used with .mdl that has a VC, the VC shows behind the "window" of the sideview bmp. Is there anyway to "turn off" the VC in 2D side views? I can kill the VC panel, but that isn't an issue in cockpit view.No, you cannot. The VC "side views" in the 2d are a part of the "physical model" itself.<>Tnks Bill & Karl. I was afraid of that. I kind of figured that when I looked at the default panel.cfgs and none of the ones with VCs had any fixed window views that there was a problem there.:) As far as removing the VC from the A/C model is concerned, it is perfectly possible and actually quite simple to do, involving only a hex editor and two changes to the aircraft.mdl file.A good hex editor can be found here (Hex Workshop 4.1 - shareware but fully functional for long enough to get the job done and then some):http://www.bpsoft.com/downloads/Open the mdl file you want to edit and search for the following hex value: 0022003900In the first two occurences of that string, simply change the 39 in 0022003900 to 00. It should now look like this: 0022000000. Save the changes, OK the creation of the backup file then exit Hex Workshop to test it out in MSFS.I have found that this works on mdl files created in GMAX, FSDS, and FSDS2. It works on the default FS9 A/C, including the new vintage models. It takes two minutes at the most to complete, and if a computer moron like me can do it, then anyone can, including chimpanzees. If you decide to go this route, be sure you use your new mdl file powers for good, not evil.:)

[Guest Fabio Miguez]

Hey Douglas,GREAT post man, very useful, thank you!

[Guest AirbusBuff]

Thank you for this excellent post. I was searching for a method to get rid of bandwidth eating, waste of memory space, frame rate killin VC panels which are nothing more, in my opinion, than eye candy but do not do the job unless it's A320 PIC which is VC heaven compared to the stuff on commercial and freeware aircraft now.With your solution, I can do what Captain Sim has and simply copy the model file, modify it, and return it to the folder with a different name. Anytime I want to return to the VC I can easily do so by simply renaming the file.Again, excellent post.

[scott967 62]

Thanks. I had been removing the VCockpit01 out of the panel file, but your method is more complete. So far, I am not a big VC user (I tend to prefer the more complicated 2D panels with lots of switches, etc.).scott s..

[giodoca 0]

I'm not very expert in computer software, but i downloaded Hex program and following your instructions I found the 0022003900value. Now Have I to modify all the values present in the .mdl file (with edit function "replace all") or only any one?ThanksGiorgio

[Guest Dominik Mann]

>Thank you for this excellent post. I was searching for a>method to get rid of bandwidth eating, waste of memory space,>frame rate killin VC panels which are nothing more, in my>opinion, than eye candy but do not do the job unless it's A320>PIC which is VC heaven compared to the stuff on commercial and>freeware aircraft now.I'll second that :-) . While I do appreciate good-looking 3D models I hardly ever use virtual cockpits, and, in fact, consider them more as resource eaters rather than helpful items, just as you said. Using the method outlined above in this thread, I eliminated the VC on the AD A340 which had really been a heavy performance hog and even caused FS to lock up occasionally, even though my computer is certainly not the slowest. I then went for a short test flight, and while in external view I suddenly got frame rates close to 40 with this very well-detailed aircraft - or in other words, I now have an A340 which is actually *playable* :D .I don't mean to offend any designers who are planning to model a VC into their upcoming releases or have done so in the past - on the contrary, I highly appreciate their work. However, I would highly welcome it if aircraft which are proving to be heavy on the system during the testing phase anyway could be offered with two visual models - one with VC for those insisting on them, and one without for those who, like me, can live with the standard 2D panels for now.

[Guest jk]

Do not change all the strings 0022003900. Because then you would make not only the VC invisible, but also the landing lights and even the plane itself. The best way to remove the VC -and ONLY the VC- is looking for the said string, changing the 39 into 00 for the first appearance of the string and then going into FS to see the result. If it didn't work then go back into the hex editor, undo the change and go to the next appearance of the string and change the 39 into 00. Have a look in FS and continue the operation untill the VC has gone. The string 0022003900 appears more than once in a .mdl file and is something like a command telling to show some part of the aircraft model (the VC, landing lights, the model itself, etc..), so make only the change to the string that handles the VC.Since I don't like VC's (for different reasons) I have removed them of all of my aircraft.

[Guest Douglas K]

>Do not change all the strings 0022003900. Because then you would make not only the VC invisible, but also the landing lights and even the plane itself. The best way to remove the VC -and ONLY the VC- is looking for the said string, changing the 39 into 00 for the first appearance of the string and then going into FS to see the result. If it didn't work then go back into the hex editor, undo the change and go to the next appearance of the string and change the 39 into 00. Have a look in FS and continue the operation untill the VC has gone.

[Guest AirbusBuff]

>>Thank you for this excellent post. I was searching for a>>method to get rid of bandwidth eating, waste of memory>space,>>frame rate killin VC panels which are nothing more, in my>>opinion, than eye candy but do not do the job unless it's>A320>>PIC which is VC heaven compared to the stuff on commercial>and>>freeware aircraft now.>>>>I'll second that :-) . While I do appreciate good-looking 3D>models I hardly ever use virtual cockpits, and, in fact,>consider them more as resource eaters rather than helpful>items, just as you said. Using the method outlined above in>this thread, I eliminated the VC on the AD A340 which had>really been a heavy performance hog and even caused FS to lock>up occasionally, even though my computer is certainly not the>slowest. I then went for a short test flight, and while in>external view I suddenly got frame rates close to 40 with this>very well-detailed aircraft - or in other words, I now have an>A340 which is actually *playable* :D .>>I don't mean to offend any designers who are planning to model>a VC into their upcoming releases or have done so in the past>- on the contrary, I highly appreciate their work. However, I>would highly welcome it if aircraft which are proving to be>heavy on the system during the testing phase anyway could be>offered with two visual models - one with VC for those>insisting on them, and one without for those who, like me, can>live with the standard 2D panels for now.>>>I suppose I intend to offend because certain aircraft offend my system and slow it down!!!!! :^PI prefer level headed and logical planning to a VC. Don't intentionally place everything you can into one especially if it will cause problems. Always remember that the VC is loaded with the model and the textures are not. Only until one switches views from within the 2D or moving form 2D to 3D do they now have to be loaded. This loading cycle consumes frames, time, and contributes to stutters. Also remember that a variety of users exists with different systems.If I find another offender I will be sure to cut away the offending article now that I have a finely sharpened Hex Editor.

[Guest AirbusBuff]

>>Do not change all the strings 0022003900. Because then you>would make not only the VC invisible, but also the landing>lights and even the plane itself. The best way to remove the>VC -and ONLY the VC- is looking for the said string, changing>the 39 into 00 for the first appearance of the string and then>going into FS to see the result. If it didn't work then go>back into the hex editor, undo the change and go to the next>appearance of the string and change the 39 into 00. Have a>look in FS and continue the operation untill the VC has>gone.<>>>That's good advice JK, and that's exactly the procedure for>removing the VC that was described to me by someone several>months ago. However, I have done quite a few of these, and>I've never noticed any change after modifying the first>string, it has always been modifying the first two, and>those two only that removed the VC. >>But I certainly haven't removed the VC in all my aircraft, and>it's entirely possible that with some designs more editing>will be necessary. It's best to be cautious, and backup your>files! I've used your suggestion to remove the VC out of SSW's A310 and I have gained approximately 5-8 or more frames as a result. I also found 2D views to replace the frame killing VC and I am now in business.....gotta find some more VCs to eliminate MUUUUHUUUAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

[Guest Kurt]

-"it has always been modifying the first two, and those two only that removed the VC."-I've found that just changing the second string only does the job. I'm not sure what the first string is for, although changing both doesn't seem to remove anything else.Kurt M