Hello all...Complete, absolute newbie to this task so I thought I'd ask advice from the pros here. I'm wanting to edit the interior of a freeware, Gmax aircraft's VC view. Can one do that with FSDS having only the files supplied with the download, or are there some type of 'source' files I would need from the author first?Thank you very muchAllen

You cannot make ANY changes without the source file, aside from possibly some minor gauge swapping.

>You cannot make ANY changes without the source file, aside>from possibly some minor gauge swapping.I was about to raise a new post regarding this - but found this one. Could you possibly explain just exactly what "minor gauge swapping" can be done in the VC . I am completely conversant with how to do it inside the 2D panel but am at a loss with regard to the VC . For example - looking at a very simple a/c like the default Piper Cub and trying to determine how the VC gauges are layed out to see if even the simplest of additional gauges can be added somewhere has so far been beyond my uderstanding.Perhaps you could kindly offer some advice about this?Thanks in advanceBarry

First of all, gauges for the virtual cockpit have to have "projection screens" coded in the model itself on which to place the gauges.Because of this, frequently there is not a 1:1 relationship between "what you see" and how the "projection screens" are arranged, unlike a 2d panel background where both the visible "texture" AND the "gauges" enjoy a precise, 1 to 1 relationship.In the "early days" of designing VC's, many freeware (and some payware!) authors designed very inefficient VC "projection screens," which closely mimicked the 2d panel design paradigm.These days, nearly eveyone uses the same method as Microsoft's FS developers, which means that it isn't easy to make "custom changes" to a virtual cockpit any more.In the case of the C172 for example, that large blank area on the VC panel doesn't have a "projection screen" modeled, so no one is able to place a gauge there.I hope this "word picture" is clear. If not, I'll post some picture examples to illustrate the concept. :)

>In the case of the C172 for example, that large blank area on>the VC panel doesn't have a "projection screen" modeled, so no>one is able to place a gauge there.>>I hope this "word picture" is clear. If not, I'll post some>picture examples to illustrate the concept. :)Thanks BillWell explained. It is fairly clear to me - basically says what I can't do :) -- but still doesn't help me to figure out just what "is" possible . Maybe you could possibly post some pictures to illustrate just what may be possible (if anything) to modify a default VC - perhaps add a small gauge somewhere where it is possible - maybe some pictures to illustrate how one could "examine" different a/c VCs (without going into GMAX!!) to determine what may be possible for an individual a/c.One thing I find difficult in FS2004 is to really be able to get a sense of my height above ground - so I "cheat" a little and install a small radar altimeter in the 2d panel of my favourite a/c. It helps a lot - especially trying to land on water. But I like to fly nowadays inside the many VC cockpit equiped a/c that I have and would dearly love to be able to install my radar alt there as wellRegards Barry

What you CAN do in an existing VC:Wherever there already IS a gauge, you can replace it with another, similar in size and shape.What you may POSSIBLY do in an existing VC:Place a gauge where none exists yet...Truthfully, the only EASY way to work on a panel is to use FS Panel Studio, because in that program you can SEE what the [VcockpitXX] section looks like. If all the gauges are crammed together tightly, then you are pretty much limited to replacing only like-for-like with an existing gauge.If they gauges are placed with space between them, and arranged pretty much the way a 2d panel is, then you might have more lattitude with adding "new" stuff to the VC.