Using Custom Bitmaps

[nickpike 0]

Hi there, I want to make use of a customised halo.bmp but not replace the default file. Is it possible to place the customised bmp in a different location in Fs2004 and then get the aircraft to read it?Thanks,nick

[rcbarend 37]

Hi Nick,Yes.I wrote the info below in another forum a while back.See end of the text for your question.Cheers, Rob Barendregt.*********************************************Placement of gauge files========================Assume the panel.cfg is in the folder:....aircraftyouraircraftyourpanelIf you panel.cfg contains a definition like:gauge** = filename!gaugename, ..,..FS seaches for that gauge in the following order:1. The gauge "gaugename", in file "filename.gau" in folder ...yourpanel2. The gauge/file "gaugename.xml" in folder ....yourpanelfilename3. The gauge "gaugename.xml", in file "filename.cab" in folder ...yourpanel4. The gauge "gaugename", in file "filename.gau" in folder ...gauges5. The gauge/file "gaugename.xml" in folder ....gaugesfilename6. The gauge "gaugename.xml", in file "filename.cab" in folder ...gaugesA few notes===========1. As you can see, with the same panel.cfg definition, you can choose to place your gaugefile (.gau or .cab) either in the ....gauges or ...yourpanel folder. Avantage of ...gauges:- Only one, shared gauge file (saves diskspace)- Installing a newer version of the gauge, you only have to overwrite one file for all panels using it.Advantages of ....yourpanel:- Allows for multiple versions of a gauge.- You never (accidentally) overwrite a gauge with an older version.- Easy maintenance if you decide to remove a plane with it's panel: you simply delete the whole aircraft folder (and panel subfolder) without leaving (potentially unused gauges) in the gauges folder; or accidentally delete a gauge that is still used by another aircraft panel. So you can decide yourself which "strategy" best suites you.2. For XML gauges, you can decided to unpack the .cab file into a subfolder with the same name as the .cab filename.Advantage:- easy change/replacement of a single .xml or .bmp file, without bundling/replacing the whole .cab file.- faster loading of the gauges, especially with very large .cab files.And these are only the main options and advantages :-)To name two other possibilities:1. You can put gauge files into a subfolder of ...gauges.E.g. gauge** = foldername/filename!gaugename, ..,..when the gauge file is placed in folder ....gaugesfoldernameNot very usefull given the other options, but still ....2. Modify the bitmap of an xml gauge for a specific panel.Suppose you want to adapt the bitmap of an XML gauge in a .cab file, for one specific panel.What you do: Extract the .bmp file from the filename.cab file, eg. with Winzip, to folder ...aircraftyouraircraftyourpanelfilename and modify it.Now this particular panel will use the modified bitmap and NOT the bitmap from the .cab file.*******************************************************

[n4gix 4,947]

Sorry Rob, but that doesn't really answer Nick's question, since he's not creating a "gauge" at all. He wishes for an altered version of the "halo.bmp" file to be used by the sim rather than the original, default "halo.bmp."As the name & path for this specific file is hard-coded into the FS core program directly, I do not believe that there's any (easy) means to 'trick' FS into looking into a different folder or use a different filename...Of course, a truly serious hacker could likely kludge up a method to replace the 'file/path' information dynamically, if they knew which memory offset to write their altered information, but it surely wouldn't be a trivial exercise!

[nickpike 0]

Hi and thanks for the reply. I don't think I explained properly, or I'm missing maybe a subtletey in your explanation. The halo.bmp file determines how lights look in FS2004 and resides in the main texture folder. I want to change this file to alter the look of my nav lights. But I don't want to change the default file, and want my aircraft to read the customised bitmap. So this is not associated with gauges.nick

[nickpike 0]

Thanks Bill, I was half expecting an answer like this. I'll have to reengage the thinking muscle and try something else,nick

[phjvh 0]

Nick,Do you want to make radio-controlled approach lights?On the other hand you can replace the halo.bmp after saving a copy or am I stupid?Jan"Beatus Ille Procul Negotiis"

[nickpike 0]

I don't think we could ever accuse you of being stupid :()No, I don't want to make radio controlled lights. I want to customise halo.bmp and somehow get the aircraft to read this, whilst leaving the default alone in the main textures folder. I thought maybe put it in the aircraft's texture folder but this did not work. Basically, with the default bmp, the glow on the nav lights make them look too big when zooming away from the aircraft. I put just white discs in the bmp and therefore did away with the halo/glow part, and they looked much better and did not grow in size. I want to release the aircraft as a package and did not want a fiddled-with bmp replacing the default file.I'm away for two days now so can't communucate.Cheers,nick

[n4gix 4,947]

If you make a custom .fx file, you can explicitly declare what filename you want to use for the bitmap.See the "Effects SDK" for details.

[rcbarend 37]

Bill, NickOops .. SorryNot knowing what the halo.bmp file is, I assumed it was a bitmap used by an XML gauge.I was obviously wrong :-)But maybe the info was usefull anyway ..LOLCheers, Rob

[n4gix 4,947]

>Bill, Nick>>Oops .. SorryNot to worry, mate! Lord knows I've managed to stuff me size 10 feet in me size 40 mouth on more than one occasion! It's all part and parcel of being a fallible human being... ;)