barryward12345

>Do you know about the stupid idiot's guide to gmax? I think>that's a very good complete tutorial.Yes- I have that . The problem is that in the early part of his tutorial when he is talking about the viewport backgrounds , he says that he uses the method shown in the P38 tutorial - so that is why I was going through the P38 tutorial. It seems that I have to learn more about this importation of the viewport backgrounds before I can proceed any further.I have downloaded the file that you referred me to - and can see that I have a boc in the perspective view with the a/c imposed on each side of the box - plus the a/c sideviews are in each of the other views.I can see in the "stupid idiots " guide a reference to a video by Finn Newick , which i suspect , says how to create this type of viewport background - but the link to the video is broken.So what I am really trying to find out further is how the box with the a/c on the sides is created in the first place. Once I can get past this , I can then follow the tutorials.Thanks againBarry

Thanks for the reply, Lionel>get the P38 calibration box here:>http://www.fsalpha.com/gmax_fs/gmax_fs_resources.shtmlI will have a look at this today.>>well, the problem with the gmax tutorial is that the setting>up of viewport backgrounds is very hard to do.I am not sure what you mean by this -- I found that the setting up of the viewport backgrounds and the calibration box (as per the tutorial instructions) is quite easy to do -- my problem is with the fact that I couldn't save the work to allow me to continue with the rest of the tutorial later. >>What most of us do is make a plane of the size of the image.>Let's say you're front view of the P38 is 300px by 400px. You>would create a plane of 300m by 400m(make sure you work in>metres.)Then, i would map the image onto the plane :)I have to tell you that what you have said above is all "gobley-gook" to me at this stage. That is the problem that I see with this -- there seems to be no simple step-by-step tutorial that allows a beginner to get a feel for what is required. Thanks anywayBarry

I have slowly started going through the Gmax tutorials with some success-- but have encountered something that has stopped me in my tracks.The third page of the P38 tutorial involves setting up the VIEWPORT BACKGROUNDS. I can do this with no problems , and then set up the required calibration box. BUT - I am then required to SAVE my work which is then to be used in the next section of the tutorial.I am having trouble saving and then re-using the Gmax file -- it saves OK, but when I open it up in Gmax again, there is no work there. Zilch. Just a blank Gmax workspace.I believe that this tutorial has some errors in it -- but I can find no other that starts out at this basic level. Even the acclaimed "Stupid idiots guide" assumes that you have completed the basic P38 Gmax tut.Any help please?Thanks Barry

>Installed the patch. Ran my PMDG 737NG and used my old No-CD>patch. NO problem and disk is still in my desk drawer.OK - I believe you -- FS2004 still runs after installing the MS patch and then re-installing the NO CD patch. BUT!!! -- are you getting the benefits of the MS patch. ????Barry

>You will need to restore the default.xml file that originally>resided in the Flight Simulator 9 folder That is only one part of the Autogen "fix" . There were, I remember, two parts to the fix - can't remember what the other one was at the moment.Barry

>Hey Barry,>>What in particular are you looking for?.>>Dan.Hi DanNothing in particular -- except that I have travelled extensively in the UK and have just downloaded the FS Genesis British Isles mesh. Then it dawned on me that of all the links I have to FS sites, I have no British ones.Barry

Anybody got any links to interesting British Fsim enthusist's sites.Thanks Barry

Does anybody know of any freeware mesh for the British Isles - FS2004.Thanks in advance Barry

I regard the Sim as purely an intellectual excercise - plus some nice eye candy in the form of topography around the world, a/c models, engineering systems in the more advanced a/c, etc. I recently flew in the front seat of a small a/c (actually a largish ultra-light) and physically, it frightened the hell out of me . Mostly, the turbulence even on a fine, clear day was what threw me the most.But, after I settled my nerves down and came to appreciate the difference in feel between what I was used to in the Sim and this real life situation, from an intellectual point of view, I KNEW how to fly that a/c from takeoff to landing. Now, it is the Sim that has taught me how to fly a/c- OK, the physical feel is nothing like the real thing -- but the mental processes behind flying the Sim are the same as those used in real life flying.So , for a/c enthusiasts who will never fly in real life and for pilots who do and can use the Sim to practice mentally their flights using charts, etc -- I believe that the Sim is great! It will never simulate R/L flight -- the physical sensation of flying itself will never be able to be replicated -- but the mental simulation will continue to become "as real as it gets".One of the problem that I see with many Sim pilots is that we just fly around aimlessly. We don't use the sim to practice the mental excercises that R/L pilots must use before and during a flight.Barry

This will be a very good project.Can I suggest that you place the 2 GA AI a/c by Mike Cronin on your website --and remove the Boeings that you currently have there!! :)Barry

It seems to me that the PSS Dash8 panel is quite good already-- but you can also try the Frolov Dash8 which has a better a/c systems implementation and better sounds. The Frolov Dash 8 panel and sounds work completely different to ALL other FS panels and sounds -- and there is some difficulty in merging the PSS a/c with the Frolov panel and sounds but it can be done.Another Barry

This topic has been moved by the moderator of this forum. It can be found at:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...&topic_id=33004

>Hi Barry>>...And finally, I used the tool DxtBMP.EXE to change the large>4 meg files found in this folder and also those found in the>aircraft Texture folder from 32 bit format to DXT3 format.>>Forgive me but i'm running Dxtbmp as we speak: can you please>explain how do i save bmp into DXT3? I can only see DXT1>format, is that correct?>>Thanks for sharing your "secret">>Luigi ;-)Hi LuigiWhen you select the "save" in the menu, there is a box which allows you to select whatever format that you want to save in. Barry

>It's a fabulous aeroplane, John, as you say; I downloaded it>at the time but you've reminded me to get it out of the hangar>and give it a fly through the Alps again.>>I always think it's rather sad that people can spend months on>something remarkable like this, such as Guenter has done, and>it is lost in a moment amongst AFCAD files, endless 737>repaints and so on. I agree with this sentiment -- so now, I really only download stuff that gets a "special" recommend from somebody like in this posting before I download. BTW , Guenter also has a nice little Piper which feels really "satisfying" to fly in the VC.Barry

>btw: How did you come about these changes; Trial & error,>personal experience, etc.?G'day ToddThanks for the nice words -- but the answer is "None of the above" . I am not smart enough to come up with anything original :) -- but I am a good researcher and found these fixes on the Internet in a number of obscure places. Anyway, the bottom line is now that the PSS Dash8 is quite a nice a/c to fly.Barry

The driver for my vid card has a setting for mipmaps -- NONE,BILINEAR,TRILINEAR.I don't know what this is for and the default setting is NONE . Could anyone please expalin what setting I should use.Thanks Barry

>- PSS Dash8Huh!! Could you explain this post a bit more please. At this time, I am unaware of such a gauge in the PSS Dash8 panel.ThanksBarry

>I'll second that! ...many many thanks for this most excellent>gauge! :)What does it actually do ?Thanks Barry

I have posted this in this forum so as to get a wider audience than that which attends the PSS support forum at AVSIM.I am really very happy with the PSS Dash8 now - after applying 4 fixes that I found while researching some problems with this a/c. This is my first purchase of a PSS product and, while I appreciate that it is a FS2002 design that has been updated for FS2004 and is now being sold cheaply , I feel that these errors, which made the a/c virtually unusable for me, should not exist in the current download available at the PSS site and I would have serious reservations about purchasing any more PSS products. There also seems to be many postings from people with problems at the PSS support forum at AVSIM and I am wondering if the quantity of postings in the forum is an indication of something.1. The first one is concerned with the payload of the vehicle which can be set with the LOAD EDIT utility and which then causes a disparity between what is indicated in the aircraft.cfg file and what shows up in FS2004 as the resultant payload and fuel . The problem here was caused by an error in the CFG file. This can be fixed by changing the line "max_number _of _stations" in the weight and balance section . The a/c has 6 stations numbered 0 to 5 and the max number of stations line should read =6, instead of =5. Once this is done , you can load up the a/c with passengers , luggage and fuel and FS2004 processes the info correctly. [WEIGHT_AND_BALANCE]max_gross_weight = 43000 empty_weight= 25650reference_datum_position=0.000000,0.000000,0.000000empty_weight_CG_position=1.000000,0.000000,-4max_number_of_stations=6 station_load.0 = 500, 29.0, 0.0, 0.0 //Weight Crew (lbs) LEAVEstation_load.1 = 500, -15.0, 0.0, 0.0 //Weight Galleys (lbs) LEAVEstation_load.2 = 0, -20.0, 0.0, 0.0 //Weight Baggage (lbs) Baggagestation_load.3 = 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 //Weight Cargo (lbs) Cargo station_load.4 = 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 //Weight Psgr Sect OA (lbs) Firststation_load.5 = 0, 3.0, 0.0, 0.0 //Weight Psgr Sect OB (lbs) Coach2. The second fix corrects the 5 degree nose high attitude of the a/c when it is heavily loaded in cruise flight or on final approach when even lightly loaded. It involves changing the CRUISE LIFT SCALAR value from 1 to 2. The entire FLIGHT TUNING section is actually missing from the aircraft.cfg file . This is OK as the Sim then uses the default values of 1. But to change the cruise-lift_scalar value to 2 , you need to firstly copy and past the flight tuning section into the Dash8 aircraft.cfg file. See below.[flight_tuning]cruise_lift_scalar =2.000parasite_drag_scalar =1.000induced_drag_scalar =1.000elevator_effectiveness =1.000aileron_effectiveness =1.000rudder_effectiveness =1.000pitch_stability =1.000roll_stability =1.000yaw_stability =1.000elevator_trim_effectiveness =1.000aileron_trim_effectiveness =1.000rudder_trim_effectiveness =1.0003. The third fix involves an error message that I was getting sometime during a flight which said something like ERROR - TRYING TO OPEN NON_EXISTANT FOLDER AT C:/PROGRAM FILES/PSS/TEXTURE. This is fixed by copying and pasting this folder and its contents from where it is in C:/PROGRAM FILES/MICROSOFT GAMES/FS9/PSS/TEXTURE.4. And finally, I used the tool DxtBMP.EXE to change the large 4 meg files found in this folder and also those found in the aircraft Texture folder from 32 bit format to DXT3 format. Now the a/c loads easily without pauses , etc and I can see no difference in a/c texture quality. Surely, developers should offer customers the option between using 32 bit or DXT3 textures as the former are so taxing on even high end systems.Barry

Have found the problem as to why the Dash8 flies at a 5 degree nose up. If the CRUISE LIFT SCALAR line in the aircraft.cfg file is increased to 2 , then the a/c flies nice and level. Landing now is much more comfortable and seems to me to be in line with the slight nose down attitude that I see on R/L Dash8s on final approach.Barry

OK -- have definitely found an error in the Dash8 aircraft.cfg file. The number of Stations should be 6 ( numbered from 0 to 5) and not 5 as in the CFG file. What this correction does is to allow the FS2004 Fuel and Load item to work properly.Barry

I have recently purchased the PSS Dash8 and have also noticed a discrepancy between what shows in the Aircraft.cfg file and what is indicated under fuel/payload in the SimBarry

OK - no response so far to this. I did get a response on USENET which pointed me to this post in another AVSIM forum http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...sg_id=771&page=- which confirms my finding. Looks like I might have bought a lemon!!Barry

OK -- looks like I found the "fix" to this problem -- but why it is so, I don't know. Creating a folder in the location as per the error message and copying all the texture files from their location in the PSS folder within FS9 to this new folder seems to have fixed the problem.Barry

I am finding that I have to fly with a 5 degree nose up attitude on final approach to be able to fly the a/c at approx 120- 130 knots with full flaps. It just doesn't feel right . Could any experienced flyer of the Dash8 advise me regarding approaches?Thanks Barry