Virtual cockpits

[jonsky77]

Could anyone give me a really quick answer as to where the information for VC's are.

Basically I'm trying to get the default 747 VC and 2D cockpit panels to work with a custom aircraft.

The 2D panels seem to work no problem, but the VC from the custom aircraft remains there with no guages.

I'm guessing it's in the model file, but an definitive answer would be great and how to change it would be even better.


For example, I downloaded a F-14 for FS2004 and put it into FSX, the plane model was fine but the gauges didn't work. So I deleted the panel folder in the F-14 main folder and copied the default Learjet one over. 2d works a treat but when I switch to VC I still get the F-14 VC but it's mainly just black.

I'd just like a quick fix as I've no idea how to model.


Thanks very much

[n4gix]

>Could anyone give me a really quick answer as to where the
>information for VC's are.

>I'd just like a quick fix as I've no idea how to model.

There are two parts to any virtual cockpit: the model itself which contains the polygons on which the gauges are projected, and the panel.cfg file which contains entries for all the VC gauges...

BTW, there isn't any such thing as a "quick fix" when dealing with FS... ;)

[jonsky77]

Thanks for the reply, I'm assuming then it's very hard to replace a custom VC with a default one?

[matsis]

jonsky77, if you are talking about FSX things are not as hard as they were in FS2004. FSX discerns between VC model file (interior) and external (normal) model file. You can now take any VC mdl you like (or the whole mdl file for FS2004 era planes) and fit it to any other plane.
The model part is dealt with in the model.cfg:

normal=extra300s (this is the model used for the exterior views)
interior=extra300s_interior (this is the model used for the interior views)

FS2004 mdl files contain both the external and the internal model, so both lines would be identical after the = for a correct port of an FS2004 plane into FSX.

But as Bill stated you will also have to replace all panel.cfg entries with VC at the beginning (Vcockpitxx) with the entries of the plane whose VC you borrowed, plus you need to have those gauges in the gauges folder or in the panel folder of your merged aircraft.
In case you are copying the complete panel.cfg it is a little easier.
Additionally you will have to copy various or all panel bitmaps into your merged panel folder. Then everything should show up in the VC.

[Conto]

Hi! all.
I can´t understand.
I have installed a new aircraft, for example A340 of FS2004.
It has the follow configuration:

model folder:
a343.mdl
model.cfg

and inside de model.cfg
[Models]
Normal=a343

The panel.cfg has the Vcockpitxx sections, because is the default of FSX A321 panel.
And I put the textures bmp of panel in the new texture folder of the aircraft.
With this configuration, the the aircraf work good, exterior view good, panel 2D perfect, but virtual cockpit I see the cockpit 3D without gauges ...


Then I see this post and understand some thinks. I change the configuration as this:

model folder:
a343.mdl
Airbus_A321_interior.mdl (default of FSX)
model.cfg

and inside de model.cfg
[Models]
Normal=a343
interior=Airbus_A321_interior

And the other think was the same.
With this configuration, the the aircraf work bad, exterior view doesn´t work, panel 2D perfect, and virtual cockpit doesn´t work (nothing to view) ...

I test to rename the file to:

model folder:
a343.mdl
a343_interior.mdl (FSX A321 renamed)
model.cfg

and inside de model.cfg
[Models]
Normal=a343
interior=a343_interior

But the problem persist. That´s right?
What can I do to use the default 2D panel with the virtual cockpit 3D associed? Is posible?
Thank you very much and sorry for my english.
Conto