How to undock FMC/MCDU display?

[PaulusP]

In several Aircraft add-ons it is possible to undock the FMC/MCDU,
but I also want to undock the actual FMC screen separately (to place it on my hardware MCDU).
So the FMC frame with the buttons and Line-select keys should remain on the other monitor.

How do I do this?

PaulusP

[n4gix]

The short answer is, you cannot.

The long answer is you can, but only if you build your own gauge(s).

[PaulusP]

This is the Panel & Gauge design forum, isn't?
If you can design a gauge, you can split an existing one also.
So I thought there would be someone here who knows how to split a gauge.

Anybody else here who constructed a hardware FMC/MCDU who can help me?

PaulusP

[n4gix]

>This is the Panel & Gauge design forum, isn't?
>If you can design a gauge, you can split an existing one
>also.
>So I thought there would be someone here who knows how to
>split a gauge.
>
>Anybody else here who constructed a hardware FMC/MCDU who can
>help me?

Yes, it is. However you cannot modify a compiled gauge, period. That's one of the reasons why folks use C code to build gauges... ;)

The "screen" of the FMC/MCDU is an integral element within the entire gauge callback structure, and cannot simply be "split off" independent of rest of the gauge code.

However, IF the gauge in question is simply an XML script (you can tell by the .CAB extension vice .GAU extension), THEN you may use Winzip to "unCAB" the package to a new folder, and copy/paste the needed bits to creat a NEW XML gauge script.

That would be the extent of the possibilities.

[PaulusP]

OK, so we can not modify a compiled gauge, but we can copy one indeed! This is the solution that I need.
I have no idea about the CAB or GAU extension of this gauge (MCDU in PSS Airbus A320),
but in the panel.cfg I simply copied the relevant window description and added that as new window to the list of windows.
And indeed: now I have two MCDU's!!
So MCDU 1 is on my main screen en MCDU 2 can be undocked to the MCDU screen.
Below I give the URL with some pictures of my cockpit (with MCDU)
http://cockpit.punt.nl/

PaulusP

[n4gix]

>OK, so we can not modify a compiled gauge, but we can copy
>one indeed! This is the solution that I need.

Sorry, your original question was unclear. You asked about the screen as though you wanted to seperate the display screen from the rest of the gauge's background.

What you are actually doing is something else entirely! ;)

BTW, that's a really nice setup!

It's a trival matter to set up as many "sub-windows" as you wish. Well, there is a limit of 99, but no one is that crazy!

[PaulusP]

Bill, just for clarity:
Yes, I do want to separate the MCDU screen from the rest of the MCDU gauge, because I want to undock that screen on to my hardware MCDU in my cockpit.
However I am not allowed to move the original gauge to the screen of my hardware MCDU, because the hardware-buttons on my MCDU are activated through a nice programme called "Key2Mouse". But once you have programmed the buttons via Key2Mouse, you can not move the gauge anymore, because the mouse-clicks are than programmed to a fixed location on your screen. And when you do not place the MCDU gauge at EXACTLY the same location as when you programmed, it will not work anymore.
So there I was stuck with a beautiful and operational MCDU, but the screen of the MCDU was not on the hardware MCDU but on my main monitor.
And that is why I wanted to separate that screen of the MCDU gauge from the actual MCDU.
Since you told me that this was not possible, I searched for another solution. And creating a second MCDU gauge was that solution!!
So the MCDU 1 is on my main monitor (and Key2Mouse works OK) and MCDU 2 can be undocked to my hardware MCDU.

I hope it is more clear now for you (and everybody else who reads this great forum).

PaulusP.