Dark Panel

I was wondering if someone could help, running FSX and I have this plane that has a panel that is too dark, I have adjusted my monitor;that helped some but the panel is still dark.

So I got the idea of trying to lighten/brighten? the panel, I downloaded DXTBmp changed the panel to a regular bmp made the changes that looked real good in the preview,saved it back to an extended bmp started FSX loaded the plane in question and the panel was no longer dark...........only problem is the view through the winshield is black,side views are ok.

Anyone know what I did wrong that could point me in the right direction?

Thanks okbob i'll try that,one other question,the dimension of the orignal bmp is 1600 X 1200 the edited bmp is 1248 x 1024 when i change it to the dimension of the orignal the bmp defaults back to 1248 x 1024,anyway to make it stay at orignal dimension.

Once agin thanks for answering

Is it too dark specifically at night, only in the daytime? Both?

Are you turning on the cockpit lighting, if any? It's very easy to add some in. Simply add a line into the [Lights] section of the aircraft.cfg that reads light.X = 4, 0.89, -28.48, 1.87, fx_vclight , where X is one number higher than the highest number present previously. Say the previously highest number was 5, make X into 6. Also, please note to make sure the number 4 IS in fact a 4.

Easiest way I have found to set the position the light is to copy the position information from the [views] section, the line eyepoint=48.2, -1.35, 1.7. Note the three number sets, separated by commas, following the "=" sign. Simply copy-n-paste them into the vclight line, replacing the 3 number sets following the 4,

Look down at the bottom of the Panel.cfg file. There should be a section there. Is the DAY line in that 255,255,255? Thus: Day=255,255,255 . If the other lines are lower, did you try increasing them, say 10 at a time? Like taking Night=205,101,100 and Luminous=147,64,64 up to Night=215,111,110 and Luminous=157,74,74, then, if that's not enough, another 10 higher?

Just a couple thoughts, methods I have found a lot easier than editing .BMP file :D

Pat☺

Is it too dark specifically at night, only in the daytime? Both?

Are you turning on the cockpit lighting, if any? It's very easy to add some in. Simply add a line into the [Lights] section of the aircraft.cfg that reads light.X = 4, 0.89, -28.48, 1.87, fx_vclight , where X is one number higher than the highest number present previously. Say the previously highest number was 5, make X into 6. Also, please note to make sure the number 4 IS in fact a 4.

 

Easiest way I have found to set the position the light is to copy the position information from the [views] section, the line eyepoint=48.2, -1.35, 1.7. Note the three number sets, separated by commas, following the "=" sign. Simply copy-n-paste them into the vclight line, replacing the 3 number sets following the 4,

 

Look down at the bottom of the Panel.cfg file. There should be a section there. Is the DAY line in that 255,255,255? Thus: Day=255,255,255 . If the other lines are lower, did you try increasing them, say 10 at a time? Like taking Night=205,101,100 and Luminous=147,64,64 up to Night=215,111,110 and Luminous=157,74,74, then, if that's not enough, another 10 higher?

 

Just a couple thoughts, methods I have found a lot easier than editing .BMP file :D

 

Pat☺

The gauges are ok,its the rest of the panel that is too dark (the panel face) I tried increasing Night and Luminous I did not see any difference.

I have to leave enbseries turned off, if I enable it the panel face goes black, I can still see the gauges but the buttons are blacked out.

Ehm, hard to make our from your previous answer. Did changing the window to black fix it, or is the front window still blocked?

(By the way, side views are views from the VC. you actually switch between 2D and VC. Those won't change from editing a panel.)

If he window still needs a fixin... I'm no star with dxtbmp and it's been a while since I used it, but if I find some free time I'll look into this a bit.

Some questions.

-1- What editor are (were) you using to edit the .bmp file. Paint? Gimp?

-2- What aircraft is this for?

If it is a free addon, give .zip filename, site where downloaded, and if at all possible a link. It would really help to know what you are working with.

-3- Have you spent much time editing the image before you posted your question, or was it a simple "make entire image lighter" affair?

I was thinking, is it an option to start over, or did you put a lot of time into it?

-4- Can you briefly explain what you did when editing?

I have no idea from what direction the fix would come, so these are just open questions. Don't see them as tips or anything.

thanks,

il88pp

Actually, nevermind, I think I found it.

Ok I managed to replicate what you did.

I:

-took the default vb737_800 file: 737-800_panel_background.bmp

put it on the desktop

-this is 1024x768

-opened it in dxtbmp

-That changed the image to 1024x1024

-clicked Image --> Send to editor (Which was Paint.)

-Closed the file.

----It was then on my desktop as 1024x1024.

-I opened it again in Paint.

-Added some colour drawn lines, simple change.

-Clicked File -- Save.

-----Edited file again was on desktop.

-I opened it in dxtbmp.

-cliked files - Save as - Extended bitmap - Selected "Extended 888-8". (blind guess.)

------Moved the resulting file into b737_800 folder, replacing the original.

Hey Presto, Windscreen now black.

------------------- IMAGE1 --------------------

**********************

Then I did another test. Again from a fesh cpopy of the original bitmap. I tried simply editing in Paint, no dxtbmp.

I opened it in Paint -- Added a coloured line -- Saved.

Then added to the panel folder and loaded the test flight I had setup earlier and saved.

Result was not so great. The window was trand=sparen, but black areas on the panel became partly transparant as well.

------- IMAGE 2 Blue -----

*********************

Then a third test. This worked.

I started with a fresh copy of the bitmap again.

* I opened it by right clicking -- 'Open With' -- DxtBmp.

* clicked 'Image' -- export to editor (paint) -- The file opened in paint.

* Paint opened, with the image loaded.

* In Paint I clicked 'File' -- 'save as' -- Bitmap -- '24 bits bitmap'

-----Image was on the desktop at that time.

*** I then closed Paint. And I also closed Dxtbmp.

* Opened the file in Paint again.

* Added a splash of colour (pink).

* Closed and savd the file.

* Did not load it in Dxtbmp again or anything.

* Moved it to the panel folder.

Worked a charm:

------------------ IMAGE 3 -- Pink. ----------------

**********************************

I then did one more step. This did not work at all though!!

I took the working pink image.

I openend it with dxtbmp.

I simply clicked file -- save -- DXT1 was selected, I clicked ok.

Briefly a popup flashed saying: "saving as extended bitmap".

Before saving the thumbnail had displayed a preview of the image. But now the thumbnail changed to this:

---------Image 4, thumbnail. -----

And after adding to the panel, and viewing in FSX, I saw this.:)

--------------Image 5 - loose gauges. ------

I hope altt hat helps a little,

il88pp

Ehm, hard to make our from your previous answer. Did changing the window to black fix it, or is the front window still blocked?

 

(il88pp

Agreed,my answer wasen't very good,will try to give a clearer answer tonight, Thanks

Ehm, hard to make our from your previous answer. Did changing the window to black fix it, or is the front window still blocked?

 

(By the way, side views are views from the VC. you actually switch between 2D and VC. Those won't change from editing a panel.)

 

If he window still needs a fixin... I'm no star with dxtbmp and it's been a while since I used it, but if I find some free time I'll look into this a bit.

Some questions.

-1- What editor are (were) you using to edit the .bmp file. Paint? Gimp?

 

-2- What aircraft is this for?

If it is a free addon, give .zip filename, site where downloaded, and if at all possible a link. It would really help to know what you are working with.

 

-3- Have you spent much time editing the image before you posted your question, or was it a simple "make entire image lighter" affair?

I was thinking, is it an option to start over, or did you put a lot of time into it?

 

-4- Can you briefly explain what you did when editing?

 

I have no idea from what direction the fix would come, so these are just open questions. Don't see them as tips or anything.

thanks,

il88pp

Maybe I can save everyone a lot of time by saying I don't know a lot about editing .bmp files (especially those used by fsx).

In this explanation I am assuming the palne you are editing is a 737. But I just realise you did not say what plane you are working on. If it was something else, adapt accordingly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I figured out how to fix your file. The one you created that you asked about originally, and that has the black window.

Put that image on the desktop.

Leave it the same filename. (For this explanation I will cal it file "xxxxx.bmp"

I assume the image still has the strange resolution, but that's ok.

Make a copy of the original unedited .bmp file. Give that a different name. I suggest "panel737_for_alpha.bmp" or something.

Put "panel737_for_alpha.bmp" on the desktop as well.

Now:

* Open "panel737_for_alpha.bmp" with the dxtbmp program.

* Click "Alpha" --- "Export Alpha Channel"

* Save the Alpha as a bitmap file, on the desktop, filename "AlphaFor737.bmp"

* Close dxtbmp.

Then:

# Open the image you had created with the black windscreen. File "xxxxx.bmp"

# Click: 'Alpha' --- 'Import Alpha Channel'

# In the window that opens select the file with the Alpha you just created. File "AlphaFor737.bmp".

Then:

Still in dxtbmp, click "File" --- "Save as" --- and select "24 bits bitmap".

---------------------------

The file is now fixed. It is on the desktop, so move it into the aircraft's folder.

Done.

Enjoy,

il88pp.

I haven't been around for several days, so I missed out on seeing this earlier. I could have saved some from having so much questionable "fun..." :cool:

In every FS based simulator (FS9, FSX, P3Dv1.x, and P3Dv2.x) all bitmaps used in the panel system are 8bit and/or 24bit, uncompressed bitmaps only.

These .bmp files may be loaded by any paint program directly. There is no need whatever for DXTBMP.exe at all.

Transparent areas are always (RGB:0,0,0), in other words, "pure black". Once you have the window areas set for pure black, select them then invert the selection so that everything else is now affected.

Increase the Brightness of the selected area by at least one unit. This will force any stray pixels of the image to at least (RGB:1,1,1) so they will no longer be transparent.

Ok,the panel I have been working on is the Freemium 757

Here is a screenshot unedited with enb disabled

And with enb enabled

Out side with enb disabled

ENB enabled

Using DXTbmp to convert the the panel bmp I then use InFanView to add brighten the panel,save, then again use DXT and save as a 24bit bmp,fire up fsx load the 757 and here is what I get

If I save it as a DXT3 file then here is what I get

For comparison here is what other panels look like in fsx on my system

What am I doing wrong? should I even be trying to lighten the panel or should I leave it alone?

I have tried following every ones advice and would like to thank everyone that has took the time to offer help.

What am I doing wrong? ...

 

I have tried following every ones advice ...

Not everyone's advice.

In the post above yours Bill Leaming (the Godfather of panel design) stated that all 2D background bitmaps must be either 8 or 24 bit uncompressed bitmaps.

That means do not use any DXT compression on them.

As for editing the bitmap, I would adjust (or disable) your ENB settings first, yours are unrealistically dark.

peace,

the Bean

Ok,the panel I have been working on is the Freemium 757

 

 

Using DXTbmp to convert the the panel bmp I then use InFanView to add brighten the panel,save, then again use DXT and save as a 24bit bmp,fire up fsx load the 757 and here is what I get

 

What am I doing wrong? should I even be trying to lighten the panel or should I leave it alone?

What you do wrong here is where you say: "then again I use DXT and save as a 24bit bmp,fire up fsx load the 757 and here is what I get"

Skip this step. After editing is done, save with InFanView.

Don't open in dxtbmp again.

When editing in InFanView make sure the windows stay black in the image.

If you had lightened the entire image, make them black again with the paint bucket tool.

Then use the file directly.

Should work.

---------------

What n4gix explains is a different approach. Don't mix and match the posts.

What you do wrong here is where you say: "then again I use DXT and save as a 24bit bmp,fire up fsx load the 757 and here is what I get"

 

Skip this step. After editing is done, save with InFanView.

Don't open in dxtbmp again.

When editing in InFanView make sure the windows stay black in the image.

If you had lightened the entire image, make them black again with the paint bucket tool.

Then use the file directly.

Should work.

 

 

---------------

What n4gix explains is a different approach. Don't mix and match the posts.

Who is mixing and matching?

Is that comment pointed at me?

Since when are you the expert here? (see post #10)

BTW, Bill's method is the only one in any post in this thread, including yours, that works.

peace,

the Bean

StringBean,

That was not directed at you, but at prime. Hope you didn't take offense.

It looked to me in his last post that prime was following what I described in post 7 paragraph 3.

---------

And yes, I do agree Bill is the expert here. I was just pointing out to prime that Bills method is slightly different.

Bill edits in the editor only, but that means you MUST then make the whole image a slight bit lighter first. Otherwise the black areas in the panel itself (outside the window area) will become transparent in fsx. And then you MUST make the windows black again.

His method is good too. It's different to what I did. That's all I was saying.

-----------

Prime opened in DXTBMP, exported the file to the editor, edited, and saved from the editor.

If he still has that version of the file I think all he needs to do is install that one.

(maybe make windows black first)

The step of opening in dxtbmp again messes it up. I found that when testing.

il88pp.

I finally got it working,after "TRYING" everything that EVERYONE suggested including the bucket fill trick, it turned out to look like screenshot #6.

I really think i tried following every ones advice to the letter and maybe i did mix some post,i was beginning to get really confused.

So after using the bucket fill which turned the windows to black,saved,copyed to the panel folder,started fsx loaded the 757, no luck.

I started thinking,the panel is just about the way i want in screen shot #5,but i can't see out the windshield why do i need to set the whole windows to black when i can just set the windshield area to black and see if that works.

I loaded the bmp to CS3,chose the windshield area with the selection tool,made sure it was set to black,saved ,moved to the panel folder,started fsx loaded the 757 and presto problem solved.

When I said make the window black I meant the windshield. Sorry if that was confusing.

Glad to see you have it fixed.:) Looks good!

il88pp

When I said make the window black I meant the windshield. Sorry if that was confusing.

Glad to see you have it fixed.:) Looks good!

il88pp

Thanks il88pp,thats where I was getting side tracked never having worked with a bmp in fsx before; I could not understand why make the entire window black, then I had the "light bulb go off" moment :D

Thanks again to everyone who offered help, the problem lies with me not being able to grasp the instructions, not in anyone here being able to explain what needed to be done to get it working............Again Thanks everyone :D