Missing gauges for 3rd. party FSX aircraft

Good morning,

 

Some 3rd. party FSX aircraft downloaded and successfully installed are missing a few gauges (some effects files also) which do not impede their use but are identified as such using a program like Addit Pro.

 

I have never heard of a site where such missing files could be found and have assumed to be non-existent.

 

Is there any alternative for these missing itens?

 

Thanks for any info.

 

(Using Windows 10 - FSX)

Not really the solution you're looking for, but I suggest you to download another package which works.

I sometimes see a gauge is missing in fsx when using an older plane.

Random made up example.

Let's say on an older Posky 737 the Eicas won't display on the 2D panel in fsx.

All I see in game is a square hole.

And when loading the plane, I get a message that a gauge was for FS98 or earlier. (those will not display). Let's say the warning is about gauge "Eicas-psaf.dll"

 

What I do is write down the name of the gauge.

Then I open the panel folder and first make a backup of the panel.cfg file naming it "panel -0- orig copy.cfg"

 

Then it's safe to edit file "panel.cfg"

I open panel.cfg in notepad.

I look in the [Window00] section for the line that has that gauge, in this case for example:

gauge23=737-400!Eicas-psaf 140,210,40,40

I'll break it up for you:

gauge23= ------ number of gauge in .cfg

747-400 --------folder the gauge is stored in-- 737-400.cab -- sometimes folder and not a .cab

! ------- a seperator

HSI-psaf ----- refers to eicas-psaf.dll file -- the actual gauge file, is inside 737-400 folder or 737-400.cab

140,210, ---- location of top left corner of gauge in relation to the panel.

40,40 ----- size at which gauge appears/is displayed.

 

Now I find another Eicas, let's say from the default 737-800

there the line in the panel.cfg for the Eicas is:

gauge05=B737_800!eicas, 760,565,179,179

 

To place the default eicas into the posky plane it needs access to the 737-800.cab

This contains the gauge.

You can copy the .cab to the posky panel folder, then the posky can use it.

But you could also copy 737-800.cab to ..\FSX\Gauges folder. then all planes can make use of it.

 

THen the panel.cfg edit for the Posky:

 

You knock out the original line by placing // in front of the line.

Then you copy the line, right below it, like so:

//gauge23=737-400!Eicas-psaf 140,210,40,40

gauge23=737-400!Eicas-psaf 140,210,40,40

 

Now you edit the lower one. You leave the number, but change what gauge is used. You leave the position and size alone for now:

It becomes:

 

gauge23=B737_800!eicas, 140,210,40,40

 

Now you see how this shows up. By starting fsx.

Adjust the size first. as explained the last couple of numbers, 40,40 is the width and height it shows up at.

Once you have the size right, try adjusting the position. In small steps. Until you have it fit just right.

 

 

After all this it may look like:

//gauge23=737-400!Eicas-psaf 140,210,40,40 //orig line

gauge23=B737_800!eicas, 135,200,160,160 //my edit #1

 

 

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

You can do this with a gauge in the VC as well.

That is the section lower down in the panel.cfg file that starts with

[VCockpit01]

 

Difficulty in the VC is that you will only see the gauge if it is exactly behind the hole. Not if it's behind a solid section of the dashboard.

In the 2D panel ( the [Window00] section) it will show up anywhere on the panel. (but not if on the window). Much easier to place it correctly.

 

For this reason, when (re-)placing a gauge in the VC it helps to make the sizeof the gauge large, and so at least part of it shows through the hole.

Then move it into position, and reduce the size slowly.

 

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

It can be a bit tricky at first, but it does get easier with a little practice.

It mainly takes time.

You can set a key to "Aircraft - reload" in FSX.

With that assigned you can:

*load the aircraft,

*minimise fsx,

*edit the panel.cfg and make a small correction,

*save the file,

*maximise fsx,

*"reload aircraft" --- and you see the changes right away.

No need to restart FSX each time.

 

 

 

should have mentioned:

// -- turns anything after it on a line into a 'comment'. A comment is not executed by fsx, it is not seen as code, so no crashes. It is there so you can make comments to jog your memory about the contents of the file.

 

Also:

As you may have realised by now, this makes it possible to add gauges and switches to a panel that were never there to begin with.

I post #14 here is a shot from my 747-400 VC, many extra buttons:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?291525-How-do-I-get-all-buttons-to-work-in-the-boeing-747

 

 

Enjoy, and have fun creating!

il

In order to help you further it would be a good idea to give the file name of one of these 3rd party aircraft so we can see the missing gauges also.

Thank you very much

 

rishabk97 (hadn't thought of trying to find a new copy! can you imagine that?

 

il88pp - A thorough, complete What To Do Essay that, no doubt, will be a solution. no doubt. Will start working along those lines if all else fails, considering the vast number requiring such repair.

 

mrzippy - In a long list of aircraft the first in alphabetical order is Airbus A321 and the missing files are Cdcflaps.wav and Xcctevt.wav - as an example.

 

One repeatedly reported missing is JELAIR/Sound3!Dsd_xml_sound3

 

To all of you - your very encompassing range of solutions will serve me a lot, I assure you.

 

Has also occurred to me that, failing any of these, an alternative (though non-conventional and drastic) would be to use a sound or effect which is working properly in another aircraft as an overall substitute for the missing part. As somebody said - throwing away the bathwater with the baby still in it...

 

Really appreciate your condescendence in assisting me.

Aha! the JELAIR gauge.

Had a hand in a thread about that recently,

let's see, search box: il88pp jellair

......

here you go, it's somewhere in the last part of the thread:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?283593-default-737-800-on-fsx

 

heeheee;)

il88pp

OK, that is a better clarification. Missing sound .wav files is easier than try to retro-fit panel gauges. Beaide that crazy program that says the files are missing, do you actually not hear things like the flaps moving? I would borrow the missing sound .wav files from a working aircraft.

il88pp:

 

While working through my backlog of aircraft problems I came across your thread "Reply #5 07-10-2015 - How do I get all buttons to work in the boeing 747" ?

 

Because I have a few OTHER aircraft with changed panels where the autopilot button will not work, I wonder if you have guidance for this situation with regard to 2D PANELS - which I normally use?

 

Appreciate any information.

My explanation below was about 2D panels.

I explained how to add a gauge, for example an Eicas screen.

But the buttons, switches, etc, are listed in the [Window00] section as well, in exactly the same way.

 

So, find a panel with a working autopilot switch, borrow it from there and place it in your 2D panel of the aircraft with the issue.

In some cases the autopilot is not made up of separate switches, but is one complete gauge. You can transplant such an autopilot as well if you want.

 

Trouble is, with autopilots, the plane has to have an autopilot as well. Just having switches isn't enough.

I've tried to add a speed hold mode to aircraft that had originally only a simple NavRadio/AP with alt-hld and hdg-hld, and that is not easy.

Adding a button in the panel.cfg, or adding and autopilot (as popup is possible also), does add the switch. And it does have an effect on the throttle.

But it doesn't hold speed well. Always too slow, or always too fast. Mostly too slow.

Also stability goes out the window, the aircraft kept turning left-right-further left-further right. Steep bank angles. Horrible.

 

To fix that you need to edit the aircraft.cfg. Or better yet, the .Air file of the aircraft.

Probably... because I never managed successfully.

 

 

-------

The thing in that 747 you saw, was added to the VC. Not easy, because the hole to get the switch in is tiny, and I only saw it once it was in the exact right spot.

I think I used the switch from the same 747 2D panel to place there.

The 747 had full autopilot functionality in 2D, so edits to the aircraft.cfg or .Air file were not needed then.

 

Finding a spot on a 2D panel is easier.

As long as the plane has a fully working autopilot it should be doable.

have fun!

Long posts can get confusing, sorry.

 

In a nutshell, adding a speed hold to a default beech baron or ultralight is not easy.

 

To an aircraft like the default 737 / 747 is easy.

 

To most addons of 737 / 737 is hopefully doable also.

 

planes like airbus, with their FlyByWire technology may be more difficult. I'm fly and edit the boeing more, so I'm not sure.

Thanks Mr Zippy - I am in the process of following your suggestion of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Mr Zippy - I am in the process of following your suggestion for "transplanting" good working sound files from another aircraft.

 

The AdditPro program lists individually each Directory (Aircraft, Panel and Sound) identifying where problems exists and also details within these which components have a problem (gauge, effect, etc.)

 

Really helpful. And with the added expertise from you and other kind respondents I am being able to map out and solve the problems which I identify here.

 

Have a good day.

 

 

 

 

"transplanting working sound files from working aircrat=f

Glad it's working out for you! Have a great day!