Create a working course adjust knob. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

I'm probably jumping the gun here.

I've been working on this for a long while and I should now get some sleep and read it over again closely in the morning, but I can't hold my breath that long.:):)

I created a rough knob to adjust the course in the HSI. No great artwork, but it functions!:)

Some aircraft have a course knob in the autopilot, in others you can adjust the course by scrolling over the HSI gauge instead.

But, some planes have neither option.

I looked into moving a course knob over from one plane to the other.

I realised a course knob is usually part of a larger autopilot gauge hat has many knobs and switches. That makes it impossible to simply move a course knob into another 2D panel or VC. ou can only move over the autopilot as a whole.

I decided to try and create a simple knob that would allow the changing of the course, and could be placed in a 2D panel or even VC.

And managed to create something that works.

It's a simple knob. It doesn't rotate when clicked, but you can change the course with it.

It does not repeat when you "click-and-hold".

It works when clicked repeatedly, and when scrolled over you can change the course quickly.

This was prompted by a post by user "Mr Bojangles" requesting a Course adjust option in the FSDN Alexandro Rojas Lucena 747 VC.

I have one plane with that FSDN VC, the Delta_Northwest_747 (Library - FSX_B748i_DELTA-NORTHWEST-1.zip).

Therefore I made something that looked reasonably ok in that VC.

(EDIT: I tested and it is exactly the same as the separately installed FSDN 747 VC update addon. So for that this install works too.)

The image may not look great in other VC's or panels. Feel Free to create your own Image and substitute mine with yours.

Size of the image the gauge uses is 100x100 pixels.

In the next post I'll write a guide to making the gauge/knob.

Then I will post a third time, with the install instructions.

How to create the course knob.

I will show you how to create the gauge. It is very simple.

All you need to do is create a folder, with in it two files.

One file is an .xml file.

I will give the file in text, all you need o do is copy it. Then save it in a notepad file.

Then you will change the file extension of the notepad file from .txt to .xml and it's done.

The other file will be a .bmp (bitmap) image.

I can't upload a .bmp file to the site, so I will upload a .jpg (Jpeg) file instead.

All you need to do is save the file, then open it in the Windows utility "Paint", or in your favourite image editor.

Then you need to save the image as .bmp (bitmap) image.

(Do make sure you save it as 24bit bitmap file.)

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

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

----------

All Folder and File Names in the following are very important.

Don't go making up your own folder names here.***

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

Create a new empty folder on your desktop.

Give the folder the name: courseknob123

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

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

Save the folowing code as a textfile with Notepad.

Give the textfile filename: course_knob_123.txt

After you have saved it you turn it into an .xml file.

To do this simply change the file extension by renaming to: course_knob_123.xml

Then place the created file: course_knob_123.xml

in your folder: courseknob123

1 (>K:VOR1_OBI_DEC)





1 (>K:VOR1_OBI_INC)

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

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

Now for the image. I will post it below.

Download the image from here, right-click on it and choose "Save Image As".

Save the image to your desktop as file: course_knob_123_background.jpg

Use "Paint" or another image editor to convert it to a bitmap and save the file as file: course_knob_123_background.bmp

Then move this file, course_knob_123_background.bmp

into the folder: courseknob123

as well.

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

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

Done. :)

You have now your gauge ready to go.

All that is left is to install it in a panel. I will explain this in the next post.

I will explain how to install it into the FSX default b747_400, in the 2D panel.

I will also explain how to install it into the alexandro Rojas VC.

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

***more experienced gauge creators can do whatever they

want regarding folder names of course, as they know what else to change. The note was for newer members.

--Intro--

The first xample, placing the gauge in the default 747 vc is a bit silly. You don't need it in there. The 747 already has another way of setting the course.

It is more meant as an example of how to place it in a panel.

In the FSDN Alexandro Rojas Lucena Boeing 747 VC it is much more useful. THis had no course adjustment option in the VC.

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

First the FSX default B747_400. The 2D panel.

For this you need to edit the panel.cfg file. -- So MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR PANEL.CFG BEFORE CONTINUING.

On a 2D panel you can place a gauge in any free area on the panel where there is no gauge yet.

The 2D Main panel is defined in the section [Window00]

I loaded the plane and looked for a nice spot, and decided above the icons was ok.

In the panel.cfg file of the fsx b747_400 the last gauge in the [Window00] section is:

gauge57=SimIcons!GPS Icon, 86, 111

Add this gauge below that, so it looks like this

gauge57=SimIcons!GPS Icon, 86, 111

gauge58=courseknob123!course_knob_123, 113,80,20,25

Now there's one thing left to do, copy the folder: courseknob123

that you created earlier and paste it in the \Simobjects\b747_400\panel folder.

You will now see my gauge on your panel after you start fsx.

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

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

Then the Alexandro Rojas Lucena Boeing 747 VC.

In a VC it is different. You can't place a gauge anywhere on the panel. It has to be it a special spot. All these spots are already filled by other gauges.

The way to work around this is to delete one gauge, and to substitute it with another.

I decided the gauge in the 747 VC that I never use is the master warning light.

For this you need to edit the panel.cfg file. -- So MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR PANEL.CFG BEFORE CONTINUING.

To knockout the Master warning light and place my gauge in there instead:

-Open your panel.cfg file.

-Scroll down to the [VCockpit03] section

find line

gauge09=Boeing747-400!Master Warning Light, 808,64,48,53

and knock it out by placing // in front of the line.

Then create a blank line below it and past the following new line:

gauge09=courseknob123!course_knob_123, 808,64,48,53

The result will be that the end of the [VCockpit03] section looks like this:

gauge08=B737_800!pfd, 13,145,260,260

//gauge09=Boeing747-400!Master Warning Light, 808,64,48,53

gauge09=courseknob123!course_knob_123, 808,64,48,53

gauge10=Boeing747-400!EICAS Display2, 12,439,248,241

gauge11=Boeing747-400!EICAS Display Switch, 745,15,59,60

Save the file.

Now copy the folder with the gauge, folder: courseknob123

to your panel folder with the FSDN 747 Alexandro Rojas Lucena files.

Done.

You will see the new gauge instead of the master warning light.

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

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

here's a view of the gauge as it looks in the Boeing 747 Alexandro Rojas Lucena 747 VC:

Looks great, il!

Next, make it turn, and you'll REALLY be on your way!

Great job, thanks for the effort and time :D

Pat☺

Hi everyone,

Just as a footnote;

I created this course knob gauge simply as text. I did not use the ACE.exe tool.

The commands I used in it, K:VOR1_OBI_DEC, I found in the FS2004 SDK commands list.

But the tooltips: TOOLTIPTEXT_COURSE_SELECT, came from the FSX-ACC sdk.

As far as I can see it works great in FSX-ACC.

But just in case I posted it with a typo or something, I would appreciate it if someone that got it working could confirm they have it working in FSX too.

I'm also wondering if it also works in FS2004.

So, if you managed to get it working in FSX or FS2004, please give me a shout. :D Thank you.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

il88pp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Pat, my pleasure! :D Christmas comes early here on Flightsim!:D

Time well spent. I wanted a separate course knob for a while already and was glad the question came up. It took about 3 hours to make.

I could probably make it turn by nicking some code from a default fsx xml file...:) Some of that looked promising. But that code made my head spin and I'd rather understand the code as well. Just a rough and ready knob/clickspot/image is plenty for me for now.

Give a shout if you got it working?

il:cool:

I could probably make it turn by nicking some code from a default fsx xml file

That's what I was thinking. A default, or heck, ANY .XML file for FSX would do, I bet. I'll take a look through all the freaking add-on gauges I have here and there. I wager one of them has it, and it's not as hard as it looks. I'll see what I can see. And I will NOT make any changes to your gauge, obviously, without letting you take a look first. Heck, YOU made it, it's your gauge :D I am NOT a gauge theif heheheh.

In fact, the thought just hit me (and it hurt too!) that the HUD control panel Mr. Rusev made has a course adjust knob on it that turns when clicked, or scrolled. Again, I'll seee what I can decipher :)

Give a shout if you got it working?

That I will! I have a idea of a sub-panel I made up to stick it in. That doesn't sound right...;D

I'll get back asap. I have to go to town today (fun fun fun in the snow and Ice on the roads atm...) but I'll stick it in as soon as I can. That STILL doesn't sound right...

Pat☺

 

 

That I will! I have a idea of a sub-panel I made up to stick it in. That doesn't sound right...;D

I'll get back asap. I have to go to town today (fun fun fun in the snow and Ice on the roads atm...) but I'll stick it in as soon as I can. That STILL doesn't sound right...

Pat☺

Well, at least it didn't come down to Santa and his 3 Hos.....err Ho, Ho Ho!

The 737-800 has a rotating knob on the mcp panel. The promising code for a rotating knob I found in the b737-800.cab in the autopilot.xml file. All it's knobs are in there. Have fun!

I will not go for that right now. Futurama is on.:)

One thing at a time. For now I'm mostly interested to see if my instructions were correct and result in a working gauge for everyone. FSX and FS2004.

edit: Feel free to use "my" code, that goes for everyone. It's just some very basic xml.

Ok, I found this code in Mr. Rusev's HUD Switch Panel he included with his latest F/A-18 HUD (which rocks!!). I believe it will make your knob rotate like we talked about. Small snippet of code to add to your Gauge, really...

Replace below original bmp with included crs_knob_123.bmp
Image Name="knob.bmp"












(A:NAV1 OBS, radians)

I didn't write this snippet, just cut-n-pasted it, and replaced the included knob image with yours. If I have to I'll put a reference mark onto the image to make it easier to see the rotation.

I don't know about copywrite issues or anything like that. I will contact some freinds on FSDT that know (knew??) him and see if I can get permission, if needed, to borrow that snippet. I know they have made a number of changes to the HUD that they use in their F/A-18C v15.6, which is based on Mr. Rusev's, so they should know.

I have added it in to the xml, but haven't time atm to test it out, but I should be able to this evening.

I'll get back to you this evening, I believe (PST). I should have time to test it with and without the rotational part included. At best, the knob will go roundy roundy. At worst, it won't work at all, and I'll delete it and start over :D

Just in case, I will include Mr. Rusev's knob bmp when I make the .cab file, so if I need to put it in to able to see it work better, it's a quick easy swap out. It's just a scalloped knob with a reference mark on it, It doesn't have the letters on it like yours. If you'd rather use it, I think it'd be pretty easy to put the letters on the backgrounf up above the knob, below the knob, beside the knob, whatever. Or ON the knob even.

Well, at least it didn't come down to Santa and his 3 Hos.....err Ho, Ho Ho!

Lucky guy, aint he, traveling around the entire world with THAT crew! :p

I'm just thinking out loud, here, and I'm getting a headache, so I'm off to slip-n-slide my way into town...:cool: Thank goodness for my 4WD 4Runner, even if it is an '87! :pilot:

Pat☺

Pat,

Interesting, much appreciated. But I'm still a little dazed from this last effort.

Thinking along: Rotating one image could well work fine.

I'm thinking that If you want to make it rotate it may look better if you use two images. Creating a background with indicator triangle at the top. \/ like so. And then a second, round image that works as a knob that turns and overlays the background image. To make an image show as round, black parts in an image show transparent in FSX.

I think it would be best to make your own images, but you can alway use my image for testing, sure.

Headache here too.:D I'm really not in any rush to make it rotate. My course knob was intended as a quick rough-and-ready fix for MrBojanles VC problem.

I think that if/when we start creating a rotating knob it is best to start a new thread on that.

After all, it would be a different gauge, different code, and different install instructions.

Putting it in this here thread would get very confusing when people later start requesting help with installing.

See you there.:)

If you guys want to get semi-serious about XML gauge coding, you might want to start here- http://www.fs2x.com/Tutorials.htm

With a little reading you can understand what you are doing a bit better.

peace,

the Bean

It Looks like a great final solution for the 747 and other Planes without CRs Knob.

I will try it. Thanks so much

You did a great Job il88pp.

Regards from Germany, always three green happy Landings and merry Christmas

Mr Bojangles

My pleasure! Glad I could help out.

Merry Christmas, and welcome to the forum.:D

Frohe Weinachten.:)

il.