I felt my wife tapping me on my shoulder. "Going to be late again, right?" she moaned. I tried to grumble something that could either sound like YES or NO, but finally agreed that she would probably be right. "Make it a short story", she suggested before I was alone again. Yep, that's exactly what I am trying to make today's article look like. There is a limited number of characters (it's only me writing it), there is only one clearly defined place or location (my attic), the action centers around one specific event (today's topic), the plot is slowly rising with a climax (when you kindly choose to download the modified files), and you will face an abrupt and open ending (because there is still a lot to do for others to improve FS in the near or more distant future). I wonder if the MS FS team is listening

Background Information

Trying to improve the default 737-400 panel is predominantly a matter of modifying the gauges this time. Since the release of FS2000 Flight Simulator contains what is called cluster gauges in its main gauges folder. This means for example that for the default 737-400 all the necessary gauges are integrated into one large multi gauge called 737-400.gau. It is important to know that with such old format .gau files (originally they are simply Windows .dll files written in C++ programming code) it is virtually impossible to change the behaviour of the gauge (the way it works according to its data) without having the source code. We can, however, modify the appearance of the gauge, that means the resource bitmaps used in a gauge can be extracted, modified if necessary, and be implemented again. In spite of these restrictions but only in some rare cases is it sometimes also possible to modify the very behaviour of a gauge by replacing specific bits in the hex code of the gauge to cure a nagging glitch. But make no mistake: these are rare exceptions.

The Reverser Unlocked Warning Lights

As stated in recent articles, the default Boeing 737-400 once again comes with reverser unlocked warning lights that won't light up. This is a known bug that cannot basically be cured now, but there is a workaround that I have recently described in one of my former articles here on FlightSim.Com, so that I won't enter into further details here. The new packages for FS2000/FS2002/FS2004 that you can download at the end of today's article each contain an updated version of the old fpda_737_reverser_warning.gau packed in a separate B737rev.zip archive (also directly downloadable from the FlightSim.Com file library). The gauge now fully matches the design of the other default warning lights next to it .Here, too, I'd want to officially thank Andreas Jaros from FPDA for making this wonderful little gauge several years ago. Isn't it wonderful to see that it is still needed in some form or other?

By the way: If you also want to modify the actual effect of reverse thrust, you have two alternatives to change it in the aircraft.cfg file of jets or turbo-props:

1) With jets open the aircraft.cfg file by MS Notepad and either go to the command line min_throttle_limit= -0.25 and increase the negative value to -0.30 or -0.35 or go to the command line reverser_available=1.0 and increase the value to 1.30 or 1.35

2) With turboprop aircraft either go to min_throttle_limit= -0.25 and set the value to -0.30 or -0.35 or go to prop_reverse_available=1.0 and increase the value to 1.35 or 1.45

Changing the value for min_throttle_limit will cause the throttle levers to move further downwards, whereas the increase of the reverser_available setting will not have this effect. So for the Lear 45 the latter method will be best because otherwise the levers get out of the range of the bitmap and then will be partly cut off. With the other default jet aircaft a modification of the min_throttle_limit will be all right.

Note that these procedures do not work for FS2002. To modify reverse thrust in FS2002 you will have to follow the steps I have described in full details in my former article How To Increase Reverse Thrust In FS2002 here on FlightSim.Com.

The Autopilot And Avionics Master Switch

Note that the brightness of your CRT monitor must be high enough to show the differences in the three columns of this cluster jpg. In each column you see the autopilot at day, dusk, and night (from top to bottom). The first column reflects the status quo of the default autopilot: at dusk and night time the unlighted buttons do not adapt to the night coloring of the panel but are always displayed like at day time, and that way stand out like a sore thumb. Now, we could make them adapt to the overall night color characteristics, but it is due to the basic structure of how these AP buttons are designed that then we'll have the lighted buttons dimmed down too, which doesn't look very realistic either (see second column). The last column on the right displays what the color characteristics at all three times should be like. The same goes for the avionics master switch on the far bottom of the 737-400 panel (not shown here).

My trick of finding a workaround now was to modify the resource bitmap of the unlighted button by giving it a different daylight color. As a by-effect, I have also slightly modified the appearance of the lighted button bitmap for better realism (not shown in this screen shot). Additionally, I thought it a good idea to turn the white color of the digits into red. Even then it is still not quite what the real 737-autopilot digits look like, because in real airliners they are set against an intensive red LCD background.

A fine alternate autopilot gauge that reflects reality far better is the one designed by Richard Probst (rp737_ap.gau), which I have added to the downloadable packages at the end of this article. This is an old format .gau file that, in its original version, seems to date back to the era of FS98. I cannot work out if it is a bug or a "feature", but the AP altimeter by R.P. is only adjustable in 1000 increments by default. So you need Peter Dowson's FSUIPC utility to be able to handle the altimeter settings properly in 100 increments.

The shot on the left reveals that the unlighted AP buttons stand out like a sore thumb at dusk and night time. The three gear lights don't have night adaptation either. On the right you can enjoy the alternate autopilot gauge by R. Probst. Nicely done, right? I have it on good authority that this gauge is a perfect, excellent job. Gosh, I believe so too.

If you want to implement this alternate gauge into your panel, you must modify the default 737-400 panel.cfg file like this:

[window00]
.............
;;gauge25=737-400!Autopilot, 336, 11        //default AP
gauge25=rp737_ap, 336, 11, 300, 45           //AP by R.Probst

The B737 Clock (Chronometer) And RMI Instruments

Drat! There is always something wrong: the good news is that, as almost all the other single gauges for the 737-400, the clock and RMI gauges are an existing integral part of the default 737-400.gau multi-gauge. The bad news, however, is that although trying their best to modernize these two gauges, MS have made some nasty faults in the recoding of the two gauges, thereby introducing a new glitch that we haven't had before in FS2002. This time it's the outward frames of these two instruments that get luminous at dusk and night time whereas they should only adapt the overall night color characteristics of the cockpit. I'd sure like to know how that one slipped thru the beta department. I guess they were all flying during the day! Three resource bitmaps for these gauges have been modified by MS. I suppose something went wrong with the coding of the C++ source gauge (dll) file. It is not the resource bitmaps themselves that cause the glitch; I have replaced the new by the old ones, no cure. For the clock I could not find the mistake in the hex code as this bug seems to be pretty tricky, but I was happy to find the right address in the hex code to cure this problem at least for the RMI. Perhaps our MS development team could do the rest? (dreaming on, huh?)

If you are like me and you want to have the bug immediately removed for the clock as a quick semi-solution, you may make use of a workaround: open the 737-400 panel.cfg file, deactivate the default line for gauge08 by putting a semicolon at the beginning of the line (I've made two of them here so you won't overlook it, but one is enough), and enter the following command line which then loads the clock from the FS2002 737-400.gau multi-gauge:

[window00]
.........
;;gauge08=737-400!Clock, 17, 147                    //default 737 chronometer
gauge08=fs02-737-400!Clock, 17, 147             //737 chronometer from FS2002

This remedy, of course, works only for those who still have the 737-400.gau file from the FS2002\Gauges folder, rename it fs02-737-400.gau as shown in the command line, and then copy this FS2002 cluster gauge into the Flight Simulator 9\Gauges folder.

WARNING: DO NOT ACCIDENTALLY OVERWRITE YOUR DEFAULT 737-400.GAU FILE OF FS2004!

A Center Post With Mag Compass And A Digital Clock

The center post with a mag compass and digital clock give the whole panel more depth, if you know what I mean. The advantage here is that it can be created without any further means. You must modify the default 737-400 panel.cfg file like this:

[window05]
background_color=100,104,134
size_mm=70
window_pos=0.915, 0.115
window_size=0.088, 0.121
visible=1
ident=COMPASS_PANEL

gauge00=Magnetic_Compass!Magnetic-Compass,0,0

[Window06]
background_color=100,104,134
size_mm=56
window_pos=0.915, 0.234
window_size=0.088, 0.118
visible=1
ident=CLOCK_PANEL

gauge00=Cessna172!Clock,0, 0, 55

All these suggestions for the modification of the 737-400 default panel.cfg assume that you still have the default entries and number of gauge lines in the panel.cfg file. If not, beware that you do not double a gauge number. In such a case FS2002 and FS2004 will only display the first of the two gauges and will totally ignore the second entry with the same gauge number. However, it won't do any harm to your computer either, of course. So don't be afraid to check it out.

A Digital Radio Altimeter By HGHB

A very useful enhancement to the default 737-400 panel of all versions since FS98 is the hghb_ra_dig2.gau. I have had it in my panels since then and it has saved my life several times throughout the years :-). Add the following command line in the panel.cfg like this:

[window00]
............
gauge41=FPDA_737_Reverser_Warning, 355, 46, 92, 37   //for modified FPDA gauge
gauge42=HGHB_RA_DIG2, 100, 52, 26                      //for modified HGHB gauge

Permission for repackaging and slightly modifying the gauge has kindly been granted by Harald Geier of HGHB. Thanks a lot, Harry!

These three screen shots show what the default 737-400 panel looks like in FS2000, FS2002, and FS2004 (from top to bottom).

 

Note: It shouldn't hurt your computer but if you imagine it has, we accept no liability. This goes for all modifications that have been made with the default 737-400.gau file.

That's all there is to it. I know it's but catching little fish, but it's great fun to see it (half) done. I have thoroughly tested the fixes for FS2002 / FS2004 on my system, but as usual I say you may use them at your own risk.. If, in spite of all this, you run into unexpectedly negative results (which I honestly do not believe), just install the original default 737-400.gau file again, re-boot and fire up FS2004 again. If you are like me, you will perform the changes yourself. For those of you who want to save time, down at the bottom are the links to download the modified FS2000, FS2002, and FS2004 cluster gauges, which have been customized for each version of Flight Simulator and are available only here on FlightSim.Com. Each package also contains all the other useful things mentioned above, including detailed information for installation etc. Please do not ask me to send the files via email, as they are at least 1MB each. To download them you may have to log in to FlightSim.Com first. You can follow this member login hyperlink and register as a user, which is free of any charge. So go and get registered, and, first of all, enjoy the improved Boeing 737-400 panel of Flight Simulator 2004 ACOF, which, hopefully, will be absolutely flawless by default. in FS2006...

Ulrich Klein
huki.klein@t-online.de