FSX Garmin GPS 500 Replacement Gauge

[il88pp]

Ah, I see,

the instructions say to add:

gaugenn=GPS!GPS Icon, xx, yy, 25, 25

 

you will need to change

nn

to the number of the next gauge.

and

xx, yy

to the new coordinates where you want the icon to show up.

 

-----------

I just added the icon in the 2D panel of the default fsx b737_800

I added it as the last gauge in the

[Window00]

section.

 

line for that aircraft 2D panel became:

gauge35=GPS!GPS Icon, 605, 448, 25, 25

 

the icon shows up slightly bigger then the other icons, so perhaps:

gauge35=GPS!GPS Icon, 605, 448, 20, 20

making it a little smaller,

would be better.

 

(That line will different for each aircraft. Have a look at the coordinates of the existing icons, then guestimate a nice position for the new one.)

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

Icon works fine.

Notice though, again, one space between words: GPS and Icon.

[samrong01]

The GPS- Copy.cml is a mistake. It should be ignored. Its a testing copy only.

G. Munro

[miatamariner]

il88pp:

 

Sent you a PM.

[samrong01]

I have seen many comments here saying that the old GPS295 still appears after installing the new gauge. This can not happen if the GPS 295 is not in the panel.cfg file so it must be there somewhere. I have also tested many times and not had any problem. I would like to see the panel.cfg being used.

 

Also have seen the statement that the name inside the XML file must be the same as the name of the .xml fiile. This is not so (maybe in FS9?) - I have done many hundreds of gauges and half the time forget to set the XML name. The name inside the XML does NOT need to be the same as the .xml file.

 

I have had a few queries on topics here and have asked for copies of the panel.cfg to check.

 

Please note that the GPS - copy.xml file is a mistake. Do NOT use it for anything. It is an early test version and could do all sorts of nasty things. Its quite harmless sitting in the file - it just increases the file size.

 

G. Munro

[il88pp]

First image: the gauge, in "Terrain Altitude Warning System" mode.

Red is above me, yellow at around same altitude, Green just below.

If flying much higher the TAWS screen stays black (as normal gps without terrain mode).

**Notice also traffic visible, shown as a small plane, pointing in direction of flight. You can see at a quick glance what direction traffic is heading in.

**Notice airports displayed on map, including their elevation and more.

 

 

 

 

Image displaying the icon in the 2D panel of 737_800. It is the icon the right. It looks the same as the normal GPS icon.

(disregard the squigly lines).

 

[fly1937]

I've got it!

 

-----------

hope that gets you going.

 

Yes all work.. Mr Munro wrote me back a gentleman and following il88pp instruction I have this very nice GPS on my favorite plane!

[il88pp]

Glad to hear that!

Enjoy, :)

have a good one,

il88pp

[samrong01]

Further to my previous post - somebody mentioned the default Boeing 737 so I tried the gauge on that and it did just as described. This came as a shock especially since this aircraft uses the GPS 500 but its the GPS 295 that always comes up.

 

Here is the solution:

It seems that FSX dislikes the directory and Cab name "GPS" so if you rename GPS.cab to GPSabc.Cab and everywhere you see "GPS!" change to "GPSabc!. (Any name other than "GPS" is OK) The gauge name itself (GPS.xml) is OK its only the directory name "GPS" that it hates.

Everything should work on any aircraft if this is done. I suppose I should reissue it with these corrections.

G. Munro

[PhantomTweak]

Great job, il88pp!

Thanks very much. I TOLD you I wasn't an XML type of guy! I should have caught that naming thing. It's been a long time since I played with this sort of thing, though. Only so much room in the pea-brain, and every time I don't use stuff, it goes away.

Thanks again for the help :D

Pat☺

PS: Ok, well, I gave it a try-out. I got the Icon into a panel, no sweat. It didn't call the GPS, though. It didn't do anything. I extracted it, and looked at the GPS Icon.xml file. I compared it to the SimIcons1024 GPS Icon file. The GPS Gauge's version had the number 537 as it's gauge call, so I changed it to the 225 that the SimIcons' one had.

It now calls the new GPS Gauge file properly.

Ok, it opens now, so I looked through it. I dodn't explore a lot of the features, and there are many, but in the Map display the Range button only zooms in, but not out, no matter where you click. On the button OR anywhere else on the GPS.

I got tired and it's time for bed, so I gave up for tonight, but I'll keep at it. I am a snail at working on this stuff campared to many others though :D

Pat☺

[samrong01]

Read the instructions and see the tool tip: right click to increase left click to decrease range.

[samrong01]

Actually it doesnt say in the instructions but it does on the tooltip.

[il88pp]

Right-click the zoom buttton to zoom out.;)

 

Better yet, Switch on tooltips and be impressed!

 

------

I'll look at the icon later. No time now.

 

Weird though. I don't remember making any changes to the icon.

And for me the Icon shows, and also pops up the gauge, no issue.

But miamariner reported something about the icon too.

I'll have a look in a few hours.

[fly1937]

Munro offered us an extraordinary GPS, a free add-on that is worth a lot to me that I like to fly in the mountains in Alaska, North America and Fiords is the key to my VFR fly and I find another way to fly.

Thanks Munro and thanks il88pp for the great cooperation.

[il88pp]

I have no idea why you can't get the icon to work. It works fine for me. (FSX-Accel, but I don't think that matters.)

 

I have redone this, following GMunro's instructions.

No uncabbing needed this way.

 

1*Rename Gps.cab to Gpsabc.cab

2*Place GPSabc.cab in the

..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Gauges

folder

 

3*Add this line at the bottom of the [Window00] -section:

gaugenn=GPSabc!GPS Icon, xx, yy, 25, 25

 

(you will need to change nn to the next gauge number. Also change the coordinates: xx, yy, to the coordinates in the panel where you want the icon to show up.)

 

 

4*Add the following section to your panel.cfg to make the gauge an available popup.

(|YOu must give the window a number, so you must change XX to the number of the panel you want for the gauge. If you change it to [Window08] will show up by pressing Shift+9.

It will of course also show up by clicking the icon.)

This is the section:

//-------------------------------------------------------
//New GPS GMunro
[WindowXX]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=800,670
windowsize_ratio=0.76
position=7
visible=0
ident=537
gauge00=GPSabc!GPS, 0,0,800,670


[/Code]

 
At the top of the panel.cfg you  see a section:
[Window Titles]
There you must add a line that corresponds to the new GPS.
The XX must again be changed, to the same number you gave the XX in the popup panel:
[code]
WIndowXX=newgps

 

 

 

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

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

In the default b737-800 I readded it after seeing MR Munro's messages.

This is how I did that.

 

**Renamed Gps.cab to Gpsabc.cab

**Placed Gpsabc.cab in the:

..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Gauges

folder

 

Top part of panel.cfg file:

 

// Panel Configuration file

// Boeing 737-800

// Copyright © 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

[Window Titles]

window00=Main Panel

window01=Radio Stack

Window02=GPS

Window03=Throttle Panel

Window04=Overhead Panel

Window05=Trim Panel

Window06=PFD

Window07=MFD

Window08=newgps

Window09=Mini Panel

 

[VIEWS]

 

 

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

End of [Window00] section to start of [Window01] section:

 

gauge32=SimIcons1024!Radio Icon, 565, 448

gauge33=SimIcons1024!Other Controls Icon, 587, 448

gauge34=n_number_plaque!n_number_plaque, 95,731,67,19

gauge35=GPSabc!GPS Icon, 605, 448, 25, 25

 

[Window01]

 

 

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

I added it as [Window08], Gauge as I added it:

 

//-------------------------------------------------------

//New GPS GMunro

[Window08]

Background_color=0,0,0

size_mm=800,670

windowsize_ratio=0.76

position=7

visible=0

ident=537

gauge00=GPSabc!GPS, 0,0,800,670

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

Just to be clear. Doing it this way I did NOT uncab the gauge, or rename anything inside it.

Works Great.

 

 

Thank you very much Mr Munro. That was very helpful.

And thank you for the tip about internal names.

 

il88pp

[PhantomTweak]

Ok, I apologize for the Range mistake. I was getting awfully sleepy about then. Or, as they say, MY BAD :D

 

I think I will try the whole thing again, from the top. Rename the CAB file, and change the two lines that reference it to the new name, GPSabc, use the line Window08=newgps vice what was there, Window08=GPS_Panel. That will probably deal with MY Icon situation. Again, more than likely an error on my part, as usual :)

 

I will also read the directions more carefully. It's a problem I have, assuming (and I use the word purposfuly!) I know more than I really do, as usual.

 

Many thanks to il88pp and Mr. Munro for all the help! This is an amzing GPS, and using it, while an adventure, will be a joy, once I get my stuff together in one basket.

 

Pat☺

[miatamariner]

I have no idea why you can't get the icon to work. It works fine for me. (FSX-Accel, but I don't think that matters.)

 

Got it all sorted out with the update. An incredible gauge and piece of software.

[familton]

Has anyone seen that the column headings do not line up with the columns? A friend of mine has the same problem with the default window size and location as in the PDF. Here is a screenshot.

 

I sent an e-mail to the author. Thanks.

[il88pp]

Yes I sw that too. Easily fixed.

Grab the panel on an edge and move it to the right edge of the screen.

Then move the mouse along the left edge of the panel so it changes to a double-arrow.

Click, and drag the edge to make the GPS panel wider.

So it is as wide as the screen.

Then everything lines up.

 

[familton]

Hi. Look at your pic. Type is way to the left of the Type column. Look at Frequency it is way to the left of the Frequency column. I have tried all ways to resize it and even used FSPS to change the sizes of the window to no avail. My friend has done the same to no avail. The Flightplan window has the same problem. Bob.

[il88pp]

yes, Isee what you mean.

runway surface is to far to the left.

distance and heading are too far over to the right.

etc.

 

Despite that it is clear to me what's what. I don't mind.

 

Seems colmns got swapped. Not something I can change.

[familton]

OK. Thanks. Maybe the author can fix it. Bob.

[samrong01]

The headings do line up at the recommended window_size-ratio of 0.76. But I admit that I used a somewhat lazy technique to do the headings so when you stretch the window they go out of alignment. I will look at redoing them using a better method. It may look simple but is not. It may take some time.

G. Munro

[PhantomTweak]

By Jove, I think I've got it.

I've noticed that to get the rows and coloumns to line up, it takes some left-edge/right-edge adjusting, but I think Mr. Munro will be the final solution to this situation. I think it'll be a minor tweak for him :D

If you want to make it the same size all the time, you can adjust the lines size_mm=800,670 and then the gauge's size it's self, in the line gauge00=GPSabc!GPS Gauge, 0,0,800,670 in the [WindowNN] where that is the pop up window for the gauge.

If you do that, it will be the same every time you open it, so you don't have to re-adjust it every time.

If you want to only adjust the size left/right, only change the first of the pairs I highlighted above. IE: the 800 in each pair. If you want to adjust the vertical size, obviosly, the second one, the 670.

It may take some tweaking, and make sur you backup the Panel.cfg file before you start anything, and then after you make a change, save the file, and reload the aircraft.

It takes a bit of effort, but it's the easiest way, to me, raather than changing the sizes every time I open it. I am constantly popping the gauge on and off, so it's worth it to me.

Hope that helps a teensy bit :D

It really IS an amazing GPS, and I sure appreciate every's efforts, Mr. Munro, il88pp, and everyone else. Many many thanks to all!

Pat☺

[samrong01]

Sorry no this is not the right way. It may seem to work but can have other effects. 800X670 is the original size of the gauge and should not be changed. The one to adjust is the window_size_ratio which is recommended at 0.76 but can be changed bigger or smaller. Adjusting this will preserve the proportions of the gauge. If you want to adjust disproportionately (taller or wider) then set up a window_size parameter as described in the instructions and the SDK. To ensure the formatting is preserved it should always be wider than it is high. I know the heading data does not adjust in size and I will release a fix for that when I do the fix for the headings.

G. Munro

[dog4zero]

For me it works great and I really like it. If a better version comes down I'll check it out. For now I'm not going to fix what works. Although I do have the GPS 500 programmed to one of my GF RP48's. If this GPS is really that good I'll try to do the same. I'll call goflight and see what they say.