Adjustable altitude callout

[Clarindo]

I am trying to install in FSX aircraft a altitude callout similar to the FS2004 AltAlerter Gau2 by Glenn Hopeland - you can set it for 10,000 feet - for example - and it will sound alert you when that altitude is reached.

 

Having found nothing similar yet, I experimented with the FS2004 version. The gauge icon itself works perfectly well in FSX with the visual indication disappearing when the altitude is reached, but no sound is forthcoming even though the sound.ini file is properly installed (including an essential additional space in the respective line in the panel.cfg file).

 

This gauge is (or was, I should say) an excellent help in not exceeding the speed at the 10k ft. limit or turning the navigation lights on/off.

 

Would like to know if there is a real possibility to get the sounds working from the old FS2004 to FSX. The sound files are actually a gauge stored as AltAlerterGau_2 in the gauges section.

 

Should some information on this subject be available it would be very much appreciated to know about it.

 

Thanks and my excuses if the intended request for help is not adequately expressed here.

[Clarindo]

I note, in my inexperienced way, that the "AltAlerterGau_1" includes an "AltitudeAlerter1" audio wave file which is the missing sound and which calls out CHECK ALTITUDE.

 

Thanks again.

[il88pp]

Sorry, I'm just way to tired, but I don't follow. Do you mean you have now found the sound file and all is well again? If so, well done! big:)

Or would you still like some help locating it?

[Jim Robinson]

What you need to do is go to Doug Dawson's site and download the latest version of dsd_fsx_xml_sound:

 

http://www.douglassdawson.ca/

 

 

Drop dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau into your Gauges folder, and then change the sound gauge entry in any/all panel.cfgs from:

 

gaugeXX=AltAlert_dsd_xml_sound3!dsd_xml_sound3, 0, 0, 1, 1, ./Gauges/AltAlertGau_2/AltAlert_sound.ini

 

to:

 

gaugeXX=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound, 0, 0, 1, 1, ./Gauges/AltAlerterGau_2/AltAlert_sound.ini

 

Jim

[Clarindo]

This Sunday is Father's Day here in Brasil so I had the family around until recently.

 

il88p - Thanks for the reply. I did not correctly informed what had occurred - I just found the file which when manually clicked would sound out the longed for CHECK ALTITUDE audio alert, which is the missing piece to get this gauge functioning alright.

 

Jim Robison - I still have not solved the problem.

 

Your instructions are quite clear and I followed them correctly, i.e. downloaded dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau into FSX Gauges folder and changed (by copying to avoid any typing error) the panel.cfg entry deleting and replacing the old "AltAlert_dsd_xml_sound3, ......." with the new "dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound......"

 

Since I am still getting no audio response at the designated flight level it is obvious that the problem is to be found in the front seat at the keyboard.

 

Do you use and have this gauge functioning in any of your Flight Simulator X aircraft?

 

Will keep on trying with different aircrafts, and must sincerely highlight the fantastic assistance one gets here at this forum.

 

I thank you all for the interest and the responses to assist and orient me.

[il88pp]

Copying...

Did you remember to change XX to the correct number?

 

I'm not at my pc so I cant try things out now.

[il88pp]

I don't expect Jim to make a typo. Especially not two times.

 

But I notice it says:

0, 0, 1, 1, .

The . there (period sign) looks wrong to me. Maybe try once with that removed.

[Jim Robinson]

Do you use and have this gauge functioning in any of your Flight Simulator X aircraft?

 

Well I'd just now worked that out myself with that gauge in the default Lear when I saw this thread, I hadn't used it before. The RealAir Turbine Duke uses a derivative of dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau and that also works on my end. In fact I actually tested using the RealAir sound gauge with this altitude alerter guage:

 

gaugeXX=RASDukeTv2_Sound!Sound, 0, 0, 1, 1, ./Gauges/AltAlerterGau_2/AltAlert_sound.ini

 

...and that worked as well.

 

 

I guess we should make sure we're on the same page, is this the file you're trying to get working?

 

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=search&fname=a_alert.zip

 

When you loaded up an aircraft that you made those last mods to, did you get the "run & trust" (do you want to run dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau?) dialogs from the sim?

 

The path in the gauge callout wants to find "AltAlert_sound.ini" in a subfolder of the main Guages folder named "AltAlertGau_2".

 

Here's what I have in my "Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Gauges\AltAlerterGau_2" folder:

 

AltAlert_sound.ini 08/03/2007 05:35 AM

AltitudeAlerter1.wav 07/30/2007 11:54 AM

AltitudeAlerter2.xml 08/13/2007 07:46 AM

AltitudeAlerter_bg2.bmp 08/02/2007 08:00 AM

 

Here's what worked for me added to the Lear 45 panel.cfg, [Window00]

 

gauge25=AltAlerterGau_2!AltitudeAlerter2, 128, 363, 48, 18

gauge26=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound, 0, 0, 1, 1, ./Gauges/AltAlerterGau_2/AltAlert_sound.ini

 

Only other thing I can think of is take note that the gauge name changed as well as the container, gaugeXX=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!dsd_xml_sound3 wont work for example, it has to be gaugeXX=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound now so make sure you changed both.

 

Can't think of anything else but let us know how it goes.

 

Jim

 

EDIT: il88pp the period slash "./" represents the main FSX folder when defining the path to AltAlert_sound.ini, so it's telling the gauge to look in the "Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Gauges\AltAlerterGau_2" folder.

[il88pp]

Aha!

I didn't notice it was a path. Long day, I was bushed. I never noticed it in any of my installed gauges either. I'll keep an eye out for that. Thanks.

[Clarindo]

Thanks a lot. Such a sharing of expertise, patience and willingness to assist and yet I have not solved my problem. Dumb me!

 

I have downloaded from the same site that you were kind enought to indicate, have checked that unzipped files correspond to your list, that gauge numbering is sequential, have copied your quoted gauge lines and triple-checked everything - which appears to me be alright, including the changed name of the gauge as well as its content.

 

Have bought FS Panel Studio, since I did not get the "run & trust" when loaded the aircraft.

 

FS Panel tells me: 1 - "A gauge named dsd_fsx_xml_sound/Sound does not exist in XML gauge "dsd-fsx-xml_sound"; 2 - No bitmap fond for gauge "dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound"

 

So if there is no sound gauge there will never be any sound.

 

And, finally, if even with such detailed orientation and information from you I cannot resolve my issue, I must not bother any of you further, and just rest my case and plead guilty.

 

Will continue trying to decipher the puzzle that I have created and if successful will let you know.

 

Best of all and thanks a million.

[il88pp]

noticed something. difference.

there is a typo, either in your panel.cfg or the name of your xml file.

 

 

dsd-fsx-xml_sound

 

 

dsd_fsx_xml_sound/Sound

 

 

It should be underscores. ( _ _ _ _ _etc )

not ( - - - -etc)

 

 

dsd_fsx_xml_sound/Sound is the correct one.

[Clarindo]

Thanks for the information. Unfortunately, for me, I just noticed that the typo was in my message; FS Panel Studio refers to underscored gauge names, not hyphenated as I did when reporting the information in the message.

 

Will continue working on finding out why the gauge correctly spelled out in the panel.cfg as "dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound" does not exist in XML Gauge "dsd_fsx_xml_sound", as the program tells me.

[il88pp]

Ah, ok. I don't have it working yet either. I want to try some different things. And then try I'll try Jim Robinson's method. First I'm re-creating a default plane so I can safely test. And reading through all documentation.

 

I think it could be a while before I get it. I've not used this gauge before.

[mrzippy]

Ah, ok. I don't have it working yet either. I want to try some different things. And then try I'll try Jim Robinson's method. First I'm re-creating a default plane so I can safely test. And reading through all documentation.

 

I think it could be a while before I get it. I've not used this gauge before.

 

I've been playing with it too, and had no luck! I had found in the past with sounds similar to this, ie: squealing brake sounds that the gauge line that shows the path to the sound.ini needed to be in the [VCokpit] section of the panel.cfg. I tried that and it still did not work

[Jim Robinson]

To be honest I've played with the sound gauge before and had no luck either. IIRC I tried to install a gauge_sounds thingy (semi-viral thread on Avsim, remember?) and couldn't get it to work either.

 

All I knew before playing around here recently is that the RealAir T Duke was able to make it work with a gauge that's essentially "dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau" renamed to "RASDukeTv2_Sound.gau", could it be the T Duke installed something else that's needed to make this thing work? I can't imagine what it would be and I fired the Duke installer into a dummy FSX folder to look, I don't see anything except the gauge, the .ini, and the .wavs it plays. Maybe it dumped something into Windows\System32 or something though? I don't see a word about any requirement like that in the sound gauge documentation.

 

It does say in the doc that the sound volume setting was changed between the FS9 and FSX versions, the altitude alerter .ini specifies a volume of 100 where the equivalent with the new gauge would be "0". Read the first paragraph of the doc for details. I didn't have to make any changes there though, mine just worked.

 

Maybe I'll fire up ole Bessie the Athlon XP from 2005 this evening and see if I can get it to work over there. :)

[il88pp]

Jim, i followed your instructions. Gauge works, but no sound.

 

 

I read through the rtf that is included with dsd_fsx_xml_Sound

 

There is an example in the rtf file (at the bottom) of what that ini should look like. It is very different from the AltAlerter.ini file that is in your suggestion.

 

 

 

to be precise:

 

It suggests: gauge37=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound, 2,2,2,2, .\dsd_fsx_test_sound.ini

 

and then gives an example of a very differently built up file.

 

 

(also L:vars, but only choice of a few specific ones.)

 

Could that be the issue?

 

(But that would not explain why it does work for you)

 

(dsd_fsx_xml_sound.rtf)

 

It feels a bit futile, but I'll chip away at it some more later.

[il88pp]

the files I used are

dsd_fsx_xml_sound_v520.zip

(from D Dawson, your link, the topmost file I think)

and

a_alert.zip

from flightsim.com

[il88pp]

Aha, I think I may have cracked it!

 

I had placed the dsd_fsx_xml_sound folder in /c172/panel

 

but then I saw that in there is no Sound.xml or sound.gau

 

but there is a dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau

 

so I plunked that, and all the other files that were in the dsd_fsx_xml_sound -folder ---> into the panel folder.

 

ANd now I ge the gauge permission when starting the flight!!

 

Doing a test flight right away.

 

 

 

 

 

That Addon of yours probably did the same and plunked the gauge in you /Gauges folder.

 

See you in a bit.

[il88pp]

Bingo!

 

"beepuh beepuh beepuh -- Check Altitude' :) :)

 

I followed mrZippy's advice too, good Idea, that was required for the callout gauge too I think. Thanks for the tip.

And thanks all. This is a nice addition.

[il88pp]

To be clear, I followed Jim's instructions for the lines in the panel.cfg

lines: (change XX to the correct the numbers)

gaugeXX=AltAlerterGau_2!AltitudeAlerter2, 590, 140, 25, 11
gaugeXX=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound, 0, 0, 1, 1, ./Gauges/AltAlerterGau_2/AltAlert_sound.ini

 

I addedthose lines to the

[VCockpit01]

section as well, just in case. (changing the numbers of course.)

 

I added folder

AltAlerterGau_2

to the

\FSX\Gauges

folder.

 

I added folder

dsd_fsx_xml_sound

to the panel folder of my aircraft.

 

I copied all files from the

dsd_fsx_xml_sound

folder to the panel folder of the aircraft.

 

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

maybe copying only file

dsd_fsx_xml_sound.gau

to the panel folder is enough.

 

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

And, what I did in the panel folder I could of course have done in the

..\FSX\Gauges

folder instead. That would work too.

 

Thanks Jim!:)

[il88pp]

Not sure why, but I don't hear the sound in the VC. Only with the main panel open.

[Jim Robinson]

It suggests: gauge37=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound, 2,2,2,2, .\dsd_fsx_test_sound.ini

 

and then gives an example of a very differently built up file.

 

 

(also L:vars, but only choice of a few specific ones.)

 

I think that's just an example from the documentation, the sounds called out in the example aren't even included in the download, and if you notice the L:vars have names like "Some_Volume_Control_LVAR" and "Some_Other_Volume_Control_LVAR".

 

The idea is you specify your own .ini then you can use whatever L:vars you can script into a gauge to trigger whatever sounds you want. Write a gauge that triggers L:transition_altitude for example passing through 18,000 ft. with something like this in your gauge (untested):

 

[noparse](A:PLANE ALTITUDE, feet) 18000 > if{ 1 (>L:transition_altitude, bool) }[/noparse]

 

...then you would make a charlie_brown.ini declaring that L:var and the sound that is to be associated with it, something like this (untested):

 

[Config]
MaxSounds=1

[sounds]
Sound00=.\Sound\set_the freakin_altimeter.wav

[LVars]
Lvar00=transition_altitude

 

Lastly you would put the gauge in the panel.cfg like this (untested):

 

gaugeXX=dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound, 0, 0, 1, 1, ./path/to/charlie_brown.ini

 

...and then theoretically the gauge would play "Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Sound\set_the freakin_altimeter.wav" (you'd have to supply that file at the location specified) as you passed through 18,000'.

 

I think, lol

[il88pp]

Ah, ok, thanks for that complete example.

 

I had seen there was a dsd_fsx_xml_sound.ini included.

So I thought dsd_fsx_xml_sound.xml would use that as somehow well when running.

But it is probably just an example, and instead now the AltAlert_sound.ini is used.

Ok.

 

I had the files list things in a different order and thought that might be an issue.

dsd_fsx_xml_sound.ini -lists:

[Config]

[sounds]

[LVars]

[Volume_Variables]

[Pan_Variables]

[Frequency_Variables]

 

AltAlert_sound.ini -Lists:

[Config]

[LVars]

[sounds]

 

(so only three, and in a different order.) I thought it was an fs2004-fsx difference and needed fixing...

 

Anywho it works great now, without any changes. So the small difference is not an issue at all.

If I ever get it working in the VC I'll let y'all know.

thanks, il88pp

[Clarindo]

Congratulations, il88p. You now have the treasure I am still digging down trying to find it.

 

Engaged another program (AdditPro) which tells me dsd_fsx_xml_sound!Sound is missing, ticked it to repair and on starting FSX I got the " trust and go " option but that also has not solved my problem.

 

Followed carefully your successful installation steps (including the VC Cockpit) but no sound is available.

 

Guess I'll have to check my hearing - it is capable as far as the engine sound is concerned but blocked when it refers to "beepuh beepuh beepuh -- Check Altitude'

 

Congratulations again,

[il88pp]

If you got the "permission" thing, it sounds like you did everything right.

 

Maybe you forgot to arm the system.

||

When the plane loads, the gauge is in Standby mode. It says STBY, in green letters. You need to click the letters to activate the warning. Then you can set the altitude you want it to in off at.

 

Clickspots to set the altitude are to the left and right of where it said STBY. On the button.