Norden Bombsight in FSX

I am trying to create a Norden Bombsight for my own use. I have a bmp of the bombsight. It has an open area with the crosshairs. The problem is that the view around the crosshairs is forward and not down. I have tried to get a down or semi down view with no success. I saw a bombsight for CFS2 but it did not have any way to look down. It would be great if I could find a gauge to put on the bombsight to allow various look down angles. Any help sure would be appreciated.

Some time back someone told how to put a bmp in a CameraDefinition but I can't find it now.

Bob.

I don't know how he'd feel about letting you use his gauge for this project, but...

Rob Barendregt has a downlooking gauge for use in Maryadi's latest MV-22. It may be adaptable to your needs. Although, as I said, I can't speak to the way he'd feel about you using any or all of his gauge in your project.

I am hoping Rob will see this and let us know how this might work, if at all. He's a very nice, and incredibly smart, man. He may be able to give you a pointer on how-to, at the very least.

Not super helpful, I realize, but the best I can offer...

Pat☺

Here's the thread about adding a view with a .bmp

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?290596-Passenger-cabin-window-views-where-are-they-hiding

In that the view is a posts window that has to be opened manually at least once.

To make the popup appear when selecting the view (and disappear when switching back to VC) you will need to invent a gauge.

Such a gauge sounds like it might be possible.

(DISCLAIMER: only had decaf today.) :)

In the aircraft.cfg you add a down view definition.

By adding: HotKeyselect=7 for example (between 4 and 9 I think) in the view definition you can assign the view to a keypress.

In settings controls you assign the hotkey to a shortcut.

The gauge would have to pop up the popup window when selecting the down view. Gauge goes in panel.cfg as usual.

When selecting any other view the gauge must make the popup disappear.

You can make it so the view can pan/move by adapting the view definition.

I made a camera definition too look down at 45° ahead. I cannot get it to show in FSX. Here is my camera definition: Why won't it show up? I plan to open the bombsight window when I have the view ahead.

[CameraDefinition.004]

Title = View Looking Down

Guid = {8BD44C77-54DA-4ac9-A128-8B24A4AA6566}

Origin = Center

SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel

SnapPbhReturn = False

PanPbhAdjust = Swivel

PanPbhReturn = False

Track = None

ShowAxis = No

AllowZoom = TRUE

InitialZoom = 0.6

SmoothZoomTime = 2.0

ZoomPanScalar = 1.0

ShowWeather = Yes

XyzAdjust = True

ShowLensFlare=FALSE

Category = Cockpit

MomentumEffect = No

PitchPanRate=20

HeadingPanRate=60

InitialXyz= 0.0, -4.0, 0.0

InitialPbh= -45, 0, 0

Thanks, Bob.

F16jockey is better at views then I. At least:

-Make sure there is no other view .004 in the file.

-Make sure the guid is unique. Download a guid generator for that.

Some observations.

a) Origin=Center and Category=Cockpit don't go together IMO. Shouldn't it be Category=Outside ?

b) in all examples I've checked, the Outside views are numbered [.0], [.1], and not [.000], [.001],... but not sure if that really matters.

[EDIT]

After some testing: the following should work (places a camera approx. in the nose of the default 737).

Gives you something to elaborate further.

[CameraDefinition.6]
Title = "Norden Bomb Sight"
Guid = {6D92CF0D-4369-484c-88A1-760DA8F08989}
Origin = Center
SnapPbhAdjust = None
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = No
AllowZoom = TRUE
InitialZoom = 0.6
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = True
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Outside
MomentumEffect = No
PitchPanRate=20
HeadingPanRate=60
InitialXyz= 0.0, -1.5, 11.0
InitialPbh= 45, 0, 0

Remarks: Cameras XYZ are in meters, not feet.

And the axis system is different from the one in aircraft.cfg as well.

Wim

I just realized, I'm dense sometimes. No, not that, I KNOW that I can be dense. Often am. Dense like neutron star dense...

What I realized is that Tim "Piglet" Conrad made a really cool gauge for his F-111 project that does exactly what you're looking for. It's also included in the minipanel3 download and install. It's called the PAVETAC gauge.

It has an incredible variety of views, like down and back, 45° down/forward, etc etc, as well as a huge number of viewpoints, like looking straight forward, but from 5000' below the plane, the number of combinations may not be infinite, but may as well be. It has a large number of view presets, like for landing, or a bombing run, etc etc.

Just an amazing gauge, and it can surely do what you seem to desire.

Download either the PigHUD Project v8, or the minipanel3 (which I use exclusively). It's included in them both. It may be called as a pop-up gauge, by the way. I am sure you can figure out a way to use it. I believe it's free to all to use, in a project, but at worst, you'll need to contact him and get his permission. His email is included in the documentation of both downloads.

Just go to the library and do a search for Piglet or minipanel3.

Maybe this will help...?

Pat☺