I created an avionics switch for the default 737!

Hi all,

Check out the attachment! I'm feeling particularly pleased with myself having created a functioning avionics switch for the default 737! I realise this is child's play for many of you, but for me this is a quantum leap in my understanding of how FSX works!

An easier (if somewhat even more fiddly) task was to rename the Logo Switch to the Nav Switch. Some fiddly image editing required there...

Anyhow, thank you to the community for your assistance as I've wrestled just getting this far. A special thanks to PhantomTweak who has been particularly patient with me!

I will persist with my life's work to iron out the remaining bugs left in the default 737! :)

Trent

Great job, I like to tweak and I'm no expert but it's nice when you get something like this to work, like you say to some it might be nothing but to you and many more like us it is a quantum leap.

Col.

Congrats! Nicely done indeed. :)

I appreciate the accreditation (my biggest word for the week. Now I got a headache...), but I don't think, most of the time I don't think, I really did all that much. I just helped a little explain electrics in FSX for you.

I'd wager, if I weren't here, that someone else could have done as good or better a job than I.

But I am glad you got it figured out, and used it creatively.

Are you going to post the finished product for us all to use and learn from? I wrote myself a switch for turning anti-skid on and off. I'm fine tuning the conditions in which it will function ATM. How to make it turn off if the conditions aren't met, stuff like that. But it's getting there!

Kinda on hold for the moment, as I'm have other problems, in, and out of the sim. But I'll get it!

Pat☺

Congrats! Nicely done indeed. :)

 

I appreciate the accreditation (my biggest word for the week. Now I got a headache...), but I don't think, most of the time I don't think, I really did all that much. I just helped a little explain electrics in FSX for you.

I'd wager, if I weren't here, that someone else could have done as good or better a job than I.

But I am glad you got it figured out, and used it creatively.

 

Pat☺

Yes, Pat, I thought I had read a post about this switch, and sure enough I found your input (previous post) to BlueSox14's inquiry of the switch! I will say this to you, I already gave BlueSox14 his attaboy, "Way to go, Pat, nicely done!" you are very much deserving, helping BlueSox14 make this happen. And, I am sure others will be wanting to make some of these changes in their aircraft!

Thanks again Trent AND Pat! - Rick

Shucks, Rick, t'warnt nuthin...:rolleyes:

Seriously, I am glad I could help Trent out a little.

I've gotten so much help from the various people over the years, being able to help someone else is just a "pay it forward" kinda thing.

*I* want to thank all those that have given me so much assistance over the years, making the sim SO very enjoyable. Or even functional, in some cases.

Thanks to you all. I have slept since, so there's no way I could name names, but I am sure you know who you all are.

Enjoy everyone! I know I do! :D

Pat☺

Hi all,

Pat asked if I might share how I did this. For those out there learning like I am, perhaps the below will be helpful.

Before I do though, what is the general idea around these sorts of fixes? I'm conscious that the overhead_popup.xml is the legal property of Microsoft, so outside of the legality of me even tampering with it, is it acceptable to then offer the changed file on sites like this?

I assume it is, mostly because I've downloaded all sorts of fixes like this in the past. Outside of adding an avionics switch, my overhead_popup.xml includes fixes from several other authors. If I was to upload this to the file library, is it enough to reference their work, or is the proper courtesy to ask for the originals authors permission to include their work in my amended file?

Now, the steps I followed to create an avionics switch are as follows:

1) Back up your ...FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\B737_800 folder. Single most important step!

2) In the B737-800\panel folder, create a sub-folder called B737_800.

3) Move the B737_800.cab file from the panel folder, into the sub-folder created at step 2.

4) Extract the contents of the B737_800.cab file using your software of choice. I used WinZip.

5) Open the overhead_popup.xml using an appropriate xml editor (I ran into problems using notepad so I downloaded XML Notepad) find the following and replace with what comes after:

Find:

272.000,266.000

0.000

2.000

0.000

True

1.000

True

Replace with:

258.000,266.000

0.000

2.000

0.000

True

1.000

True

280.000,266.000

0.000

2.000

0.000

True

1.000

True

Find:

269.000,255.000

28,58

Hand

TOGGLE_MASTER_BATTERY

LeftSingle

HELPID_GAUGE_BATTERY_SWITCH

Replace with:

260.000,255.000

19,58

Hand

TOGGLE_MASTER_BATTERY

LeftSingle

HELPID_GAUGE_BATTERY_SWITCH

280.000,255.000

20,58

Hand

TOGGLE_AVIONICS_MASTER

LeftSingle

HELPID_GAUGE_AVIONICS_SWITCH

Using XML Notepad, I had to use the 'duplicate' function to make a copy of the section I've referred to 'finding' above. The duplicate was then what I amended to become the section below. I had to do it this way because using the standard notepad would corrupt my xml. The easiest way to ensure that your xml has been edited correctly is to open it using an internet browser (I use Mozilla) and ensuring that it still 'looks' like an xml. If it's gone wrong, it'll look like a very congested and horrible text file.

I found this to be the trickiest step. It's really important to preserve the proper xml structure, and it can be tricky to do so.

6) Save the overhead_popup.xml file and close it.

Now comes some fiddly image editing. You'll need to use a more sophisticated image editing program. Paint won't cut it, but the freeware Paint.Net will. That's what I use.

7) You'll need to 'clean up' the following files (removing the 'DC' at the bottom etc):

overhead_popup_switch_dc_volts_on_night.bmp

overhead_popup_switch_dc_volts_off_night.bmp

overhead_popup_switch_dc_volts_on.bmp

overhead_popup_switch_dc_volts_off.bmp

8) I then made copies of these four files and called them:

overhead_popup_switch_avionics_on_night.bmp

overhead_popup_switch_avionics_off_night.bmp

overhead_popup_switch_avionics_on.bmp

overhead_popup_switch_avionics_off.bmp

9) Lastly, apply your image editing skills to the overhead_popup_background.bmp and overhead_popup_background_night.bmp tidying those up, similar to my attachment. It's all a bit fiddly, but there's no getting around it!

Anytime you save changes to these .bmp files, ensure they're saved as 8-bit bmp files with no dithering applied.

10) Finally, this is an unnecessary step, but if you're so inclined, you can then package the B737_800 folder you've been working with back to a .cab file. You may need to delete the original B737_800.cab file you extracted these files from. This is an unnecessary step, and it requires that you have access to CABDIR.exe, provided in the SDK which doesn't come with the Steam Edition, but I think you can download it. Anyhow, it's a little bit technical and I'll let Google help you out with that!

I hope that's relatively clear. Thanks everyone!

Trent

Shucks, Rick, t'warnt nuthin...:rolleyes:

 

Seriously, I am glad I could help Trent out a little.

I've gotten so much help from the various people over the years, being able to help someone else is just a "pay it forward" kinda thing.

 

*I* want to thank all those that have given me so much assistance over the years, making the sim SO very enjoyable. Or even functional, in some cases.

Thanks to you all. I have slept since, so there's no way I could name names, but I am sure you know who you all are.

 

Enjoy everyone! I know I do! :D

Pat☺

Pat - That's what it is all about! The reason I like this site, "People helping people!" I really believe we continue to learn as we go and end up sharing that later with someone else! Thanks, Pat, and no "Shucks" needed! :cool:

Rick