Simviation Forum - inoperative gauges !

May 25^th, 2010 at 7:56am

DeryckB Offline
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I have FSX and have some Flight Deck aircraft which I fly.
I am trying to get some inoperative instruments in the C-2A Greyhound to operate properly. I got the left fuel gauge to work but so far the right fuel gauge refuses to function.
The fuel type is set to jeta=2 but I have had to modify the XML file to use 6.7 lbs/gal as the multiplier.
Using Blackbox shows that the main A: outputs are working on both gauge XML's. Would reinstalling FSX,etc get results or am I missing something. I use Foxe to edit the XML's.

The instrument files are in the sim objects,airplanes,panel, abXXXXgreyhound section. should my modded ones be cab filed ?. What use is the gauges section of the fsx folders ?.
Here are excerpts from some of the configs and XML files.

XML files
Undecided

<Gauge Name="Left Fuel Quantity" Version="1.0">
<Image Name="Fuel_Background.bmp" ImageSizes="76,76" Luminous="Yes"/>
<Element>
   <Position X="38" Y="38"/>
   <Image Name="VSI_pointer.bmp" ImageSizes="30,8" Luminous="Yes">
      <Axis X="4" Y="4"/>
   </Image>
   <Rotate>
      <Value Minimum="0" Maximum="7500">(A:Fuel Left Quantity, gallons) 6.7 *</Value>
      <Nonlinearity>
         <Item Value="0" X="5" Y="44"/>
         <Item Value="7500" X="62" Y="55"/>
      </Nonlinearity>
      <Delay DegreesPerSecond="10"/>
   </Rotate>
</Element>
</Gauge>

<Gauge Name="Right Fuel Quantity" Version="1.0">
<Image Name="Fuel_Background.bmp" ImageSizes="76,76" Luminous="Yes"/>
<Element>
   <Position X="38" Y="38"/>
   <Image Name="VSI_pointer.bmp" ImageSizes="30,8" Luminous="Yes">
      <Axis X="4" Y="4"/>
   </Image>
   <Rotate>
      <Value Minimum="0" Maximum="7500">(A:Right Fuel Quantity, Gallons) 6.7 *</Value>
      <Nonlinearity>
         <Item Value="0" X="5" Y="44"/>
         <Item Value="7500" X="62" Y="55"/>
      </Nonlinearity>
      <Delay DegreesPerSecond="10"/>
   </Rotate>
</Element>
</Gauge>

Panel Config excerpts

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window00]
file=main_panel2.bmp
file_1024=main_panel2.bmp
size_mm=1024
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=1
ident=0
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

gauge42=ab_fd4_c2a1!Left Fuel Lbs, 220,703,62,62
gauge43=ab_fd4_c2a1!Right Fuel Lbs, 287,703,62,62

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Reply #1 - May 25^th, 2010 at 10:10am

Tech Diver Offline
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Concord, Massachusetts

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It looks like you have a typo in one of the two fuel quantity variables:
(A:Fuel Left Quantity, gallons) is fine but,
(A:Right Fuel Quantity, Gallons) should be Fuel Right not Right Fuel.

As for the directories, the Gauges directory under the main FSX directory makes the gauges global. That is, all aircraft can see them. To supply a gauge just for one aircraft, create a directory under the Panel directory of the particular aircraft.

It is not necessary to use CAB files, as you can merely put the gauges in a directory. If you have a directory called Foo and a gauge called Bar you would invoke it by a reference Foo!Bar in Panel.cfg. If you had a CAB file called Foo with a gauge called Bar, you would refer to it in exactly the same manner. The CAB file could either be located in the Panel directory or in the main FSX Gauges directory as described in the previous paragraph.

Peter

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Reply #2 - May 27^th, 2010 at 4:38am

DeryckB Offline
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Thanks for pointing out the typo, Peter. The gauge is still inoperative. An FSX ( gauge/other ) XML input/output tester would be an interesting project. Has anyone made such a thing??.

I also noticed that there were other FD5 aircraft gauges that were acting stupid so it could be a problem with that particular software.

Deryck

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Reply #3 - Jun 2^nd, 2010 at 6:33am

DeryckB Offline
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Ha!!! Stupid !! Stupid!!. Cry

I am editing the XML for the gauges from WITHIN the FSX folder. I am using WIN7 and it seems to provide heavy protection for the files (without notifying me). If I move the XML file to be altered to the desktop ( despite WIN7 protestations) and do the business then move it back to its home ( more complaints from WIN7), then the changes are permanent. Now I have to figure out how to alter my admin rights to allow unfettered fiddling.

I cannot complete the ACES gauge tutorial (missing *.bmap), also in the FSX folder, and WIN7 is probably interfering as well !. More blundering to follow !!.

PS. The Missus is wondering why I am persisting with something that seems to be an exercise in futility !!

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Reply #4 - Jun 2^nd, 2010 at 6:49am

ShaneG Offline
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A bit of a pain at this point for you, but installing FSX, or any other programs you would want to tweak & modify consistently, into a location that is NOT the default location in C:/program files, will usually solve most of these headaches. Wink

♪♫♪‼

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Reply #5 - Jun 9^th, 2010 at 5:36am

DeryckB Offline
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More questions,
I have overcome the abovementioned problems and am now attempting to get the ECU window to work with the mouse.
I have read some tutorials dealing with the subject but the explanation of some of the arithmetic in these lines eludes me.

<Value Minimum="0" Maximum="1">(A:general eng1 throttle lever position,part)

(A:Throttle lower limit,part) /-/ + b 1 + /</Value>

      <Nonlinearity>
         <Item Value="0" X="0" Y="230"/>
         <Item Value="1" X="0" Y="6"/>
      </Nonlinearity>
   </Shift>

And this one

<Mouse>
   <Help ID="HELPID_GAUGE_ENGINE_CONTROLS"/>
   <Area Left="0" Right="35" Top="0" Bottom="230">
      <Click

Kind="LeftSingle+LeftDrag">(M:Y) 271 / 0 max 1 min 1 - /-/ 1 (A:Throttle lower limit,part) s0 - * l0 + 16384.0 * (>K:THROTTLE1_SET)

</Click>
<Cursor

Type="Hand

"/>
<Click

Kind="LeftSingle+LeftDrag">@ThrottleMouseClick (>K:THROTTLE1_SET)</Click>

</Area>

Is there a suitable tutorial covering this subject, or a list of expressions used by the FSX engine ?.
Or could someone be so kind as to clarify these lines.

Regards

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Reply #6 - Jun 9^th, 2010 at 5:57am

Travis Offline
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Understand that I know almost NOTHING about gauge programming:

I would recommend that you go see the folks over at FS Developer. They seem to be the forefront of FS tech and programming. If your answer is findable, it is there.

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Reply #7 - Jun 11^th, 2010 at 6:19am

DeryckB Offline
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Thanks for the pointer. I have also managed to find the MS SDK documents referring to arithmetic expressions,etc. That should keep me busy for the forseeable!!

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Reply #8 - Jun 11^th, 2010 at 9:19am

Tech Diver Offline
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I've been rather busy lately so I was not able to respond sooner, but here is the answer to your questions in the Mouse Click section:

http://www.fs2x.com/Tutorials_files/XML%20Gauge%20Programming%20for%20FS2004.%20...

I will check back in a few days to see if you have any specific questions and will endeavor to answer them.

Peter

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Reply #9 - Aug 2^nd, 2010 at 5:39am

DeryckB Offline
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Can anyone provide clarification about this line of code:

<Gauge Name="GPS Icon" Version="1.0">
<Image Name="gps_icon.bmp" />
<Mouse>
      <Help ID="HELPID_GAUGE_TOGGLE_GPS_WINDOW" />
      <Cursor Type="Hand" />

<Click>225 (>K:PANEL_ID_TOGGLE)</Click>

</Mouse>
</Gauge>
According to the tutorial:
<click>10000 (>K:Axis_Throttle_Set)</click> sets the throttle.
also <value> code to set a value on stack (>K:Axis_Throttle_Set)</value> sets the throttle.

So far I have missed finding reference to the line in question. Undecided

DeryckB

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