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FSX 3d vs 2d gauges [newbie]

M

Mauro

Messages
18
Country
italy
Hi to all,

I'm going to ask some basic questions about gauges. I'm completely newbie so sorry if they would result a bit confused.

1. I successfully completed the tutorial described in my previous post at http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/problems-in-sdk-gauges-sample-newbie.435373/#post-725206 but it is about 2D gauge. I would like to use 3D gauges instead. However, in all the tutorials I found on the web (and on this forum, of course :) ) the gauges are represented as 2D bitmaps.
How are represented 3D gauges to insert in a virtual cockpit? Is it possible to insert a 3D model coming, from example, from 3dsmax?

2. Let's suppose the answer to the first question is yes. I have an empty panel for the virtual cockpit, and I want to "fill the holes" with a 3D gauge (say an altimeter). Which are the steps to follow?

3. Once I successfully "inserted" the 3D gauge, I need to animate it in response of changes in the simulator variables. I suppose I can follow the same procedure adopted for 2D gauge.

To summarize, I have a 3D model of a gauge, and I would like to insert it into the virtual cockpit of the Cessna that we can find inside the Microsoft Fsx Sdk tutorials.

Any help is really really appeciated! :D
Thanks in advance,
Mauro
 
If you have the source of aircraft, you can add 3D gauges. If you are not the author of the plane, it is impossible to add 3D gauges.

Maybe you can use ModelConvertX to merge own 3D gauge create with tools of the SDK and the aircraft.
 
Thanks David,

so, let's suppose I have the source both of the aircraft and the 3D gauge. Which could be the steps to insert it inside the virtual cockpit? I took a look at ModelConvertX wiki, but it seems made for 3D scenary objects, and not for gauges inside the aircraft. Am I wrong?

Thanks,
Mauro
 
You can't insert stuff into aircraft in MCX.

If you have the source file of the aircraft, use the tool it was created in (GMax, 3ds Max or Blender) to put your 3D gauges (composed of an object for the frame, objects for any needles, textures for the instrument and code to animate it) onto the panel and then export the cockpit model again.
 
Thank you all,

so I need to insert 3D gauges inside the cockpit through 3dsmax or similar.
Now the next step should be connect the gauge animation with the simulator variables. How achieve that?

For example let's consider a compass: I would like to associate its rotation around its z-axis with the value taken from simulator.
If I should do it in bare c++, I would create a function R that takes in input an angle and calls another function like glRotate.
Another function "listens" to changes in simulator vars and calls R.

Thanks very much,
Mauro
 
Mauro, all 3d gauge animations are scripted by XML in the modeldef.xml file. Here is a Whiskey Compass script:
Code: 
  <PartInfo>
    <Name>T38_whiskey_compass</Name>
    <AnimLength>360</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
      <Parameter>
        <Code>
          (A:WISKEY COMPASS INDICATION DEGREES, degree)
        </Code>
      </Parameter>
    </Animation>
  </PartInfo>
Note: the misspelled "WISKEY..." is actually a mistake that neither ACES (Microsoft) or P3D (Lockheed-Martin) has bothered to correct.
 
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