BlinkCode Setting?

[lionheart]

Hey all,

I had noticed in the GPS coding that there are many references and uses to BlinkCode. I found it tonight in the FSX SDK, but it doesnt talk about how to set it.

In the SDK, I find this; (Also in the GPS code)

BlinkCodeScript that evaluates how the text should blink. Note that the blinking will not occur in the tool.

And if I go into the BlinkerCode (special Macro in the BlinkCode that sets up the blink pulse?) I find this... which I believe is an alien Macro language by short gray people...

<Macro Name="BlinkerCode">(@g:menuBlinker) d 0 > if{ -- (>@g:menuBlinker) 15 sp0 1 } els{ l0 -- s0 d 0 &lt;= if{ 30 sp0 } 15 > }</Macro>

I know its gray language script because its talking outside of space time with different planes of reality... surely.. there is an easier way to make things go blinky....

 

[rpmc]

Bill,

As mentioned before, the @g variables associated with the stock gps_500.xml gauge are nothing fancy. They just keep track of the users' push button and cursor knob actions.

At the end of the day, blinking, in all cases, IIRC, is controlled simply by the blink escape: {blnk}. That's the simplest of all ways to make text "go blinky". The BlinkerCode macro is just some logic to help assign a value to the @g var menuBlinker.

We need to know your intentions. Are you just trying to re-arrange the stock gps_500 display pages? Or, are you intending to make functional changes to the gps_500?

Bob

 

[lionheart]

Ah so... Good to know. Thanks Bob.

I was just curious as to how it works. I had a font in a totally different area (popup screens, switches) and wanted to use that code in it, in the GPS, and it wouldnt work. But I did see the {blnk} (about a thousand times or more) and didnt think to use that.

Thanks for the heads up.

I need to get with you on the night terrain on my GPS. I updated to your settings for shadows in the GPS daytime, and now its only showing daytime. But my goodness, it looks a thousand times better with those terrain hills visible. Very nice....

 

[rpmc]

'Night' terrain on the GPS? There is no such animal in the MSFT gps_500.xml or the real world Garmin GPS 500.

Maybe you're thinking of the 'no' terrain color, black background with dark blue water? That's all the Garmin GPS 500 could do, actually, and it's used that way day and night. Keep in mind the GPS 500 has a small screen by todays standards. Too much clutter if you have terrain colors in my opinion. Everything stands out on a black background.

Bob

[Edit] - are you thinking of a brightness dimmer? Not available on the gps_500.xml gauge

 

[n4gix]

[Edit] - are you thinking of a brightness dimmer? Not available on the gps_500.xml gauge

Well, while you cannot make things brighter, you can easily make things dimmer...

...by using a series of cascading opacity layers. That is why I tag all 'screens' to use Additive mode exclusively. I can then make the screen brightness adjustable by a vernier knob, or automatically using by simulating a light sensor (aka: time of day).

 

[lionheart]

Maybe you're thinking of the 'no' terrain color, black background with dark blue water?

Thats exactly it, Bob.

I notice on yours, you have red zones on your black zones. Are those areas that are in your altitude field? Mountains?

 

[lionheart]

Well, while you cannot make things brighter, you can easily make things dimmer...

...by using a series of cascading opacity layers. That is why I tag all 'screens' to use Additive mode exclusively. I can then make the screen brightness adjustable by a vernier knob, or automatically using by simulating a light sensor (aka: time of day).

I already had those installed, Bill! Love that tech. Thanks for sharing that years ago. I like the one you did that has perhaps 10 layers, so you can mouse dial the 'dial' and dim it so smoothly that you do not see the steps in shading.

 

[rpmc]

I notice on yours, you have red zones on your black zones. Are those areas that are in your altitude field? Mountains?

You're referring to the terrain awareness map shown in this link. That display is a hack of the ElevationXXXXColor gps variables to produce a coarse terrain awareness map. It's discussed in detail in the Map Guidebook, pages 114-124. Such maps are core features of a TAWS system (Terrain Awareness and Warning System). To read about TAWS basics, take a look at the FAA Advanced Avionics Handbook or google TAWS.

But I would think twice before pushing this into a commercial product. For one thing, do you think you would be able to support it?

Bob

 

[lionheart]

I am just looking for something simple. The basics for this bird. Perhaps in the future, something like that would be nice, like the Kodiak, updated with modernized Garmin screens. Same for the Epic LT and Victory, a newer Learjet.