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FS2004 Dial creator

vololiberista

vololiberista

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italy
I read some time ago about a programme that can be used to create dials but cannot remember where I saw it. Doing a general search doesn't turn up anything. Does anyone know a good but simple to use programme?
I need to re-create some dials that are quite distorted on the original photo.
vololiberista
 
Hi,
I believe the file you are looking for is gaugefacev3.zip. With it you can create the gauge dial faces. A great program and easy to use. Thanks to the author.

Richie1935
 
There is no manual and it takes some experimentation to get gauges looking as you like. It is a very useful program, although I wish it had 4 color arcs available. One tip - double click the font name to change font, size, and other characteristics. I also usually reduce the size of the image to 1/2, which blends the otherwise jagged lines. FS tends to do this automatically, though, so it's probably not really necessary.
 
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tgibson said:
There is no manual and it takes some experimentation to get gauges looking as you like. It is a very useful program, although I wish it had 4 color arcs available. One tip - double click the font name to change font, size, and other characteristics. I also usually reduce the size of the image to 1/2, which blends the otherwise jagged lines. FS tends to do this automatically, though, so it's probably not really necessary.
Click to expand...

Great Tom,
But do you know where I can get hold of it?
vololiberista
 
Hi,

AVSIM. Do a search for gaugefacev3.zip in the File Library.
 
The attachment includes V3.1 which has minor cosmetic changes and has been re-compiled under Windows 7. I haven't updated the version in the AVSIM library
 

Attachments

Works great! Here is an airspeed indicator with three colored rings, and an extra white ring for the allowed flap speeds.

I like the new layout too, it's much easier to use.

Of course, your fast service makes me want even more, like a way to save gauge layouts so I don't have to start from scratch each time. :) But I'm happy with this version, of course - it's already made gauges so much easier for me.

Thanks again,
 

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  • gaugeface4_test.jpg
    gaugeface4_test.jpg
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PS. As a workaround, I take a JPG image of the program (Alt-Prt Scr) with all the settings displayed. This allows me to reset them rather quickly. With careful image naming, I can find it pretty quickly.
 
I use the Wn7 Snipping Tool to select any area of the screen and save it directly as JPG. the tool's hidden away here:

C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe
 
Here's why I needed it! The dials in the original photo were not very clear and the photo had a parallax error so the needles were never in line. The fuel tank dials are designed so that each tank shows say 22% full if the entire fuel on board is also 22% of total capacity. Thus the needles always point in the same direction (assuming crossfeed is open). These dials mirror what's on the EO's panel except for the yellow pointers (controlled by the brown knobs) which show the required uplift. When the white needles coincide the uplift is automatically cut-off exactly as is done in the real a/c.
vololiberista
 

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  • dials.jpg
    dials.jpg
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Hi again,

One more suggestion for an improvement - it would be nice to be able to have major marks without a number next to them. So some way to specify that only every 4th major mark would have a number (for example) would be a great help.

Perhaps a 4th box in the TEXT entry area labeled something like Marks? The number 1 gives you all major marks numbered, while 4 gives you every fourth one. I would assume 1 would be the default. The numbers should be the same using setting 4 as using setting 1, just some numbers would be omitted (i.e. if the largest number displayed is 320, it would still be 320). Only the display of the intervening numbers would be suppressed.

I need this because some numbers are quite large, and too many would get in the way of each other. If not I guess I can do all the numbers manually instead, for those gauges.

Thanks again,
 
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Doesn't it already do that Tom?
It says Start Step Margin in the text formatting area.

If you change the step to say 2 then it will number 2,4,6,8 etc
In any case its quite easy to "capture" the image into a programme like PSP and continue the editing there!
vololiberista
 
Step is the amount by which the number changes. I've added Interval to display only the Ith numbers,
 

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Wow, now that's service! It works just as advertised - great job. Here is a DC-7 airspeed indicator I've been working on - it probably should use non-linear spacing, but that would need different minor tick marks for each number interval, something not now supported. No biggie, since I think it looks great. :)

A little fiddling with the number positions (to put some numbers closer to the major marks) and this is done.

Thanks again,
 

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  • airspeed_indicator_dc7.jpg
    airspeed_indicator_dc7.jpg
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Hi again,

I'm having a problem with the Gauge Creator - I'm sure it's something I'm doing wrong, but I can't figure it out.

I'm trying to create a manifold pressure gauge, with the "0 point" down in the lower left corner. When I set the outer ring Start value larger than the outer ring End value (to get the proper arc), all the numbers and tick marks go away (in my example it is about 240 and 160).

So instead I tried setting the Start number to a negative number. I can get it to take -99, which is almost right, and the numbers and ticks display properly. But I need about -120 to get the correct appearance.

How do I enter a number longer than -99 into the Outer Start box?

Thanks,
 
Tom,
Aren't you using the non-linear setings?
I did this as one of my external fuel tank gauges with the "0" at 200deg. you have to put a numeric step in at the correct degree setting. In this case I divided 320 by 6 giving me 53.33 deg steps so 0 was at 200, 1 at 253, 2 at 307, 3 at 360 etc.
Having said that I did still have to "refine" the image in PSP. I couldn't get the large ticks to start from the circle edge.
vololiberista
 

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  • ext_fuel_load_face_A.jpg
    ext_fuel_load_face_A.jpg
    8.1 KB · Views: 747
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