Display multiple text lines on transparent window to create a checklist?

[riccardo74]

Hi guys,
is there a way to display multiple text lines on a transparent window, like default ATC one or similar?

My project would be to create a transparent window with displayed the items of every checklist.

Suppose I want to start with:

PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST

- item 1
- item 2

and so on, click a button or joystick and then appears:

BEFORE START CHECKLIST and so on

I only want to display the various items checklist to have my eyes focused on monitor and replay to the checklist while using FS2Crew voice control.

Where can I start from? any suggestion?

Many thanks in advance for your help,
Riccardo

 

[Heretic]

I've done a checklist gauge for my 737-200. It has multiple pages, but can't be interacted with otherwise, i.e. no possibility to mark items as completed. You can use it as an example or starting point for your version.
It's checklists.xml in the "Gauges" folder. 737 download:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6K_xiE2GqmMN3hRQzd2eHg3R1k/view?usp=sharing

Regardless, you will have to learn and understand the basics of gauge design for MSFS.
A sterting point for that is the SDK documentation:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526953.aspx

 

[riccardo74]

Thank you very much, I'll look at your example. And thanks so much for docs.

 

[WebSimConnect]

If you simply want to use ATC like menu, then it is simple, just use SimConnect_Text function from simconnect library, however you would need to build a logic into it, something like in the SODE engine.

If you want transarent interactive checklist, you could build simple html page and use it with my websimgauge component, however if you would like the checklist to "communicate" with the plane, for example to see what from the list was acctually performed, you would need to build on top of it a classic DLL gauge that would communicate with the HTML page using C++.

a video for inspiration is here:

optionally you could build HTML based input speach to "auto check" items with your voice.

br

Marcin

 

[riccardo74]

Hi Marcin and thanks for reply.

WOW! your it's agreat addon. What I'd like to do could be done with your websimgauge. I only need to display text, no interactive checklist. Basically I have to read what's displayed in the window (now I read from an A4 sheet of paper)

Do you know FS2Crew? You have to speak/reply predefined voice command that works as trigger for the checklist, so I don't need interactive checklist.

I only need to display on a trasnaprent window every item of a specific checklist.

For example:

PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST (displayed on page1)

- item1
- item2
- item3....

click a joystick button or press a key

BEFORE START CHECKLIST (displayed on page2)

- item1
- item2
- item3....

and so on.....

I think it's quite simple to do it with your websimgauge, it could fit my project, do you? it's great you can change/assign color to different lines.

What do you think?

EDIT: does it work with FSX Steam Edition?

 

[WebSimConnect]

you can build html page with any HTML editor and put the checklist. You can place the file as local file on your machine and configure INI file of the gauge with URL=file://D:/mychecklist.html

please note, when a webpage is transparent, then the colors blend with the FSX view, so if you use white or blue color for your check list items, you will not see it during clear sky day, same with black, you will not see anything during a night, so you would need to use HUD like green color for transparent checklist ...

EDIT: does it work with FSX Steam Edition?

yes it does.

M

 

[riccardo74]

Thanks for reply.

1) If I only need browser to display and scroll through the checklist (best option) can I only install WebSimBrowser or it's mandatory also WebSimGauge?

2) How can I open WebSimBrowser, there is no shortcut or any menu under FSX:SE addon.

Thanks

 

[WebSimConnect]

you need both in FSX as it does not offer kind of windows interface, so the browser is based on the FSX Panel service which you need to configure on per aircraft basis by editing panel.cfg file. You will find info how to do it in my SDK. You can also look at cessna C172 G1000 example provided in the SDK where 2x 2D widnows are included. In the panel.cfg of that aircraft I added 3 entries:

[Window Titles]
Window00=Main Panel
...
Window09=WSG Opaque Sample
Window10=WSG Transparent Sample
Window11=WSG Tablet Sample

...


[Window09]
size_mm=600,440
window_size=0.4
position=9
Background_color=16,16,16
VISIBLE=1
ident=MISC_POPUP_1
zorder=1
window_pos=0.275,0.275
gauge00=WebSimGauge!Opaque,0,0,600,440,ini\opaque.ini


[Window10]
size_mm=456,378
window_size=0.5
position=10
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
VISIBLE=1
ident=MISC_POPUP_2
zorder=0
window_pos=0.3,0.4
gauge00=WebSimGauge!Transparent, 0, 0, 456, 378,ini\transparent.ini


[VCockpit01]
...
gauge02=WebSimGauge!Opaque ,100,550,555,410,ini\embedded.ini

the fifths parameter is a location of the INI file for each gauge. It is located relative to WebSimBrowser folder, so you will find all samples INI files in WebSimBrowser/ini subfolder.

Example of the INI file:

[WebSimGauge]
URL=http://localhost/samples.html
marginLeft=20
marginTop=20
marginRight=20
marginBottom=20
borderWidth=8
borderColor=FF0000
BackgroundColor=643572
AutoKeyFocus=1
id=opaque

the details of the parameters are described in the SDK of websimgauge file.

 

[Kebas]

I've done a checklist gauge for my 737-200. It has multiple pages, but can't be interacted with otherwise, i.e. no possibility to mark items as completed. You can use it as an example or starting point for your version.
It's checklists.xml in the "Gauges" folder. 737 download:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6K_xiE2GqmMN3hRQzd2eHg3R1k/view?usp=sharing

Regardless, you will have to learn and understand the basics of gauge design for MSFS.
A sterting point for that is the SDK documentation:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526953.aspx

I'm struggling with your Checklist gauge.
The headers for the checklists won't display, for instance the line "Cockpit preperation":

<FormattedText X="250" Y="30" Length="50" Font="Arial Black" FontSize="20" Adjust="Left"
VerticalAdjust="Top" Color="#f1f1f1" Multiline="No" Bright="Yes" >
<String>Cockpit Preparation</String>
</FormattedText>

When I drag the window on screen a little greater/smaller, then the line is once displayed??!
Driving me nuts!
Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Kindly regards,
Jacob.

 

[Heretic]

Your screen resolution or the aircraft's parent panel is probably too small to render the header.

Try replacing the

 size_mm=250,400

line in the panel window with

window_size=0.125,0.5
window_size_ratio=1.0

or add either of the lines and see if it improves things.
Or play around with the configuration options listed here until you find some that work:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526956.aspx#window00_and_vcockpit00

 

[Kebas]

Solved it by adding an extra <Element> around it.

 

[Heretic]

An extra <Element> around the page header?