P3D v4 Help with first gauge development

[gyzmonfishball]

Hi Everyone,

I am a software developer and needed a checklist window to show up in VR in PMDG.

After reading a bit about gauges and panels, I created my first gauge! Everything went fine until I ran Prepar3d, clicked on Test Panel -> No Content. No errors when loading the PMDG either.

PMDG Panel.cfg:
Window20=Test Panel

[Window20]
Background_color=0,0,0
position=0
size_mm=768,1024
visible=00
ident=10001
gauge00=Checklist_Gauge!Checklist, 768, 1024

Gauge folder location: ...\Prepar3D v4\SimObjects\Airplanes\PMDG 737-800NGX\panel\Checklist_Gauge
XML file name: Checklist.xml

Not to sure what the issue is and any help/feedback is appreciated.

Cheers,

Vincent

 

[spokes2112]

Vincent,

The first thing is your panel.cfg entry : gauge00=Checklist_Gauge!Checklist, 768, 1024
With the above entry the gauge itself will be off window : gauge<number>=<gauge>!<sub gauge>, <location X>, <location Y>, optional (<size X>, <size Y>)
Maybe try : gauge00=Checklist_Gauge!Checklist, 0, 0, 768, 1024

A tip for trying new things in the panel?
Never use "Background_color=0,0,0" until it is known that the window / gauge entry works. Using 0,0,0 will be transparent - no idea if window is open or not, with a failed gauge.
Temporarily use something like "Background_color=255,0,0"

Also it looks like your mouse scripts will not do anything. They are doing calculations but not returning the result to the variable. (see below)
Unable to test, nowhere near a simulator.

Hope it helps,
Roman

<!-- WILL NOT WORK -->
<Script>(M:Event) &apos;LeftSingle&apos; scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page) 0 != if{ (L:CUR Page) -- } } </Script>

<!-- SHOULD WORK -->
<Script>(M:Event) &apos;LeftSingle&apos; scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page, number) 0 != if{ (L:CUR Page, number) -- (&gt;L:CUR Page, number) } } </Script>

<!-- AN ALTERNATE WAY -->
<Script>(M:Event) &apos;LeftSingle&apos; scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page, number) -- 0 max (&gt;L:CUR Page, number) } </Script>

 

[gyzmonfishball]

Hi Roman,

Thank you for your help, I made the changes as suggested and the gauge is now showing up successfully.

I still however have some issues with the mouse click scripts as it seems the events are not getting fired.

I have attached a new zip version of the checklist. This should be final.

Thank you again.

Vincent

 

[spokes2112]

Hi Vincent,
Unable to test since nowhere near my sim but here is what I would do..
1) Combine the wheel up & wheel down into one click area via code. You cannot have 2 "active" click areas using the same area.
2) The addition of ", number" to the variable seems suspect. You have a space between (<var name> <comma> <var type>) where I assume it should be (<var name><comma> <var type>) or (<var name><comma><var type>) EX:
(L:CUR Page , number) -- Suspect
(L:CUR Page, number) -- OK
(L:CUR Page,number) -- OK
3) Unsure about this too. In the case expression script the var name does not include the var type. Now one "could" get away without using var types but again, I assume it must be consistent throughout all the code as var lookup is via a string.
Being a new gauge maker I would advise to keep it as close to SDK style as possible, EX:
<Script>(L:CUR Page)</Script> -- Not the exact variable name as in the click section
<Script>(L:CUR Page, number)</Script> -- OK

Code below & attached with commented changes.

Hope this helps,
Roman

Spoiler

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AceXML" version="1,0" id="Checklist">
    <Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>
    <Filename>Checklist.xml</Filename>
    <SimGauge.Gauge id="Checklist" ArtDirectory="E:\Prepar3d\Prepar3D v4\SimObjects\Airplanes\PMDG 737-800NGX\panel\Checklist_Gauge">
        <FloatPosition>0.000000,0.000000</FloatPosition>
        <Size>952,1363</Size>
        <Element id="Element">
            <FloatPosition>0.000000,0.000000</FloatPosition>
            <Select id="Select">
                <Expression id="Expression">
                            <!-- ADDED ", number" TO THE VARIABLE NAME -->
                    <Script>(L:CUR Page, number)</Script>
                </Expression>
                <Case id="Case 0">
                    <ExpressionResult>0.000000</ExpressionResult>
                    <Image id="page1.bmp" Name="page1.bmp">
                        <Transparent>True</Transparent>
                    </Image>
                </Case>
                <Case id="Case 1">
                    <ExpressionResult>1.000000</ExpressionResult>
                    <Image id="page2.bmp" Name="page2.bmp">
                        <Transparent>True</Transparent>
                    </Image>
                </Case>
                <Case id="Case 2">
                    <ExpressionResult>2.000000</ExpressionResult>
                    <Image id="page3.bmp" Name="page3.bmp">
                        <Transparent>True</Transparent>
                    </Image>
                </Case>
                <Case id="Case 3">
                    <ExpressionResult>3.000000</ExpressionResult>
                    <Image id="page4.bmp" Name="page4.bmp">
                        <Transparent>True</Transparent>
                    </Image>
                </Case>
            </Select>
        </Element>
        <MouseArea id="MouseArea">
            <FloatPosition>0.000000,0.000000</FloatPosition>
            <Size>952,1363</Size>
            <MouseClick id="WheelUp">
                        <!-- WATCH COMMA SPACING IN THE VARIABLE, COMBINED WHEEL UP & WHEEL DOWN IN ONE CLICK AREA -->
                <Script>(M:Event) 'WheelUp' scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page, number) 1 - 0 max } els{ (L:CUR Page, number) 1 + 3 min } (>L:CUR Page, number)</Script>
                <ClickType>WheelUp+WheelDown</ClickType>
                <MouseWheelFlip>True</MouseWheelFlip>
            </MouseClick>
                <!-- COMMENTED OUT THIS WHOLE SECION -->
<!--             <MouseClick id="WheelDown">
                <Script>(M:Event) &apos;WheelDown&apos; scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page , number) 3 != if{ (L:CUR Page , number) 1 + (&gt;L:CUR Page , number) } }</Script>
                <ClickType>WheelDown</ClickType>
                <MouseWheelFlip>True</MouseWheelFlip>
            </MouseClick> -->
        </MouseArea>
    </SimGauge.Gauge>
</SimBase.Document>

 

[gyzmonfishball]

Hi Roman,

Made the changes and the gauge is now working as expected. Here you go: first P3D gauge!

Thank you to both of you for your help.

Vincent

 

[gyzmonfishball]

Apologies, 1 last question, added a close button, the hand cursor is showing but I am getting a key event missing error?

From the documentation, the below should technically toggle the panel ID 4?

Code below:

<MouseArea id="MouseArea all">
<FloatPosition>0.000000,0.000000</FloatPosition>
<Size>952,1363</Size>
<MouseArea id="MouseWheel">
<FloatPosition>0.000000,0.000000</FloatPosition>
<Size>952,1363</Size>
<MouseClick id="WheelEvent">
<Script>(M:Event) &apos;WheelDown&apos; scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page) 3 != if{ (L:CUR Page) ++ (&gt;L:CUR Page) } } (M:Event) &apos;WheelUp&apos; scmp 0 == if{ (L:CUR Page) 0 != if{ (L:CUR Page) -- (&gt;L:CUR Page) } } </Script>
<ClickType>WheelDown+WheelUp</ClickType>
<MouseWheelFlip>True</MouseWheelFlip>
</MouseClick>
</MouseArea>
<MouseArea id="MouseClick">
<FloatPosition>900.000000,0.000000</FloatPosition>
<Size>50,50</Size>
<CursorType>Hand</CursorType>
<MouseClick id="MouseClick">
<KeyEvent>KEY_PANEL_4</KeyEvent>
<ClickType>LeftSingle</ClickType>
</MouseClick>
</MouseArea>
</MouseArea>

Thanks again,

Vincent

 

[spokes2112]

If your window ident is the same as in post #1 ( 10001 ) then replace the following line :
<KeyEvent>KEY_PANEL_4</KeyEvent>
with :
<Script>10001 (>K:PANEL_ID_CLOSE)</Script>