Modifing a switch into a button, Help please

[Luis MDesigns]

Hi

I need some help on editing some gauges, let me start by saying this is for personal use, for a panel im creating for myself, the project is a panel for the Airbus Aircraft... anyways what im trying to do its to implement Paul Scarrat 737ng panel into my panel but there are some things that i need help, because his XML code are done for switches and im trying to change them to a on/off buttons but i dont quiet understand the lines..... like i said before is for personal enjoyment it wont be release ( i dont like stealing work from others)

And Example that I wanna make here....

<Element>
<Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>
<Select>
<Value>(L:APU SWITCH, number)</Value>
<Case Value="0"><Image Name="AI_OFF.bmp" Bright="No" Luminous="No" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
<Case Value="1"><Image Name="AI_ON.bmp" Bright="Yes" Luminous="Yes" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
<Case Value="2"><Image Name="AI_Off.bmp" Bright="No" Luminous="Yes" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
</Select>
</Element>

<Mouse>
<Area Left="0" Right="30" Top="0" Bottom="14">
<Cursor Type="UpArrow"/>
<Tooltip>APU Off</Tooltip>
<Click>0 (&gt;L:APU SWITCH, number) (L:ONE SECOND TIMER, number) 60 + (&gt;L:APU SHUTDOWN DELAY, number)</Click>
</Area>

<Area Left="0" Right="30" Top="17" Bottom="30">
<Cursor Type="DownArrow"/>
<Tooltip>APU Start</Tooltip>
<Click>2 (&gt;L:APU SWITCH, number)</Click>
</Area>
</Mouse>

</Gauge>


I want to convert this in one single click on off thing. I want it off like the click 0 but when i press i want to turn the APU on.

 

[Heretic]

<Element>
<Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>
<Select>
<Value>(L:APU SWITCH, bool)</Value>
<Case Value="0"><Image Name="AI_OFF.bmp" Bright="No" Luminous="No" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
<Case Value="1"><Image Name="AI_ON.bmp" Bright="Yes" Luminous="Yes" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
</Select>
</Element>

<Mouse>
<Area Left="0" Right="30" Top="0" Bottom="30">
<Cursor Type="DownArrow"/>
<Tooltip>APU Start</Tooltip>
<Click>(L:APU SWITCH, bool) ! (&gt;L:APU SWITCH, bool)
(L:APU SWITCH, bool)
if{ (L:ONE SECOND TIMER, number) 60 + (&gt;L:APU SHUTDOWN DELAY, number) }</Click>
</Area>
</Mouse>

What I did:
- Unified the mouse rectangles into a single one (see the "top" and "bottom" value of the new rectangle)
- Turned "L:APU Switch" into a boolean type variable (which can be either 0 or 1)
-- adapted the display condition for the switch's bitmaps accordingly
-- made the mouse rectangle toggle said variable between 0 and 1 whenever it's clicked

The "APU shutdown delay" variable was adapted to the new condition and will only be updated upon clicking the clickspot when the APU switch variable is "1", i.e. the APU is running.

 

[Luis MDesigns]

the gauge is not showing, after changing the code

 

[Heretic]

You still need to enclose my code in <Gauge> </Gauge> tags.

 

[Luis MDesigns]

forgot about that, ok its showing now.

Now im gonna complicate a few things... ajajajajajaja

the Generators have an <click event> like this

<Element>
<Select>
<Value>(L:APUL SWITCH POSITION, number)</Value>
<Case Value="-1"><Image Name="off_l_on.bmp" Luminous="no" Bright="yes" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
<Case Value="0"><Image Name="off_no_l.bmp" Luminous="no" Bright="No" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
<Case Value="1"><Image Name="off_no_l.bmp" Luminous="no" Bright="No" ImageSizes="44,46"/></Case>
</Select>
</Element>


<Mouse>
<Area Top="17" Left="0" Bottom="30" Right="30">
<Tooltip>APU Left Switch - On</Tooltip>
<Cursor Type="DownArrow"/>
<Click Kind="LeftSingle+Leave">(M:Event) 'LeftSingle' scmp 0 == if{ 1 (&gt;L:APUL SWITCH POSITION, number) (L:APU GENERATOR ONLINE, bool) if{ (L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS CURRENT SOURCE, number) (&gt;L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS PREVIOUS SOURCE, number) 2 (&gt;L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS CURRENT SOURCE, number) } } (M:Event) 'Leave' scmp 0 == if{ 1 (&gt;L:APUL SWITCH POSITION, number) }</Click>
</Area>
<Area Top="0" Left="0" Bottom="14" Right="30">
<Tooltip>APU Left Switch - Off</Tooltip>
<Cursor Type="UpArrow"/>
<Click Kind="LeftSingle+Leave">(M:Event) 'LeftSingle' scmp 0 == if{ -1 (&gt;L:APUL SWITCH POSITION, number) (L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS CURRENT SOURCE, number) 2 == if{ (L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS PREVIOUS SOURCE, number) (&gt;L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS CURRENT SOURCE, number) 0 (&gt;L:LEFT TRANSFER BUS PREVIOUS SOURCE, number) } } (M:Event) 'Leave' scmp 0 == if{ -1 (&gt;L:APUL SWITCH POSITION, number) }</Click>
</Area>
</Mouse>

</Gauge>

 

[Luis MDesigns]

Ok I manage to make it work

 

[Heretic]

Good to hear!

 

[Luis MDesigns]

thanks you!, btw I have one more question to ask Do you know how I can make that the value of the Vspeed, when is on 0000 instead of saying the zeros i wanna make it look like dashes ----

aswell as for when the HDG autopilot is on?

 

[Heretic]

I have an idea how to do this, but I'd need to see the part of the autopilot panel code that displays the vertical speed readout.

 

[Luis MDesigns]

This is what I mean

 

[Luis MDesigns]

<Gauge Name="B737NG APvs Window" Version="1.0">
<Image Name="73ng_Ap_Bg2.bmp" Bright="Yes" ImageSizes="100,24"/>
<Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>
<Element>
<Position X="0" Y="0"/>
<Text X="75" Y="24" Bright="Yes" Length="5" Font="Quartz" Color="#e6fffb" Adjust="Center" Multiline="No" Fixed="No">
<String>%((A:Autopilot vertical hold var,ft/min))%!04.0f!</String>
</Text>
</Element>
</Gauge>

 

[Heretic]

...

<Gauge Name="B737NG APvs Window" Version="1.0">
   <Image Name="73ng_Ap_Bg2.bmp" Bright="Yes" ImageSizes="100,24"/>
   <Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>
   <Element>
      <Position X="0" Y="0"/>
      <Text X="75" Y="24" Bright="Yes" Length="5" Font="Quartz" Color="#e6fffb" Adjust="Center" Multiline="No" Fixed="No">
         <String>%((A:Autopilot vertical hold var,ft/min) 0 !=)%{if}%((A:Autopilot vertical hold var,ft/min))%!04.0f!%{else}----</String>
      </Text>
   </Element>
</Gauge>

Note the "if-else" construct in the string tags. Works just the same as in regular gauge code, but in a slightly different format.

 

[Luis MDesigns]

ok so lets see if for example I want the engines to turn when the fuel pumps are on it would be like this?

I would have to start the string with the action i want (A:A:General eng1 starter, bool) then the value? and then start it with !=)%{if}%((L:eng1 fuel pump,bool) 1 ?

 

[tgibson]

No, if you want an ACTION (instead of a string display), the code is quite different. Also, rather than using an A: variable to READ a value from FS, you need to use a K: event to SEND a command to FS.

(A:GENERAL ENG1 FUEL PUMP ON,bool) if{ (>K:TOGGLE_STARTER1) }

Technically you don't need a 1 == after the (L:eng1 fuel pump,bool) variable (to test if it is "on"), since all by itself a boolean variable will return "true", which is all that is needed.

However this is bad coding, since if the engine 1 fuel boost pump is on, the code will constantly send the toggle starter command to FS. This is known as "flooding" and can result in sluggish operation and breaks multiple keystroke commands (like open door 2, etc.). To fix this you also need to test for the current setting of the starter:

(A:GENERAL ENG1 FUEL PUMP ON,bool) (A:GENERAL ENG STARTER,bool) ! and if{ (>K:TOGGLE_STARTER1) }

This says that if the fuel pump is on and the starter is off, then toggle the starter to on. The ! in the code tests for the inverse of the variable - i.e. if it is OFF, rather than ON.

This code has NOT been tested and is just an example.

Hope this helps,

 

[Luis MDesigns]

thanks gibson! this is what i need to know what are the variables on the string, so i can know what to do becasue i cant understand this xml because of that lol

 

[tgibson]

The FS Panel SDK's have lists of the FS variables.

 

[Heretic]

Output variables:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526981.aspx

Input variables:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526980.aspx

Despite being for FSX and ESP, most of these variables are in FS9 as well.

 

[Luis MDesigns]

If I want to link this 2 strings:

<String>%((L:BARO ADJUST,bool) if{ (A:Kohlsman setting mb, mbar) } els{ (A:Kohlsman setting hg, inHg) } )%!5.2f!</String>
<String>%((A:INDICATED ALTITUDE,feet) 18000 &lt%{if}%((A:KOHLSMAN SETTING HG, inHg) 0 max 99.99 min)%!5.2f!%{else}%STD%{end}%</String>

it goes like this? or need something to devide these lines?

<Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>
<Position X="5" Y="23"/>
<Text X="64" Y="22" Length="6" Fixed="Yes" FontWeight="700" Font="Quartz" Adjust="Center" VerticalAdjust="Center" Color="Orange" Bright="Yes">
<String>%((L:BARO ADJUST,bool) if{ (A:Kohlsman setting mb, mbar) } els{ (A:Kohlsman setting hg, inHg) } )%!5.2f!%((A:INDICATED ALTITUDE,feet) 18000 &lt%{if}%((A:KOHLSMAN SETTING HG, inHg) 0 max 99.99 min)%!5.2f!%{else}%STD%{end}%</String>
</Text>

 

[Heretic]

<String>%((A:INDICATED ALTITUDE,feet) 18000 &lt;)%{if}%((L:BARO ADJUST,bool))%{if}%((A:Kohlsman setting mb, mbar))%!5.2f!%{else}%((A:Kohlsman setting hg, inHg))%!5.2f!%{end}%{else}STD%{end}

 

[Luis MDesigns]

thank you so much!!! i manage to also make the dasehd line on the speed selector display whenever the spd hold switch is on!! thank you for the time