FS2004 PFD artificial horizon issue...(SOLVED)

[antaris]

Hello lasses and lads
First of all: Merry Christmas!!!

I am looking forward if a kind soul would point me in the right direction. A few weeks ago, many of you came to help and what I've learn was how to avoid using mask images. However, the lader is the one and only that requieres one in the entire PFD.

This has been driving me crazy for weeks: The Bell 429 PFD's Artificial Horizon. It behaves weird and just don't know what's grong. The image below resembles the problem:

I will try to be as breaf as possible: it is the first gauge in the PFD, is perfectly centered and the mask image is working "like it should"; it only shows the circle in the artificial horizon. This extrange gizmo, only happens when I turn to the right and only at certain angles

As far as I know, the images can be in any size and mine are meant to be in high resolution. The entire gauge in the panel.cfg entries has been resiezed down and I am starting to thing that is a scaling issue... However, when I set the gauge in a larger scale in other window, the problem remains.

The next images, shows the gauge in a larger window:

As you may see, the layout looks fine; the vertical speed works like a charm (thans to you guys) and nothing else is having issues. The image drawing order and their sizes are as follows:

1.- pfd_background (772x1028 pixels)
2.- attitude_card_mask (772x1028 pixels) in the same size as the background.
3.- attitude_card (1290x2505 pixels).

Now, the first lines of code (the full gauge is attached to this thread)

  <Gauge Name="Primary Flight Display Bell 429" Version="1.0">
        <Element>
            <Visible>(A:Circuit general panel on, bool)</Visible>
              <Image Name="pfd_background.bmp" Bright="Yes" Luminous="Yes"/>
                    <Failures>
                      <SYSTEM_ELECTRICAL_PANELS Action="0"/>
                  </Failures>

      <!-- 1.0 ======================= Artificial Horizon ================== -->
          <Element>
                    <Position X="0" Y="0"/>
                        <MaskImage Name="attitude_card_mask.bmp">
                              <Axis X="386" Y="514"/>
                        </MaskImage>
                        <Image Name="attitude_card.bmp">
                              <Axis X="645" Y="1506"/>
                        </Image>
                        <Shift>
                            <Value Minimum="-90" Maximum="90">(A:Attitude indicator pitch degrees,degrees) /-/</Value>
                            <Scale Y="7.13"/>   <!-- +/- pixels Y over +/- 90 degrees pitch = 7.13 pixels per degree -->
                        </Shift>
                        <Rotate>
                            <Value>(A:Attitude indicator bank degrees,radians) </Value>
                        </Rotate>
               </Element>
      
      <!-- 1.1 ======================= Roll Sticks ======================== -->
          <Element>
              <Position X="126" Y="0"/>
              <Image Name="attitude_roll_ticks.bmp" Bright="Yes"/>
          </Element>

      <!-- 1.2 ======================= Attitude scroll arrow ================= -->
                 <Element>
                  <Position X="386" Y="215"/>
                  <Image Name="attitude_scroll_arrow.bmp" Bright="Yes">
                      <Axis X="19.5" Y="185"/>
                  </Image>
                  <Rotate>
                      <Value Minimum="-57" Maximum="57">(A:Attitude indicator bank degrees, degrees)</Value>
                      <Nonlinearity>
                            <Item Value="-57" Radians="-0.9948373"/>
                            <Item Value="0" Radians="0"/>
                            <Item Value="57" Radians="0.9948373"/>
                      </Nonlinearity>
                  <Delay DegreesPerSecond="0"/>
                  </Rotate>
                </Element>
               
      <!-- 1.3 ======================= Flight Director ================= -->
      <!--        Artificial Horizon center of coordinates x=386, y=253) -->
     
              <Element>
              <Position X="384" Y="256"/>
                  <Image Name="attitude_fd_bar_pitch.bmp" Bright="Yes">
                     <Axis X="100" Y="0"/>
                  </Image>
                  <Visible>(A:Autopilot flight director active, bool)</Visible>
                  <Shift>
                     <Value Minimum="-15" Maximum="15">(A:Autopilot flight director pitch, degrees) (A:Attitude indicator pitch degrees:1, degrees) -    </Value>
                     <Scale Y="6.66666"/>
                  </Shift>
             </Element>
           
              <Element>
                    <Position X="382" Y="253"/>
                        <Image Name="attitude_fd_bar_roll.bmp" Bright="Yes">
                          <Axis X="0" Y="100"/>
                        </Image>
                    <Visible>(A:Autopilot flight director active, bool)</Visible>
                    <Shift>
                       <Value Minimum="-20" Maximum="20">(A:Autopilot flight director bank, degrees) (A:Attitude indicator bank degrees:1, degrees) - /-/</Value>
                       <Scale X="3.75"/>
                    </Shift>
              </Element>
                  <!-- Artificial Horizon end -->
.
.
.

  <!-- ======================= PFD end ================= -->
        </Element>
    </Gauge>

In advance, thank you.
Sergio.

 

[antaris]

P.S. I forgot to mention, I have been experimenting with different image sizes and the result is the same.

Thanks.

 

[TooLowGear]

I had the same issue, it was an image size memory overload. In fact the way yours is displaying the error is nearly identical to the way mine did.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/making-a-pfd.17469/#post-114491

150x150 was the biggest I could make it

 

[antaris]

Thank you my friend. I was affraid of that and I think that high resolution gauges will not be an option... Heck, I'll change everything.

I will read you post carefully.
Kindest regards,
Sergio.

 

[antaris]

I had the same issue, it was an image size memory overload. In fact the way yours is displaying the error is nearly identical to the way mine did.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/making-a-pfd.17469/#post-114491

150x150 was the biggest I could make it

Hello ToLowGear:
I recentrly discovered an awesome tutorial from Hector Molina and I will give him the credit for getting my Artificial Horizon to work. Using his idea and quoting, what I've done is:

Tip from Hector Molina:
The attitude cards, are known as "sprites" in the technical jargon. So, Sprites are to be perfectly squared and should
have an odd number of pixels, thus you will make sure that there is a turning point positioned exactly in the center of
the image. In this case, the attitude card is squared and has 1327x1327 pixels; the axis are around the center (slightly
off due other image dependencies: Axis X="665" Y="665. This is very important in order to keep errors and image "bumps".

The darkside of this in my case, is a huge card. Will see if I should decrease the overall dimensions or perhaps, use a short limit to 45º instead
of -90º to 90 in the original code for A:Attitude indicator pitch degrees. So far, so good here and no other operational problems. Now, I am enjoying my high resolution gauges and heading direct to my next head ache... LOL

I hope this make sense for anyone as newbie as me. Of course, my gauges are like someone wiser and elder programmer said... lousy! Nevertheless, I am learning a lot. Thank you all.

Kindest regards,
Sergio.

 

[JB3DG]

If you want to reduce the size of things, you can use a much smaller sprite for the blue/brown background, which doesn't need to shift further than the point that the other half will disappear from view. Your pitch ladder can be a smaller image with just the lines/text or even as individual vector elements.

 

[antaris]

Naruto-kun

My friend, you have done a lot for this model gauges; thank you. I just wondering.... I've seen many ladders which are not squared and they work!!! I don't know why The Code's Gods didn't allowed to me do a streched ladder.

Will do your suggestion; again, thanks a lot.
Sergio.