A question about the RealAir Spitfire

huub vink

huub vink

Administrator
Staff member
There is a mystery I haven't been able to solve yet. The RealAir Spitfire comes with a wartime panel and a modern panel.

My question is how does the model know which panel to load. Normally I would expect to be done by different panel file, which are triggered by an entry in the aircraft configuration file. But this is not the way RealAir has done it.

Some people here must know how to do it as the No 322 (Dutch) squadron repaint by Marcel Ritzema loads the correct wartime panel. But some repaints by JanKees Blom don't. I have compared the entries, but they don't provide me a clue.

Does anybody still here know where the secret is hidden?

Thanks,
Huub
 
I just checked a very old back-up hangar in a very dusty corner of my HDD and I do have the RA Spit in there. I'm assuming (dangerous I know!) that this was released in 2007 as all the aircraft folders have '2007' in their names but I don't know if there were any later versions released. There are 7 folders in there covering variants of the MK. IX and MK. XIV and all but one are aliased to the panel folder in the Mk. XIV panel folder. It seems odd to me that the Mk. IX and the Mk. XIV share the same panel layout as you would normally expect there to be some differences!
 
I'm afraid it isn't that simple Larry. The single panel folder contains 4 different panels. For the Mk.IX there is a wartime and a modern panel, and there are two panels for the Mk.XIV version. There is not much difference between the Mk.IX version and the Mk.XIV version, but they are different in details.

The original FS9 model was released in 2004 or 2005 and the FSX version, which included the Mk.IX version was released in 2008. (At least that was when I purchased them.)

As said I can't find what triggers the different VCs, I though the secret was perhaps in the texture configuration file inside the texture folders, but I been able to find the trick.

Cheers,
Huub
 
I just went back into that old folder and this is what I have:

Panel.jpg

There is just a single panel option for all aircraft. I did check the panel.cfg file and I have edited it at some time to add the pop-up panels I add to almost all of my aircraft so it is possible that I just picked the panel I liked and went with it for all aircraft and deleted the rest but that is what I have on my system.

The only way I could confirm if I have a 'custom' set-up would be to re-install the aircraft again and check but that would mean searching a myriad of old DVD back-up discs to see if I can find the installer and I know some of those DVDs don't read anymore on my current tower but oddly some do read on my wife's identical build tower!?
:dizzy:
 
The panel folder in my install looks exactly the same, and dates and sizes match (Except for the configuration file). Nevertheless this single panel file can trigger several different VCs, with even different coloured VC textures. So I don't think you've deleted anything.

I found out how the VCs are triggered, but I don't know yet how the mechanism works. In the titles in the aircraft configuration file you can add letters. A few I do understand like CW = Clipped Wings, GS is Gun Sight and CP is most likely Counter prop. But for the majority I haven't been able to explain what they stand for.

Another small question, can you provide me the title line of the "Red racer" I have messed up things, while I was testing and I can't remember the last two letters from this line..... (And I forgot to make a backup first of course.........)

So what is on the position of the red question marks is the code I'm looking for: title=Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV Racer Red CW CP ??
(I thought it was CR, but I'm not sure)

HzGmFNo.jpeg


Cheers,
Huub
 
Last edited:
In the aircraft.cfg, add a code after the title. I guess you can mix and match 2 or more codes...

CW: Clipped Wings - Display clipped wings, otherwise Elliptical wings will be displayed.
CP: Contra-Prop - Display contra-rotating prop, otherwise 5-blade prop will be displayed.
GS: Gunsight - Display gunsight in cockpit, otherwise modern radiostack will be displayed.
CV: Civillian - Display modern civillian 'sacred six' gauges and do not display cannons on wing.
LR: large rudder

It looks like this:

Code: 
[fltsim.3]
title=Supermarine Spitfire Fargo Express GS LR
sim=RASSpitIX
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=Fargo
...

And about colors, didn't play with that recently, but I suppose choose and copy correct DDS file in your texture folder and/or adjust texture.cfg file... like:

Code: 
[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\..\RealAir Spitfire XIV 2007\Texture.VC_White
fallback.2=..\..\RealAir Spitfire XIV 2007\Texture.VC_Clean
fallback.3=..\Texture.Racer_Common
fallback.4=..\..\RealAir Spitfire XIV 2007\Texture

The RealAir Spit is one of my favourite aircraft... Tons of variants, inside and out, easy to get lost with all the variations!

MCgUFzT.jpeg


HdGPtmH.jpeg


dQHNxA7.jpeg


yqmwLVZ.jpeg
 
Last edited:
huub vink said:
So what is on the position of the red question marks is the code I'm looking for: title=Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV Racer Red CW CP ??
(I thought it was CR, but I'm not sure)
Click to expand...

I just checked my Red Racer and I have this.........

title=Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV Racer Red CW CP CV

Hope that helps! (y)
 
Thanks guys, it suddenly becomes all so logical when somebody explains it to you...... ;)

And yes, CV was the correct code Larrry, Suddenly my racers don't have guns anymore :giggle:

Huub
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top