Ajusting 2D Cockpits/Panels to 16:9 Pc Screens : Help Needed !

VaporZ

VaporZ

Charter Member
Ajusting 2D Cockpits/Panels to 16:9 Pc Screens : Help Needed !

I have both FSX and FS9 and I recently changed my PC screen
from an older 4:3 "1024 x 728 / 2048 x 1456" to a newer larger
16:9 "1920 x 1080" screen.

No problems at all with the FSX adjustment needed.

No problems too with the FS9 aircrafts equipped with
a Virtual Cockpit. They are perfect !

But on FS9 and with this new 16:9 screen, all 2D panels/cockpits
are horizontally distorted and streched.

All analog dials are oval and Huds super large !

Can anybody help me to correct this ?
Thanks in advance !
:kilroy:
VaporZ
 
No easy way to fix it I'm afraid, it is just the way things are set up within FS9.

If you look on Avsim/Flightsim you will find some widescreen panels. It is also possible within the sim to 'adjust' the bitmap by dragging it in from one side; the downside to this is you will then have a gap on one side of your screen but, if it is an aircraft you fly regularly, you could fill the gap with (for example) the GPS - save the flight, and then the modified panel will be available when you need it.

Personally I find the improvements in VC and general views more than outweigh the slight problems with the 2D cockpit, but I know it's not the same for everybody.
 
Like Andy said there is no real easy fix in FS9....or for that matter I think the exact same AC in FSX.
The bitmap simply is not formatted for the screen you are now displaying it on.

So you have the following options as I see it.

1. Find a widescreen panel for the airplane in question at one of the major sites or at the developers sites.
2. Make your own wide screen 2D panel bitmap. Then reset the gauge location parameters in the panel.cfg so that every hole is again filled properly. This can be relatively easy...or a lot of work. For example you can sometimes get away with adding a bit of panel real-estate in the bitmap on each side but leave the center portion unchanged. Knowing how much you added in pixels you can then add that amount to the x-coordinate of each gauge and you are very close to done. Don't change the bitmap size in the vertical axis and you don't need to fiddle with yet another set of numbers in the panel.cfg.
3. If you fly in windowed mode you can always decrease the width that FS is displayed on your wider monitor for those planes that either have a widescreen panel, VC or you simply want to fly from a 2D office to the point where the gauges are round again.

For me that was yet another reason why no-VC airplanes are not at all used or extremely rarely on my installations.

Cheers
Stefan
 
Since I fly mostly from the vc it wasn't much of a problem with most of my favorite planes.

That horizontal stretch really bugged me on those planes without a vc or those that required you to use the 2d for certain functions.

I taught myself to use the default 'Paint' program to modify bitmaps if I couldn'd find one I liked. A lot of them are kinda crude but they work for me. In some cases I just cut off some of the top or bottom (or both) then resized the panel cfg callout (1024,768 to 1024,640 for example) and gauge positions if needed.
 
I can dig it, VaporZ. I ran in to the same problem when I converted to a widescreen monitor. One thing I've noticed on many newer FS9 aircraft is that some developers are offering a choice of panels; both 4:3 and 16:9. And, as stated by others, there are retrofits for some previously produced planes. What I decided was to just live with some distortion in the case of planes that I really love to fly but haven't such an option available. It's the price I pay for preferring 2D panels to VCs (and FS9 to FSX).

LA
 
I have usually made the 2Ds in widescreen formats lately. So for most of the jet 2Ds on my Skydrive/panel site, you will find a widescreen bitmap version of it. (Click the link below)

Morton
 
Morton said:
I have usually made the 2Ds in widescreen formats lately. So for most of the jet 2Ds on my Skydrive/panel site, you will find a widescreen bitmap version of it. (Click the link below)

Morton
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Morton, may have a rummage through there later! :icon29:
 

Thanks everyone for your tips.

I am now flying more and more with FSX ( 60 % ) but I still enjoy the good old FS9 ( 40 % ) for its
« very very quick download speed » and my large collection of FS9 aircrafts and repaints.

Most FS9 aircraft I fly have very decent VC Cockpit with now problems at all On 16 : 9 wide screens
but there is still very interesting FS9 aircrafts with correct 2D panels but with a very very poor VC cockpit.

I may have found a very interesting solution on the AvSim forum for these still good FS9 models that only
have a 2D Panel and/or a very very basic VC Panel.

It is the case for example of the entire family of Iris Simulations ( now freeware ) Hawks T-1A, Mk50, Mk60,
Mk 100 LIFT and Mk 200 single seaters.

Here is my solution explained for the Iris Hawk Mk 50 and a 51cm wide 16 : 9 screen.

1.
Open your FS9 on the full screen mode.
Select the Iris Hawk Mk50 for a flight from the distorted 2D :
Illustration 1

2.
Simply
drag the panel right edge to the left for 8cm
and
drag the panel left edge to the right for 8cm

to adjust the panel on the centre of your screen until gauges are round again,
Illustration 2

3.

then fill in the two missing ( black ) spaces created with each
- the resized radio panel at the right
And
- the resized throttle panel at the left

No more black spaces !
Illustrations 3

When you are happy with the end result, save the Flight so you can restart next time with
everything ready to go.

Important note :
Doing that will imply a « cut outed » windscreen arch on your 16 : 9 Screen.

You can simply chose to cancel the arch by « blacking out » the arch on the panel bmp file
using for example basic « paint » software with black color and resave this new panel without
the windscreen arch.

Its a personnal choice ! I have made it !

Illustrations of the steps and end result below
Best regards
:mixedsmi:
VaporZ
 
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