Gauge Needed

Tom Clayton

Tom Clayton

Administrator
Staff member
OK - I'm hoping that one of the XML experts around here can help. I'm looking for an "invisible" gauge that will turn on the smoke system when two conditions are met:
  1. The plane is off the ground, and
  2. The brakes are applied.
If the plane is on the ground, or the brakes are released, then the smoke should be deactivated.

I can see lots of uses for this. The two I have in mind are for Brian Gladden's AT-802 Crop Duster and the JF P-38's cannon effects. Both are run through the smoke system, so being able to use the trigger for them would be perfect!
 
You could achieve this with this addon using lights section. You no doubt already have this addon. Using lights are better because you can adjust the height of the effect.

RCBsc-12.zip: Cannon effect for RealAir Simulations' FS9 Spitfire
By Rob Barendregt

// Cannon effects--------------------------RCB-----------
light.16= 10, 1.5, 7.3, -1.9, SpitfireCannon
light.17= 10, 1.5, -7.3, -1.9, SpitfireCannon

It's triggered by the reheat switch which you can assign to the joystick.
Substitute spitfirecannon with the smoke effect.
Disable the sound section.
 
Tom Clayton said:
OK - I'm hoping that one of the XML experts around here can help. I'm looking for an "invisible" gauge that will turn on the smoke system when two conditions are met:
  1. The plane is off the ground, and
  2. The brakes are applied.
If the plane is on the ground, or the brakes are released, then the smoke should be deactivated.

I can see lots of uses for this. The two I have in mind are for Brian Gladden's AT-802 Crop Duster and the JF P-38's cannon effects. Both are run through the smoke system, so being able to use the trigger for them would be perfect!
Click to expand...
Hi Tom,

I'll gladly make such a gauge, but (if it's for FS2004) there are much better "triggers" than using "brakes" to switch the Smokesystem on/off.
If only to avoid the annoiing "brakes" message while active; or avoid "triggering the smokesystem" when the aircraft bounches on the ground while brakes are applied.

Like a use in some of my addon "gun" packages: E.g., for aircraft that don't use "afterburners": the Smokesystem is enabled as long as you keep the key for AfterburnerToggle (default: Shift-F4) depressed; or a controller button that generates repeating AfterburnerToggle command as long as you keep the button depressed.

Would then also work on the ground of course (because I assume you restriction of "in the air" is caused by the fact that you don't want the Smokesystem enabled when you use "brakes" for their normal braking function on the ground).

Better idea ??
:ernae: Rob Barendregt

PS: Terry beat me to it ....LoL
Just have to modify that for the smokesystem instead of a "lights" switch

PS2: Using "Cabin lights" (10) to switch an effect, would allow you to use the gauge as-is.
However, not all effects designed for "smokesystem" work equally well when switched via a "lightswitch" . You have to try that.
 
Thanks Rob! I'd like to try to keep the system tied to the smoke if possible, mainly because I've seen posts that describe "glowing" smoke when that smoke is tied to the lights. I guess that the shade=1 line in the smoke effect get ignored if it's used in the light section. And as far as having the brakes message inflight, that's fixable by adding "HideInfoText=1" to the [MAIN] section of the fs9.cfg.
 
Tom Clayton said:
Thanks Rob! I'd like to try to keep the system tied to the smoke if possible, mainly because I've seen posts that describe "glowing" smoke when that smoke is tied to the lights. I guess that the shade=1 line in the smoke effect get ignored if it's used in the light section. And as far as having the brakes message inflight, that's fixable by adding "HideInfoText=1" to the [MAIN] section of the fs9.cfg.
Click to expand...
But what do you want now ?
"brakes" as "trigger", or (IMO: better) "toggle-afterburner" as trigger ?
Both of course switching the Smokesystem.

Rob
 
Sorry for the rambling above - today hasn't been a good one. I'm just looking to keep things as simple as possible, so the brakes as the trigger would be better for my own needs. But then the rest of the world could use the other. Either way, if you make it, it'll get used!:applause:
 
Tom Clayton said:
Sorry for the rambling above - today hasn't been a good one. I'm just looking to keep things as simple as possible, so the brakes as the trigger would be better for my own needs. But then the rest of the world could use the other. Either way, if you make it, it'll get used!:applause:
Click to expand...
Hi Tom,

Not tested, but should work :icon_lol:

I assume you know how to install an XML gauge ?
Here's the code:

Code: 
<Gauge Name="Brakes Control Smoke" Version="1.0">
<Comment>
This gauge forces the Smokesystem On when:
- Left and/or Right Brake pressure exceeds 10%
AND
- The aircraft is in the air
If both conditions are not met, the Smokesystem is forced Off.
Note: Setting ParkingBrakes results in Left/Right Brake pressure
      being 100%; so will also set the Smokesystem On in the air.
</Comment>
<Element>
  <Select>
    <Value>
      (A:BRAKE LEFT POSITION, percent) 10 >
      (A:BRAKE RIGHT POSITION, percent) 10 > ||
      (A:SIM ON GROUND,bool) ! &&
      if{ (A:SMOKE ENABLE,bool) ! if{ (>K:SMOKE_ON) } }
      els{ (A:SMOKE ENABLE,bool) if{ (>K:SMOKE_OFF) } }
    </Value>
  </Select>
</Element>
</Gauge>
Use Notepad to copy/paste this into a text file, and name it BrakesControlSmoke.xml or so.

:ernae: Rob
 
Tom Clayton said:
Thanks Rob!!! If you're ever near Greensboro, I owe you a beer!:ernae:
Click to expand...
Hi Tom,

You're welcome :icon_lol:.

By the way, if Greensboro is in the USA (with me living in the Netherlands) the chances of keeping you to that promise are very slimm.:d

I'm one of those persons that still aren't very comfortable flying in real airplanes (still avoiding it as much as I can) so I doubt very much that I'll ever visit the USA. Being a real control freak, I hate being "driven" by anyone else in any vehicle that goes faster then 20 mph.
Although I did have a flying lesson last year in a Cessna172, which was great until I experianced some very light turbulance.

Which was the main reason (me being afraid of flying ... sshhhh) I started flightsimming back in 1994 :icon_lol:

:ernae: Rob
 
Hi,

I'm one of those persons that still aren't very comfortable flying in real airplanes (still avoiding it as much as I can)
Click to expand...

Greensboro is not far from Norfolk .. a seaport.
As the Dutchmen are known for being good sailors .. the boat can be a good choice instead the plane :)
 
OK Rob, I finally got a chance to check it out and it works perfectly! There's a little lag as the brake pressure in the Sim backs off, so there's as much as about a second before the smoke turns off, depending on how long it's held on. But as far as I'm concerned, that's just the last of the oil burning out of the exhaust manifold!

As far as installation is concerned, I've never seen an XML gauge outside of a cab or folder, so I stuck it into a folder. (For some reason, that folder refused to compress to a cab though.) With both the XML file and its folder named "brakesmoke" the gauge line looks like this:

gaugexx=brakesmoke!brakesmoke, 1,1,1,1

Then if you're bothered by the brake signal at the bottom of the screen (I'm not), just add the "hideinfotext" line like I described above. This will definitely find it's way into several more planes!:ernae:
 
Tom Clayton said:
OK Rob, I finally got a chance to check it out and it works perfectly! There's a little lag as the brake pressure in the Sim backs off, so there's as much as about a second before the smoke turns off, depending on how long it's held on. But as far as I'm concerned, that's just the last of the oil burning out of the exhaust manifold!

As far as installation is concerned, I've never seen an XML gauge outside of a cab or folder, so I stuck it into a folder. (For some reason, that folder refused to compress to a cab though.) With both the XML file and its folder named "brakesmoke" the gauge line looks like this:

gaugexx=brakesmoke!brakesmoke, 1,1,1,1

Then if you're bothered by the brake signal at the bottom of the screen (I'm not), just add the "hideinfotext" line like I described above. This will definitely find it's way into several more planes!:ernae:
Click to expand...
Hi Tom,

Yep, the "lag" is one of the problems using the FS Brakes command. Because it accumulates/decumelates repetitive Brakes commands.
If you would use proportional toebrake pedals, the Brake pressure reacts instantly.

About "cabbing" the xml gauge: yes, that's a known problem of cabdir (that is, the version I still use and downloaded 7 years ago.). It simply won't handle a single file. Adding a dummy .bmp solves that :icon_lol:

:ernae: Rob
 
These days, money's tighter than ever - I'll have to win the lottery and, pay of some people, and then convince the "financial director" that I need the pedals!

And I wondered about adding a dummy file to get the cab to work, but the folder with only one (essentially) text file is small enough. Thanks for that tip!
 
rcbarend said:
Hi Tom,

You're welcome :icon_lol:.

By the way, if Greensboro is in the USA (with me living in the Netherlands) the chances of keeping you to that promise are very slimm.:d

I'm one of those persons that still aren't very comfortable flying in real airplanes (still avoiding it as much as I can) so I doubt very much that I'll ever visit the USA. Being a real control freak, I hate being "driven" by anyone else in any vehicle that goes faster then 20 mph.
Although I did have a flying lesson last year in a Cessna172, which was great until I experianced some very light turbulance.

Which was the main reason (me being afraid of flying ... sshhhh) I started flightsimming back in 1994 :icon_lol:

:ernae: Rob
Click to expand...


This is why if I want to visit Rob, I have to convince my Dutch wife it's time to go visit her relatives, turbulence and all! We wanted to go this year, but the dollar vs. the Euro stopped that idea. Maybe 2010 but certainly 2011. Cheers, Paul
 
PutPut said:
This is why if I want to visit Rob, I have to convince my Dutch wife it's time to go visit her relatives, turbulence and all! We wanted to go this year, but the dollar vs. the Euro stopped that idea. Maybe 2010 but certainly 2011. Cheers, Paul
Click to expand...
Hi there Paul !!,

You'd better hurry, since the barrel of Grolsch :icon29: I had stached away only lasts untill dec. 2009 :d:d
Anyway, we'd love to see you and Jenny again over here !!

:ernae: Rob

PS: Don't wait untill you are a "TOO Senior Member" :d
 
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