Gauge translplant - how to use gauges in .cab files

[delta_lima]

So, the goal: fix some missing gauges on otherwise perfectly flyable FS9 planes.

Transplant recipients:

1) FS9 Mig-29F-13 (needs only an attitude indicator gauge).

2) CS Mig-21UM (needs everything)

3) AS Mig-25 (needs everything)

I experimented and added some stock FSX (Baron, Lear) gauges - but honestly, it sucks for immersive value. So, after looking at a bunch of different candidates (including a funky beta Su-7 I had never even heard of - thanks to Frank) I found a suitable donor:

Iris Mig-27 Flogger. Obviously, I'd like to post the final result, and would seek David B's approval for any of those ...

But my problem is that that whereas simple gauge substition makes easy sense, I don't know how I'd pull out the right gauge out of a .cab file.

Anyone able to point me in the direction of a tutorial where I can learn how to do this? Will post successful fixes for the above as I get them ...

dl

 

[bruce448]

DL,

You can open any cab file with winrar, copy these files to a new folder on your desktop renaming the folder the same as the original cab file, you add/remove the gauges that you do/do not want. to recompile the cab folder use Cabdir.exe found in the SDK, all you have to do is drop the folder over the exe file, you will then find the new cab file on your decktop.

Bruce

 

[aeronca1]

Let's say your MyCab.cab file is in the gauges folder inside another folder called MyGauges. If the gauge you want is altitudeindicator then here's the entry in your panel.cfg file.


gauge01=MyGauges\MyCab!altitudeindicator, 394,570,60,30

The last four numbers will change according to gauge placement in your individual panel.

 

[delta_lima]

Thanks for the replies,

In your example, Aero, it's easy because the you can see in that particular .cab archive what gauge you want (altitude). My problem is that I can't tell from the contents in the .cab archive that Danny Garnier used - which one is the attitude indicator. They're all numbered, not named ....

Bruce, thanks for the reply - it looks like this project may need the building of a new .cab file, and whilst I have the ability to open (winrar), you point out another complexity I hadn't considered - recompiling - and I'll have to get that tool you mention.

cheers,

dl

 

[aeronca1]

If the gauges are numbered, check the panel.cfg in FSPanel Studio or similar program, locate the gauge you want and the name should be obvious.

 

[n4gix]

You do NOT have to "reCAB" the gauge folder. Just leave it alone until you've finished working with it.

FS doesn't care whether it's reading an un.CABbed "foldername" or a .CAB file!

 

[delta_lima]

Arrgh ... yet another tool I need to buy (unless the demo tool can give me the bare basics) .... these things are always trickier than they appear ...

thanks - will try that.

dl

 

[fxsttcb]

I don't have the demo FSPS, so, I don't know if it will ID a gauge by double clicking it with the panel loaded like the full version. You could try opening the panel that has the gauge you want, dbl click it, and maybe ID it's number. Then you could copy/rename it for easier ID. Worth a shot...Don

View attachment 43976

 

[aeronca1]

HeHe, love that Tu-154 panel!

 

[delta_lima]

OK - possible breakthrough ...

Stumbled across a freeware E-166 at avsimrus earlier today ... and it may be the key to some, or possibly most, of the gauges required for these three projects.

In fact, the Mig-21F-13 may be almost resolved - looks like I have found a fairly painless gauge to sub in. The contents of the E-166's panel are below.

My question is for any of our folks who have knowledge of Czech, can I please request translation for the function of the gauges below?

I started with the ones I could figure out ...


gauge00=DCN44DT!Attitude, 3,607,220,220 = ATTITUDE INDICATOR
gauge01=DCN44DT!DA200, 445,4,235,251 =
gauge02=DCN44DT!ACS, 21,423,200,182 =
gauge03=DCN44DT!PPS_2MK, 68,830,340,191 =
gauge04=DCN44DT!KUS-2500K, 651,653,369,367 =
gauge06=DCN44DT!Automat motoru2, 0,0,0,0 =
gauge07=DCN44DT!M_2.5K, 429,800,220,221 =
gauge08=DCN44DT!2EDM250, 4,4,201,199 = G METER
gauge09=DCN44DT!Gmeter, 885,4,135,135 =
gauge10=DCN44DT!UI1-8_kontrolka, 375,221,59,59 =
gauge11=DCN44DT!Uragan, 703,446,201,199 =
gauge12=DCN44DT!Kanal, 458,261,224,354 =
gauge13=DCN44DT!hydro_kontrolkaS, 5,961,59,59 =
gauge14=DCN44DT!hydro_kontrolkaH, 5,961,59,59 =
gauge15=DCN44DT!MV-12, 468,617,180,180 =
gauge16=DCN44DT!2M-150K, 4,204,220,220 =
gauge17=DCN44DT!SS_kontrolkaL, 6,900,59,59 =
gauge18=DCN44DT!Vyrabotka_baka, 6,900,59,59 =
gauge19=DCN44DT!IK-52, 224,364,220,220 =
gauge20=DCN44DT!ARU3V, 222,222,144,137 =
gauge22=DCN44DT!SS_kontrolkaR, 6,900,59,59 =
gauge23=DCN44DT!Podveska_baka, 6,900,59,59 =
gauge24=DCN44DT!ISA-K, 224,588,220,220 =
gauge25=DCN44DT!T-4U2, 908,379,100,230 =
gauge26=DCN44DT!cerpadla12, 6,900,59,59 =
gauge27=DCN44DT!ARK_signal, 221,4,220,220 =
gauge28=DCN44DT!Automat motoru, 0,0,0,0 =


Many thanks to anyone who can help. Meanwhile, tonight I'll try the above Att Ind and see if that works well.

best,

dl

ps NG - thanks for clarifying. It'll be helpful to simply pop a subfolder into the main gauges folder and be done with it ...

 

[lazarus]

Yoy may also look at the freeware SU-7 and SU-15 at FS.com- I think the gauges are compatable. Been a while since I had those out of the hanger.

 

[delta_lima]

Yes, I tried those already ... alas, they don't seem to work well in FSX (at least for me).

dl

 

[lazarus]

OK. Couldn't remember if the gauges were good or not in those.

 

[delta_lima]

skunked - so close...but not close enough

Well, this plane has a nice set of gauges that would work nicely .... except the Att Ind is only reading pitch - not roll.



View attachment 44013
So, all the others appear to be good, and I'll keep for the other instruments .. but still looking to finish off the FSX Mig-21F-13 upgrade with a simple Russian Att Ind, and I'm back to hunting for one of those ....

Won't give up quite yet ...

dl

 

[delta_lima]

ok partial success

Through experimentation, found which gauge from the Alphasim Mig-23 was the ATT IND ... and subbed that into the Mig-21F-13 panel.cfg.

entry looks like this:

gauge02=ALPHA_MiG-23!KPP, 336,175,160,182

The results: gauges work ... but it sits "behind" the panel texture, not on top ...



View attachment 44021

tried playing with the 4 coordinates, it moved it around and made it bigger, but I need to "bring to front" (for those familiar with PowerPoint), as an analogy ....

thoughts?

dl

 

[fxsttcb]

...but I need to "bring to front"...

Unfortunately, WYSIWYG. The model dictates what will be viewed in front or behind the panel surface in a VC.
If you have decided on a particular gauge, you can always scale its parent bitmap or a screenie of it in 2d and modify the VC texture accordingly for a good visual match.
Lots of T&E though to get the texture and the visible components of the gauge to coincide and in the case of an Att with steering info outside of the "window" those animations in the gauge won't show through...Don

 

[delta_lima]

Unfortunately, WYSIWYG. The model dictates what will be viewed in front or behind the panel surface in a VC.
If you have decided on a particular gauge, you can always scale its parent bitmap or a screenie of it in 2d and modify the VC texture accordingly for a good visual match.
Lots of T&E though to get the texture and the visible components of the gauge to coincide and in the case of an Att with steering info outside of the "window" those animations in the gauge won't show through...Don

Great response - disappointing, but clearly helps me understand the situation. Well, I'm going to play a bit with the positioning - if you all can live with redundancy in the bank angles on your ATT IND, and if you have the Mig-23 gauge, then this little fix will give you at least a bit more of a complete experience.

On the plus side, this gauge looks PERFECT on the MiG-25 ... hoping I can pick away at the other gauges.

Again, any help on translating the meaning of E-166 gauges above would be great - they'll likely be the basis for the upgrades for the CS MiG-21 and AS MiG-25 ...

dl

 

[delta_lima]

MiG-21F-13 - done!

OK - within the limits of my own (dis)ability on gauges, I've come to a solution that best approximates a suitable fix.

First, the finished product:

View attachment 44137



So, the gauge sizing is a bit oval - that's because if I widen the gauge it gets pushed to the right ... and I can't shift over any further to the left, as those familiar with gauge placement can see from the coords below - the "X" position in the gauge spot is already "0", so this is the best I can do.

So, to get this fix, you need to

1) have the payware Alphasim Mig-23 Flogger

2) Pop the Alpha Mig-23.cab gauge archive into your main FSX gauge folder

3) Go into your Mig-21F-13 folder, to the panel folder, to the panel cfg, and identify the section below - paying attention to the line I've highlighted - that's the one you'll be editting.

//--------------------------------------------------------
[VCockpit02]
size_mm=1024,1024
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$panel2
background_color=0,0,0
visible=1
gauge00=MiG21F13!Attitude, 0,718,158,171
gauge01=MiG21F13!ARK_stitek, 0,0,706,717
gauge02=MiG21F13!budik, 159,718,200,181
gauge03=MiG21F13!Kanal, 707,0,180,285
gauge04=MiG21F13!VD28K, 707,286,260,240

4) Edit the above line to read as follows:

gauge00=ALPHA_MiG-23!KPP, 0, 670,175, 250

Save your panel.cfg file

As always, save the original, in case you prefer the stock, albeit only partially functional ATT IND.

I'll post the Mig-21F-13 thread for anyone who mightn't have read this here ...

good luck.

Now, onto the CS-21UM ....

dl

 

[fsafranek]

Thank you. That'll work. I just happen to have a copy of the AS MiG-23.
:ernae:

 

[delta_lima]

Glad it works. It's a miniscule contribution, but it's still nice to give, rather than take, for a change.

cheers,

dl