GPS Display Question

[falcon409]

Does anyone know why the standard GPS (or any GPS actually) when used as a pop-up has a crisp, easy-to-read display, but if that same GPS is used as a component in the VC it becomes almost unreadable? I understand that this is not always the case, but many times it is a problem and so I'm curious to see if there is a way to correct it. . .or it's just the way it is with certain airplanes.

 

[LouP]

Check the pixel resolution in the virtual cockpit section where the GPS resides. Make it at least 1024x1024. I usually set mine in the middle at 2048x2048.

LouP

 

[falcon409]

Check the pixel resolution in the virtual cockpit section where the GPS resides. Make it at least 1024x1024. I usually set mine in the middle at 2048x2048.

LouP

Thanks, that was the first thing I checked. I also checked to see what font the GPS was using in case that font wasn't available. . .dead end there as well.

 

[falcon409]

Just to be clear, here's a comparison. . .the Garmin 500 on the right is a pop-up, the other is in the VC. While the VC GPS isn't showing the Garmin 500 it looks as bad. . .I just tried another to see if there was any difference (improvement).

GPS by Ed Wells, on Flickr

 

[Milton Shupe]

Does anyone know why the standard GPS (or any GPS actually) when used as a pop-up has a crisp, easy-to-read display, but if that same GPS is used as a component in the VC it becomes almost unreadable? I understand that this is not always the case, but many times it is a problem and so I'm curious to see if there is a way to correct it. . .or it's just the way it is with certain airplanes.

Ed, obviously this is not the same GPS as the popup 2D version.

If you would display the gauge entry for this in the panel.cfg entry, and look at the xml code for that gauge you will discover the reason.

Is this a separate window section or part of the main panel display.

The GPS display is obviously being severely stretched or compressed to lose the fidelity.

Check the panel.cfg gps gauge entry size xxx,yyy and compare to what the xml image display size is.

 

[DC1973]

Milton's on the money - I've got a customized GPS in the F-18F that draws from the stock GPS900, and it shows correctly and at good resolution. I used a 1024 x 1024 "$" dummy texture in the VC, and set the panel .cfg entry as follows;

[Vcockpit04]
Background_color=1,1,1
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=1
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$VC_GPS

Worked fine. It must be a resolution issue somewhere along the development line.

 

[falcon409]

Ed, obviously this is not the same GPS as the popup 2D version.

If you would display the gauge entry for this in the panel.cfg entry, and look at the xml code for that gauge you will discover the reason.

Is this a separate window section or part of the main panel display.

The GPS display is obviously being severely stretched or compressed to lose the fidelity.

Check the panel.cfg gps gauge entry size xxx,yyy and compare to what the xml image display size is.

Thanks Milton. Yes the GPS that's displayed is another I took from the AMX, just to see if there was any difference. It is part of "Vcockpit01" and the gauge entry is:
gauge35=GPS_XML!GPS, 427,83,164,304

My question is, in the 4000+ lines of code for the GPS, where do I find the info I'm looking for? lol

 

[falcon409]

Milton's on the money - I've got a customized GPS in the F-18F that draws from the stock GPS900, and it shows correctly and at good resolution. I used a 1024 x 1024 "$" dummy texture in the VC, and set the panel .cfg entry as follows;

[Vcockpit04]
Background_color=1,1,1
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=1
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$VC_GPS

Worked fine. It must be a resolution issue somewhere along the development line.

Thanks, sounds good but is that something I can do or is that a developers trick?

 

[n4gix]

Whoever modeled that virtual cockpit simply UVW Mapped the GPS display area too small! There is nothing to be done without the source code for the model so it could be redone correctly.

 

[falcon409]

Whoever modeled that virtual cockpit simply UVW Mapped the GPS display area too small! There is nothing to be done without the source code for the model so it could be redone correctly.

Thank You, unfortunate!

 

[awstub]

Thank You, unfortunate!

It could probably be fixed if the part is exported with ModelConverterX and re-mapped with Blender.

How I would do it is export the model part with the McX Hierarchy Editor into .OBJ format.
I would then import the part into Blender and edit it.
Once satisfied, I would export the part to .MDL format using the McX Merge Objects tool and then export the whole model into the appropriate .MDL format.

I have fixed a few models this way..... even added VC panels and gunsights.

I would offer to do it for you, but my modeling PC is down hard at the moment with a blown power supply.

Edit to add..... in order for it to work, Blender2FSX needs to be installed in Blender

 

[falcon409]

Th GPS has been removed from the VC.

 

[spokes2112]

Ed,

[STRIKE]A possible option if you would like to give this a try, pretty sure it can be done.
Just a moving map display (with no or very little controls*) in the area you currently have now.
The 2D GPS500 or any MSFS sdk produced GPS would provide display controls.
A "master" & "slave" perse. The slave would be a highly stripped down version of GPS code configured in a way that will display properly.
The display would be only the moving map regardless of what is displayed on the 2D popup GPS.

* Controls - thinking PWR, Zoom, Brightness & a hot spot to open the 2D GPS. All on the lower part of the bezel. This would leave more room for a nice map display.
If interested PM me.[/STRIKE]


After taking a closer look, it doesn't look possible - the stretch in the X direction is just too great.

Hope you had nice holidays.
Happy New Year!

 

[falcon409]

This is what I opted for:

AlphaJet-2020-jan-8-001 by Ed Wells, on Flickr

The stretching can be seen even in the smaller warning lights and the Aircraft ID Placard. Anywhere where a generated font is required.