Question on VC textures-->$pan

[thunder100]

dear Community

What Format is a $pan1 or similar file in the texture Folder-->as it has a VC entry as well is it a BMP or similar?
If i want to replace where to Name the texture in here(file or texture) ?
//--------------------------------------------------------
[Vcockpit01]
file=??????????
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=512,512
visible=0
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=??????????($pan1)

Where to put the real texture in the Panel Folder or in the texture Folder?

Thanks

Roland

 

[fxsttcb]

In a [Vcockpit01] section, texture= is called from a texture folder, but, the texture name is not the same. That texture's coords are described internally to the model.
You can, sometimes, supersede texture=, by adding the file= line. The original embedded VC texture will no longer appear.
The file=xxx.bmp needs to be created, with all of the proper transparent portions, what background art that you want to see, and it then resides in the panel folder...Don

 

[thunder100]

In a [Vcockpit01] section, texture= is called from a texture folder, but, the texture name is not the same. That texture's coords are described internally to the model.
You can, sometimes, supersede texture=, by adding the file= line. The original embedded VC texture will no longer appear.
The file=xxx.bmp needs to be created, with all of the proper transparent portions, what background art that you want to see, and it then resides in the panel folder...Don

Thanks a lot

That $pan file,what is it ?

Roland

 

[Naruto-kun]

It is the actual texture (a virtual one in memory) mapped to the material in the VC to which gauges are mapped. I wouldnt advise messing with it...

 

[Lionheart]

When FSX came about, the $pan was no longer needed in the model in FS, but needed in the 3D building program. $xxxx (what ever you name it) with the $ on the front tells the sim that this is a 'instrumentation' file and handled as gauges. Then the sim reads the texture as gauges.

The $ file is also flipped opposite of normal, so in FS, it will be right side up if the maker of the sim is using the $ file for other things, etc. I still use $pan's. (Pan means panel, but you can name them $vc1, $dangpanelthing, $rightlowerpanel, etc).


Bill

 

[thunder100]

Thanks

I just tried to get an CFS2 oldtimer to work better in FSX(transparent VC ) .So as texture is in the model I have to find it there or fly as it is

Thanks

Roland

 

[n4gix]

In "FS Speak" the dollar sign ($) prefix is a flag telling FS to create a dynamic "memory bitmap." It is not a real bitmap in the sense that there's some file somewhere on a disk that you can load up and edit...

It only "exists" as an existential reality while FS is running...

...once you unload the a/c or quit the sim, the $pan goes

Now, that said you will sometimes see an entry such as file=some.bmp that is quite frankly most often used to help the panel designer to place the VC gauges, although on rare occasions it might be used to help "paint" parts of the virtual cockpit's surfaces.

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Vcockpit01]
file=vc_main.bmp 
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=0
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$vc_main

Here is a one-half sized copy of the above vc_main.bmp file:
View attachment 88862
As you can easily see from the image, there are many, many "gauges" that are placed on this $vc_main dynamic bitmap. I've deliberately left out the numerous gaugenn= entries for brevity. However, one entry is:
gauge16=ESDG_G500!ES_GNS500_1, 246,693,449,328
The numbers following the gauge name declaration are in the form x,y,w,h where x,y are the "top left corner" of the gauge's bitmap (in this case the G500), and the w,h is the width and height in pixels.