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VC illumination?

A

AKA Jed

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Are there any tutorials for creating backlit vc gauges using FSDS 3.5.1 for FS2004 models. My VC gauges display fine but I can't get them to illuminate. I've found tutorials for FSDS2 or Gmax.

In brief here's what I've done
1 Using FSPS create a 1024 x 1024 panel and place all required gauges on it.
2 Set panel texture to $VCpanel
2 Print screen and edit the panel image so that it is square and 1024 x 1024. Save 2 copies VCpanel.bmp and VCpanel2.bmp
3 In explorer re-name VCpanel2.bmp to $VCpanel
3 In FSDS create a plannar to project the gauge on to. Make the material transparent
4 Texture the gauge with VCpanel.bmp to check the gauge location and orientation
5 Re Texture the gauge with $VCpanel and set the special flag to lightmap/alpha
6 Compile the model
7 Edit VCpanel.bmp by painting the gauges white add black alpha channel save in texture folder as VCpanel_L.bmp

I've tried both black and white alpha and shade of grey inbetween but all result in an unlit gauge.

Am I missing something?

Cheers Jed
 
Could we see the top of your vcockpit01 entry from the panel.cfg?
Have you specified the following:
[Vcockpit01]
file=vcpanel.bmp
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=0
pixel_size=1024, 1024
texture=$vcpanel


The 3D panel object can be textured with anything, any name. You can place that texture in the panel folder if you use the "file=" parameter, otherwise in the texture folder.

The planar (in front of the 3D panel by at least .001m) is automatically not visible in FS.

The planar must have the $vcpanel.bmp assigned to it. FS uses only its coordinates to place the gauges.

In your self illumination entry for $vcpanel.bmp, you must specify the light map texture name (vcpanel_L.bmp).

The vcpanel_L.bmp should be in the texture folder. It may be reduced in size as you wish.

Alpha must be pure black (0,0,0) to work with teh nav lights.
 
Hi Milton,
thanks for your reply. The gauges display fine in the vc but don't illuminate

View attachment 59764

The panel.cfg is as follows:

[Vcockpit01]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=0
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$Prentpanel

gauge00=Prentice!altimeter, 812,789,120,120
gauge01=... etc

I'm not using a background image as the planars I use are individual discs inside 3D instrument bezels, each gauge having it's own planar (this doesn't hit the frame rates as all the gauges are defined in the one VC entry but does allow you to move gauges around in within FSDS) see image below:

View attachment 59765

The planars are about 0.006 in front of the main 3D panel although the instrument bezels project further around the outside of each planar as can be seen by the yellow Oil Temp gauge above.

Initially each gauge is textured with Prentpanel.bmp to correctly locate the gauge image on the planer. Then each planar has $Prentpanel.bmp assigned to it (previously there was no .bmp)

Now I'm assuming this is the part where you add self illumination:

View attachment 59766

I’ve tried Light Map and Light Map/alpha flags both with the same results, i.e. no illumination.

Prentpanel_L.bmp (DXT3 no MIPS) is in the texture folder

Alpha channel is 0 grey scale 0,0,0 RGB

I'm now wondering if it is something to do with the odd way I make my VC panels. I'll have a try taking a more conventional approach.

Thanks again,
Jed
 
Not an FSDS user so I'm not sure how you assign a bmp to the illumination slot for $Prentpanel.bmp as we do in gmax.

You can try using the $prentpanel_L.bmp with a black alpha. Not sure if FS will ignore it or not.

Do you have "materials" in FSDS, a collection of bmps making up a material. The screen you show is the texture level so ....

In gmax, you have many texture slots for different purposes that make up one material.

So, I would have a material with $Prentpanel.bmp as the diffuse texture, and Prentpanel_L.bmp as my illumination texture.

Each of your gauge planars must have the $Prentpanel.bmp or any $texture and each must have the _L asiggned to whatever $texture you use.
 
I don't think thats possible with FSDS 3.5 when making models for FS9. FSDSxTweak can be used for FSX. So it looks like it will have to be dim gauges.
Thanks for your help on this Milton,

Cheers Jed
 
AKA Jed said:
I don't think thats possible with FSDS 3.5 when making models for FS9. FSDSxTweak can be used for FSX. So it looks like it will have to be dim gauges.
Thanks for your help on this Milton,

Cheers Jed
Click to expand...


Did you try this:

You can try using the $prentpanel_L.bmp with a black (0,0,0,) alpha in the texture folder. Not sure if FS will ignore it or not.

You might ask Fr. Bill Leaming about this. He is the recognized knowledge base on back lighting and has used FSDS.

He comes here but you will find him quicker at FSDeveloper I suspect.
 
VC Illumination

Hi Jed , I use the same system to make lighted gauge by night using 3d instruments bezel and each gauge has his own planar. For me it works as you can look at the attached pictures:
View attachment 59978By day light switched off
View attachment 59977at sunset with lights switched on ( L )
View attachment 59979By night with lights on.

Texture I use to show up the lighted gauges planar is a especially repainted version of the gauges template used in the panel.cfg to position the various gauges and should be of DXT3 bitmap with white 255.255.255 alpha channel ( se sample below) , and should stay in the texture folder of the model, the name of the texture is the same of that used in the texture entry in the [Vcockpit01] with added_L to the name. Extension .bmp is not necessary.
//--------------------------------------------------------
[Vcockpit01]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=0
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$1019vc ($1019vc_L in the texture folder)

To work this with FSDS 3.51 in FS9 it is necessary that for each texture of the model with ,R,A modificator to the name you use a tiny texture ,32x32 pixel is enough, color white 255.255.255 with alpha channel 0.0.0

.example of the $1019vc_L special texture:

View attachment 59980

Maxtac.
www.maxtac.it
 
Thanks for your help, I think I'm good up to the 32x32 pixel texture. What name do you use for the 32x32 pixel texture and which folder is it meant to be placed in?
 
Re:VC Illumination

The small 32 x 32 pixel texture should have the same name as the texture of your model that has the special flag ,R,A , plus _L added to the original name of the texture. For example the name of your fuselage texture is fuselage.bmp in FSDS, so you should call the small 32 x 32 texture fuselage_L.bmp, that is add an _L to the original name and this should be done for every texture in your FSDS model to which you have applied the special flag ,R for Reflect and ,A for lightmap/alpha. Because of the color of the 32x32 bitmap is always the same just make one texture and then add copies of this texture then changing only its name. The 32x32 textures should stay in the same texture folder.See what looks like the folder of one of my models for FS2004:

View attachment 60116



Hope this will help with your problems.Regards,MaxTac
 
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