Tomcattwo
11-22-2006, 10:50
Howdy all!
I decided to start a new thread to provide status updates periodically on my progress in re-doing the 2D panel for the T6A Texan II for MSFS2K4. By the way, this panel re-do will be freeware, and will not work for MSFS2000 (there are some gauges in the panel that don't work with that). I don't know if it'll work for FSX yet (I don't have FSX and won't get it until I can get a better computer system running Vista with multiple core processors and a DX10 supported vid card next year sometime).
11/22/06 (Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans):
Had some minor setbacks over the last week or so, but I am back on track again, I think. It took me two days to figure out that the KLN90B (GPS) gauge will work just fine, so long as it isn't loaded in any aircraft that is in the default flight when MSFS is started up. If it is, MSFS will CTD. I didn't code that gauge, so I haven't been able to trace exactly why MSFS will run it just fine in game, but doesn't like to load it when MSFS2K4 starts. There are workarounds to this problem, and its something I'll troubleshoot later if I decide to use that gauge in the final product (and if I can get permission from its author, which also may be problematic). I am also investigating another (freeware) KLN90B coded by a Russian fellow for the Tupolev Project (TU-157) which I may be able to use instead of the one I have currently, but I haven't played with that one yet, so I don't know if it provides the full functionality I'm looking for. Moreover, that one is done in C++ and may or may not be buggy and therefore hard for me to fix if it is buggy.
Otherwise, I have been adding the additional functionality to the Primary Flight Display (PFD). The Attitude Indicator part is working fine, as is the roll pointer, roll rate and slip indicator (turn marble) functions. Last night I included Standard and Composite displays, Approach modes for both Standard and Composite, dimmer functionality, button functionality for the CMP, GPS/APR and dimmer switches, positioning the various informational outputs on the PFD (Decision height, input source, CSE, DTK, Radar Alt, CDI in Composite mode etc.). 1-2 days left to finish that, and then I will fix the functionality on the MFD to reflect the displays in the T6 (that'll take 5 days or so) and verify hooks to the EFIS controller (I'm building in the controller hooks as I go along on the coding for the PFD and MFD already).
On the PFD and MFD, I am unfortunately having to guess at what some of the displays look like, because I don't have sufficient technical information on what the displays really look like or how they actually function. If anyone has a good description of the functionality of the real T6A PFD and MFD, I would REALLY appreciate it - please send a PM if you can help out here...I haven't been able to find hardly any technical descriptions of the PFD and MFD displays on the 'net (I do have the standard AFM 11-248 T6 Primary Flying, which does have some good color shots of the MFD, but almost nothing on PFD displays).
Regards,
TC2
I decided to start a new thread to provide status updates periodically on my progress in re-doing the 2D panel for the T6A Texan II for MSFS2K4. By the way, this panel re-do will be freeware, and will not work for MSFS2000 (there are some gauges in the panel that don't work with that). I don't know if it'll work for FSX yet (I don't have FSX and won't get it until I can get a better computer system running Vista with multiple core processors and a DX10 supported vid card next year sometime).
11/22/06 (Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans):
Had some minor setbacks over the last week or so, but I am back on track again, I think. It took me two days to figure out that the KLN90B (GPS) gauge will work just fine, so long as it isn't loaded in any aircraft that is in the default flight when MSFS is started up. If it is, MSFS will CTD. I didn't code that gauge, so I haven't been able to trace exactly why MSFS will run it just fine in game, but doesn't like to load it when MSFS2K4 starts. There are workarounds to this problem, and its something I'll troubleshoot later if I decide to use that gauge in the final product (and if I can get permission from its author, which also may be problematic). I am also investigating another (freeware) KLN90B coded by a Russian fellow for the Tupolev Project (TU-157) which I may be able to use instead of the one I have currently, but I haven't played with that one yet, so I don't know if it provides the full functionality I'm looking for. Moreover, that one is done in C++ and may or may not be buggy and therefore hard for me to fix if it is buggy.
Otherwise, I have been adding the additional functionality to the Primary Flight Display (PFD). The Attitude Indicator part is working fine, as is the roll pointer, roll rate and slip indicator (turn marble) functions. Last night I included Standard and Composite displays, Approach modes for both Standard and Composite, dimmer functionality, button functionality for the CMP, GPS/APR and dimmer switches, positioning the various informational outputs on the PFD (Decision height, input source, CSE, DTK, Radar Alt, CDI in Composite mode etc.). 1-2 days left to finish that, and then I will fix the functionality on the MFD to reflect the displays in the T6 (that'll take 5 days or so) and verify hooks to the EFIS controller (I'm building in the controller hooks as I go along on the coding for the PFD and MFD already).
On the PFD and MFD, I am unfortunately having to guess at what some of the displays look like, because I don't have sufficient technical information on what the displays really look like or how they actually function. If anyone has a good description of the functionality of the real T6A PFD and MFD, I would REALLY appreciate it - please send a PM if you can help out here...I haven't been able to find hardly any technical descriptions of the PFD and MFD displays on the 'net (I do have the standard AFM 11-248 T6 Primary Flying, which does have some good color shots of the MFD, but almost nothing on PFD displays).
Regards,
TC2