In a panel.cfg, there is an section that is optional:
Day=255,255,255
Night=10,10,10
Luminous=40,120,60
Where the above values are RGB colors used to calculate the "color" of bitmaps in the sim according to formulas in the Panel SDK.
Many of us panel designers "turn off" the panel "light" while allowing luminous instruments with it on, by lowering the "Night" variable similar to above, so that PANEL_LIGHT does not add light to the panel.bmp.
Now, what would be cool is to be able to programatically adjust this, as then one could easily implement anti-dazzle lights, or allow the pilot to adjust the luminesnce of his/her instruments.
Just thought I would throw out this idea.
Patrick