garry2005

Pete: Thanks again for the pointer: I think I'm going to be able to get a little XML help from some of the gang on AVSIM. But I'll be around here anyway from time to time, though: I've learned an awful lot about Flight Sim in the past 5 years or so, and it all started right here on this forum...hopefully I've learned enough that I can be helpful with certain issues and problems. Take care, Garry

Thanks much, Pete...I'll try those other places. And I'll make sure the topic is a little more definitive. I didn't mention you in that last post, but you're contributions to the Flight Sim world are legendary, and I've used your stuff more times than I could ever begin to tell you. Later, Garry

Hi everyone: Been a long time since I was last here...or on any forum, for that matter. Based on help, support, and information I got from the great folks on this forum, I started a bush-flying virtual airline (LewisAire) in 1995 I think it was...which is still chugging happily along, I'm glad to say. Anyway, I'm here again with a couple of issues that I was hoping maybe some of you tech-heads might be able to shed some light on. I'll provide a little background first: Thanks to the initial help I got from Tom (and later on from Jim Bertelson), I've built all custom gauges in XML for all 22 of our aircraft. So I've become reasonably adept with XML, but I'm not a wizard at it. I guess I need an XML wizard. :? Issues: 1. I'm trying to design a windshield wiper gauge in XML. I'm fine with the "rotate" language and the BMP images, but I need a little boost with some XML code that would make it continue to cycle once activated. I snitched some test-code from a Carbeurator Heat gauge that's a toggle: Click it once and the knob comes out (down); click it again and the knob goes back in (up)...pretty straightforward. As you see in the snippet below, it uses the system input variable (A:Eng Anti Ice:1,percent), which of course only trips on the toggle. What I need is the ability to set my own variable and have it start cycling when activated, and continue to cycle until activated again...imagine that Carb Heat knob going in and out until you click it again to stop. Any of you guys have an idea how I might do this? (A:Eng Anti Ice:1,percent) 2. In the airline scenery we have a big lumbering operation in northern BC; sawmills, logs, cabins, various equipment, and so on. In FSDS I built us an 18-wheel log truck, and I found a great sound file on YouTube for a Jacobs Engine Brake, or "Jake Brake" as they're called (anyone know what that is?). Since a log truck doesn't have autopilot, I can fire the sound file with AP Disengage. BUT...I wanna fire it only under two conditions: When the switch is ON and when throttle is being reduced. Any hints or ideas on how set the code for this? 2. Any of you guys know how to trigger a sound file in XML? Right now, I'm limited to using systm defaults (Gear, Flaps, AP Disengage, etc) that aren't used in the plane. I know there's a way to do it, but I don't know the code. Anyway, that's it. Hope to hear from some of you guys, only if just to say hello. I see a lot of new names and don't know how many of the old-timers are still in here. By the way: Is Tom still around? I sent him a couple of emails but never got a response. Take care, Garry white

Thanks to both of you: Hi Frank...good to hear from you again; it has been a while since I've posted here. Your idea is a good one, and it's one that I never gave a thought to. But you're right; payload can be set in Aircraft.cfg, then it's a matter of cobbling some means of recalling that aircraft. Pete: You're right, of course; we can always go into Aircraft/Change Payload and plug a number into any payload station...but I'm trying to engineer something with a little more fun & realism than that. As I said, we're a small, regional bush outfit, and much of what we do is ferry goods to the little settlements in our region (fuel, dry-goods, canned goods, produce, meats, clothing, tools, building materials, and so on). I'm thinking it would be more entertaining to have a "warehouse listing" of all this stuff...the pilot has a manifest in the Flight Briefing (on the Kneeboard), then he "goes into the warehouse" and selects the the items for his load, and the item-weight is added to his aircraft payload stations. We already do TONS of unique stuff with the Kneeboard now (with HTML and Javascript), so maybe it wouldn't be such a far reach to add this level. I dunno, though; I've built a zillion new gauges in XML and I'm fairly okay with it, but I'm certainly not a brainy expert with it. Frank's idea might actually work okay, if I can figure a way to re-fire the bird when the pilot is done loading up. Should prove to be an interesting project, eh? Thanks for your help, gents, and I'll make an offer in return: If either of you might have a need for some new gauges, feel free to go have a look at our panels (http://www.lewisaire.com/fleet.html)...let me know if something tickles your fancy, and it's yours. Almost everything you'll see there is my own design, in XML (not everything, of course, but most of it)...very easy to modify or fix XML stuff, as opposed to .GAU files. Regards, Garry

Maybe someone else here has had experience with this: I'm trying to come up with Event codes that will allow me to add weight to Payload stations via XML or some other interactive means. The goal is for the pilot to select items (say, from a warehouse inventory) and assign the item(s) to Payload Station "X". I seem to recall seeing something like this in a Payware bird, but can't remember where or which one...and maybe I'm just dreaming. The SDK Event codes allow all sorts of stuff, such as adding to the weight of gas, but I can't find a single thing related to cargo/passenger weight. There are output parameters that show you gross weight, etc., but I can't find anything that allows you to set it or change it. We're a small bush-flying outfit (LewisAire), and this would be a fantastic feature...loading up the aircraft with selected items (of a fixed weight), versus just entering a number in "Change Payload". That's if it's possible to do, of course... Many regards, and thanks in advance if anyone has ideas for this. Garry

I feel kinda dumb asking such a low-level question, but here goes: I'm building a cockpit and looking for the key-command to toggle the BEACON on/off, and someone referred me to FS2004 CONTROLS download. I found a single reference in there (TOGGLE_BEACON_LIGHTS) with a code of 66239. Evidently, this is something that should get set into keyboard.main in FS9.cfg, but I cannot figure out how to do it. In the .cfg file I see values such as (80,9) for the various functions: These are screen locations? If so, how does the 66239 (or whatever) correspond? Apparently I'm missing a correlation routine, and I don't wanna waste people's time here to teach me, but...is there a place (forum) where I can get some basic info on how to manipulate this business (editing the .cfg file)? I tried some dummy values just to see what would happen...saved the file, ran FS, and my fake entry into the .cfg file disappeared. Anyway, back to this BEACON thing; it's haunting me! I can bring all other lights out to the panel and handle them with keyboard emulation, but not the beacon! Does anyone know what the deal is with it? Did MS simply leave it out of the code altogether? Thanks for any help... Garry