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PRB
June 21st, 2010, 17:04
This is odd. Here are two pics, one from FS9 and the other from FSX. Default GPS, at the same scale, from the same airport (L17, Taft). The “high resolution” one is from FS9. I wonder what this is about. I do remember when I got the high res GPS in FS9 – it was after installing FSGlobal2005. Now I have FSGlobal2008 installed in both FS9 and FSX. What gives? I like my FS9 high res GPS. I want it in FSX too!

falcon409
June 21st, 2010, 17:20
Hmmm, never noticed it before, good question PRB.:salute:

jetstreamsky
June 21st, 2010, 19:01
Noticed that as sson as I installed FSX, the lack of detail was obvious when navigating the mountains. I think it was a deliberate MS change to help with frame rates in FSX which sucked pretty badly with the hardware prevalent then, given the drag on the system when the GPS updates.

PRB
June 21st, 2010, 19:15
Could it be as simple as swapping out the GPS gauges...? Hmm... I'll report back..

PRB
June 21st, 2010, 20:24
Nope, it isn't that easy. FSX does have an fs9gps.cab file, but it's bigger than the fs9 cab file of the same name, so I was hopeful one of the differences might be this. But the one from the FS9 gauges folder doesn't make any difference. Oh well.

ananda
June 21st, 2010, 22:58
I think it is because of the low resolution default mesh

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9292/taft.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/i/taft.jpg/)

expat
June 22nd, 2010, 00:14
Been wanting to ask this question for a while and raise it here as it is related: why when almost everything else in FS land gets impressively upgraded - commercially and by the freeware community - particulalrly e.g. hi-res textures, scenery, gauges, repaints, has the look of the GPS "moving map" - the default, but also the well-known payware ones available, never really changed at all in appearance since probably FS8 days?

I know a real, e.g., Garmin GNS530 costs around $12-15,000 a pop, so don't expect this kind of standard, but there must be some limitation in the coding in FS9/FSX that has kept people far more clever and talented than I from playing around with it and improving its detail, color variation, and overall look.

10992

CodyValkyrie
June 22nd, 2010, 00:25
Been wanting to ask this question for a while....

I think that picture you provided is from the G1000 off of the Cessna Mustang? If so, it is deresolute. Not even sure if that is a word. It was made to mimic apparently how a real G1000 with that particular package setup reflects ground terrain, thus is pixelates the terrain. That is my understanding at least.

I wonder if perhaps the current iteration of the Garmins in FS reflects a more realistic depiction of terrain reading as well, whereas the old FS9 versions were much too high in detail....

... just a theory anyways.

teson1
June 22nd, 2010, 00:30
Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

expat
June 22nd, 2010, 04:31
I think that picture you provided is from the G1000 off of the Cessna Mustang?

Actually from Garmin's website.

I don't have the FS Mustang but am not aware of payware a/c have made a major/quantum leap re the map display design and appearance, but interested to hear reports of progress in this regard and learn how this works. Presumably there is some kind of software "engine" that generates the images and it would seem that this is not too easy to modify.

mike_cyul
June 22nd, 2010, 04:38
Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

That's it - I think the only difference there is the shading.

Mike

falcon409
June 22nd, 2010, 06:23
That information also refers back to a sticky on how to add traffic to the Garmin 500 as well. I looked at the xml file and decided at a glance that I wasn't going to mess with anything in there, but someone who's comfortable editing xml might find the information useful.:salute:

Dain Arns
June 22nd, 2010, 08:53
Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter


Thank you for pointing that out. That has been a minor peeve of mine for a couple years now.
Actually it isn't all that hard to do, and looks great now.

Peritas
June 22nd, 2010, 09:51
Hi Falcon409, I have tweaked my gauge and now it works!
If you like, you can send me a PM, so I can reply to you with the gauge...

Luca

n4gix
June 22nd, 2010, 10:04
Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

Thank you, Gunter. You saved me the trouble of looking up the link... :bump:

modelr
June 22nd, 2010, 10:57
I have WinRar installed. I can open and extract from .cab files for editing. However, I cannot replace them back into the .cab file. WinRar can only create/copy to/replace inside .rar and .zip files. Any suggestions?? My OS is Win 7 Home Premium 64.

Tako_Kichi
June 22nd, 2010, 11:25
Technically you don't need to repack the .cab file...the files will work just as well unpacked.

Peritas
June 22nd, 2010, 11:39
Well, in XP you can find the "C:\Windows\System32 directory", in this directory you can find the command: "iexpress.exe". This is the CAB creator for Windows. But I don't know if it operates for Vista or W7 too: I believe that you can try...

Luca

expat
June 22nd, 2010, 15:04
Well, I made a hash of that! :d:d

Have edited - even successfully(!) - XML files before. Understand you can't get one space wrong etc. I have a couple of freeware (Don Kuhn) gps units and was not clear which was default and which were these in my FSX Gauges folder. Problem was, I could not using "Find" in Notepad, the line with "LayerVehicles" in it. Also was not 100% sure I found the last <CustomDraw> entry. Anyway, loaded FSX and the GPS units would not appear at all so reverted back to back up originals.

Oh,well ..

Peritas
June 23rd, 2010, 06:07
Hi expat! I had same problems with Notepad: text is not very readable, because the format is not correct. So I have used Windows Worpad: it is better and more readable.
You can find it in C:\Windows\system32\write.exe.

JoeW
June 23rd, 2010, 07:29
Microsoft has a program to edit and write XML files and it's free.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=72d6aa49-787d-4118-ba5f-4f30fe913628&displaylang=en
I hope I did that right.

falcon409
June 23rd, 2010, 08:30
I tried to install that but the installer quit because.NET framework 2.0 isn't installed. How many of these things does one version of windows need? I have 4.0 installed. . .if I install 2.0 does that overwrite 4.0? If it does, then this xmlnotepad is useless.:salute:

Dangerousdave26
June 23rd, 2010, 08:42
The better editor for all text files is Edit Pad Lite. http://www.editpadpro.com/editpadlite.html

It is far better than note pad.

To recompile the cab files use the CabDir SDK originally for FS9 but cab files are cab files.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=30

Peritas
June 23rd, 2010, 09:44
Thanks, Dangerousdave26, Edit Pad Lite is very useful!

Luca

JoeW
June 23rd, 2010, 09:49
I don't know but I have netframework 1.0 and 2.0 and 4.0 ...... Why? .... I really don't know . Everytime I have run across a program that required an update ..... I just did it.

I think I have about 4 programs to do XML files and I like the free MS XML Notepad best. If it loads in that and you save ...... it'll work. Never had a case that wouldn't.

I made the edit while it was in the cab and saved and it's still in the cab and it works.

modelr
June 23rd, 2010, 12:07
I couldn't edit while inside the cab. Was able to do it with wordpad using copy/paste. I found the line with the "find" tool.

Was able to repack the cab with the "iexpress.exe". tool, which is in the Win 7 system 32 folder, also. Took a few tries to figure it out, but finally got it to work. Thanks Luca

Tried it last evening, but I picked the wrong place and plane to try. The Carenado Mooney 20J does not use the default GPS. (Thought I was using the default Mooney when I loaded up.) Also, north central Nevada doesn't have much terrain differences, so it all looked like low res anyway. Don't know if this needs to be done in all GPSs or not.

Bjoern
June 23rd, 2010, 14:55
I tried to install that but the installer quit because.NET framework 2.0 isn't installed. How many of these things does one version of windows need? I have 4.0 installed. . .if I install 2.0 does that overwrite 4.0? If it does, then this xmlnotepad is useless.:salute:

At least .NET 3.5 already included every older version...

Anyways, install 2.0. It won't mess anything up and can be uninstalled afterwards anyways.

expat
June 24th, 2010, 00:04
No problems opening and navigating within the XML file with either Notepad or the XML editor here.

The problem I have is, which < </< font>CustomDraw> <CUSTOMDRAW>entry? There are loads.

Second, I cannot find anywhere the <LayerVehicles>1</< font>LayerVehicles>
entry using the search tool or othewise. Doesn't exist. Maybe that 's because someone said this fix was done for SP2 and I have had the "Gold" Acceleration/SP2 edition from the start?

Reddog
June 24th, 2010, 05:24
Could someone that's done this and got it to work upload it so the rest of us could d/l it and replace the original cab file with this one? Or is that a no-no.

n4gix
June 24th, 2010, 08:36
The problem I have is, which < </< font>CustomDraw> <CUSTOMDRAW>entry? There are loads.

Second, I cannot find anywhere the <LayerVehicles>1</< font>LayerVehicles>
entry using the search tool or othewise. Doesn't exist. Maybe that 's because someone said this fix was done for SP2 and I have had the "Gold" Acceleration/SP2 edition from the start?



Part of the problem is this bloody forum software is screwing up the formatting of the XML script postings by hijacking and deleting the ASCII text characters, such as deleting the special characters < and /...

Go the the link provided and follow the directions closely. Starting from the top of the script, you simply need to search for the first < / CustomDraw> entry. I added spaces to the actual entry to hopefully stop this ever so un-helpful forum editor from deleting them!

Bjoern
June 24th, 2010, 09:31
Part of the problem is this bloody forum software is screwing up the formatting of the XML script postings by hijacking and deleting the ASCII text characters, such as deleting the special characters < and /...

Even in [code] tags?

kdl
June 25th, 2010, 00:33
I reprogrammed both, GPS 295 and 500 with better terrain structure as mentioned above, and I put it here for download:
http://www.file-upload.net/download-2619072/fs9gps.cab.html

Back up your original file first before using the new one.

Greetings
Dieter

expat
June 25th, 2010, 00:44
I reprogrammed both, GPS 295 and 500 with better terrain structure as mentioned above, and I put it here for download:
http://www.file-upload.net/download-2619072/fs9gps.cab.html

Back up your original file first before using the new one.

Greetings
Dieter


Thanks very much!

Reddog
June 25th, 2010, 05:14
yes thank you very much.

n4gix
June 25th, 2010, 11:24
Even in [code] tags?

Yep! More's the pity, since the
tags are supposed to completely suppress all reformatting.

[CODE]
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>(L:DoorSeal, number)</< font>Value>
<CaseValue="0">
<ImageName="C310_Switch_Off.bmp"/>
</< font> </< font>Case>
<CaseValue="1">
<ImageName="C310_Switch_On.bmp"/>
</< font> </< font>Case>
</< font></< font>Select>
</< font></ELEMENT< font>>



Note how in the example above, even with the "HTML Off" option selected, all of the closing < / tags have been replaced!

What was once a useable bit of script is now a useless MESS!

I've noticed that even at Flightsim.com the same thing is happening since the recent upgrade of the forum software, which makes my "Panel and Gauges" forum nearly useless for posting XML scripts now... :(

Bjoern
June 25th, 2010, 14:59
And if you replaced the "< >"s with, let's say "|"s?

Of course this would mean more work but I think it would be worth it since your posted codes are usually very helpful. :d

PRB
June 25th, 2010, 15:15
I reprogrammed both, GPS 295 and 500 with better terrain structure as mentioned above, and I put it here for download:
http://www.file-upload.net/download-2619072/fs9gps.cab.html

Back up your original file first before using the new one.

Greetings
Dieter

Many thanks, Dieter. That did the trick. Now my FSX GPS looks just like the FS9 one. Awesome. I was working on editing the XML files myself, and had that done, and was looking for a good way to archive the files back into cab form when you posted this.
:ernae:

modelr
June 26th, 2010, 06:03
I reprogrammed both, GPS 295 and 500 with better terrain structure as mentioned above, and I put it here for download:
http://www.file-upload.net/download-2619072/fs9gps.cab.html

Back up your original file first before using the new one.

Greetings
Dieter

This link for me opens 3-4 pages of spam with no link to any downloadable file, that I can find. The one link that appears to be for a file, (sorry, I don't know the language,) opens 3 more pages asking for a bunch of personal info, none of which appears to have anything to do with FS. Never did get the file.

I'm going to go run a scan of my harddrive now for unwanted cookies and other strange little things.

falcon409
June 26th, 2010, 06:11
Has anyone tried editing this to also show aircraft traffic?

kdl
June 26th, 2010, 06:21
Oh, I wonder about these problems, there are already more than 30 downloads done.
Well, using IE8 i have similar problems, but I'm using Firefox without any spam a.s.o.

Try this download instead:
http://ultrashare.de/f/9722/fs9gps.cab.html

May take some time to open; is in German language; click for free download under "KOSTENLOS" at the bottom, left
Greetings
Dieter