Default GPS

[Pepere]

I've seen this posted before but cannot find it. So maybe someone can help.

First: Is there a way to add AI traffic to the default GPS?

Second: How do you get the ILS of you destination airport runway. I know it's there but for the life of me cannot remember how to get to it.

Third: Is there a better payware/freeware GPS with all the bells and whistles?

thanks

David

[mmann]

You can add AI traffic to the default GPS by checking out this link: http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202121 provided you have SP2 or Acceleration.

Regards, Mike Mann

[Pepere]

I have acceleration but don't have a cab extractor..

David

[Merlin216]

I know the ILS frequencies are given but you arent provide with the course.

You have to use small nob on the bottom right to turn to the airport pages. Once you get to the frequency page you can click on the center of the nob to highlight the ICAO at the top, then use the larger (outside) nob to move down and to scroll through the frequencies.

Hope that helps.

[Bjoern]

I have acceleration but don't have a cab extractor..


Any program for compressing stuff (WinZip, WinRAR, 7Zip) will do.

In case of doubt, use 7Zip. It works for me at least.

[mmann]

I have acceleration but don't have a cab extractor..

David

I use winRAR myself, but there are many freeware and trial compression/decompression tools out there that can do the job.

Regards, Mike Mann

OPPS. I see that Bjoern beat me to it!

[SkippyBing]

I thought Windows opened cabs anyway, it's just repacking them you need a utility for.
I 'think' FSX looks for the file outside the cab before it uses the one inside but I'm not 100%.

[n4gix]

FS will look first for a folder with the main gauge name, then look for a .cab file with the same main gauge name...

[fsafranek]

Easiest way I've found is to extract the cab file as described above (I use winrar) and then rename the original so it isn't used anymore.

Rename "fs9gps.cab" to "!fs9gps.cab" or something similar.

Make your changes to the xml files inside the new "\fs9gps.cab" folder that was created when you extracted the files.
:ernae:

[Pepere]

I know the ILS frequencies are given but you arent provide with the course.

You have to use small nob on the bottom right to turn to the airport pages. Once you get to the frequency page you can click on the center of the nob to highlight the ICAO at the top, then use the larger (outside) nob to move down and to scroll through the frequencies.

Hope that helps.

Okay! I found the ILS. Thanks!

Bjoern I got 7Zip. Opened up the mxl file and well - don't think I should mess with that stuff. Thanks for the help...

David

[Pepere]

Okay I've decompiled the xml file then edited it. So how do it get it back into the cab file? 7Zip does not compile files and winzip's trial version was so complicated. So is there a simple program that will simple put the xml file back into the cab file?

David

[sarwulf]

Hello all, on a similar note, I remember somewhere in the past, a discussion on how to restore the GPS terrain map image to a more 3D look like it was in FS9. Does anyone remember how this was done? Thanks!

[Pepere]

Yep I have that it's a new cab file for fs9gps. But don't know where I got it. There is another thread on this subject but cannot find it...

David

[mmann]

Hello all, on a similar note, I remember somewhere in the past, a discussion on how to restore the GPS terrain map image to a more 3D look like it was in FS9. Does anyone remember how this was done? Thanks!

Check out the following site: http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202117 where it mentions a "terrain shadowing" effect for the GPS.

Regards, Mike Mann

[sarwulf]

Thanks Pepere and thanks Mike for the link.

[n4gix]

Okay I've decompiled the xml file then edited it. So how do it get it back into the cab file? 7Zip does not compile files and winzip's trial version was so complicated. So is there a simple program that will simple put the xml file back into the cab file?

David

There are several CAB utilities around, but why bother? Simply leave it "un-CABed..."



FS9 and FSX will automatically search for "gauges" in this order:

1. the aircraft's ..\panel folder for a ..\folder name
2. the aircraft's ..\panel folder for a .CAB name
3. the default ..\Gauges folder for a ..\folder name
4. the default ..\Gauges folder for a .CAB name


But, rather that download a bunch of stuff from MS you don't need, you can d/l CAB MAKER v2.0 from here:

http://www.brothersoft.com/cab-maker-71732.html

[scott967b]

FS2002 sdk has a tool, Cabfile_SDK.exe not sure it adds anything, though there is an option not to compress any bgl files in the cab.

scott s.
.

[Pepere]

I made a folder named fs9gps with the decompiled files in it with out the xml edit and the gps worked normally. When I edited the xml to add the below info it didn't change anything. Don't know if I placed it in correctly. If I edit it, the xml file, incorrectly the gps does not show up in the sim so I know I am effecting it in some way. If someone can show me where to place this data in the gps_500.xml file it may be helpfull. Thanks.

<TerrainShadow>True</< font>TerrainShadow>

<!-- =============FSX TCAS ============== -->
<LayerVehicles>1</< font>LayerVehicles>
<DetailLayerVehicles>True</< font>DetailLayerVehicles>
<TextDetailLayerVehicles>True</< font>TextDetailLayerVehicles>
<ObjectDetailLayerVehicles>0x05</< font>ObjectDetailLayerVehicles>
<ColorLayerVehicles>(@g:setup_ColorTerrain) 1 == if{ 0x006666 } els{ 0x44ffff }</< font>ColorLayerVehicles>
</< font>CustomDraw>

David

[n4gix]

I made a folder named fs9gps with the decompiled files in it with out the xml edit and the gps worked normally. When I edited the xml to add the below info it didn't change anything. Don't know if I placed it in correctly. If I edit it, the xml file, incorrectly the gps does not show up in the sim so I know I am effecting it in some way. If someone can show me where to place this data in the gps_500.xml file it may be helpfull. Thanks.

<TerrainShadow>True</< font>TerrainShadow>

The biggest problem is that this @#@^#$ forum software will NOT allow us to post XML without it being totally mangled... :a1451:

For example, in the single line above the forum has stripped out the closing tag's < and \ characters... it should be (without the blank spaces between the < and / and T):

<TERRAIN Shadow>
<TerrainShadow>True< / </< font>TerrainShadow></TERRAINSHADOW>

[bkeske]

Hey Bill, I have a question. I use the freeware Simflyer 296 handheld GPS in most my 'hand flyers', but noticed a couple months ago it wasn't showing the airspaces, like the default 295.....which can be important keep myself out of 'harms way', or should I say, being the 'harmee' ;)

So....last weekend I uncabbed both to try and figure out what was missing in the simflyer XML file, but could not locate the lines that displayed it in the default so I could 'copy/paste the lines into the Simflyer unit.

Any idea what I should be looking for?


EDIT: Never mind Bill, I swapped out some code for airspace from the default, and now it's back....odd, wonder why that happened? Must have been a small mis-typed code....also added the 'shadowed' terrain. ;)

[n4gix]

EDIT: Never mind Bill, I swapped out some code for airspace from the default, and now it's back....odd, wonder why that happened? Must have been a small mis-typed code....also added the 'shadowed' terrain. ;)

XML scripted "code" is completely intollerant of any missing spaces or characters. Some times all that happens is that a single "statement" will be skipped, but most often the "gauge" will simply disappear entirely (never get drawn on screen).

That's precisely why I always build and edit XML scripts "Live," that is I have FS running and the "gauge loaded" while working the script on a second monitor. After every new line and/or edit, I Save the file, then use Ctrl-Shift-R keys to "Reload Aircraft" so I can test out the functionality being created or edited.

For scripts such as the GPS, which has thousands of lines (my custom GNS530 is currently 5,568 lines!), finding a tiny boo-boo can take many, many hours otherwise! :greenf:

[sblzei]

This turned out to be a terrific modification, worth the effort of doing it.
Thanks everibody for the HU :wavey:

In order to do my part, I deemed useful to recap here the whole operation (including the rebuilding of the CAB file), step by step.

1) back-up your fs9gps.CAB file in the main gauges folder and copy it in another (empty) folder
2) open here this copy with a cab extractor (WinRar, WinZip, 7Zip, etc);
3) delete the copied CAB file amid the extracted files
4) find the GPS_500.xml (and the GPS_295.XML), double click on it and edit it with notepad
5) look for:
.........
< /Element >
< !-- Nav Group -- >
< !-- Map view -- >
< Element Name="MapView Pages" >
and towards the end of this section add/modify the following:
............
< LayerVehicles > 1 < / LayerVehicles ></LAYERVEHICLES>
< TerrainShadow > True < / TerrainShadow ></TERRAINSHADOW>
< /CustomDraw >
(without any of the spaces) and then save notepad
6) close the XML file (it will now "absorb" the modification from notepad)
7) repeat the same operations for the GPS_295. XML

8) go now to the Window Start button /Run: type "iexpress.exe". It will open a Windows (XP, Vista) program that will re-create the cab file
9) following the simple instructions, acquire all the extracted files of the above new folder into this program.
10) run the program, naming the CAB file to be created as "fs9gps". It will be found within the
"Documents and Setting" / "user" files
11) move this modified fs9gps.CAB to the Gauges folder od FSX.

YOU'RE ALL SET!

[Pepere]

Thanks sblzei. I'll give it a shot and let you know tomorrow if I got it working. this is cool!

David

[Pepere]

I DID IT!!!!!! I now have AI traffice on the G500 Gps!! I added the following to sblzei edit and now I get AI trafffice.......


< TerrainShadow > True < / TerrainShadow ></TERRAINSHADOW>
<DETAILLAYERVEHICLES><DETAILLAYERVEHICLES><DetailLayerVehicles>True</< font>DetailLayerVehicles>
<TextDetailLayerVehicles>True</< font>TextDetailLayerVehicles>
<ObjectDetailLayerVehicles>0x05</< font>ObjectDetailLayerVehicles>
<ColorLayerVehicles>(@g:setup_ColorTerrain) 1 == if{ 0x006666 } els{ 0x44ffff }</< font>ColorLayerVehicles>
< /CustomDraw >

This is cool!

I've yet to try to get it back to a "cab" file but it works just as a folder named "fs9gps"

David

[n4gix]

Please note that in David's post the closing tags are "mangled..." They should have "< /" (without the blank space!) at their beginning...

Were the forum software working properly, wrapping [code] tags around the code or XML script using the # button on the toolbar should completely suppress the HTML (re)formatting, so we could post "clean code and/or XML script."

[sblzei]

Please note that in David's post the closing tags are "mangled..." They should have "< /" (without the blank space!) at their beginning...

N4gix,
I'm not sure about the syntax of the last line before "CustomDraw <CUSTOM Draw>"

< ColorLayerVehicles >(@g:setup_ColorTerrain) 1 == if{ 0x006666 } els{ 0x44ffff }</< font>ColorLayerVehicles >

I'm not able to understand exactly where your comment applies in this line, and what blanks are legitimate (I had to introduce some more here, for the known forum reason).
Is it that only the blanks at the beginning should go, or every blank in the line must be avoided?
Is there a "<" missing?


Would you please explain it to me? :ernae:

Thank you,
Ezio

[bkeske]

Ezio,

See this link for the correct coding:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?t=202121

[sblzei]

Thanks Bkeske,

I got it

Ezio

[Pepere]

If someone can gets it all working with AI and all back to a cab file they should post the fs9gps.cab for free download here at SOH (if it is leagal to do so).

David

[bkeske]

Look for a freeware program called 'CabExplorer', I think it's much easier to use than 'Cab Maker'.

[kdl]

I put the "corrected" GPS for download here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?amnp5da0kuakec5


Dieter

[Pepere]

Look for a freeware program called 'CabExplorer', I think it's much easier to use than 'Cab Maker'.


Thanks that worked very good and is very simple. Thanks again.

David

[Pepere]

Have an off this topic question to a SOH official. How does this thread or any 5 star thread win the 5 stars rating award?

thanks

David

[n4gix]

N4gix,
I'm not sure about the syntax of the last line before "CustomDraw <CUSTOM Draw>"

< ColorLayerVehicles >(@g:setup_ColorTerrain) 1 == if{ 0x006666 } els{ 0x44ffff }</< font>ColorLayerVehicles >
Is there a "<" missing?

This: }</ < / </< font>ColorLayerVehicles >

[sblzei]

Look for a freeware program called 'CabExplorer', I think it's much easier to use than 'Cab Maker'.

There is no need for a new program. The cab maker is already in Windows (XP & Vista for sure, don't know about W7). Just go to the Start button, click the "Run" icon and type "iexpress.exe" in the small side window. Check the "Create New Self Extraction Directive File" button and then the "Create Compressed File only" in the next step.
Click "Add" and browse to import at once all the file that you want to go into the Cab.
Click "Next", assign a name to the new cab file and click "next" again without checking any of the two options.
The CAB file wil be located under Documents and Setting/user

I did it and it worked perfectly.

BTW, I cannot get the TCAS addition working, despite an accurate syntax check.
I guess I will stay wit the enhanced map only

Ezio

[bkeske]

Yes, I'm aware, I just find CaExplorer much easier to use than all the others, including the built-in program, as I really don't like having to go to the 'start' button and type all that stuff in, and good luck trying to find that iexpress.exe file so you can make a short-cut.

Thus, a nice icon for this on/in my task bar makes things much simpler....and the program is just so much more intuitive, plus I can tell it where to put the cab file....like my desktop. Again, easier to me for moving files around.

[Pepere]

Got another good one for AI traffic. In a video I saw real traffic displayed on a real MFD. Is it possible to add AI traffice to the default B737_800.cab mfd.xml? I tried it but could not get it to work. I used the same programming as in the GPS. Any help there by any one?

Thanks

David

[n4gix]

Got another good one for AI traffic. In a video I saw real traffic displayed on a real MFD. Is it possible to add AI traffice to the default B737_800.cab mfd.xml? I tried it but could not get it to work. I used the same programming as in the GPS. Any help there by any one?

Thanks

David

The mfd.xml gauge is scripted with the "new FSX schema," so the format of the addon script will need to be modified to use the new schema.

I won't bother to "translate it" and post it HERE because this stupid forum software utterly FUBARS the XML Script, making the effort completely useless!

If and when I find some time, I'll update my forum at flightsim.com to post the translated XML script... :ernae:

[Pepere]

Thank You very much. Let me know when ya do so I can get it. Thanks again.

David