Side view panel

[OBIO]

Mongst my many other projects is a conversion of the freeware Alpha Sim C-130 collection to CFS2. One of particular interest is the AC-130A Gun Ship. I want to create a panel view that will allow the player to see the carnage of all those gatling guns shredding ground objects...something along the lines of a bomb site, but looking downward at a side angle. Creating the panel bmp for this is the easy part...and the part I know how to do. The rest of setting this bugger up is beyond my current panel abilities (I use CFGedit). I can use the same set up as used in the Austin Bomb site (by Ken Austin...whom I keep referring to as Steve Austin in read me files) to activate the view (Fixed Window with a Concorde gauge linked to it). Mainly I am seeking a detailed and easy to understand "how to" on adjusting the view so that the Gun Window is facing outward from the left side of the plane and downward at a 45 degree angle or so.

OBIO

[Moparmike]

I've got my gaming rig tore apart for cleaning at the moment, but what you're wanting to do is pretty simple. Might have to do the edit in Notepad...some versions of CfgEdit seem to muck up the fixed window positions needed to accomplish the view.

I'll grab an example and post it up tomorrow morning after some sleep and I get things reassembled. If you've got the FDG A-20 Havoc, you can look at how those rear turret viewpoints are done. Those viewpoint definition lines are what you need to make a bombsight or the side cannon views for your Spooky.

[OBIO]

Thanks MoparMike (love the name by the way...nothing like old Mopar muscle...can't stand most new Dodges, but a 69 Dart melts this die hard GM man every time).

I will have to see if I have the FDG A-20 installed...I am 99% sure I have it someplace amongst the hundred and hundred on planes I have stored away on CD....I spend more time downloading and working on planes than I do flying them. I don't have a flight sim, I have an Air Mechanics Sim.

OBIO

[Moparmike]

Okay,

Here's some code snips from the FDG A-20 panel.cfg showing the rear views from the upper turret. These are fixed views (ala FS2000)...the viewpoint is altered so that when the hat switch is pressed for each of these three views; the viewpoint, viewing angle, and zoom level are changed.





[Window Titles]
Window00=Main Panel
Window01=Throttle Quadrant
Window02=Navigation/Fuel-Dump
Window03=Trim
Window04=Autopilot
Fixed Window32=Rear Right //rear turret right
Fixed Window33=Rear //rear turret gunsight view
Fixed Window34=Rear Left //rear turret left



[VIEWS]
VIEW_FORWARD_WINDOWS=MAIN_PANEL,THROTTLE_PANEL,31, 41,51 //this is needed to turn OFF the main cockpit panels when switching

to the turret views


VIEW_REAR_RIGHT_WINDOWS=32
VIEW_REAR_RIGHT_ZOOM=0.500
VIEW_REAR_RIGHT_EYE=-0.185, 0.200, -5.250 //X,Y,Z viewpoint origin in feet from MDL origin point
VIEW_REAR_RIGHT_DIR=0.000, 0.000, 135.000 //Pitch, Bank, Heading change of viewing angle (0-360 degrees)

VIEW_REAR_WINDOWS=33
VIEW_REAR_ZOOM=0.500
VIEW_REAR_EYE=0.185, 0.200, -5.250
VIEW_REAR_DIR=-1.000, 0.000, 180.000

VIEW_REAR_LEFT_WINDOWS=34
VIEW_REAR_LEFT_ZOOM=0.500
VIEW_REAR_LEFT_EYE=0.185, 0.200, -5.250
VIEW_REAR_LEFT_DIR=0.000, 0.000, 225.000


//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window00]
file=A20_640.bmp
file_1024=A20_1024.bmp
size_mm=1024,768
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=7
visible=1
ident=MAIN_PANEL
render_3d_window=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

//gauges snipped

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window01]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=175,188
position=6
visible=0
ident=THROTTLE_PANEL
sizeable=1

gauge00=FDG2_B17!Throttle Quadrant, 1,-1,158


//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window02]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=125,300
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=31
window_size= 0.110, 0.380
window_pos= 0.890, 0.620

//gauges snipped


//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window03]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=83,86
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=41
sizeable=1
window_size= 0.171, 0.242
window_pos= 0.820, 0.010

//gauges snipped


//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window04]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=240,72
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=51
window_size= 0.300, 0.120
window_pos= 0.580, 0.880

//gauges snipped


//--------------------------------------------------------
[Fixed Window32]
Background_color=0,0,0
position=7
visible=0
ident=32
render_3d_window=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000



//--------------------------------------------------------
[Fixed Window33]
file=REAR.bmp
position=7
visible=0
ident=33
render_3d_window=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000



//--------------------------------------------------------
[Fixed Window34]
Background_color=0,0,0
position=7
visible=0
ident=34
render_3d_window=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000




You might want to try using the VIEW_DOWN_xxxx entries for your gunsight view. This will bring up your view with the down command which usually isn't used that often...this'll leave the regular hat view directions free for their normal use.

snipped from KM's Ju-88 panel

VIEW_DOWN_WINDOWS=GPS_PANEL //use your own ident entry here
VIEW_DOWN_ZOOM=1.0
VIEW_DOWN_EYE=0.3, -0.2, 1.0
VIEW_DOWN_DIR=55.0, 0.0, 0.0
With the above sample from K Malinowski's Ju-88, he's using the "concorde!GPS-Display-Toggle" to turn the down view on/off.

Also, attached is a copy of the FS2000 Panel SDK PDF file. Might be able to get a little more info from it.

Hope this helps! It's been a while since I've muddled around on this stuff...might be a bit rusty!