For FS9 Gmax Users - Create a Basic VC with Gauges in 15 Min

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Originally Posted by Milton Shupe

In the video, I named the two vc planars vc01 and vc02. Therefore the self illumination texture for that model would be vc01_L.bmp and vc02_L.bmp.

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I still don't see how the VC planars backlight texture is supposed to rotate with the frequency card of the radio, but based on the answer to the next question I may have to rework the entire instrument again to suit my installation location... Is there a way to rotate the entire instrument in the panel ? I built a receiver with it's default orientation horizontal, I need to rotate it to vertical (-90* on the Y axis, local) to install it into a location in my VC panel. Can I simply rotate the planar axis ?

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Originally Posted by MaddogK

I still don't see how the VC planars backlight texture is supposed to rotate with the frequency card of the radio, but based on the answer to the next question I may have to rework the entire instrument again to suit my installation location... Is there a way to rotate the entire instrument in the panel ? I built a receiver with it's default orientation horizontal, I need to rotate it to vertical (-90* on the Y axis, local) to install it into a location in my VC panel. Can I simply rotate the planar axis ?

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Mdk, it would be helpful to see a screenshot of your existing situation. I hate to answer blindly fearing setting you off in a wrong direction.

If your radio is a 2D gauge displayed on a planar in front of and linked to an object, rotate the object and the planar rotates with it.
If the planar is separate (from other vc parts), then yes, you can rotate it (with its background object) and position it anywhere in the cockpit.
The light map is part of the same material and rotates with it.
The light map lights the whole area independent of any moving parts of the 2D gauge.
Light maps are simply additive lighting to the texture making up the radio.

Once again, a screenshot would help.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Milton Shupe

Mdk, it would be helpful to see a screenshot of your existing situation. I hate to answer blindly fearing setting you off in a wrong direction.

If your radio is a 2D gauge displayed on a planar in front of and linked to an object, rotate the object and the planar rotates with it.
If the planar is separate (from other vc parts), then yes, you can rotate it (with its background object) and position it anywhere in the cockpit.
The light map is part of the same material and rotates with it.
The light map lights the whole area independent of any moving parts of the 2D gauge.
Light maps are simply additive lighting to the texture making up the radio.

Once again, a screenshot would help.

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Gimme a sec, I'll post up a screenie but...

:redfire::redfire::redfire:

Rotatating the planar axis DOES allow the instrument in the panel to be rotated. Here's a pic of the current location(s), tho the one in the main panel will be removed as soon as I figure out why the rotated version has an inverted dial card color. What I was hoping for was illuminated numbers and marks on the dial card, not backlighting of the dial card background so the lightmap would have to rotate with the dialcard.

<edit> Inverting the dialcard alpha channel fixxed the inverted color on the rotated radio, tho I'm at a loss why it didn't have that issue on the horizontal mounted radio. #shrug

Tho... I guess if I could make the numbers transparent and create a white background on the planar for the numbers for the backlighting ???

Well...I'm not particularly thrilled with how it looks in the 3d cockpit, so I was wondering if I could place poly's on the viewers side of the planar (sandwich the planar between between 2 static objects) to keep the 2d gauge functionality but give it the depth it lacks? I'm not sure I'm ready to learn how to make 3d gauges as I barely have a grasp of XML enough to get 2D gauges to work.

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Originally Posted by MaddogK

Well...I'm not particularly thrilled with how it looks in the 3d cockpit, so I was wondering if I could place poly's on the viewers side of the planar (sandwich the planar between between 2 static objects) to keep the 2d gauge functionality but give it the depth it lacks? I'm not sure I'm ready to learn how to make 3d gauges as I barely have a grasp of XML enough to get 2D gauges to work.

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You can put objects in front of the 2D gauge as long as you are not covering any functional, clickable area of the 2D gauge. It will probably look strange though.

You would be better off just improving the 3D look of the 2D gauge bmp.