Falcon 50 in FSX

[simkid22]

After checking out the Falcon 50 thread in the FS9 forums I though that the fun shouldn't be limited to just them. Guess what it ports over! (for the most part) The model doesn't have any problems with untextured parts and no props to worry about. Aside from the usual gauge problems found in panels of this vintage, the only other problem is I cant get the panel in the VC to show up. I'm hoping the VC issue is an alpha channel problem. Untill a fully FSX F-50 is out, this is a great substitute.

[Warrant]

Great model (originally a FS2002 bird to my best recollection).
Had many fun hours with it. Has a great virtual interior as well.

Perhaps you should browse some French sites iot find out if some FSX mods are done.

If you have problems with understanding (reading) French, use Google translator.

[simkid22]

Je connait francais just not that many french FS sites :redf:

[Lionheart]

Try looking up Yannik Lavinne (I think thats his name). He was into FS strongly years ago.

Wozza might know him also.



Bill

[expat]

Think that's spelled Lavigne, actually.

[Daube]

I tried to correct this issue some time ago by editing the Alpha channels in DXTBMP. Normally I am quite used to this kind of corrections, but in this precise case I was completely unable to get a proper display of the VC.

This plane looks great so I hope somebody will find a trick to make it work.

[JT8D-9A]

Do you already use the modification by Martin Becker (for FS9, but who knows..): http://www.flusi.info/files/Falcon50_2k4.zip ?

And a few improvements:

[flight_tuning]
cruise_lift_scalar =1.0
parasite_drag_scalar =0.9
induced_drag_scalar =0.9
elevator_effectiveness =7.0
aileron_effectiveness =3.0
rudder_effectiveness =3.0
pitch_stability =1.0
roll_stability =1.0
yaw_stability =1.0
elevator_trim_effectiveness=1.0
aileron_trim_effectiveness =1.0
rudder_trim_effectiveness =1.0

[Autopilot]
autothrottle_max_rpm=99

Checklist: http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=73273

Falcon 50 Training Manual: http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=24819

Maybe you can fix it with MDLMat.

[n4gix]

Several years ago I was sent the interior of the Falcon50's .gmax file so I could rebuilt it to FS2004 specifications and add emissive gauge backlighting.

After devoting two weeks of my valuable time to the project, I returned the completed project to them. Unfortunately, they never rolled the new VC into the original .gmax source file, nor did they ever release an updated model...

...I'm still quite annoyed about that!

[Daube]

Maybe you should send those sources to some of the freeware makers here, so that they get a chance to convert this beauty to native FSX SP2 (or at least, FSX SP2 compatible) ?

[n4gix]

Maybe you should send those sources to some of the freeware makers here, so that they get a chance to convert this beauty to native FSX SP2 (or at least, FSX SP2 compatible) ?

Well, that would be a problem for several reasons. The primary one being that I don't even have the entire interior of the model. I only have the glareshield and virtual panels.

More to the point though it would be unethical for me to share even that partial .gmax file and bitmaps without permission from the original modeler...

...and he hasn't been answering email for well over three years now...

[vonstroheim]

I tried to correct this issue some time ago by editing the Alpha channels in DXTBMP. Normally I am quite used to this kind of corrections, but in this precise case I was completely unable to get a proper display of the VC.

This plane looks great so I hope somebody will find a trick to make it work.

Hi guys, I was able to make the Yannick Lavigne's Dassault Falcon 50 Virtual Cockpit to show properly in FSX. And replaced most of the gauges by some from the default King Air and Lear, and some freeware gauges from the Concorde (attitude and trim) and Dassault Alphajet (gear and flpas). It looks good! I still have to do the overhead panel... And didn't find a nice weather radar yet... Ok this is an old fs2002 design, but the impact on the FSX framerate is minimal, unlike most fs9 port-over! And this plane was so well designed back then (by Yannick Lavigne - Fred Banting - Rob Young), it is still a freeware gem even in FSX!!! I found some tips in a french forum, I'll try to find it again so I can credit the guy. Don't know how to publish this... Any advice? It's only 2 bmp files and the panel.cfg reworked...
Attachment 21921

[Daube]

Wow, congratulations !
Looks like you did a pretty good job here, can't wait to see the final result. Yes this plane was built for FS2002, but it was nicely shaped and it had excellent textures, so it still looks very good today.

[vonstroheim]

Several years ago I was sent the interior of the Falcon50's .gmax file so I could rebuilt it to FS2004 specifications and add emissive gauge backlighting.
After devoting two weeks of my valuable time to the project, I returned the completed project to them. Unfortunately, they never rolled the new VC into the original .gmax source file, nor did they ever release an updated model...
...I'm still quite annoyed about that!

Yes it's a pity the original designers are hard to track down... Would you have better luck than me? Today I've made the night lighting cockpit with some King Air and Bell default gauges. For the engine gauges it looks nice but it is highly unrealistic, the King Air is not a trijet ! If you look very closely you'll see prop rpm gauges... shame... Where do I find trijet engine analog gauges? and the overhead panel is hard to build...
Since my laptop has a 16:9 screen, I've made a widescreen 2d panel...
Attachment 21976Attachment 21977
There's no secret here, basicaly all you have to do for making the VC show in FSX, make some background panel bmp images and in the panel.cfg add a "file" line like this:

[VCockpit01]
file=panel_VC1.bmp
size_mm=1024,1024
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$vcg1
background_color=0,0,0
visible=1
[...]

There's 4 places like this, 2 for day (pilot left half panel+copilot right half panel), 2 for night (same). So I just made 4 bmp images, tweaked the gauges, et voila ! Thanks to André (esmdu) at pilote-virtuel.com for the tip.

[falcon409]

Would be great if once this is all figured out, it was posted somewhere together. I looked for and downloaded what I could find, but after loading everything all I get is "Visual Model cannot be displayed".
Also, just a personal opinion, but if this guys been invisible for 3yrs and you've made every effort to locate him with no results. . .I think you've gone beyond the statute of limitations for feeling bad if you turn what you have over to someone else to finish.
At the outset I'm sure he wanted this to be protected and that's all well and good, but if you leave the sim world, change your name or e-mail address or move to another country and fail to leave any forwarding information. . . . . . ."I'm just sayin'"

[expat]

Yikes! Almost missed this. Yes, I agree you can post these changes in the circumstances - this was freeware and has been modded by third parties before. So please post these updates!

[expat]

She doesn't look too bad either in FSX . .

[Bjoern]

For a weather radar, try the one from CalClassic's Convair 580.

[vonstroheim]

Yes making progress with my Falcon panel for FSX. I know some of you are doing the same around here. Hope the buzz will catch and a nice set of gauges will suddendly appear! I might have found a weather radar with a MD11 package, but still no trijet analog gauges... don't want no glass cockpit with this Falcon. Not yet... I've checked a very nice Tristar, even a Tupolev 154, but I was disappointed with the gauges, most of them fs2002, again...
Help!
Attachment 22255
Sylvain's Clemenceau is so nice.... Can't help uploading this one:
Attachment 22256
And this one...
Attachment 22257

[Bjoern]

Try the gauges from HJG's panels, they're (said to be) FSX compatible.

http://www.simviation.com/hjg/

[Daube]

Yes making progress with my Falcon panel for FSX. I know some of you are doing the same around here. Hope the buzz will catch and a nice set of gauges will suddendly appear! I might have found a weather radar with a MD11 package, but still no trijet analog gauges... don't want no glass cockpit with this Falcon. Not yet... I've checked a very nice Tristar, even a Tupolev 154, but I was disappointed with the gauges, most of them fs2002, again...
Help!
Attachment 22255
Sylvain's Clemenceau is so nice.... Can't help uploading this one:
Attachment 22256
And this one...
Attachment 22257

The gauges from the liners at dmflightsim.co.uk are compatible with FSX.
Also, the Dassault aircrafts made by Rollus, I'm thinking about the Mirage IV for example, have compatible gauges.

[vonstroheim]

Thanks guys, you're most helpful!

The gauges from the HJG's 727 are compatible indeed and very nice but don't light up at night!
I'll try the gauges from the Mirage IV. The Trident from dmflightsim.co.uk looks promising as well... So far it looks like this:

2D panel for 16:9 monitors:
Attachment 22352

2D panel for 4:3 monitors:
Attachment 22353
The real one looks like this, close enough isn't it? The credit goes to Lavigne and Cie of course...
Attachment 22355

[vonstroheim]

With some Tristar gauges (thanks guys) I've improved a lot the Falcon 50 panel. Find it here:
http://simviation.com/1/search?submi...iStar+2d+panel

There's a fake weather radar, that's alright... It's a real trijet, awesome! There's a lot of switches I might use for the overhead panel, nice!

But gauges don't light up at night. Can I live with that? Mmmm... Not sure... So I'll keep looking for the right medecine...

Attachment 22453

[fsafranek]

With some Tristar gauges (thanks guys) I've improved a lot the Falcon 50 panel. Find it here:
http://simviation.com/1/search?submi...iStar+2d+panel

There's a fake weather radar, that's alright... It's a real trijet, awesome! There's a lot of switches I might use for the overhead panel, nice!

But gauges don't light up at night. Can I live with that? Mmmm... Not sure... So I'll keep looking for the right medecine...

Attachment 22453

Looks like it's coming along nicely. Can we have a copy of your panel.cfg when you get closer? Perhaps we can help?
:ernae:

[vonstroheim]

After studying closely how Philippe Wallaert made his xml gauges for his Tristar panel, and after reading some posts in freeflightdesign by Frank about Gau2Bmp and FS Panel Studio (that's the one I use), I've come to the conclusion that the best road to make a nice Falcon in FSX is to extract the bitmaps from all the YL50_xxx.gau file from the original FS98 gauges by Fred Banting and Yannick Lavigne, and then build new ones in XML... It's going to take some time, sure...
By using stock gauges from the Kingair and such, it's working but it's not satisfying...
By using the Tristar gauges by Philippe Wallaert, I feel like a thief....
I'm sure some people are already doing such reverse engeeniring with old FS98 gauges, so yes some help, tips or psychological support is much welcome! And some counselling about copyright could help too... No need to upset anybody by publishing something wrong or too soon...

New screenshot... Changes are not obvious but I'm learning a lot!
Attachment 22584

[expat]

That is looking superb.

Am contiuing to experiment, but am several steps behind you. I can't seem to get any night lighting in the VC. It's pretty dark. I have a hyrbrid 2d panel right now using digital EADI and EHSI gauges from the Flight1 PC-12 - which you see retrofitted in quite a few Falcons - while retaining the analogue engine and other gauges. Will start swapping out some of the King Air for the L1011 gauges now. Please keep us posted on your xml work.