Panel creation

[KellyB]

I am interested in making some new panels, and can't find any guides that start from scratch. Either I'm using the wrong search criteria or there isn't one.
I find a lot of info on how to repaint aircraft, but not the panels themselves. It started when I merely wanted to recolor a panel bmp, and didn't get anywhere useful. Clearly I need to know way more about how they are created.

Any pointers will be gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

[Milton Shupe]

Kelly,

I would recommend FS Panel Studio to ease the burden a bit.

Panels are made up of textures and gauges.
FSPS helps you assemble, place, and size gauges around the 2D panel surface. You can also edit gauge components using FSPS.

With 2D panels being fairly flexible to create or change, the FSPS will help easily enough with assembling the panel.cfg entries.

The 3D VC panels are a different story and there are many variants as to how they are created and displayed.
Your panel surfaces are dictated by the modeler and may not be subject to any changes in some instances.

3D panel backgrounds could be found in the panel folder or texture folder depending on how it is built.
If the 3D panels are built as sectioned flat surfaces, textured with gauges placed anywhere on them, they can be modified similar to the 2D panel but requires a different approach if you want to use FSPS to help.

It will help your understanding of the panel.cfg entries to download the Panel SDK.

[KellyB]

Thanks, Milton, but what I don't see in FSPanel is a way to either create the panel bmp itself or modify it. I sort of get how to place gauges, but can't find for the life of me how to create the panel into which those gauges fit.

[Opus the Pirate Hunter]

Go to FSDeveloper and download the Panels and Gauges SDK and the Terrain SDK for FS2004

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/dow...p?do=cat&id=10

The Panels and Gauges SDK will cover how to make a panel. The Terrain SDK has Image Tool.exe in it which you will need to convert the format of your panel bmp files.

Basically once you have the panel image where you want it in your image program you use Image Tool to convert it to 24bit or 8bit image.

Size of the image is really up to you the high quality panels for FS2004 were 1024 x 768

Most of your work will be in your image program (Paint Shop Pro, Gimp, Photoshop).

[Dangerousdave26]

True Black 0,0,0 will of course be transparent. To represent black use color code 020202

Be cautious of converting to 8bit depth as some quality will be lost.

[gaucho_59]

True Black 0,0,0 will of course be transparent. To represent black use color code 020202

Be cautious of converting to 8bit depth as some quality will be lost.

I posted - a long time ago - an offer to tutor panel painting as well as arrangement .... and never had a single reply...
You seem earnestly interested and yet apparently never saw the posting...
My offer still stands... PM me if you need help... especially with painting... All modesty aside... I am an extremely qualified
graphics artist... visit my thread to see examples of my work.... (just posted a redo of a Raiden panel) in FS 2004 forum...

[KellyB]

There are days when I'm brighter than others...thanks for the lead to the sdk; I didn't know about the detail in them.
I have some homework to do, and I'l most likely be back when I know enough to form a more intelligent question.

This is on-again, off-again thing for me, since RL takes more time than it should...a lot of it having to do with grandchildren, so it's ok.

Gaucho, your work testifies to your skill, and when I have some basics under my belt, I'll take you up on your offer.

Thanks to all.

[Morton]

Talking about panels.. why are 2D panels still made only in the old 1024x768 format? Nowadays I allways make them in widescreen format like f.ex 1680x1050 which most uses. The old 1024 resololution bitamps looks crude and they also get distorted on widescreens. Just a hint..

Morton