Simworks Studios Midway Deck Configuration Gauge

[Scianoir]

Hi,
This may be a question to which there is a very obvious answer, but having recently installed the SWS Midway Battlegroup, I cannot seem to be able to access the Deck Configuration Gauge / Carrier Extension Manager (CEM). I note from the manual that the Deck Configuration Gauge is described as "a first in Flight Simulator X and Prepar3D" so I assume it should be present somewhere (!) but I cannot seem to be able to find it. There is appears to be no shortcut for it on the desktop and it is not in the dropdown Add-ons menu in FSX which contains 3 SWS entries for Carriers, Radios and Fleet nor in any of the sub-menus found under these. I am a very experienced flight simmer having been at this hobby for 25 years or so, but I am quite new to carrier operations and, although I am enjoying the challenge that SWS Midway provides, the carrier decks look a bit bare and it would be nice to populate them with some aircraft!
Any help in getting to the bottom of this mystery would be appreciated!
Many thanks in advance,
Bill

[dhazelgrove]

Does "<ctrl> + d" do anything?

Dave

[Scianoir]

Does "<ctrl> + d" do anything?

Dave

Thanks Dave, it brings up a window called Deck Configuration with boxes within it labelled CARRIERS and DECK STATES but these boxes are empty and nothing on the window seems clickable. This is nothing like the image in the Deck Configuration Gauge section of the manual which is described as the Carriers Extension Manager which includes a plan view of the carrier with controls for Elevators, Hangar Doors and Deck Lights plus check boxes for pre-defined configurations of static aircraft on the bottom right.

Bill

[Scianoir]

This is what appears when I use Ctrl+D (or select Deck Config from the SWS Carriers drop down menu in Add-ons) and it is completely non-functional:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=76390&stc=1

However, from the manual, this is what I understand should appear:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=76391&stc=1

I note however the following comment copied from the manual:
Deck configuration gaugeNOTE: The Midway class carriers are NOT COMPATIBLE with the new Dynamic Deck Editor that appears under Add-ons->SWS Carriers->Deck config. This package uses the legacy panel system that appeared in the initial release.


From searching the threads on Sim-Outhouse (there doesn't seem to be a Simworks support forum as such) I can see a comment from someone connected with Simworks which states: "As far as Deck Config goes: it is NOT supported by Midway/Coral sea and won't work. For these ships, the old panel-based system we had before still stands and is covered in the Midway manual."

My question is how do I access this 'old panel-based system' as it doesn't seem to appear in any of the drop down menus, there is no desktop shortcut for it and a search of my computer does seem to reveal files related to it anywhere!

Bill

[dhazelgrove]

Gotcha!

You need to add new 2D panel pop-up windows in each of the aircraft that you want to use with the Midway.

This will do it for the 1973 version, if you're comfortable making these mods yourself:

__________________________________________________ _________________
[WindowXX]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm = 1280, 720
sizeable = 1
visible = 0
ident = 3061 ;do not change this number
window_size = 0.7, 0.67
window_pos = 0.015, 0.015

gauge00 = CEM!CV41_73_MGR, 0, 0, 1280, 720
gauge01 = CEM!CEM_BG, 0, 0, 1, 1

__________________________________________________ _________________

You need one of these for each of the Coral Sea (1965, 1973) and Midway (1973) -- so that's three new windows.

PM me if you get stuck.

Dave

[Scianoir]

Aha! So far I had only tested the Aerosoft F-14 with the Battlegroup and I had already used the CEX Aircraft Configurator on this. It obviously modifies the panel.cfg appropriately, as I opened this to insert the mods you suggested only to find they were already there! My mistake was that I was looking for this window under the Add-ons drop down menu and hadn't thought of looking for it under the Views / Instrument Panel drop down menu! I guess the clue was in the phrase 'the old panel-based system' in the manual but I'm afraid I missed that!

Many thanks again for your kind help Dave - much appreciated!

Bill