SimTech P-39 question

[falcon409]

First of all, is anyone flying this little beauty in FSX and if so, do you have a remedy for the missing instrument panels? It's odd that half of them show and the other half don't. I've looked over the panel.cfg and the textures. Nothing really stood out in the cfg file and the textures for the VC are all on one large texture, so why would some show and not others?

[warchild]

I believe that what may be happening is that the gauges you are seeing are all xml gauges, which get placed on the topmost layer. if the textures are next, then any gau type gauges will be placed under those textures.. so it just may be that the gauges you cant see are hidden from view.. Thats just a guess though.. :(

[srgalahad]

ed, I think Pam is right. Try switching one of the missing ones and add in an XML "anything" gauge to see if it shows.

If that doesn't work or you don't get a better answer give me a shout. I should be talking to Tom this weekend and I'll ask. I know he's run it in FSX for the fun of it.
Admittedly, it's a pretty old beast with some old-style coding so there may be another issue. We talked about a possible 'restoration' but it would be harder than the Twin Beech so it got shot down pretty fast.

Rob

[Ken Stallings]

Hey, when you are speaking with Tom Wood, please pass along my warm regards for him!

Cheers,

Ken

[falcon409]

Probably didn't explain that one well enough, it's not the gauges that are a problem (by the way, they are "all CFS2 Gauges"), but the panel bitmap under them that isn't showing. The texture plate below shows what I mean. Compare the VC pic with the textures. The left side and bottom bitmaps are showing in the VC, but the upper and rt side bitmaps are not. Why would one set of bitmaps show and not the rest since they all come off the the same texture plate?

[Marvin Carter]

Ed prob. some thing to do with the gauge poly format?

[falcon409]

Ya lost me there Marvin, lol

[falcon409]

:bump::bump:

[Marvin Carter]

A gauge poly is like a transparent projector scene that the gauges are placed on, in earlier modeling programs other than say G-max they have problems in FSX. If you notis part of your panel frame is missing also.I don't really know that much about it mabe some one that knows more about it could help?

[falcon409]

If you notice, part of your panel frame is missing also.

lol, lol, Thanks Marvin, that's exactly what this whole thread was originally about. No offense to anyone who has answered here, but why has everyone concentrated on the gauges? if you actually look at the images I posted, it isn't the gauges I am asking about. As I mentioned from the beginning and even posted a shot of the texture file to show, it is the panel bitmap that's missing, not the gauges. All I wanted to know was if anyone could tell me why half of the panel bitmap works (in the VC cockpit image you can see the left panel and the bottom panels) and the other half doesn't (in the VC cockpit image you can see that the upper bitmap and the right bitmap are missing). Also look at the image I posted of the texture from this airplane. It shows that all parts of the VC are on one texture. Since that's the case, why would some of it be visible and some not?

Again I am sorry if I seem irritated, but everyone went off on the gauges as the problem I was asking about. If you read my first post and look closely at the image of the VC I posted, you'll see that the gauges are all in place, but the bitmaps for the background panels are not. That's what the original post was asking. Somehow this became a search for gauges that were never missing to begin with, lol.

[gradyhappyg]

I have it in FS9 so I ported it over to FSX just to see. Same issue only left half of the panel background showing in the VC. It's even worse with the lights on at night shows missing stuff as bright yellow. Shame nice lil plane and I don't know enough to figure this one out. If you can let me know. Wouldn't mind a P39 in the FSX warbird hanger.

[falcon409]

I have it in FS9 so I ported it over to FSX just to see. Same issue only left half of the panel background showing in the VC. It's even worse with the lights on at night shows missing stuff as bright yellow. Shame nice lil plane and I don't know enough to figure this one out. If you can let me know. Wouldn't mind a P39 in the FSX warbird hanger.
Ok, so it isn't something just with my installation. Good to know. It's probably gonna turn out to be some issue within the mdl file which can't be touched other than manipulating the colors. Oh well.

[Brett_Henderson]

It's most likely a material problem. When you create a material in Gmax, it asks you if you want it to be an FSX material. Most FS9 materials port over without issue, some do not.

[falcon409]

It's most likely a material problem. When you create a material in Gmax, it asks you if you want it to be an FSX material. Most FS9 materials port over without issue, some do not.
. . .and that kinda reinforces my main question, which is why would one area show and not the other? If it is a material issue, I wonder why it would have been coded differently if it all has to work together to show the VC panels? Very odd. But I've kinda conceded this is just how it is. I can still fly it like that, it just would have been nice to get the entire VC bitmap to display. Thanks Brett!:salute:

[Brett_Henderson]

. . .and that kinda reinforces my main question, which is why would one area show and not the other? If it is a material issue, I wonder why it would have been coded differently if it all has to work together to show the VC panels? Very odd. But I've kinda conceded this is just how it is. I can still fly it like that, it just would have been nice to get the entire VC bitmap to display. Thanks Brett!:salute:

You're welcome.. but lemme 'splain further :wiggle:

There's a difference between a material, and a texture (bipmat). You map a texture so that the proper portion of it, is superimposed onto the part (or polygon). You define a material to have certain properties. The same texture/bitmap can be used in any number of materials. For example.. different levels of reflectivity, or lighting, or transparency might be required for different parts, even though they all have the same bitmap mapped to them... like.. parts of that panel would be smooth (shiney), and parts would be rough, or matte-ish (dull).. different materials / same bitmap.

Aside from opening up the source-file and making all the materials into FSX materials and recompiling it (you'd have to re-do the animations too).. you can experiment with the alpha channel, by making it a different shade where the offending parts are.. It's a shot in the dark, but who knows ?

[srgalahad]

Ok, so it isn't something just with my installation. Good to know. It's probably gonna turn out to be some issue within the mdl file which can't be touched other than manipulating the colors. Oh well.

LOL.. I installed the P-39 last night and found the same problem but it was late before I'd finished digging around for ideas - and I had to work this AM. Grit your teeth a bit longer and I'll shake Tom's tree (but may not get anything back til Monday). If we can't get a cure at least we may learn the "why".

It is a nice model otherwise and I even found myself enjoying the stock soundset more in FSX than -9. Sure it needs some paintwork and the usual 'fixes' but... (kinda I'm surprised this wasn't on anyone's early to-do list as a new model for FSX).

Rob

[falcon409]

Thanks Rob,

I found it to be an excellent port really and had it not been for the panel miscues, I'd be totally happy with it as is. You're right, the stock sounds are really quite nice and I'm enjoying the flying experience despite the minor glitch.:salute: