High resolution GPS terrain?

[PRB]

This is odd. Here are two pics, one from FS9 and the other from FSX. Default GPS, at the same scale, from the same airport (L17, Taft). The “high resolution” one is from FS9. I wonder what this is about. I do remember when I got the high res GPS in FS9 – it was after installing FSGlobal2005. Now I have FSGlobal2008 installed in both FS9 and FSX. What gives? I like my FS9 high res GPS. I want it in FSX too!

[falcon409]

Hmmm, never noticed it before, good question PRB.:salute:

[jetstreamsky]

Noticed that as sson as I installed FSX, the lack of detail was obvious when navigating the mountains. I think it was a deliberate MS change to help with frame rates in FSX which sucked pretty badly with the hardware prevalent then, given the drag on the system when the GPS updates.

[PRB]

Could it be as simple as swapping out the GPS gauges...? Hmm... I'll report back..

[PRB]

Nope, it isn't that easy. FSX does have an fs9gps.cab file, but it's bigger than the fs9 cab file of the same name, so I was hopeful one of the differences might be this. But the one from the FS9 gauges folder doesn't make any difference. Oh well.

[ananda]

I think it is because of the low resolution default mesh

[expat]

Been wanting to ask this question for a while and raise it here as it is related: why when almost everything else in FS land gets impressively upgraded - commercially and by the freeware community - particulalrly e.g. hi-res textures, scenery, gauges, repaints, has the look of the GPS "moving map" - the default, but also the well-known payware ones available, never really changed at all in appearance since probably FS8 days?

I know a real, e.g., Garmin GNS530 costs around $12-15,000 a pop, so don't expect this kind of standard, but there must be some limitation in the coding in FS9/FSX that has kept people far more clever and talented than I from playing around with it and improving its detail, color variation, and overall look.

Attachment 10992

[CodyValkyrie]

Been wanting to ask this question for a while....

I think that picture you provided is from the G1000 off of the Cessna Mustang? If so, it is deresolute. Not even sure if that is a word. It was made to mimic apparently how a real G1000 with that particular package setup reflects ground terrain, thus is pixelates the terrain. That is my understanding at least.

I wonder if perhaps the current iteration of the Garmins in FS reflects a more realistic depiction of terrain reading as well, whereas the old FS9 versions were much too high in detail....

... just a theory anyways.

[teson1]

Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/sho...d.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

[expat]

I think that picture you provided is from the G1000 off of the Cessna Mustang?

Actually from Garmin's website.

I don't have the FS Mustang but am not aware of payware a/c have made a major/quantum leap re the map display design and appearance, but interested to hear reports of progress in this regard and learn how this works. Presumably there is some kind of software "engine" that generates the images and it would seem that this is not too easy to modify.

[mike_cyul]

Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/sho...d.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

That's it - I think the only difference there is the shading.

Mike

[falcon409]

That information also refers back to a sticky on how to add traffic to the Garmin 500 as well. I looked at the xml file and decided at a glance that I wasn't going to mess with anything in there, but someone who's comfortable editing xml might find the information useful.:salute:

[Dain Arns]

Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/sho...d.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

Thank you for pointing that out. That has been a minor peeve of mine for a couple years now.
Actually it isn't all that hard to do, and looks great now.

[Peritas]

Hi Falcon409, I have tweaked my gauge and now it works!
If you like, you can send me a PM, so I can reply to you with the gauge...

Luca

[n4gix]

Bill Leaming posted a solution to this issue at flightsim some time ago:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/sho...d.php?t=202117

BR

Gunter

Thank you, Gunter. You saved me the trouble of looking up the link...

[modelr]

I have WinRar installed. I can open and extract from .cab files for editing. However, I cannot replace them back into the .cab file. WinRar can only create/copy to/replace inside .rar and .zip files. Any suggestions?? My OS is Win 7 Home Premium 64.

[Tako_Kichi]

Technically you don't need to repack the .cab file...the files will work just as well unpacked.

[Peritas]

Well, in XP you can find the "C:\Windows\System32 directory", in this directory you can find the command: "iexpress.exe". This is the CAB creator for Windows. But I don't know if it operates for Vista or W7 too: I believe that you can try...

Luca

[expat]

Well, I made a hash of that! :d:d

Have edited - even successfully(!) - XML files before. Understand you can't get one space wrong etc. I have a couple of freeware (Don Kuhn) gps units and was not clear which was default and which were these in my FSX Gauges folder. Problem was, I could not using "Find" in Notepad, the line with "LayerVehicles" in it. Also was not 100% sure I found the last <CustomDraw> entry. Anyway, loaded FSX and the GPS units would not appear at all so reverted back to back up originals.

Oh,well ..

[Peritas]

Hi expat! I had same problems with Notepad: text is not very readable, because the format is not correct. So I have used Windows Worpad: it is better and more readable.
You can find it in C:\Windows\system32\write.exe.

[JoeW]

Microsoft has a program to edit and write XML files and it's free.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
I hope I did that right.

[falcon409]

I tried to install that but the installer quit because.NET framework 2.0 isn't installed. How many of these things does one version of windows need? I have 4.0 installed. . .if I install 2.0 does that overwrite 4.0? If it does, then this xmlnotepad is useless.:salute:

[Dangerousdave26]

The better editor for all text files is Edit Pad Lite. http://www.editpadpro.com/editpadlite.html

It is far better than note pad.

To recompile the cab files use the CabDir SDK originally for FS9 but cab files are cab files.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/dow...?do=file&id=30

[Peritas]

Thanks, Dangerousdave26, Edit Pad Lite is very useful!

Luca

[JoeW]

I don't know but I have netframework 1.0 and 2.0 and 4.0 ...... Why? .... I really don't know . Everytime I have run across a program that required an update ..... I just did it.

I think I have about 4 programs to do XML files and I like the free MS XML Notepad best. If it loads in that and you save ...... it'll work. Never had a case that wouldn't.

I made the edit while it was in the cab and saved and it's still in the cab and it works.