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Cessna 172P detailed (was "Cockpit textures for the c172p")

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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby radi » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:13 am

gsagostinho wrote in Sat Jan 31, 2015 6:39 pm:- I believe the "callsign" text is meant for people making liveries to add a callsign in the panel (that is, if a livery has a callsign NZ1732, this code will appear in the panel as well automatically).


That's not entirely correct. A livery file itself shouldn't have a callsign at all. Because, for obvious reasons, people use individual callsigns on multiplayer. Imagine two people both flying A320 with same livery would want to use different callsigns -- and want their callsign to appear on their liveries. Users set their callsign in the Multiplayer settings dialog or via the --callsign command line option. If the aircraft model supports it, the user's callsign will automatically appear on the livery and in the cockpit.

@thevirtualfer: don't remove the callsign xml code!

That's the ideal situation, but if not, then indeed we can have two models, yours and the default.

Having two versions of the same model is strongly discouraged, especially in our open source environment where manpower is unfortunately still sparse. It'd be wasted effort if your texture work doesn't end up in the official model! Maybe you also want to announce on fg-devel that you're working on the c172p's texturing.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby stuart » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:15 pm

Hi All,

I'm probably the closest there is to the maintainer of the c172p. I'd be happy to receive updates.

I don't think the model itself has changed in some time, so you should be fine. However, there is a v3.2.0 release coming out shortly which you could apply your changes to.

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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby gsagostinho » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:21 pm

Fantastic Stuart, that's some great news!
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Sun Feb 01, 2015 10:53 pm

@radi
"don't remove the callsign xml code!"
Hi, radi.
Ok. I got the idea about callsign, but i have some notes about.

"Maybe you also want to announce on fg-devel that you're working on the c172p's texturing."
I don't know what it is. Nor how to do this.

@stuart
"I don't think the model itself has changed in some time, so you should be fine."

Hi stuart.
But i am changing the model. Few changes, but changes at all. I have some notes about it too.

"there is a v3.2.0 release coming out shortly which you could apply your changes to."

Today, i downloaded the 3.2 (current release) and saw no changes. But i gave only a brief look.


There are some points here, and are illustrated in :

http://s5.postimg.org/t0wowixfr/log2.jpg

Cheers, to all.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby gsagostinho » Sun Feb 01, 2015 11:07 pm

@thevirtualfer
Hi,

Thanks for the update, your work is really looking so good! I love the shadows in the floor and how you fixed these little "holes" around the instruments. Really really really nice stuff.

I have seen lots of panels where the callsign is located above the Attitude Indicator: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/75325049.jpg

About FG-devel, I think Stuart is refering to the flightgear-devel mailing list. If you send an e-mail to this list, everyone who is subscribed to it will receive a copy of the e-mail, so it's a nice way to announce your work. Here is the link if you want to subcribe to it: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/lis ... gear-devel

When Stuart says that there is a 3.2.0 release coming out soon, I think he means 3.4.0 which should come in the middle of February.

Cheers!
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Mon Feb 02, 2015 11:45 am

ludomotico wrote in Sat Jan 31, 2015 6:45 pm:it lacks the MASTER and GEN switches.


Hi ludomotico.

I can't assure that i will have time to do this, right now.
But just in case, can you point where theses switches are in the reference photo posted by @gsagostinho
?

ludomotico wrote in Sat Jan 31, 2015 6:45 pm:and link them to the relevant properties.


I need to learn how to do this. All depends on the complexity of this task.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby ludomotico » Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:07 pm

In the photo referenced by gsagostinho, they are hidden by the yoke and the "retire before flying" paper. This is why this paper is exactly there! You cannot set the engine on without retiring the paper and switching the master on!

The master and gen switches are two red switches next to the keyhole. The panel in wikipedia is similar to the one we have in FlightGear:

Image

Other examples where these switches are visible:

http://www.sunstateaviation.com/C172sp- ... hi-res.jpg
http://iho.hu/img/repules_12_03/120305_ ... 2panel.jpg
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3059/233 ... 74b93b.jpg

In case you are not familiar with these switches:

- The master switch connects the battery to the electrical system. You need this to start the engine! Be careful: on a real c172, batteries run out very quickly!
- The GEN/alternator switch connects the alternator to the electrical system to free the battery. Use only once the engine is running!
- After the GEN is on (and not before or you'll run out of battery in no time!), you can switch AVIONICS on.

So, you could clone any of the white switches in blender and use a red texture on the new switches. Label these new switches as MasterSwitch and GenSwitch. The code in the xml is exactly the same than the code of any other switch, but linking the new two objects to the relevant properties. This would be the code for the new MasterSwitch (notice I just adapted the current code for the BeaconSwitch, lines 1579-1600 of c172p/Models/c172p.xml):

Code: Select all
 <animation>
   <type>pick</type>
   <object-name>MasterSwitch</object-name>
   <visible>true</visible>
   <action>
     <button>0</button>
     <repeatable>false</repeatable>
     <binding>
       <command>property-toggle</command>
       <property>controls/engines/engine/master-bat</property>
     </binding>
   </action>
   <hovered>
    <binding>
      <command>set-tooltip</command>
      <tooltip-id>master-switch</tooltip-id>
      <label>Master: %s</label>
      <mapping>on-off</mapping>
      <property>controls/engines/engine/master-bat</property>
   </binding>
   </hovered>
 </animation>


The code for the GEN switch is the same, but using the property controls/engines/engine/master-alt instead. You'd have to add a rotation animation for the new switches. Again, you can adapt the code for the BeaconSwitch (lines 2080-2095).


Now, regarding the simulation:

- These two switches are ON by default. This is set in the c172p-set.xml file (lines 166 and 167 in my PC) I don't like these buttons ON by default, but I guess they must be like this because flightgear pilots are (wrongly) used to this initial condition. I'd leave them ON by default for historic reasons, but experimented pilots must change the default value of these properties to false :)
- They are working right now as expected. The author of the xml files really coded these switches, but for some reason the modeler never included the switches in the panel. Currently, as expected:
- You cannot start the engine if the MASTER is OFF, regardless the state of the GEN
- You won't get radios if the MASTER and GEN are OFF (with engine running), or the MASTER is OFF (with the engine stopped)

I think the work to have this done is very little but the realism is greatly increased. Next step, which I believe involves lots more work, is coding the battery to have a limited capacity.

If you are interested, I can help you to code and test these buttons before you submit your modifications to the official repository. I was planning to do this myself anyway. Eu falo espanhol e estou a esquecer o meu portugues, mas ainda posso entender bem ;)
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:24 pm

stuart wrote in Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:15 pm:I'm probably the closest there is to the maintainer of the c172p.


Hi Stuart.

I am stucked now, and want to proceed. And guess that everybody here wants the same thing.
Please, if you can, give me a guidance about these.

http://s5.postimg.org/rub8hidhj/log3.jpg

Cheers, to all of you.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:28 am

Guys (and @ludomotico, of course) !

It is awesome !!!!

http://youtu.be/Fvemu1t0p_A

Thanks, ludo !!!
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby gsagostinho » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:33 am

Stunning!!
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby ludomotico » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:24 pm

Thank you! Your textures look very, very nice your enhancements really make a difference!

Is there any way to test your aircraft and suggest new modifications? If you are in the mood, of course!

Regarding your questions. Sometimes, instruments are not in the main .ac file for two reasons:

a) Some modellers (helijah is the best example for this) prefer using a very, very organized directory where panels, instruments, switches... are independent files and as a consequence they can be easily copied to other aircraft.
b) Some models are not in the c172p directory but are generic models shared by many aircraft. On the c172, this is the case of the magneto-switch: it is a generic instrument in Aircraft/Instruments-3d/magneto-switch/mags.xml You cannot change generic instruments or you will affect many other aircraft!

In the case of the suction/vacuum gauge, it is specific of the c172 (it is inside the c172 directory) Other aircraft MAY use this gauge, but I strongly believe this would be a bad decision made by these other modellers. I believe it would be much better scaling the instrument than the hole in the panel, since these holes are probably symmetrical each other and the result could be much more unpleasant.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:02 pm

ludomotico wrote in Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:24 pm:In the case of the suction/vacuum gauge, it is specific of the c172


Ok. I will see if the "instrument light" can be put into the main file, and will try fix the suction/vacuum gauge.
But there are some more gauges. But now, i understand what can be fixed and what is of type "PLEASE, DON'T TOUCH OR YOU WILL RECEIVE A BAN".

ludomotico wrote in Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:24 pm:Is there any way to test your aircraft and suggest new modifications? If you are in the mood, of course!


Oh !
I am always in this mood.

To all of you :

(1) Do you know that i am working on it, don't you ? Then, don't care if "this thing is wrong", etc, etc, etc.

(2) GO JUST NOW, to your Aircraft/c172p/Models and save the original c172p.ac and c172p.xml files.

- What i do is :
copy c172p.ac to c172p.ac.0 and c172p.xml to c172p.xml.0

(3) Download all these files to your Aircraft/c172p/Models folder.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing

if anyone know a better place to upload these, please, tell me.

(4) copy the c172p.ac.1 to c172p.ac, and the c172p.xml.1 to c172p.xml

(5) Start the enngines, and good bye !

(6) If something goes very bad, recover your original model by copying c172p.ac.0 and c172p.xml.0 (what you saved before. Did you save ? NO ? ARRRRRRHHHHHHHH) to the original c172p.ac and c172p.xml


Please, i need repeat two things

(1) I am still working. It is not a "final state" ;
(2) SAVE your original files. Please. Save then both !

Cheers.

I hope you like.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:32 pm

I saw.

The bolt was white.

I uploaded again.

Redownload the .ac file, please.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby wlbragg » Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:28 pm

it is a generic instrument in Aircraft/Instruments-3d/magneto-switch/mags.xml You cannot change generic instruments or you will affect many other aircraft!

You could duplicate that gauge and move it to the c172p file structure and then edit away.
A tiny little bit off topic but I have a question/comment on this generic folder concept..
I get the reasoning behind the generic folder, but is it worth it?.
Does anyone know how many MB's are actually saved doing this?

Some modellers (helijah is the best example for this) prefer using a very, very organized directory where panels, instruments, switches... are independent files and as a consequence they can be easily copied to other aircraft.

This is a winner in my book. This is just common sense (and maybe someone who has been in the data business for awhile).

You can keep the modularization without putting the instruments in the "generic" folder.
If the planes using generics are part of the base load in FG it a makes little more sense but not for stand alone builds.

A couple problems I see with this is it does tend to limit upgrading any plane using the generic instrument, as in this case.
Over time the instrument package may get modified, then there are problems (I can't be specific but I know I have ran into this before with missing generic models).
It also makes it more difficult to have any kind of sorted aircraft folder structure (this is where I got really frustrated with it).

If it is just a space saving thing then I think it should be reconsidered, especially now that aircraft are being separated from fgdata.

Only if it were shown to save several "gigs" would I reconsider my thoughts on it.
I'm just throwing this out there because it was one thing that always bothered me and the quote above afforded an opportunity to put it out there..
If this turns into a discussion, I would hope the moderators would split this off.
Didn't mean to stray from topic as this is truly talented work being done here and it would be a shame to have compromises because of a possible outdated folder structure.
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Re: Cockpit textures for the c172p

Postby thevirtualfer » Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:29 pm

ludomotico wrote in Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:24 pm:Some modellers (helijah is the best example for this) prefer using a very, very organized directory where panels, instruments, switches... are independent files and as a consequence they can be easily copied to other aircraft.


In blender each file is in fact a library of objects. Someone can easily "append" an object modeled in other .blend file. I am unconfortable with the main file without all the "peaces" into.

But it does not matter, at the end.

I will fix some "local" gauges.

I guess the "x y z" pos of a gauge is defined into the xml file. Is it ?

wlbragg wrote in Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:28 pm:You could duplicate that gauge and move it to the c172p file structure and then edit away.


Thanks wlbragg. I will do this if necessary.
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