Making a panel

[Randy Burke]

I am new to making panels and was wondering about how to make it where when you click on a button it opens a new window with the guauge.  For example I am using cfg.edit to make my panels.  I want to know how to put the avionics button on the panel and have it to where you click on that to open the radio panel.  Right now when I go into FS and click on the button nothing happens.   Plz help

[Hagar]

When in doubt it's a good idea to use a default example for comparison. The panel windows must be configured in the correct order for those buttons to function. Here's the relevant entries from the B737_400 panel.cfg.

[Window Titles]
window00=Main Panel
window01=Radio Stack
Window02=GPS
window03=Throttle Quadrant
window04=Overhead Panel
window05=Compass

[Window01]
size_mm=127,345
position=8
visible=0
BACKGROUND_COLOR=16,16,16
ident=RADIO_STACK_PANEL

[WebbPA]

I'm a little new to panel design, as Hagar can attest, but I think he left out one thing about the simicions.

These buttons seem to be keyed to the "ident=" entry.  In Hagar's example the 737 uses the Simicons!Avionics button.  Clicking on this button will open whatever window is identified as "ident=RADIO_STACK_PANEL".

Similarly, clicking on the Simicons!GPS button will open whatever window is identified ad "ident=GPS_PANEL", and so on.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[Hagar]

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I haven't played with panels for a while so please feel free to put me right.  ;)
I always thought the simicon buttons (& similar 3rd party switches) are assigned to the window number rather than the ident. I could be wrong but don't think this entry is too important - it's purely a reference. You can use both the same window number & ident= entry as a default panel to be absolutely certain.

[WebbPA]

Maybe that's what happens when you use my programming style ("Hit a button and see what happens").  I redesigned a panel to include a military style radio in the main window but a popup autopilot.  I named the autopilot window "radio stack" and it pops up then I hit the avionics button.

[Window Titles]
Window00=Main Panel
Window01=Radio Stack
Window02=GP
Window03=Annunciator ...

[Window00] ...
gauge42=SimIcons!Avionics Icon,  379,380,17,17 ...
gauge45=f15j2_radio,  20,470,155,12             <-- Radio gauge in main window...

[Window01]
Background_color=2,2,2
size_mm=120,37
window_size_ratio=1.00  
position=2
visible=0
ident=RADIO_STACK_PANEL
window_size= 0.357, 0.094
window_pos= 0.265, 0.037
gauge00=JALG.AUTOPILOT,  0,0,120,36