Simviation Forums

I have downloaded a couple of freeware aircraft from which I would like to remove the VC.  Is there a simple way to remove the VC from the model, or does it take a complete reconstruction?

You can't remove the VC it is part of the aircraft model.

Ozzy

Here is a piece I put together from several posts on another forum.  It works for FS2002.  I do not know whether it works for FS2004.  I don't know why or how it works but I have used it successfully.  As long as you back up your .mdl file you can't hurt anything.
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As far as removing the VC from the A/C model is concerned, it is perfectly possible and actually quite simple to do, involving only a hex editor and one change to the aircraft.mdl file.

Open the mdl file you want to edit and search for the following hex value: 0022003900

In the SECOND occurence of that string, simply change the 39 in 0022003900 to 00. It should now look like this: 0022000000. Save the changes, OK the creation of the backup file then exit the editor to test it out in MSFS.

Open the .mdl file, hit Ctrl+F and enter 0022003900 in the "Find" box. To eliminate the vc, you must change the 39 in this string to 00. NOTE: Since this same string appears several times in the file, you must be careful to alter the correct string. For example, in the DC-3.mdl, altering the FIRST string only loses the plane's shadow, so leave this string intact and hit "Find next". Changing the 39 to 00 in the SECOND string loses the vc.

Do not change all the strings 0022003900. Because then you would make not only the VC invisible, but also the landing lights and even the plane itself. The best way to remove the VC -and ONLY the VC- is looking for the said string, changing the 39 into 00 for the first appearance of the string and then going into FS to see the result. If it didn't work then go back into the hex editor, undo the change and go to the next appearance of the string and change the 39 into 00. Have a look in FS and continue the operation untill the VC has gone. The string 0022003900 appears more than once in a .mdl file and is something like a command telling to show some part of the aircraft model (the VC, landing lights, the model itself, etc..), so make only the change to the string that handles the VC.

In the two months since this topic was posted it has been determined that only the second occurrence of the 0022003900 string concerns the virtual cockpit, the first occurrence switches off the A/C shadows.

A good hex editor can be found here (Hex Workshop 4.1 - shareware but fully functional for long enough to get the job done and then some): http://www.bpsoft.com/downloads/

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Good luck.

This falls under the "I didn't know that!"  column...

Nice piece of information.

Nice one Jim, that is a handy thing to know

I use the "Dumb as a Rock" approach.
1......Go into the aircraft.cfg file and under VIEWS, move the eyepoint forward(tweaking the first number in the series) until I can no longer see the VC, then
2......go into the panel.cfg file and remove all reference to the vc callouts (Vcockpitxx) This eliminates any gauges being called.

Of course, I make a backup copy of the cfg's BEFORE making the changes.

Is it possible to ADD one to an aircraft that doesnt have a VC

the same way like racartron, I also use the "Dumb as a Rock" approach,

go inside the panel . cfg and remove completely all [VCockpitxx] chapters or like that,

go inside the fs9.cfg and ad or modify one line in the [GRAPHICS] chapter :
SEE_SELF=1 instead of SEE_SELF=0, this will clean all ugly 3D side wiews in the 2D panel

This basic suggestion is good for FS2004 "A century of..."
Because in FS2K2 panels.cfg, xml, C++ or what else writting are completly has been, six feet under,  we are today in year 2005 and almost in 2006...

For another exemple, you can add, re-work or remove properly a virtual cockpit in a Gmax built aircraft if you have the source code necessary to re-work on the concerned model and of course if you understand and know how to use Gmax

No you can't...(edit after the post above)... unless you have the source code AND are pretty good at aircarft design (which you wouldn't be otherwise you wouldn't have asked the question  :D )

And well done Jim

Sorry Roger I must have missed them (e.g. it was late at night and I was rocking the little one to sleep and I didn't register the info in my braincell)

[quote]No you can't...(edit after the post above)... unless you have the source code AND are pretty good at aircarft design (which you wouldn't be otherwise you wouldn't have asked the question