Help with Paint/CFG Edit

[Gary R.]

Here's the problem guys. Today, I decided to start working on my detailed and semi realistic overhead for my Mike Stone Jetstar 2.  I had downloaded every Jetstar cockpit photo I could find from airliners.net.  I had a full overhead pic which I trimmed down to make a decent fitting window within FS.  When I opened CFG Edit and selected the .bmp I made I got an error message from CFG Edit stating "bad bitmap". It wouldn't let me use what I had created from the photo.  I know its possible, I already did it with a CRJ overhead pic wich I modified the Premier Crj with in order to get the start panel and other controls off the center ped. and on the overhead where they're supposed to be in the real plane.  Now, can anyone offer me any ideas why CFG Edit did not like the photo bitmap I had created for the Jetstar?  Thanks a bunch.

[_526th_Fireman]

Double check what type bitmap you are trying to use.

Take your bitmap and save it in different bmp formats and then try each one. One of them should work.

[WebbPA]

I'm not familiar with that problem but what Fireman said makes sense.  Irfanview http://www.irfanview.com/ is able to do a lot of these conversions.

[Gary R.]

Cool. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out. Actually, I was saving in JPG format, not BMP. So, it works now. But, now I have a sizing problem. When CFG Edit loads the bitmap in the new window, the image loads so teeny as to not be able to place gauges or otherwise work with it. then, I noticed within paint, that the plain background bitmap is huge but the image itself is very small in comparison.  And I can't figure out how to set the size of the image that I can work with  it in CFGedit.  I've tried stretching, zoom and save, and other kinds of actions but I can't make it any bigger in cfgedit than the small corner in the top right of my screen. Anyone else run into this problem before?

[_526th_Fireman]

Get rid of that "Window" and put another one in, this time double checking the size of the window. You may have to go through this proceedure a few times to get the size you want.

I have encountered this problem too when adding a bitmap of my own to a new Window or an existing one.

Once you have put one in there like you have already, you can't do much with it, although the "magnify" option in CFGEdit should have enlarged it to at least work with...I would think!!

Good luck anyway.

[Gary R.]

Magnify option? I never saw that before. What menu on the tool bar is it under?  Well, I noticed that the blank background on my bmp's is huge compared to the actual overhead image itself.  In most bitmaps in panels if you open them in paint, all you see is the image and no excess blank bitmap background and I can't figure out how to enlarge the image and clip off all that excessive blank background but I think thats part of my problem in cfg edit. Cfg edit is displaying the entire bitmap of which only a small part is the actual image and that small part ends up being a very tiny thing in the upper left hand corner.  If anyone knows how to fix that I'd be very obliged.  Thanks.

[_526th_Fireman]

Gary, let me ask this. With your bitmap in there as a seperate window, i.e. Winow xx entry in the panel.cfg or are you adding this bitmap to the main panel of your acft?

I am not clear which you are doing.

Try this, open CFGEdit with your panel bmp you added loaded up in the screen. Now, click on the Windows heading above in CFGEdit, select the Set Default Position...... and see what it looks like as far as size and position. Make sure FS2000 is selected, this gives you more control on sizing and positoning the window. Try resizing it.  See what that does for you.

You might also try opening up your overhead panel.bmp in CFGEdit, then going through WINDOW/Properties and note the size of your bmp on the left. Then note the size of the background in MM on the right. With the 747-400 overhead, the size of the bmp on the left is 880X168 and the size of the background on the right in MM is 550.

Those are some areas worth looking at. Will also help you pick up more knowlege of CFGEdit and panel design.

I wished I could tell you EXACTLY what you need to do, but I only play with panels on rare occasion. Most of what I do is adding/changing gauges on existing panels, BUT I have run in to the same problem you are experiencing when I added a new Window and used my own bmp. But that was a long time ago and for the life of me, I can't remember exactly what I did to get it right. Sorry bud!

I know there are those here with a whole heck of lot more panel experience than me. Guess they just haven't ready your post yet. Ya think??  

[Gary R.]

Well, I am trying to add a separate window.  The problem does seem to be the size of the bitmap background in paint. and, if I start new it always gives me the same size, even if I just ipen the source jpg with paint I still get a huge background. I think that huge background is whats causeing my overhead bmp that I made to be so small in cfg edit.  Resizing window won't help me. As is, its too small for me to even place gauges on it.

[Hagar]

On the subject of BMP formats. Panel BMPs always used to be in 8 bit (256 colours). I'm not sure this is still the case in FS9 but the default panels are in this format. M$ Paint has the option to Save As in 256 colours.

[_526th_Fireman]

If you want Gary, zip up that BMP you are trying to add and send it to me. I will see if I can get it in one my test acft. at the correct size. If I can, then I will send you something (docs, descrip or pics) to show you how and what you need to do.

My email link is over on the left. ;-)