Trouble installing Guages for F-16

[kittyhawk63]

Need your help:
I've been trying, without success, installing the guages for Kirk Olsson's F-16. I have the main panel showing but cannot get the guages to install. I would appreciate a step by step explanation on how to do this. I am very new to installing add-ons and do not yet have sufficient knowledge. I am using FS2004.  I have tried installing as directed with all the downloads asked for. You may e-mail at kittyhawk63@access4less.net.
Thank you for your assistance.
kittyhawk63

[Skittles]

My e-mail is down at the moment...

I'm not very proficient at all this stuff, but here is what I have learned... (I use folder and directory interchangeably)

1. Sometimes when I copy the Gauge folder to the main FS folder, it gets put into the existing gauge folder, leaving me with two gauge folders, one inside the other.

2. Some aircraft want you to leave the gauges inside a folder they have already created. Copying this new folder into the Gauges folder will work.  But, if you have copied the gauges into the main Gauge folder,  you would then need to open and edit the panel.cfg file so FS knows where to look.
Example:

Code: Select all

gauge00=Tomcat/f14toggle!Panel.toggle.30,488,504,40,33


The "Tomcat" part, tells FS to look in the Tomcat directory, inside the Gauges directory

Try checking those. That's all I can think of right now.

Joe

[kittyhawk63]

Thanks Joe. I will give your suggestion a try. I appreciate the quick response.  May I contact you again if I need more help?
Ray (kittyhawk63)

[Skittles]

Sure, I'll do my best.

[_526th_Fireman]

Depends on which panel you are using kittyhawk.

If you are using Kirk's panel that came with the download, then there is one gauge that has to go into the main FS9 gauge folder. That would be the
Viper_HUD_ADI.GAU and then one folder that goes directly into the FS9 Main Gauge Folder. That would be the "keffect" folder. DO NOT put the gauges of this folder directly into the Main FS9 Gauge folder. Put the 'keffect" folder in there.

If you are using the panel recommended by Kirk Olsen, by Eric Marciano, then you dump all those gauges directly into the FS9 Main Gauge folder. However, use Kirk's panel.cfg, not the one that came with Eric Marciano's fullf16 panel download.

Hope that helps ya out. Good luck.

[kittyhawk63]

_526th_fireman,
Thank you for your instructions. I will give your suggestions a try. May I call on you again if I need more help? I appreciate the responses that I have had from you and Joe "Skittles."
Ray (kittyhawk63)

[_526th_Fireman]

Sure kittyhawk. Most here at SimV are glad to help when they can.

I have Kirk's F-16 so am very familiar with it. Even played with it and upgraded the effects for it. Changed a few things for my personal liking.

With Jan Rosenberg's Afterburner, I added engine smoke and wingtip contrails. Got rid of the G Force effects.

So feel free to post here, PM me or email.

[kittyhawk63]

Hi Fireman and Skittles,
Well, I have almost succeeded. I kept trying different things and re-reading your instructions. I finally saw something I hadn't noticed or really understood before. I now have the panel and gauges. However, there seems to be one gauge missing. It is in the round circle just above and offset slightly to the right of the radar screen. There are two roller wheels to the right of this round circle.  Do you know what this gauge is? and how I can get it to load? Or, does it come on when you do something to activate it?
P.S. I now have lights.
kittyhawk63

[Skittles]

Well, I can't answer, I don't have the F-16. Sorry.

[kittyhawk63]

Hi Skittles and Fireman,
Skittles, you and Fireman may be interested, even though Joe you do not have the F-16, that my dad was a General Supervisor for General Dynamics in Fort Worth. His last project was directing the F-16 mechanics, and working directly with the test pilots on one of  the first two F-16s while still in the initial testing period. General Dynamics asked my dad to come out of retirement to direct the project. There were only two F-16s at the time. The plane is one of the ones in Simviation. I downloaded it because it is the exact plane that my dad supervised...color scheme and all. I have the blueprints that my dad work with. I had the privilege of sitting in the plane while it was being tested at Edwards Airforce Base just outside Lancaster, CA. What a great little plane.
Kittyhawk63

[_526th_Fireman]

Here is something else I remembered from when I installed the F-16. Kirk's panel.cfg had some errors in it with the [Fixed Window] views. They were not numbered correctly and some not even numbered at all.

Look at the panel.cfg and scroll down to where the Fixed Windows are listed. Tell me if you see one or two like this: [Fixed Windowxx] ?? If so, then we need to fix those.

The gauge slot you are asking about does not have a gauge in it. Could have been used for the radar but Kirk put it below for a larger view. Any suitable gauge could be put there though.

[kittyhawk63]

Hi Fireman,
Well, you piqued my interest. How do I add a gauge to an airplane if it does not come with the zip file? I am referring, of course, to that empty spot in Kirk's F-16 panel. You mentioned it may have been for a radar screen. What could I put in there and how would I go about it? I have just a novice understanding on files and folders. But, I will try anything. I enjoy learning all I can about MS Flight Simulator 2004. I will search that file you told me about to see if there is an error. I'll get back to you on that. Thank you again for all your help.
Skittles, if you are also reading this, thank you again for your help. It is really "neat" flying my dad's YF-16. Brings back a lot of memories. I'll have to let Kirk know about his plane and my dad's connection to it.
kittyhawk63

[kittyhawk63]

Fireman,
Here is what I found in Kirk's "panel.cfg." I think that I had so much trouble getting his panel.cfg file working that I inserted Marciano's. At least, I think I did that. I tried so many things before I got it working that I may have ended up using Kirk's without knowing it.  Hmmmm!
kh63

[Fixed Windowxx]
file=FORWARD_RIGHT.bmp
position=7
visible=0
ident=40
render_3d_window=1
nomenu=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

[Fixed Windowxx]
file=REAR_RIGHT.bmp
position=7
visible=0
ident=42
render_3d_window=1
nomenu=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

[Fixed Windowxx]
file=REAR_RIGHT.bmp
position=7
visible=0
ident=42
render_3d_window=1
nomenu=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

[Fixed Windowxx]
file=REAR_LEFT.bmp
position=7
visible=0
ident=44
render_3d_window=1
nomenu=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

[Fixed Windowxx]
file=FORWARD_LEFT.bmp
position=7
visible=0
ident=46
render_3d_window=1
nomenu=1
window_size= 1.000, 1.000
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

[_526th_Fireman]

Hi again kittyhawk.

Ok, if you got Marciano's panel, then you drop all of his stuff where it needs to go. BUT!!! Put Kirk's panel.cfg in there. That's the one you want to use.

As far as the "Fixed Window" issue, if you look towards the top of the panel.cfg you would see this:

[VIEWS]
view_forward_WINDOWS=20,21,22,23,31
VIEW_FORWARD_DIR=10.5, 0.0, 0.0

VIEW_FORWARD_RIGHT_WINDOWS=40

VIEW_RIGHT_WINDOWS=41

VIEW_REAR_RIGHT_WINDOWS=42

VIEW_REAR_WINDOWS=43

VIEW_REAR_LEFT_WINDOWS=44

VIEW_LEFT_WINDOWS=45

VIEW_FORWARD_LEFT_WINDOWS=46

Note how they are numbered. These are the numbers you want to use further down the panel.cfg where the Fixed Windows are actually listed.

Sooooo, the first one would be like this:

[Fixed Window40]

second would be....yep you got it!!

[Fixed Window41]

Finish numbering those Fixed Windows.

Now, as far as adding a gauge. It can be done manually, but since you are new I would suggest you not try that.

There is a great little program called CFGEdit that many use for panel design. You should get it and play with it as you can use it to fix, modify or completely redo any of your acft.'s panels.

If you would like, I can add a gauge for you, one you want and then post the needed line to enter into your panel.cfg.
That's if you know of a gauge you might want there.

Let me know.

[kittyhawk63]

Hey Fireman,
I don't like the empty hole staring me in the face. Know what I mean? What gauge have you found most useful that is not included with the f-16? Let's give it a try. Okay?  BTW, I've been working with computers for about eleven years. I fixed software problems at my last place of employment. Like I mentioned, I am not afraid of trying anything.  If it goes bad, I can always reload. I am planning on saving FS2004's 'aircraft" files to cd disk. That way I won't have to keep doing this trial and error anymore. I will save when everythings seems to be working right.
Anyway, "shoot" me a gauge you like and I will copy and paste it and see how it goes. I'll be waiting.  I really appreciate the time you are giving. I am really glad that I find people like you on the Internet that are willing me help FS novices like myself.
kh63