newb needs help adding guages

[gixx]

hello everyone. I've been running fs2004 ever since it came out. until today, I've never added any aircraft. Well, I figured I'd give it a go and so far, haven't had any problem getting the aircraft to load properly and for the most part, they fly really well. the problem is, I can not seem to figure out how to get the gauges to show up, as well as the effects for the aircraft.

[Hagar]

Hello. Why do you chaps choose such large files to start with? While I'm downloading one of them to check it out here's the basics.

Installing gauges should be straightforward enough. The main thing is knowing what the gauges look like. Two basic types of gauge are used in FS9. These are the original FS GAU format & the later XML gauges. What can be confusing is that XML gauges can come in 2 different types, configured in a CAB file (a compressed file like a zipfile) or in an ordinary yellow folder. (Both types of XML gauge should be installed as they are without extracting the individual files.) Here's a shot of the 3 different types of gauge.


All 3 types of gauge used in FS9 will work from either the main FS9\Gauges directory or the Panel folder of the aircraft they're used on.

Some gauges require a module (DLL file) installed to the FS9\Modules folder to work properly. One common module is FSSound.dll. If it's installed this will need a simple edit to fs9.cfg to prevent FS9 crashing. Add this entry anywhere in the CFG using the name of the module.

[OLDMODULES]
FSSound.dll=1

PS. I just downloaded & installed the FS 2004 Team FS KBT F18F Super Hornet WarHawks Package here http://www.simviation.com/fs2004military80.htm
The gauges are already in the Panel folder & it should work straight "out of the box".

[Hagar]

The F-14 is a little more complex but the the way it's been configured should make instructions unnecessary. When you extract the downloaded zipfile you will see that the contents are arranged in sub-folders with the same names as those in the FS9 root directory. Aircraft, Effects, Gauges, Modules & Sound.


To install the aircraft paste the contents of each folder into its corresponding folder in FS9.
Assuming you've already installed the actual aircraft correctly,
Move the 9 x FX files from the Effects folder to FS9\Effects.
The Gauges sub-folder contains a lot of gauges in all 3 types shown in my previous reply. There are also several INI files. The whole lot should be pasted into FS9\Gauges.
Paste FSUIPC.dll from the Modules folder into FS9\Modules. This doesn't need the fs9.cfg edit I mentioned.
The Sound folder contains 1 x folder + 3 x WAV files. Paste the whole lot into FS9\Sound.
Note there is one more module named GaugeSound.dll outside these sub-folders. Paste that into the FS9 root directory. It won't work from the FS9\Modules folder & this might be the cause of your problem.

Please try it & tell me it works.

[gixx]

thank you for taking the time to assist me. following your steps, I now have about 2/3s of the gauges. I am happy about that but not fully satisfied so I'm going to keep playing around and trying different things. as far as afterburner effects and such, I still have yet to get them to work. I tried pasting the 9 files directly to the effects folder, and I tried moving the folder itself into effects. still no luck. hmmm....is there any thing else I can try? could it possibly be bad files?

[gixx]

ok, I now have a cockpit full of gauges! WOOHOO. instead of putting the gauges folder from the .zip into fs9/gauges, I moved each one individually to the f-14d/panel folder. have that solved. now, to tackle the effects files...

edit* effects now work by moving the effects folder into the aircraft folder, not the fs9/effects folder.

[Hagar]

ok, I now have a cockpit full of gauges! WOOHOO. instead of putting the gauges folder from the .zip into fs9/gauges, I moved each one individually to the f-14d/panel folder. have that solved. now, to tackle the effects files...

To install the gauges open the folder named Gauges & click Edit/Select All on the Windows Explorer menu bar. All the files/folders should turn blue. Now click Edit/Cut. Navigate to your FS9\Gauges folder & click Edit/Paste. That's it. It's good practice when installing gauges NOT to overwrite files/folders if prompted. (You can paste them into the F-14 Panel folder if you prefer.)

edit* effects now work by moving the effects folder into the aircraft folder, not the fs9/effects folder.

Sorry. Despite what you say I don't think that can possibly work. Use the same method I described for the gauges & paste the files into the FS9\Effects folder.

[gixx]

I didn't think it would work either but it is...give it a shot on your end...

[Hagar]

I didn't think it would work either but it is...give it a shot on your end...

No point in reinventing the wheel. You will only make things difficult for yourself. Mine already works fine with the files in their correct locations. I suspect you must have already installed those FX files in your FS9\Effects folder.

[gixx]

After further investigating, I did find the effects folder to already contain the f-14 FX from my previous install attempts. thanks for your help.

[Capt.Propwash]

instead of his sim reading the gauges / effects from the 'correct' root folders, it is pulling the info from the Aircraft folder.

[Hagar]

After further investigating, I did find the effects folder to already contain the f-14 FX from my previous install attempts. thanks for your help.

Ah, thought so. You're welcome to the help.

[gixx]

[quote]instead of his sim reading the gauges / effects from the 'correct' root folders, it is pulling the info from the Aircraft folder.