how do i edit cabin views and .mdl files???

[Sunny129]

I am the kind of guy who likes to see the ground and sky around me.  I know this can be done in spot view, but i also like to be able to do that from within the aircraft.  Now FS aircraft tend to either allow this view, or have a texture in the window, which comes in the form of a picture of the inside of the cabin, or maybe a picture of the wings behind you.  Now I know some aircraft designers today are just as concerned with making the inside of the plane look real as they are with making the outside look real, and so you can see switches on the ceiling and walls of the cockpit when you look left and right, and maybe a cabin with several rows of seats when looking behind you.

Now I know you can't please everyone, so I would never expect designers to rid their aircraft of cabin view textures, but I would like to know how to edit them out so I can see the ground and sky around me when looking around from within the plane.

I recently installed a Boeing 717 with cabin view textures I could have done without.  Interestingly enough, there was also a file for download by the author of the aircraft that rid it of the cabin textures.  It was an alternate .mdl file to be placed in the model folder of the aircraft, and sure enough, it took the cabin textures away.

Now I have no idea how to edit a .mdl file, but obviously it is the key to excluding cabin textures.  Maybe there is another way, but I don't know.  I can easily edit a .cfg file with a test editor and an .air file with a flight dynamics editor, but I don't have a clue how to edit .mdl files, so if anyone can help me, or knows of another way to control cabin textures. please help me.

Thanks, Eric.

[JohnP]

It is almost, if not, impossible to edit the *.mdl file of an aircraft. Being a designer there is another file that contains the editable information for a plane. This is not included in the upload.
 You could "experiment" with the panel.config. file with views, sometimes it works and most times it does not. Try opening one with a text editor and see how it is set up.
 Hope this helps a little.

[Sunny129]

I just tried looking at the panel.cfg, but not much more than the panel bitmaps and gauges reside in the file.  there is a [VCockpitxx] section, but nothing seems to make any sense as far as looking anywhere but straight forward goes.  infact, it seems all the data contained in the file refers only to the main panel and sub-panels (i.e. GPS, radio stack, compass, etc.) that you only see when looking straight forward.

So you say it is almost, if not completely impossible to edit the .mdl file?  Is there software that exists for the purpose of editing such a file?  I know that, like the .air file, the .mdl cannot be viewed with a text editor.

[ozzy72]

You cannot edit a VC unless you have the aircrafts original files.
You can edit the BMPs in the 2d cockpit however using any art package.

Ozzy

[Scottler]

I could be wrong, it has happened before, but I would think that this opinion is a minority, thus making software or an aircraft with such a capability at the very least, very difficult to find...

I'm not saying that your opinion isn't genuine, just that I think most guys who fly F$ do so to feel like they're flying a plane, so most designers do so with that in mind.  Know what I mean?

[fisharno]

There is a function in FS Panel Studio where you can edit the 8 fixed window views. But, I've never used that particular part of FSPS, so I couldn't say how far you could go with the editing.

Read this in the online FS Panel Studio manual: http://www.fspanelstudio.com/help/index.html, Look down the menu on the left and click on "Fixed Windows".
I think it may be possible to delete the fixed window views. Maybe even purchase a copy, so you can make them the way YOU like them.

[Hagar]

You could always hit W & use the "mini-panel" view. Hit W again to lose the basic gauges. Once more to return to the full panel.

[Sunny129]

[quote]I could be wrong, it has happened before, but I would think that this opinion is a minority, thus making software or an aircraft with such a capability at the very least, very difficult to find...

I'm not saying that your opinion isn't genuine, just that I think most guys who fly F$ do so to feel like they're flying a plane, so most designers do so with that in mind.

[Hagar]

Sunny. I think you need to distinguish between the MDL & the Panel. The interior views (DVC) are part of the aircraft visual model, defined in the MDL file. This cannot be edited without the designer's source file & the program used to create the aircraft. The panel is completely separate & can be changed/modified at will with CfgEdit or FS Panel Studio. You could create a completely clear view panel with no gauges if you wished.

I still think my suggestion will do what you're looking for. Try hitting that W key from Cockpit View.

[Scottler]

[quote]
Once again, I don't expect designers to leave out cabin textures.

[Sunny129]

I meant to address the W key before and i forgot.  The W key does work for what i'm looking to do, but i would much rather just switch the my window of choice and not have to hit W also.  I know it sounds lazy, being the difference between one keystroke and two, but it makes things so much easier when changing windows during takeoff, upon approach, or even taxiing.

As far as distinguishing between the .mdl and the panel, I am aware that the interior views are part of the model and cannot be edited directly.  I only referred to editing the panel because it was suggested by some others in this thread.

[Hagar]

I think you can toggle the mini-panel with W & Shift + W. You could also assign these keystrokes to spare buttons on the joystick. Seems to me this would save an awful lot of trouble.