FS2004 2D gauges

[euroastar350]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for ways to improve my XML gauges and most of my turbine gauges uses degrees to rotate the needle.

An example of my gauge code:

<Element>
      <Position X="250" Y="250"/>
      <Image Name="oil_condition_needle.bmp" Luminous="No" PointsTo="East">
         <Axis X="30" Y="10"/>
      </Image>
      <Rotate>
         <Value Minimum="0" Maximum="150">(A:General Eng1 Oil Temperature, celsius)</Value>
         <Nonlinearity>
            <Item Value="0" Degrees="-36"/>
            <Item Value="50" Degrees="-70"/>
            <Item Value="100" Degrees="-113"/>
            <Item Value="150" Degrees="-145"/>
         </Nonlinearity>
         <Delay DegreesPerSecond="25"/>
      </Rotate>
   </Element>

Some gauges use the X & Y positions to rotate the needle in the gauge, but I have zero idea on getting the X & Y position so I can make them rotate and half of my gauges don't behave like they should when using the above method. Is there a tutorial anywhere that explains setting gauge needles using the X & Y positions? I am using photoshop to get the number of degrees the needle(s) are set at a given value on the gauge, but it's more time consuming as the gauges sometime don't behave as they should. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[euroastar350]

I want my gauges to use X & Y coordinates for needle rotation.

An example gauge code

<Element>
        <Position X="102" Y="133"/>
        <Image Name="hc412_smgauge_needle_1.bmp" Luminous="No" PointsTo="East">
            <Axis X="13.5" Y="13.5"/>
        </Image>
        <Rotate>
            <Value Minimum="-5" Maximum="150">
            (A:Circuit general panel on, bool) 1 ==
            if{
            (A:General Eng2 Oil Temperature, celsius)
            }
            els{ -5.0 }
            </Value>
            <Nonlinearity>
                <Item Value="-5" X="85" Y="195"/>
                <Item Value="0" X="57" Y="173"/>
                <Item Value="50" X="44" Y="137"/>
                <Item Value="150" X="82" Y="77"/>
            </Nonlinearity>
            <Delay DegreesPerSecond="25"/>
        </Rotate>
    </Element>

 

[antaris]

Hello bro

Nick Pike cover this in his tutorials:
http://www.fs2x.com/Tutorials.htm

I don't fully understand this method and I am sticked to rotate the needle as you do.

I hope this helps,
Sergio.

 

[n4gix]

Since you use Photoshop, just hover the cursor over the point where you wish to read the coordinates, and then look in the upper right corner to read the precise x and y coordinate values. Granted, this is not a dial, but it does show where the x,y coordinates may be seen in the Info tab of Photoshop. Using this Info box, hover the mouse cursor over one of the major index lines, and write down the x and y values. Use these values to construct your Non-Linearity table:

 

[euroastar350]

Many thanks Bill for this small tutorial, time to do some updating

 

[tgibson]

To slightly expand on how I do this with steam gauges, load the gauge background bitmap into your paint program. Then point to the 0 tick mark with your mouse, and write down 0 and the x and y pixel location numbers. Then move the mouse to the next major tick mark (let's call it 5) and write down 5 and those x and y numbers. I use the middle of each tick mark, but it's not critical. Continue around the gauge until you are back at the 0 tick. Now enter all of these into your Nonlinearity table.

 

[vololiberista]

Here's an example of a P7 gauge with two dial faces. One measures the pressure in inches and the smaller in tenths. The smaller dial obviously therefore spins faster. <Position X="675" Y="451"/> indicates the pivot point of the needle (not shown) on the main dial face. <Axis X="32" Y="115"/> is the pivot point of the needle image itself.
The </Nonlinearity> values are those calculated within the <Value> lines. The numbers in " " are the tested values and the x y numbers are the x y positions on the main dial face.

<Gauge Name="Engine 1 P7" Version="1.0">
   <Image Name="P7_back.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
//-------------------------------------
    <Element>
      <Position X="675" Y="451"/>
      <Image Name="needle_p7_small.bmp" Luminous="1" PointsTo="North">
         <Axis X="32" Y="115"/>
      </Image>
      <Rotate>
         <Value>(L:Eng_1_P7,number)</Value>
         <Nonlinearity>
            <Item Value="0" X="671" Y="339"/>
            <Item Value="9.9" X="665" Y="339"/>
         </Nonlinearity>
        
      </Rotate>
   </Element>

<Element>
      <Position X="437" Y="451"/>
      <Image Name="Needle_P7_large.bmp" Luminous="1" PointsTo="South">
         <Axis X="89" Y="102"/>
      </Image>
      <Rotate>
         <Value>(L:Eng_1_P7,number)</Value>
         <Nonlinearity>
<Item Value="0" X="820" Y="451"/> 
<Item Value="20" X="606" Y="776"/>
<Item Value="40" X="203" Y="729"/>
<Item Value="60" X="80" Y="337"/>
<Item Value="80" X="395" Y="71"/>
<Item Value="100" X="766" Y="263"/>     
         </Nonlinearity>
         <Delay DegreesPerSecond="70"/>       
      </Rotate>
   </Element>
 
//--------------------------------------
   <Mouse>   
         <Tooltip>Engine 1 P7: %((L:Eng_1_P7,number))%!4.2f! ins%</Tooltip> 
   </Mouse>
</Gauge>