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FS2004 Prop spindown gauge

Mr_Sloww

Mr_Sloww

Messages
231
Country
us-alabama
Good Morning All!

I am trying to write a prop spin down and stopped gauge for my 2D panel in fs2004. This code:
Code: 
<Gauge Name="f4u1_Prop" Version="1.0">
<Element>
           <Visible>(A:GENERAL ENG RPM:1, Rpm) 350 &lt;</Visible>
   <Image Name="Prop_Bkground.bmp" Bright="Yes"/>
   <Element>
      <Position X="512" Y="512"/>
      <Image Name="Prop.bmp" PointsTo="North" Bright="Yes">
         <Axis X="333" Y="333"/>
      </Image>
      <Rotate>
         <Value>(A:General eng1 RPM,RPM) 100 /</Value>
         <Nonlinearity>
            <Item Value="0" X="179" Y="179"/>
            <Item Value="1" X="843" Y="179"/>
            <Item Value="2" X="843" Y="843"/>
            <Item Value="3" X="179" Y="843"/>
         </Nonlinearity>
         <Failures>
            <SYSTEM_ENGINE Action="0"/>
         </Failures>
      </Rotate>   
   </Element>
</Element>
</Gauge

Gives me a fair spin down but the prop always stops at the same spot. I am functionally illiterate in XML but can usually cobble together what I need. Not so much this time. I would like to slave the prop rotation of this gauge to the Prop0_Still display in the vc. I have been trying various: (L:prop0_Still,) statements to mimic the vc prop display with no luck. Any advice will be welcome.

Carlton
 
tgibson

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,338
Country
us-california
Hi,

It's stopping at the same place every time because this is coded the same as an instrument needle - when the prop RPM goes to 0, the needle goes to 0.

One concept for getting something different each time could be:

1. Each time the engine goes from combustion = yes to combustion = no, save the seconds value of the zulu time variable into an L: variable. This will be a rather random number. Use an L: variable as a flag to save this value only once. I.e. "if the flag variable = 0 and combustion = yes (startup), then set the flag variable to 1 (reset), if my flag variable = 1 and combustion = no (shutdown), then save the seconds value into the custom L: variable and set the flag variable to 0". This code can be placed into a separate Update or Element section.
2. Add this custom variable's value to the RPM variable for the "prop" rotation (in the Value line in your code). You can modify this custom variable's value as need be for the needed final positions (i.e. divide by 100, etc.).

Now it will stop at a different position each time.

Hope this helps,
 
Mr_Sloww

Mr_Sloww

Messages
231
Country
us-alabama
Adding random stopping points for the 2d prop will be a step in the right direction. If I can figure how to piece together the code from your description. But it will not solve my main problem, I want the 2d prop blades to stop at the same degree of arc as the 3d prop blades in the VC and exterior views, so the 2d blades don't appear to jump to a different spot if the user cycles thru the view with the engine stopped. Best case would be a (L:prop0_Still, ) statement that will rotate my
Prop.bmp in sync with the 3d prop blades. I have about convinced myself it is just not possible.

Carlton
 
tgibson

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,338
Country
us-california
No, I don't think that's possible. AFAIK there is no FS variable for prop position.
 
Milton_Shupe

Milton_Shupe

Resource contributor
Messages
331
Country
us-newmexico
I am curious if the VC modeled engines are a clone of the exterior engines, and if the prop positions are the same in the two models. In 15 years of modeling, I have never experienced this issue TMK.
 
Mr_Sloww

Mr_Sloww

Messages
231
Country
us-alabama
Milton
I am using the unlimited poly method, I think developed by Lionheart, to generate the aircraft. I have the full aircraft in both interior and exterior views. For each LOD, I edit the interior gmax file, create a main group named something like X300_Int. Then clone X300_Int and rename the new group X300_Ext to give the parts in the new group different names. I then generate the interior 300 LOD from the X300_Int group and the exterior 300 LOD from the X300_Ext group. The few times I have visually checked, the VC and ext props look to be in sync.

Tom
Thanks for the confirmation of impossibility, What types of gauges might contain code such as you describe above? So I can look for examples to study?

Thank you both for your coments!

Carlton
 
Mr_Sloww

Mr_Sloww

Messages
231
Country
us-alabama
Tom
Your description should give me enough info to search the posts here. If nothing else I can use what I have and include a "Glitch" note in the panel read me.

Thanks again!

Carlton
 
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