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MSFS20 VCockpit panel on external model?

P

pfabian

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netherlands
Hello all after some time.

I am working with someone on extending a model they made with some extra functionalities.

For one of these, I am wanting to put a VC "gauge" screen on a piece of geometry.

Now, in the past, exterior was exterior, and VC was a VC, separate models, each self-contained.... but, to my understanding from reading the SDK, that's not the case anymore with MSFS? As I understand, now there is an "interior" model and "exterior" model, that get combined at runtime.

The geometry I want to place the gauge on is in the exterior model.

Does anyone know if that's possible? Clickspots work, my gauge works if I put it inside the cockpit, and I try putting a default gauge on the outside geometry, but it doesn't show up. The color highlight doesn't show up either, when I try to use the Coherent debugger.
I have double checked and triple checked also that the texture name in panel.cfg is correct also.
 
Works only as part of the interior model. Nothing should stop you from placing the gauge anywhere you want though.
Downside is that clickspots only work from an interior camera view.
 
I think, from memory, that VC gauges will only appear on interior models. My Drifter ultralight uses VC gauges to show fuel levels in the exterior fuel tanks. It only works if the the VC strips are part of the interior model (while the rest of the fuel tanks are part of the exterior model).

As Mathias says, you can put interior models anywhere but there is one other thing to worry about, for the user model the interior model is subject LODs. So while the exterior of the user model will always show LOD0 the interior will show LOD1, 2, 3 etc as you move further away.
 
Yes all true. To see your gauge from the exterior model, the exterior model would have to be configured as an interior model. You could have a duplicate with a missing or dead gauge as the exterior model. I'm currently developing a helicopter with a large field of view, so my interior model is essentially my exterior model as well and since I have no slew boundaries, it's easy to explore around the exterior. The biggest differences between the two models I find are view controls and gauge functionality. I've not discovered any exterior animations that are not supported by the interior model, although odd things like tooltips show up on landing gears if they've been written into the XML for whatever reason. This particular helicopter has both rudder and elevator, that had been a bit of a pickle, but once the animations are properly driven I can confirm they work in both models. As to the LOD concern, I only use one and I don't enable my helicopter for AI traffic, so I think that would address it.
 
Hello,

Now with MSFS2024 I believe this is possible.

I have not been able to find any specific mentions in SDK (it barely speaks about how to assign the correct material to glass cockpit in VC model...) - has anyone tried?
 
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