Flying for long time Catanneo's Tomcat, I realized that the lack of Radar "on board" able of tracking AI planes (AI traffic and/or even other players) presents a big disadvantage with Military flying in FSX, both in terms of immersion as also practical reasons. This is also the case with the most Militaries available in FSX - and even if they have a kind of radar, this lacks vital info like bearing-heading-altitude-speed of targets being tracked... As a result, the target aquisition for weapon solution is very hard.
If you also take into account that there is no visual beyond about 1.8 miles, things get very hard (or just impossible, except you use "Red Labels" that kill immersion...)

This problem was very obvious at an FSX Mission I was flying (in video). AI CS Mi6 heli has an attached area of 1.5 mile radius that if you enter, you get shot down and petrols at low altitude between the airport & the harbor at west. Since the mission goal is to bomb the airport, many times I was downed, unable to shoot Mi6 from a safe distance.

All these info seem that is out of interest of most people... But since Hanimichal asked for it, just one guy is enough for me. So, here you go :




HOW TO FIT RADAR in a virtual cockpit's screen :

As an example, Dinno Cataneo's S3B "Viking" is being used here.

Procedure :

1. Download F-16 Fighting Falcon (VIPER) by Kirk Olsson (VIPERDEN F-16) and install plane in FSX.
( http://simviation.com/simviation/?ID=64&page=20&mark=4678 )  

2.  Arm S3B "Viking "with CS Weapon loader.

3. Open S3B's Panel folder & Copy all files included except panel.cfg file. Paste in "panel.csweapon" folder.
(Comment : this step is good to be done for any aircraft loaded with CS Weapon, especially if gauges in cockpit don't work, ie they are black. Reason for this is that FSX now reads from panel.cfg of "panel.csweapon" folder and it may not find the files needed in this folder - that why the Copy/Paste procedure !...)

4. Replace (backup first) the "panel.cfg" file inside "panel.csweapon" folder of the S3B Viking, with the one I provide here : https://app.box.com/s/907hi3hm2uv7r6bh7ul2

5. Also copy "zoomradar_1024.bmp" & Paste in S3B's "panel.csweapon" folder, as above.

You are ready to go sir ! Good Hunting !

For changing Radar type or Radar range, press "shift + 8" and change as desired. Close window afterwards.

COMMENT : In the video you see below, is the version 2 of this radar that is payware (10 euros). For my taste and kind of flying in FSX, it worths the money, adding : 1. operate radar from keyboard  2. minimum scan range 5 miles (10 for the free ) 3. amber colour apart from green. 4. More info when selecting a target. Same logic as with CS Weapon : "for any aircraft or heli..."
For more info, you may see here : http://emarciano.free.fr/En/RadarV20.htm




HOW TO FIT CS HUD in a screen panel in vc :

-It's actually easy enough, though some testing will be needed for exact fit. For the S3B, it's already fitted as shown in video (at the "panel.cfg" download). You may open panel.cfg & note the changes I've made.
- You have also to turn collimation of CS HUD off in CS Weapon.xml !!! So zoom does not affect it :
Quote:


- Also consider of increasing the IR seeker's cone, for easier aquisition of target. ie Use the AIM7 configuration in csweapon.xml (for AIM9):

Quote:


For a thorough understanding of fitting panel gauges (applies for both Radar & CS HUD), you may read here : http://emarciano.free.fr/RadarDoc/RadarIntegration.html

HOW TO customize SOUNDS when firing a CS Weapon :

1. First of all, you may want to hear IR seeker & lock tone louder ! Set "gain" to 0.5 or according your taste :
Quote:


2. If you want a sound to be activated when you cast a weapon (as the "FOX 2" in video when I shoot AIM9s), you just have to declare the appropriate sound file as in the example below :
Quote:


"..\..\..\" is "FSX" folder. So you may create a folder inside FSX called "MySounds" or whatever and give the path, like : <Sound name="..\..\..\MySounds\FOX2.wav" gain="1.0" />
Gain=1.0 is for maximizing the sound volume - you may reduce if necessary (eg, 0.6)

In video, I have used a "FOX 2" sound file from DCS World...
With same procedure you may add sounds for AIM7 (FOX 3), Air to Ground (AGM65 - "Rifle", "Missile away"), bombs ("bombs away") etc. for a more vivid experience...

Thanks Xpel this is great stuff, and looking forward to FSX@WAR.  Glad to hear about the progress.

I installed the Rafale to get the F16!Radar but I can't find it anywhere.  The panel.cfg references it but no CAB or folder named F16 is in the panel folder for any of the variations,  nor is it in gauges, nor does it appear in the panel of the airplane.

Are you sure that gauge came from this airplane?

There's no working radar gauge in the Rafale and no F16.gau in the airplane as downloaded, I installed it into a clean folder and looked it over.  There are only two files installed in the gauges folder, rafale.CAB and rafaleUPDATE.cab.

There's no working radar in either of those as far as I can tell.  But the panel.cfg references an F16 gauge that is not in the install package.

I'd really like this to replace the fake, unrealistic one in the another company F16 and get a measure of authenticity.

I'm hoping, of course, that this kind of makes an attempt to simulate an APG-66 type radar.  I looks like it does from your video.  Certainly better than the joke in the another company F16.

Hi Xpel,

Thanks for your efforts.  I suspect the F16.gau did come from the Viperden F-16.  I downloaded that airplane, extracted the gauge, and replaced the another company one with it.  Alas for various reasons (including the extra functionality) the original another company is superior.  But the F-16 radar will be good for any other airplane I may have that has no radar but does have some spot to put one.

Thanks again
Dutch

Ah, nice.

"Bad Ass" :