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727 Captain >> 727 Captain >> I'm working on INS integration (available)
https://www.captainsim.org/forum/csf.pl?num=1277200750

Message started by Cthulhus on Jun 22nd, 2010 at 9:59am

Title: Re: I'm working on INS integration (available)
Post by CoolP on Jul 27th, 2010 at 4:09am
I've an update on this.

Cthulhus, you've tried to integrate the CIVA in the VC (clickable and non-static like it's done in the Concorde), I did too.
My approach was on another plane and I had to learn that it works in case of integration but in not in case of function.

More precisely?
Well, the CIVA manual states that only one gauge can be active at one time, meaning, that INS1 can be only displayed once.
If we had integrated the INS1 as a popup panel in 2D and also in 3D to be visible in the VC, it would fail.
I actually did this in my other plane which I used for testing (for your interest: Everything worked fine but the AP of this aircraft does not use the standard functions, so CIVA couldn't connect to it, therefor: no guidance at all via INS).

Looks like you can switch and type into the 2D part but the displays there always fail and only the VC INS unit shows all digits correctly.

So a solution would be to only work in the VC (have to move the camera quite a bit for this) or to only use the 2D popup and a static texture in the VC, which of course is our current state.
Don't know what the guys at FSLabs did to get both units to work at the same time, but as I mentioned before, they surely had more work than just copy&paste.

The VC-only solution with the CIVA INS in the 727 is therefor possible. Integration seems easy and only needs the exact coordinates in the VC texture used for the pedestal and some transparent textures were the INS units should be placed.
The rest is a simply entry in the panel.cfg and the INS comes alive.

I'm no expert, so my main drawback is the graphical coordination and also the exact definition of the INS unit position in the VC. I've looked at your reworked textures but I don't know how to tell the panel.cfg to "draw the CIVA INS here".
On my test aircraft they've used other definitions and so it was easy for me to work there. 727's panel.cfg is more complex in this case.


I myself prefer the 2D popup with those neat buttons to access ADEU and MSU although I'm a TrackIR user. It's easier to work with and the amount of data can be typed in much better than in the somehow always shaking VC.
If somebody wants to work the complete INS system in VC only, he definitely needs TrackIR and/or a camera addon. Could be possible to set up a VC view with the standard functions too, but this won't be a comfortable solution to give precise data entries.


So I'm pretty confident with the current (2D) state and surely will start some long range CIVA flights in the 727 soon.

If your're up to test once more, Cthulhus, maybe we can join our efforts and create some VC-only integration for the guys loving the 727.
As I said before, might only need some coordinates and transparent textures, I think.

Another update:
Working fine on long range operations, integrates in the HDG mode of the standard 727 AP and accepts DME updates with high accuracy too.

I've updated the previous post with the tutorial because I've added some buttons to the subpanels to allow a comfortable close when clicking. Could be useful when only the CDU or ADEU is shown and you don't want to right click "close this window" every time.

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