Tank you so much Mark 'Problem' solved; you are fantastic 

The problem with the IRIS F-14A's is that the panels are aliased to the IRIS F-14A Tomcat Clean\panel and for the F-14B's, aliased to the IRIS F-14B Tomcat Clean\panel so you must add Weapon for FSX to the F-14A Tomcat Clean and F-14B Tomcat Clean versions.

Then in the panel folder of the rest of the F-14A's you need to modify the panel.cfg to read:

[fltsim]
alias=\IRIS F-14A Tomcat Clean\panel.csweapon

And for the rest of the F-14B's, you need to modify the panel.cfg to read:

[fltsim]
alias=\IRIS F-14B Tomcat Clean\panel.csweapon

I think that should fix it for you. If not, I'll give you the longer method of how to do it (which will work), as I did with the IRIS A-10 Warthog.

Mark

That Worked GREAT!! Thanks Mark. It was a quick and easy fix and far better than some of the complicated fixes I had found on the web.

Now if I can get Iris's attention and figure out that NVIS thing. I went into the Aircraft.cfg of the A10 and the Panel.cfg as well but the only hint I found referencing the night vision was in the cockpit lights.

I think that's just to control the 'green' lighting in the cockpit but I don't see anything that refers to the terrain lighting.

That's where I expected to see something about the NVIS. I keep forgetting that it's New Years Day and Iris is not likely going to answer anything I ask today.

But thanks for that tip. I placed that info in the main folders of the A & B models. I've got 15 F14's with weapons now. I could go in and do the rest sub folder by sub folder but I think that 15 is far more than enough liveries.

Fact is I wish the programs of these add-on planes would just include some paint kit and only supply 2 or 3 pre-painted variations of their models.

I've taken most of my A10's and a huge number of Beavers, (another company really over killed that one), made subfolders, and put most of them in there. It didn't help with speeding up the start of FSX but at least I don't have to go through a ridiculous number of variations trying to find the one I want.

I have many like that and it makes me crazy.

Yes, variants, that's what I meant to say.

Just in case you're interested, I just finished a test I did to try to improve the NVIS in the F14. I copied the A10's .fx file in the FSX main Effects folder, and renamed it the name that of the F14's .fx file, (basically I just replaced the F14.fx file with the A10's).

The result was the same as if I hadn't done anything at all but it did tell me that I am likely dealing with the canopy effect that Iris gave that f14, (a dirty/semi fog appearance at night).

Now if that's the case, then I think I may succeed if I compare the 2 planes files that deal with that effect. I just need to find where that command would be, (I'm guessing Textures).

The other possibility but less likely is the luminosity settings that are given in the Aircraft file. I think that's the very last set of commands in that file and I am going to compare them first because it's a lot easier than the Canopy Texture to try.

But it's likely to be the canopy texture anyway.

Thanks Mark! Yes, I know it's not a CapSim issue and I certainly appreciate it, (I have a post in Iris's site). The canopy's dirty texture is definitely affecting the NVIS effect as far as the contrast/crispness goes.

But I think that you'll find that it's a GRADIENT effect that may be the cause for absolutely no NVIS when you are looking straight ahead, through, or on either side, of the HUD, (I almost sound like I know what I'm talking about ).

The truth is I am strictly guessing based on a comparison of the interior gradients between the A10 and the F14. The 14 has a vertical, black, gradient that fades to white on each side of the center black mass as one of its interior textures. But the A10 has a 'spot' gradient that is white in the center and fades to black as it expands to the outer edges, (if that all makes sense).

When I read that last paragraph back to myself, I realized that this may not be as 'easy' as I thought at first. Virtavia once helped me out with their Dauphin Helicopter which had far too much 'sea-salt spray' effect on the windshield. They sent me another texture to replace the one they had for that area.

That's why I thought it would be easy to fix. But this gradient thing... I don't know. Anything you may find will help.

Yes, me too. I put a lot of money into scenery software and I don't mind the interior reflections when it's done right but I can live without the salt spray, dust and semi-fog.

In the case of the F14, there are at least 3 canopy textures and I don't know which needs to be edited, (if not all). I also don't know how to clear those textures. Do I just delete them?

Thanks Mark, the third may not be applicable. In the testure.vc folder of the F14 Clean, the hud_additive_night.dds and cp_rim_t.dds are suspicious to me as well.

But let me ask you first; did you try opening in a night time scenery and turning on the NVIS? Was the effect crisp and clear like in the A10 all the way around the canopy or just on the left and right sides?

If the left & right were good, but the forward looking view was dark and unaffected by the NVIS system, then I wonder if the 2 other textures I named above may have something to do with it?

I don't have time to check your results but I am going to as soon as I can. Still, the point is to get the NVIS effect as clear and complete as it is in the A10.
Thanks