Resolved Grumman Goose Missing Controls

[Quickmarch 488]

Hello again,

March here with another Goose Bug.

Any one experiencing the same problem I have with the Grumman Goose (default) aircraft in FSX Gold?

All of the models seem to be missing the "Engine Controls" panel.

When in the virtual cockpit display (F9), it is possible to page through a number of different displays by repeatedly hitting the "A" key. For example; the first page shows the right seat panel, second page shows the radio stack, etc. The problem crops up the third time I hit the 'A' key: I get a really expanded view of the cockpit door aft of the pilot's seats. Basically, a bunch of rivets and a flat, grey plate. The top right corner notes "Engine Controls" in red text.

I can get at the controls by doing the <shift>6 thing, but it is a poor representation of the overhead panel (very difficult, to feather the props, for instance). I've got to resort to the keypad shortcuts to lean the engines, adjust the prop pitch, etc.

I've looked through the aircraft (.CFG) file and the Panel config file. The engine panel is listed but I'm assuming the problem is resident in the CAB file for this aircraft. If that's really the case, it may be beyond the scope of this forum to try to solve it here.

I await the words of wisdom...................

Cheers,

March

[mutley 4,498]

Hi March.

This is a bug, well done! on your third VC view, after the radio stack my view was just of a piece of grey metal, the co-ordinates were stuffed!

I found this replacement and it works for me but please back up your file if you are going to use it.

In your Aircraft.cfg file, look for [CameraDefinition.003] and replace the lines with the following:

Title = "Engine Controls"

Guid = {195EAB58-9E4A-3E2A-A34C-A8D9D948F078}

Origin = Virtual Cockpit

MomentumEffect = No

SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel

SnapPbhReturn = False

PanPbhAdjust = Swivel

PanPbhReturn = False

Track = None

ShowAxis = FALSE

AllowZoom = TRUE

InitialZoom = 0.3

SmoothZoomTime = 2.0

ZoomPanScalar = 1.0

ShowWeather = Yes

XyzAdjust = TRUE

ShowLensFlare=FALSE

Category = Cockpit

PitchPanRate=20

HeadingPanRate=60

InitialXyz=0.34, -.2, .4

InitialPbh=-55, 0, 0

Usually the way to find the coordinates would be to set up the view in a flight and save the flight. Then look at the camera definition in the flt file in my documents / Flight Simulator X files, I couldn't be bothered with that so took the short cut!

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Joe

[Quickmarch 488]

Hey, thanks Joe,

You are a wealth of information on the intricacies of FSX. I'll let you know how it goes. Will have to be later as SWMBO is starting to look as though she's getting ready for a safari.

I'd do this sort of thing myself and not bother others for solutions, however, I'm so far behind the power curve in simming that it is daunting to say the least. A few of these solutions go a long way to fostering an understanding of what is going on behind the scenes.

Cheers,

March

PS: I'm working through a BIG bug in Legends of Flight DC3 with the more than able assistance of the good folks at Just Flight. It might be the subject of a post for the edification of others once completed.

Cheers,

March

[mutley 4,498]

Thanks March,

I have lots of useless(?) snippets of information stored away somewhere in the grey matter, it's just a question of retrieving it un-scrambled, Google is usually my reminder.

Please do share your findings about the JF DC3, it's such a popular aircraft here in the Hangar.

PS - SWMBO is a common affliction here

Cheers,

Joe

[Quickmarch 488]

Worked a treat, Joe.

Now into the nitty gritty;

I'm convinced that the following is hidden away somewhere in a CAB file - something I have to learn to manipulate.

Guid = {195EAB58-9E4A-3E2A-A34C-A8D9D948F078}

Ok: GUID? G_raphic U_ser I_nterface for D_ummies? There's probably a book with a yellow/black cover written on the subject, But I don't have it.

I've picked out one gem from this line: 3E2A is the third window accessed by hitting the "A" key while in the VC. Another line might contain 2E2A and that would refer to the second window. I'm convinced this address calls up a routine hidden away in a CAB file. Here's the reasoning: No matter what you do with this line - InitialZoom = 0.3, you cannot affect what the window looks like when it first loads. Try changing it to InitialZoom = 0.75. Nothing happens. The window still loads with too high a zoom factor. All the windows do, in my humble opinion.

I took a close look at the file that you talked about. The one that is written to My Documents/Documents/Flight Simulator X Files on a "save" instruction. This is all fairly clear, now. This evening won't work because we have guests, but I hope to get my hands dirty tomorrow, playing with this new knowledge.

I bought FS Panel Studio a while back, but have not gotten into it beyond a cursory browse. I'm betting this will be my avenue to messing with the CAB files. Either that or I'd better start studying the FSX SDK features. The CAB file is really only a compressed, archive-style file (as far as I know).

More tomorrow.......

Cheers,

March

[mutley 4,498]

Hi March

You will see GUIDs everywhere, especially in things like Windows registry, it's a Globally Unique IDentifier of that file.

Cheers

Joe