some beginner questions - Tomcat cockpit

[+ToS 14]

Hey folks,

 

I´m new to TK sim modding, thus I accumulated a bunch of noobish beginner questions.

I´m building a new Tomcat cockpit (basically a high poly spin-off of a pit I made for Janes FA18) and I´m lost on a few things:

 

1st: setting up the VDI (center) display ?

The center display is basically a flat attitude indicator with some radar target symbology overlayed.

- How can I set up a flat attitude indicator (eg similar to the radar attitude indicator) ? I figured out how to make attitude sheres, but have no idea how to make a flat sreen...

I´m also not sure how I can get some radar data (range, ASE cycle, weapon type...) to display on the same screen (simultaniously with the normal radar screen on the lower display) ?

 

2nd: warning lights as lights ?

this one is probably very stupid...

The warning lights I added to the side consoles show up but are not "illuminated" (ie no lights, at night they are dark).

Do I need to set up a certain material in 3DMAX (textures are plain bmps/ material standard right now) ?

 

3rd: F14A/B NATOPS / (high-res) pictures of the right knee panel/ upgraded F14B HUD ?

well, title says it all - can anyone by any chance help me out with some reference material for the right knee panel and the upgraded F14B HUD (the one with a HUD frame - especially the modified ACM panel) ?

 

Any input appreciated

 

oh, and forgive my poor english..I´m too lazy to polish things up

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

ps: there´s a screenie of what it looks like (early WIP shot of course):

[+bobrock 15]

Hi ToS, I'll try to answer your questions. Making a complex cockpit is probably the hardest thing (a part from the FM) and sometimes you have to figure out some work around.

 

1- From what I understand you want to fake a MFD display, displaying attitude bars and a few other information. Basically you have to make a flat rectangle and (in the INI) assign the movement to the texture instead of the meshnode.

Like this

 

[Att_Pitch]

Type=PITCH_INDICATOR

NodeName=ATT_ind

MovementType=TEXTURE_V <----------------------

ValueUnit=DEG

Set[01].Position=0.5

Set[01].Value=-90

Set[02].Position=0

Set[02].Value=0

Set[03].Position=-0.5

Set[03].Value=90.0

 

 

AFAIK you cannot use radar infos like target range and altitude outside the radar screen, but you can make some lights look like screen text and show informations like weapon type / station selected

 

2- Correct, the lights material in MAX has to be "self illuminated".

 

3- Sorry, I cannot help. I guess you already checked http://www.anft.net/f-14/index.htm or airliners.net

 

As a general hint I suggest you to check other cockpits, study them and reverse engineer what could be useful for you.

And be creative

 

If you need some more help just send me a PM.

[Icarus999 70]

Glad you made it over here Chris, I was following your thread over at the third wire forum. Nice pit!!!

[+ToS 14]

bobrock,

 

thanks for your reply - I fixed the lights and got the VDI to work (more or less, some scaling issues remain):

 

once again a very basic question:

How do I set up ANALOG_COUNTER (e.g. for Gun Rounds) in 3Dmax ?

Can I influence the font color, size, style.... ?

 

@ Icarus: thanks... I guess it´s pretty hard to avoid this place when it comes to TK sim mods

Edited March 7, 2009 by ToS

[coolpilot 2]

I hope this videos help, they´re from the IRIS F-14B for FSX

Edited March 8, 2009 by coolpilot

[+bobrock 15]

ToS, that new pit looks terrific! Good job

 

Setting up analog counters is quite easy, when you know how to do it ;)

 

You have to make the dials in 3d max, simple 10 faces cylinders will do, name them with 1,2,3 suffix, like

gun_dial1 for units, gun_dial2 for tens and gun_dial3 for hundreds, and map them with a bmp like this one

 

Number_Tape.bmp

 

Your INI will then have to be like this

 

[Guncount]

Type=GUN_ROUNDS_INDICATOR

CounterNodeFormat=gun_dial%d <----- this little piece of code will take care of the sequence

MovementType=ANALOG_COUNTER

 

 

Now, that's for old style counters, like range or course in the HSI.

BUT after september 08 patch you can also make digital readouts. The process is quite the same, but instead of cylinders, make a series of rectangles. When mapped they should show "0" IIRC

Map example

rangedigits.bmp

 

The INI will then be like this

 

[Guncount]

Type=GUN_ROUNDS_INDICATOR

CounterNodeFormat=gun_dial%d

MovementType=DIGITAL_DISPLAY

 

I guess that's it, just ask if you need to know something else.

[+ToS 14]

well - I´m late to say thank you ....that helped me quite a lot !

 

I was lazy (hey it´s summer ), but the pit is still alive and has undergone some face lifting (next in line are some missing dials and avionics):

 

 

 

that said...

maybe I´m suffering from a special case of mental stupidness but I can´t figure out how the HSI MovementTypes work...

 

Can anyone please tell me how the corresponding MovementTypes are called ??

 

[+Julhelm 266]

1.

[HSIWheel]

Type=MAGNETIC_COMPASS

NodeName=CompassWheel

MovementType=ROTATION_Y

ValueUnit=DEG

Set[01].Position=00.0

Set[01].Value=0.0

Set[02].Position=-360.0

Set[02].Value=360.0

 

2.

[HSICourseDeviation]

Type=COURSE_DEVIATION

NodeName=HSICourseDeviation

MovementType=POSITION_X

ValueUnit=DEG

Set[01].Position=0.018

Set[01].Value=-5.0

Set[02].Position=-0.018

Set[02].Value=5.0

 

3.

[CourseArrow]

Type=COURSE_ARROW

NodeName=HSINeedle

MovementType=ROTATION_Y

ValueUnit=DEG

Set[01].Position=00.0

Set[01].Value=0.0

Set[02].Position=360.0

Set[02].Value=360.0

 

4.

[bearingMarker]

Type=BEARING_MARKER

NodeName=HSONeedle

MovementType=ROTATION_Y

ValueUnit=DEG

Set[01].Position=00.0

Set[01].Value=0.0

Set[02].Position=360.0

Set[02].Value=360.0

 

...is how the Skyray HSI is setup.

 

Nice work on the pit meshwise, though you might want to clean it up a bit by using texture detail instead. A good way to do this would be to use camera projections to bake the diffuse texture from the pilot POV so that you get nice shading and detail. If you look at the pits over on cockpits.nl, these most certainly use this technique quite heavily.

 

Either way, I really think you should work on the textures so they match the modelling.

[Caesar 305]

ToS, that pit is lookin' good!

[Erwin_Hans 6]

I saw the TV screen..

[+bobrock 15]

A good way to do this would be to use camera projections to bake the diffuse texture from the pilot POV so that you get nice shading and detail.

 

I'm quite interested in using this technique for my next pits, does anybody have a step-by-step-for-dummies tutorial? It could save a lot of polys and the results I've seen are very close to a full 3d model.

[zmatt 2]

That F-14 pit looks fantastic!

[+ToS 14]

thanks for your input - I got most things working now

 

 

but still a lot of "thisismyfirstmodelandIknownothing" questions left ...

 

1. The BEARING_MARKER and COURSE_ARROW do not move relative to the MAGNETIC_COMPASS (i.e. they show the bearing for a fixed, non moving compass with N on the top) - do I need to link them to the Compass mesh ?

 

....which would be bad, because everytime I try linking objects the cockpit screws up in game

 

2. Can someone please enlight me with a step by step elaboration for dummies on Digital-display counters (especially how I set up the "series of rectangles") ?

 

 

Cheers,

Chris

Edited June 27, 2009 by ToS

[+The Trooper 104]

Wow! Amazing!

[+Julhelm 266]

I believe the digital display works just like the analog display.

[Caesar 305]

ToS...Awesome!

[ironroad 218]

beautiful

[+Julhelm 266]

It needs some shading, then it'd look good. Right now the flat colors are killing it.

[+ToS 14]

well, have some patience, those are early WIP shots

 

coming back to my questions:

Nope, unfortunately Digital_Display doesn´t work like the analog type..... anyone here to enlight me ?

[+Paladrian 11]

Very nice work

[+ToS 14]

bump......still seeking for the DIGITAL_DISPLAY info

[pistitom 0]

wow, this looks cool, I guess it's not out yet, right? great job

[+Paladrian 11]

For digital counters you need to UV Map the node as shown in the screenshot below

 

 

The bitmap will have the exact same arrangement as the image below

 

 

Once mapped, the node only shows "0".

 

 

That's it, configuration is identical to analog display

[markkyle66 0]

ToS, Great Job... man I wish I had those skills!

 

Not certain if self respecting Naval Aviators flyaround with Natops on their knee pads... usually DOD Flip/Approach charts : ]

[scouserlad13 0]

HOLY CRAP, YOU CAN EVEN SEE THE REFLECTION IN THE TV SCREEN!!!

 

This is one great pit my friend, should be extremely proud as its your first creation. Look forward to the release