On Tuesday 22 February 2005 22:20, Paul Surgeon wrote: > Hi guys > > I'm busy creating a variometer for FlightGear. > > My instrument needs to be able to : > 1. Display total energy (using some maths I haven't figured out yet) > 2. Play sounds (audio cue) > 3. Accept user input to its 2 knobs and 3 toggle switches. > > From what I've seen in FG I would have to generate the total energy > property from a nasal script, play the sounds from the aircraft XML file > and accept the user input through the panel hot spot (actions) config file.
I would like to suggest a different approach. 1. Create a new Variometer instrument module i C++. Actually you might want to create a more generic "Total Energy Tube" module to add to the systems modules (static, pitot, vacuum, etc.). I urge you to try to model the "Total Energy Tube" principles as closely as possible. I found a basic description from a variometer manufacturer: http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/BasicDefinitions.html But I guess you'll need something a bit more descriptive. 2. The sound bit can be coded in C++ into the variometer instrument module. > > I have one short word to describe this affair : "Mess!" :) > > Most of the instrument has to be coded into the aircraft config files > (although none of it is aircraft model specific) and for every aircraft > that I want to install the instrument in I would have to duplicate the > sound, hot spots and nasal code. > > Is there not a better way of doing it? > > Also is there not a way to accept user input on a 3D instrument? > I don't see the logic behind specifying hot spots using 2D panel *pixel* > locations for a 3D model which is placed using 3D coordinates. > Not to mention that as soon as I move my 3D instrument around in the > cockpit the input is "lost". Surely the input should be part and parcel of > the instrument? You could include a small panel with every 3D instrument and make the hole panel a hotspot as described here: http://baron.flightgear.org/pipermail/flightgear-devel/2004-June/028820.html But this of course is a very ugly hack. I've wanted to make 3D instruments (objects) clickable for a long time, but I just don't have the skill to do it :-( > The way I see it is an instrument should be able to have it's own set of > animation, input and sound config files as well as nasal scripts. > Then only a single include has to be done in an aircraft config file to > load the instrument at the right location. Yes, I totally agree on this. -- Roy Vegard Ovesen _______________________________________________ Flightgear-devel mailing list Flightgear-devel@flightgear.org http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-devel 2f585eeea02e2c79d7b1d8c4963bae2d
