Post by Tom/CalClassic on Jan 21, 2009 11:29:02 GMT -5
Hi,
I'm designing the gauge arrangement of the new VC for the DC-6B (etc.), based on Jens' very nice DC-6 VC, and I have a few questions.
If you notice in Jens' DC-6 VC (at least on my computer) the gauges are very sharp, but there is a hesitation in the movement of the needles. However, in Manfred's Starliner the gauge movement is fluid, but they are displayed somewhat softer.
I am investigating the cause(s) of this hesitation and softness, and have found a few things:
Many people say that multiple VC sections in the panel.cfg file will cause a loss of gauge fluidity; Jens uses 9 sections (i.e 9 large gauge polygons, each with its own mapping coordinates), a relatively high number compared to other VC's I've examined. But this has the advantage that he can use relatively large bitmaps for each section, leading to very sharp gauges being displayed.
Manfred in the Starliner uses a different technique - individual gauge circles for each VC gauge poly but all mapped to the same VC texture, and thus a single VC section in the panel.cfg file. This gives good gauge fluidity, but since the single gauge texture is limited to 1024 x 1024, the gauges are displayed slightly "softer" than in Jens' DC-6. One problem with this technique is that the DC-6 has a LOT more gauges in the VC, thus each gauge will have a smaller area to occupy and therefore will be even less sharp.
I intend to try a hybrid scheme between the two VC's described above - as few VC sections as possible, but not to the extent of creating a VC gauge poly for each individual gauge.
Here is a pic of all the main panel gauges on a single 1024 x 1024 VC texture - they actually fit on 1024 x 512, so there is still half of the texture to use on other areas. This would certainly lead to very fluid gauges:
And here is a pic with each of the two main panel gauge areas (the flight instruments are on one texture, and the engine instruments are on the other). Each is set as 1024 x 1024, so they are quite sharp. But if I do this for each and every gauge section the needles are likely to be jerky:
These were taken at 1280 x 720 resolution; at 1920 x 1080 the second picture is startlingly sharp; the first one is much better, but still softer.
So my question to you is this: Do you care more about the gauge needles moving smoothly or the gauges being perfectly sharp? I will attempt to find a compromise arrangement with the best of both, but if I run into a wall which is more important to you?
One thing I might try would be to put the main panel gauges on separate textures (for maximum sharpness) and the rest of the gauges on a single texture (for gauge fluidity). Does this sound better?
The second question I have is this - the VC levers use the FS2004 XML animation, which means if I use that the plane becomes incompatible with FS2002. If I don't include it, you will not be able to drag the levers around. That's the only significant thing I can think of that would be lost with going to FS2004 only. Is that worth it?
Thanks,
I'm designing the gauge arrangement of the new VC for the DC-6B (etc.), based on Jens' very nice DC-6 VC, and I have a few questions.
If you notice in Jens' DC-6 VC (at least on my computer) the gauges are very sharp, but there is a hesitation in the movement of the needles. However, in Manfred's Starliner the gauge movement is fluid, but they are displayed somewhat softer.
I am investigating the cause(s) of this hesitation and softness, and have found a few things:
Many people say that multiple VC sections in the panel.cfg file will cause a loss of gauge fluidity; Jens uses 9 sections (i.e 9 large gauge polygons, each with its own mapping coordinates), a relatively high number compared to other VC's I've examined. But this has the advantage that he can use relatively large bitmaps for each section, leading to very sharp gauges being displayed.
Manfred in the Starliner uses a different technique - individual gauge circles for each VC gauge poly but all mapped to the same VC texture, and thus a single VC section in the panel.cfg file. This gives good gauge fluidity, but since the single gauge texture is limited to 1024 x 1024, the gauges are displayed slightly "softer" than in Jens' DC-6. One problem with this technique is that the DC-6 has a LOT more gauges in the VC, thus each gauge will have a smaller area to occupy and therefore will be even less sharp.
I intend to try a hybrid scheme between the two VC's described above - as few VC sections as possible, but not to the extent of creating a VC gauge poly for each individual gauge.
Here is a pic of all the main panel gauges on a single 1024 x 1024 VC texture - they actually fit on 1024 x 512, so there is still half of the texture to use on other areas. This would certainly lead to very fluid gauges:
And here is a pic with each of the two main panel gauge areas (the flight instruments are on one texture, and the engine instruments are on the other). Each is set as 1024 x 1024, so they are quite sharp. But if I do this for each and every gauge section the needles are likely to be jerky:
These were taken at 1280 x 720 resolution; at 1920 x 1080 the second picture is startlingly sharp; the first one is much better, but still softer.
So my question to you is this: Do you care more about the gauge needles moving smoothly or the gauges being perfectly sharp? I will attempt to find a compromise arrangement with the best of both, but if I run into a wall which is more important to you?
One thing I might try would be to put the main panel gauges on separate textures (for maximum sharpness) and the rest of the gauges on a single texture (for gauge fluidity). Does this sound better?
The second question I have is this - the VC levers use the FS2004 XML animation, which means if I use that the plane becomes incompatible with FS2002. If I don't include it, you will not be able to drag the levers around. That's the only significant thing I can think of that would be lost with going to FS2004 only. Is that worth it?
Thanks,
