GA, FSX, Vista, 4mm MDF, and an 80mm holesaw...
So I decided it was time to start putting some flesh on the bones of my desktop simulator. You can see how things started on my 'hello' post in the forums. Since then I have purchased a brand new Dual core (Core 2) PC with Vista premium to give FSX a little more breathing room. I have spent the last few weeks flying on the single monitor, and today decided it was time to sort it out.
Things started out going well, then went downhill from there. I got a good shot of how it will look once I sort the major bugs in the system, however there is a lot more I need to sort.
So whats been happening. I am a GA nut as opposed to heavy metal. Although I love the look of the 747 and similar cockpits, GA is something one day I might get to do :) So how with no space do you get a GA cockpit I asked myself... You buy a poster of course.
So a quick visit to the local pilots shop has got me a scale poster of a warrior cockpit, in full colour. A sheet of 6mm MDF, a 62mm hole saw, tenon saw, some photo mount spray and with 1 days work I have the start of a fairly nice panel. The TFT I have even holds the panel up nicely, so I dont need anything behind it and I can take it away to use the computer normally when not flying. The day was going so well :)
Here are the in progress pics to show just how lucky I was with sizings, etc:
http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/3...2652kh4.th.jpghttp://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5...2653ox0.th.jpg
Now the fun bit starts. I decide to dust of my old copy of FSXpand. I never really got round to using it in anger in 2004, but looks like my license should work in the current FSX compatible release. It needs FSUIPC but thats ok as I need it anyway for FSX and not got it yet. It will let me pop the gauge behind the panel really easily. And I can just run it on the same pc with FSX running on 1 monitor, it on the other.
5 minutes with the wifes back turned and I have a nice shiny registered FSUIPC. Or would have, it wont register... Luckily this is a known Vista issue, a quick check in the forums reveals I need to register while running FSX as administrator. Phew, works first time and 1 less thing to battle with.
I get FSExpands current release and no joy on the reg key :( Ahh well I think, may as well use it in trial mode and raise a help ticket later. So I hook up the second monitor and tell the graphics card to enable it... phoom...
FSX starts to flicker and doesn't work... :-? Its really weird, everything loads ok, then it seems to flick through a 'normal' look, and start to redraw it over and over.
Thinking it must be a graphics driver issue I download and try the latest for my card (ATI Radion X1950). No help there. Disable the second monitor and all works, enable and back to flickering on and off screen...
Starting to tear my hair out now I try windowed mode and it works, although jumpy as anything. I manage to get FSExpand up and running, but cant get client and server speaking. This also seems to need to be an 'admin' run program to see FSX, and then it doesn't update properly... Sniffle.
Still I managed to get a rough and ready view of how it will look once I get this all working together which is below. Any tips on my technical probs welcomed btw:
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/9974/snv32655vl0.jpg
Phase 2 - DesktopAviator Add in
Well its gradually taking shape, I have cut away more of the excess wood, drilled out (badly) the engine instruments, and added a desktop aviator 1010 panel.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/904/snv32700ip7.jpg
Shot at 2007-07-20
This took some modification as it comes in a nice plastic box. However I wanted this on my panel. Sadly the monitor gets in the way of the real key switch location. Also my poster is not a 1:1 scale, its about 2/3 scale, so fitting anything is not an exact science.
Taking the box apart revealed very little cable between the front board and the USB card in the base. However there was enough play. The front plate has 2 small + signs printed on the rear corners. I assume these are for mounting holes of some sort, and with a small drill they now are anyway :) With the mounting hole cut out with the jigsaw I was able to with some gentle shoving put the front plate through and screw it in with 2 small grub screws:
http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/2222/snv32698ej9.jpg
Shot at 2007-07-21
Then sheer luck, the backplate would rotate through 90 degrees and screw onto the back of my panel with some long wood screws:
http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/616/snv32699qb1.jpg
Shot at 2007-07-20
This saved having to try and remove the USB board which is hot melt glued in place. It also protects the circuit boards and wires :D
So only the Go Flight modules to go so I can simulate a radio. I also want to try some drainpipe to make the bevels around the instruments. Below is a closeup of the desktopaviators panel in place:
http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/508/snv32701py9.jpg
Shot at 2007-07-21