Gaming FS2004 pressure settings

[Dickie]

Firstly, I know this isn't a Microsoft Flight Sim forum, however I understand some users here do also use Microsoft Flight Sim and it saves me joining a whole new forum for one question!

Basically, when it comes to flight sims on the PC I've always used X-Plane, however recently I've picked up a copy of FS2004 to try as I gather the cockpits and systems modelling is far more detailed. Problem is, I load it up and find myself only able to use inches of mercury as a pressure setting for the altimeter? I've been through the menus, and tried googling it to no avail - surely there must be a way to set pressure as mb?!

 

[Evil_Onyx]

it depends on what aircraft you are flying, and what the maker of the aircraft has put in his panel.

most modern aircraft have both systems displayed.

If you want to use metric for the why the simulator calculates pressure then i think you are out of luck.

 

[ex-orbinaut]

Firstly, I know this isn't a Microsoft Flight Sim forum, however I understand some users here do also use Microsoft Flight Sim and it saves me joining a whole new forum for one question!

Basically, when it comes to flight sims on the PC I've always used X-Plane, however recently I've picked up a copy of FS2004 to try as I gather the cockpits and systems modelling is far more detailed. Problem is, I load it up and find myself only able to use inches of mercury as a pressure setting for the altimeter? I've been through the menus, and tried googling it to no avail - surely there must be a way to set pressure as mb?!

Look upon it as a realistic problem . Here in Ecuador (& all of Latin America) aircraft are bought from all over the place and you run into this "headache" all the time. Then there's the Tower giving you QNH in Inches and ATIS in hPa... all a big mix up.

My solution is to have at hand a printed table, something like this one...

http://home.online.no/~eisoere/VACCN/Refsheets/hPa_IMhtml.htm

...just in case you need it for a quick reference.

On the other hand, you could always find among the add on instruments a suitable altimeter and edit the panel in the config file, as it is easy enough (is this still possible in FS2004? It was in 2000, the last I played around with).

 

[Hielor]

I know in FSX, if you're flying in England (and, I imagine, elsewhere, but I don't have personal experience with that) the pressures will be read to you in mb by ATC, but I don't know about the panel itself.

Don't know about FS2004 tho, but if you have the computer power for it I'd strongly recommend grabbing FSX.

 

[Notebook]

Not sure about FS2004, this is from FSX:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/FSX.jpg

From the Settings page on the main menu.

N.

 

[Dickie]

It certainly isn't a realistic problem - every aircraft I've ever climbed into reads in mb, ATIS and ATC give me RPS in mb, tower gives me QFE/QNH in mb

I've had a look at my options page which gives me the same choices but only mentions feet and metres, nothing about pressures?! As for FSX, my computer probably wouldn't run it and FS2004 was a lot cheaper, plus has a (apparently, not tried it yet) decent Sea King available.

As for add-ons etc, I'm having trouble there too - all the sites I've tried (avsim and flightsim.com being the main ones) seem to have pages of repaints, but very few actual aircraft to download? I've managed to find one C152 (what I was looking for) but it's not what I'd hoped for.

 

[ex-orbinaut]

It certainly isn't a realistic problem - every aircraft I've ever climbed into reads in mb, ATIS and ATC give me RPS in mb, tower gives me QFE/QNH in mb

:lol: Come fly here....

I have not got FS2004, but I am having a look for add on pages to see what they are like. Be back in a sec (you want the gauges downloads, really)...

--------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, there still is a panel configuration file...

[/COLOR]
[Window Titles]
window00=Main
Window01=Yoke Left
Window02=GPS
Window03=Nav Sheet

[VIEWS]
VIEW_FORWARD_ZOOM=0.8
VIEW_FORWARD_DIR=1.3, 0.0, 0.0

[Window00]
file_1024=pa28rb21.bmp
size_mm=980
position=7
visible=1
ident=MAIN_PANEL
gauge00=FP_28Rv2!OAT_Scott,               382,   0,  60,  48
gauge01=FP_28Rv2!compass,   484, 154,  72,  70
gauge02=FP_28Rv2!PA28F_3Warn,   409, 310,  55,  18
gauge44=FP_28Rv2!28_Stall,      246, 310,  20, 20
gauge03=FP_28Rv2!ID,    275, 320,  56,  9
gauge04=FP_28Rv2!clock,            63, 369,  52,  54
gauge05=FP_28Rv2!KI229,               39, 432,  76,  76
gauge06=FP_28Rv2!PA28F_ASI,                120, 343,  88,  86
gauge07=FP_28Rv2!PA28R_TC,              138, 438,  68,  70
gauge08=FP_28Rv2!Attitude_indicator,       228, 336,  82,  88
gauge09=FP_28Rv2!DirGyro,      232, 434,  78,  80
gauge10=FP_28Rv2!PA28F_Alt,              330, 343,  86,  86
gauge11=FP_28Rv2!VSI,       338, 437,  70,  72
gauge12=FP_28Rv2!KI209,                       423, 337,  86,  86
gauge13=FP_28Rv2!KI202,                    424, 429,  86,  86
gauge14='FP_28Rv2!KR22_OMI_H,    72, 626,  80,  30
gauge15=FP_28Rv2!PA28OTP,                  78, 546,  72,  24
gauge16=FP_28Rv2!PA28Amps,                152, 546,  36,  24
gauge17=FP_28Rv2!PA28CHT,                 190, 546,  36,  24
gauge18=FP_28Rv2!PA28Fuel,                339, 546, 115,  24
gauge19=FP_28Rv2!PA28R_Sw,   545, 550,  142, 34
gauge20=FP_28Rv2!Ignition_B,          253, 645,  48,  46
gauge21=FP_28Rv2!PA28R_MPFF,              305, 611,  74,  76
gauge22=FP_28Rv2!PA28R_RPM,               392, 615,  68,  69
gauge23=FP_28Rv2!GearLever,                470, 610,  25,  50
gauge24=FP_28Rv2!GearLights,               460, 657,  50,  62
gauge25=FP_28Rv2!TPM28,          509, 575,  75,  100
gauge26=FP_28Rv2!Trim,                        606, 715,  12,  24
gauge27=FP_28Rv2!PA28F_Flaps,                         624, 707,  12,  32
gauge28=FP_Radio_Set_Bendix_King!KMA24_Aud_Sel,      541, 304, 161,  30
gauge29=FP_Radio_Set_Bendix_King!KX155_comnav1,      540, 332, 163,  55
gauge30=FP_Radio_Set_Bendix_King!KX155_comnav2,     540, 385, 163,  55
gauge31=FP_Radio_Set_Bendix_King!KN62_DME,           541, 439, 160,  32
gauge32=FP_Radio_Set_Bendix_King!KR87_adf,           540, 470, 162,  40
gauge33=FP_Radio_Set_Bendix_King!Prot_Plate,  540, 509, 162,   9
gauge34=FP_76A!KT76A_XPNDR,                 712, 432, 160,  42
gauge35=KAP_140!KAP_140,                714, 477, 156,  40
gauge36=FP_28Rv2!egt,                     647, 626, 54,  52
gauge37=FP_28Rv2!28R2_Suc,        900, 386, 50,  50
gauge38=FP_28Rv2!TTFP0,    235, 545,  50,  42
gauge39=FP_28Rv2!TTFP1,    299, 548,  36,  20
gauge40=FP_28Rv2!TTFP2,    453, 545,  40,  20
gauge41=FP_28Rv2!TTFP3,    727, 538,  55,  50
gauge42=FP_28Rv2!Sw_Test,      355, 310,  24, 24
gauge43=FP_28Rv2!28_PB_Lever,      481, 722,  20, 20
gauge45='
//===================================================================
[Window01]
//file_1024=PA28Y.bmp
//file_1024_night=PA28YL_N.bmp
file=PA28RY.bmp
size_mm=978
position=6
visible=1
ident=10600
gauge00=FP_28Rv2!PA28R_Yoke,    90, 20,  320,200
gauge01=FP_28Rv2!PA28R_Yoke,   615, 20,  320,200

[Window02]
size_mm=420,330
position=4
visible=0
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0 
ident=10601
gauge00=fs9gps!gps_500,                      0,   0, 420, 330

[Window03]
size_mm=330,462
position=8
visible=0
BACKGROUND_COLOR=40,40,40 
ident=10602
gauge00=KeI!Rechenblatt-3,                   0,   0, 330, 462
 
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
[VCockpit01]
size_mm=1024,1024
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$Anzeigen
background_color=0,0,0
visible=0
 
gauge00=KeI!PA28Stallwarn,                                             401, 801,  72,  72
gauge01=KeI!PA28Gearwarn,                                              401, 801,  72,  72
//gauge02=Kei!PA28GearinTrans,                                         401, 875,  72,  72
gauge03=KeI!OAT,                                                       658, 659, 181, 181
//gauge03=Magnetic_Compass!Magnetic-Compass,                           852, 659, 158, 158
gauge04=..\..\Maule_M7_260C\panel\Maule_M7_260C!compass,               852, 659, 158, 180
gauge05=KeI!PA28RASI,                                                    1,   1, 198, 198
gauge06=KeI!PA28_Attitude_Indicator,                                   201,   1, 198, 198
gauge07=..\..\..\Rotorcraft\robinson_R22\panel\Robinson_R22!Altimeter, 401,1, 198, 198
gauge08=Cessna182s!VOR2,                                                 1, 401, 198, 198
gauge09=..\..\Maule_M7_260C\panel\Maule_M7_260C!turn_bank,               1, 201, 198, 198
gauge10=KeI!HSIsl,                                                     201, 201, 198, 198
gauge11=Cessna!Vertical_Speed,                                         401, 201, 198, 198
gauge12=Cessna!ADF,                                                    201, 401, 198, 198
gauge13=..\..\Maule_M7_260C\panel\Maule_M7_260C!OIM_light,             475, 801, 121,  41
gauge14=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Nav-Comm 1,                700,  61, 324, 101
gauge15=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Nav-Comm 2,                700, 166, 324, 101
gauge16=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio DME,                       700, 271, 324,  90
gauge17=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio ADF,                       700, 365, 324,  67
//gauge18=free,
//gauge19=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Xpndr,                   700,525,324,80
gauge20=KeI!XpdrKT76A,                                                 700, 525, 324,  83
gauge21=..\..\Grumman_Goose_G21A\panel\Grumman_Goose_G21A!suction,     841, 841, 180, 180
//gauge22=free,                                                        601,   1,  98,  59
gauge23=KeI!PA28_OilTemp,                                              601,  62,  98,  59
gauge24=KeI!PA28_OilPress,                                             601, 123,  98,  59
gauge25=KeI!PA28_CylHeadTemp,                                          601, 184,  98,  59
gauge26=KeI!PA28_Amps,                                                 601, 245,  98,  59
//gauge27=free,                                                        601, 306,  98,  59 
gauge28=KeI!PA28_Fuel-L,                                               601, 367,  98,  59
gauge29=KeI!PA28_FuelPress,                                            601, 428,  98,  59
gauge30=KeI!PA28_Fuel-R,                                               601, 489,  98,  59               
//gauge31=free,                                                        601, 550,  98,  59
gauge32=KeI!AP-PIPER,                                                  401, 951,  72,  72
gauge33=KeI!PA28MAPFF,                                                   1, 801, 198, 198
gauge34=KeI!PA28RPM,                                                   201, 801, 198, 198
gauge35=KeI!PA28EGT,                                                   475, 842, 180, 180
gauge36=KeI!PA28Gear_C,                                                  0,1000,  24,  24
gauge37=KeI!PA28Gear_L,                                                 24,1000,  24,  24
gauge38=KeI!PA28Gear_R,                                                 48,1000,  24,  24
//gauge39=radar!radarscreen,                                           401, 601, 198, 198
gauge39=KeI!Stormscope,                                                401, 601, 198, 198
gauge40=Cessna!Attitude,                                               401, 401, 198, 198
gauge41=..\..\DeHavilland_Beaver_DHC2\panel\DeHavilland_Beaver_DHC2!dg,  1, 601, 198, 198
gauge42=Bell_206B!Altimeter,                                           201, 601, 198, 198
gauge43=KeI!Borduhr_JH44,                                              674, 842, 142, 179
gauge44=KeI!Drehmeier-gau,                                             601, 801,  39,  39
 
                  
draw_order00=gauge10, gauge09
draw_order01=gauge09, gauge08
 
[Default View]
X=0
Y=0
SIZE_X=8192
SIZE_Y=3590

[Color]
Day=255,255,255
Night=40,20,10
Luminous=140,100,30

...an example from something (a panel/gauges download) I just got on...

http://www.fsdome.com/

It is pretty straight forward to replace instruments with those of your preferance once you find the ones you like. I remember I figured it out by playing around with the numbers and watched the results (in FS2000).

A question of mine for more up to date flight simmers. Are FS2000 aircraft and gauges compatible with FS2004?

 

[Dickie]

Aha, thanks for that - I shall have a play tomorrow methinks! Is there an editor along the lines of Plane-Maker for X-Plane in order to edit panels?

[And I realise my comment re: it being a realistic problem could come across as being a tad snotty - it wasn't meant to be!]

 

[ex-orbinaut]

Aha, thanks for that - I shall have a play tomorrow methinks! Is there an editor along the lines of Plane-Maker for X-Plane in order to edit panels?

There were several things about back then for FS98 and 2000, including some API style thing called Scasm, but if I recall it was only for scenery. Also some odds to modify the flight characteristics of the *.air file, these being freebies. I am not sure, however I don't think there was ever a free panel editor but a search now produces this...

http://www.fspanelstudio.com/

...which has a free trial version. Might be worth a look.

[And I realise my comment re: it being a realistic problem could come across as being a tad snotty - it wasn't meant to be!]

No probs. I had a chuckle...