B21 19 Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 we're kinda in trouble as a FSX virtual soaring community without a compensated XML variometer. I know condor is popular but I'd have to guess there's a lot of FSX glider pilots out there. Max's gauges were good for their time but FSX has moved on a long way (I'm talking vario rather than GPS/logger).My guess is it would be possible to create an XML formula to compensate a FSX gauge, rather than simplistically using 'vertical speed' as present. (By the way the DG808S vario XML looks like the intention is for the DG vario to be compensated but this clearly isn't working).We'd end up with an XML gauge that you could toggle TE/netto, and it seems to me the critical dependency is just an improved formula for the needle movement.Has anyone thought about this? Formula would be something like (Vertical speed) - K * (airspeed deceleration squared) i.e. if the glider is climbing but the plane is slowing you have to remove the kinetic energy component from the apparent gain in potential energy. vertical speed and air speed are easy to get within gauge XML but I'm sure about tracking change in airspeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic 0 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Funny to see that Microsoft is still not able to build an instrument ... :vv: Could you remind me how many persons have worked on the FSX developpement ? ... Using the FS9 experience and collecting users opinion and work ??What a pity ... (sorry for this off topic words) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Souter 0 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 On the contary Mic I think that it is very much "on topic".I agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B21 19 Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 ah that virtualsoaring.org favourite - microsoft bashing.There are lots of sophisticated instruments in FSX, it's just a TE vario isn't one of them. I think the tools are there though and one of us should produce a simple XML TE vario. Max did incredible work with his CAI set pre-XML, and I think the tools available now should make production of a TE vario much easier. It's just someone has to do it. I'm perusing the FSX variable list at the moment trying to work out a sensible formula - the subtlety (I think) is calculating variation over time, e.g. linear acceleration, where FSX doesn't give that directly as a variable. Altitude variation with time is straightforwardly available as a variable called "VERTICAL SPEED". The full list for FS2004 is here: fs2x.com but FSX provides some additional variables.FWIW one of the new FSX variables is something like "VARIOMETER READING" which is clearly intended to be compensated, but this feature doesn't seem to have been switched on in the current release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Souter 0 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Best of luck to you! I hope you succeed, it will a bonus for all other FSX users.I guess that some of us have tired of the fixes and fudges to get something basic gliding/soaring wise into MSFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B21 19 Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 I'm making progress...watch this space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B21 19 Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 tada! :AA: It worked like a charm. FS gauges are programmable in XML, with references to bitmaps for the gauge, needles etc, and you can control the formula used to rotate (or shift) any element. So I modified an existing vario to use a new formula to calculate the needle rotation value and bobs-your-uncle.Actually my current design draws a new (red) needle with the TE indication, and keeps the existing needle so you can compare the two. It's quite educational watching both needles move :smiles:Now I have to package it up (and remove all the diagnostic numeric overlays) and FSX will have a new soaring instrument.Netto is a trickier subject, as you have to subtract the glider polar, which varies with model, ballast, and flap setting (unlike TE). But I'm thinking about it. It will be worth distributing the TE vario anyway though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic 0 Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 ah that virtualsoaring.org favourite - microsoft bashing.First of all, I'm an happy user of FS (9 for the moment !)There are lots of sophisticated instruments in FSX, it's just a TE vario isn't one of them. I think the tools are there though and one of us should produce a simple XML TE vario. Max did incredible work with his CAI set pre-XML, and I think the tools available now should make production of a TE vario much easier. It's just someone has to do it. This is exactly what I meant by my few words :1) Max did it long time ago2) Microsoft isn't able to use experiences from others to improve its job ...I agree, there is a lot of beautiful instruments in FSX but the vario is still working as in the FS2 version ... you know, the version in green and black ... I flew it when I was 12 ... I'm now 37 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B21 19 Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 fair enough Mic. I was a 'happy' user of FS9 for a couple of years. The comparison with FSX for soaring is interesting (in fact I think I'll write a separate post for that!) and it is the same situation as before: default soaring has significant limitations but there are comprehensive tools to expand the environment. And I admit it seems an obvious thing was missed with the vario in the DG808S, but the XML coding for TE only took me a day. The thing is the community could have done this for FS9 (i.e. in XML) but I think we've relied on Max's pre-XML gauges for longer than we should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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