F-15 Profile WIP (work in progress)

[ruggbutt]

I decided to do everything completely from scratch for this profile. Zorlac will be adding the code so that we can use skins and hot spots instead of buttons. I spent several days getting blueprints of the cockpit panels so I could make a profile that would be as accurate as possible. In this profile the "tabs" will include Left Console, Right Console and Center Panel. But with a few exceptions all commands will use the "real" buttons or switches.

This is the MPCD which will have BVR, Vert Scan, Boresight mode, Jett Weapons, etc.

[brewber19]

Ah, background images with hotspots....mmm...that might be quite cool in terms of ease of use of creating "ambience" with backgrounds, button placement etc.

I think one prerequisite for a 'hotspot' function though, would be for the hotspot to have a "rollover"/image2 image 'on_click'....in this way the bg image could have the "base" buttons and clicking the hotspot could load the 'on'/'rollover' image (like we use to indicate AP mode active, or electrical power on etc etc).

I tell you, the best thing in the world would be if the sim could "report" back to TB whether something was 'active' or not, then no matter how something was activated or not, TB could show the correct 'status' (i.e. AP modes and things like that).

One of the mods I need to do to my profile, now we have the latest release, is to change the AP buttons from 'toggle' to a 'hold' with noreset=1....cos then the macro_select could activate the AP mode and macro-deselect could actively disengage AP (i.e. Alt-9 in LOMAC I think)...whereas atm you need a seperate button to disengage AP (which I have mapped to my HOTAS anyways but..)

Hmm, so many ideas, not enough time to do them (still trying to play GRAW, fly the 504 flights and hold down a demanding job ).

[zorlac]

full skin mode will work (hopefully) the same way and display the same way as buttons, with multiple images on buttons (hold, touch, toggle, etc)... well, thats the plan.... and support "layers" so you can have one big button on layer 0, and a smaller button overlayed in the middle on layer 1... you can still press the big button on layer 0 (hotspots will be checked from hightest layer downwards). This is something that normal buttons do not support at all, they get really upset with overlapping button areas.

Am working towards transparency in button images too but not promising anything just yet

[touch-bu]

Hey Ruggbutt lookin good, though if you take a look at the root image www.touch-buddy.com I spent a lot of time building a clean MFD interface. You can easily take that and make it square. Save you having to generate it all inside a graphics app.

[ruggbutt]

I saw that but I wanted to do the MPCD that was from the F15. To the right of it on that "page" I'll have other controls that relate to the real ones from the front panel of the '15.

For instance, when I do a Mig profile I'll recreate the Mig MFD and it's buttons. From what you've said you want to use your MFD as a skin for all the pages, I was thinking along different lines.

A perfect example will be Black Shark. If you've watched the video that shows the startup sequence I intend to do the panel (w/switches) that has the fuel pump and interior lights. Sort of the same "feel" as having a clickable cockpit. But in this manner I can have a clickable pit thru the TB. It's just an idea I had that may or may not add to the immersion, regardless of which plane you're flying.

[brewber19]

Hey Rugg,

Nice idea, my thoughts were on similar lines that TB could be like a clickable pit...I think for BS it will prove invaluable....though I think it'll also prove to be alot of work

I'm up for that work

Can't wait for BS, I'm a rotorhead at heart, lets hope its as challenging and frustrating as the Frog was....although with 12 months practise the Frog is a breeze now.

[ruggbutt]

I don't fly the frog as much as you do, but I've found that it takes a steady hand and a fearless heart. I spoke with Zorlac about something specific to my F15 profile which would be a great feature if he could implement it. I asked if say you pressed a button (or a hotspot) if you could get a picture on screen to change. Say you press a button on the MPCD, the screen would change to something related to that button press. You press BVR mode button, the weapon stores screen would pop up on the MPCD. He's looking into it. I think we all have enough ideas to keep him busy for a while................

After LOBS comes out I'll probably get to work on the Ka50 artwork. I agree with you 1000% on how much easier the chopper will be without having to use the mouse in cockpit.

[ruggbutt]

I'm done with the MPCD and I'm moving on to the flaps indicator and gear panel. Here's the panel blueprint:



I've updated the MPCD pic in the first post in this thread, it's also on the correct color background for the front panel in the F15.

[Wild.Bill.Kelso]

Man that looks sweet.

[ruggbutt]

I was gonna do one of the Russian planes next, but I'm having a problem with translation. I may have to do the A10.