[AS 2 Tom Little]

phpBB should have a setting for fixed width or "fluid" width. The exact place in the settings is beyond my memory. I THINK under general board settings. Might even be under themes, it's been a while. phpBB is one of those always moving targets. When you think you have it figured out, they make major changes.

Next time you post with pics try it out, I think I located the setting?

[sonjamichelle]

Next time you post with pics try it out, I think I located the setting?

Will do. I've got a few more parts that finished printing and are ready to paint.

[sonjamichelle]

Everything for the center console is printed, painted and in place.

I just have to clean a few things ups, arrange a few bits and bobs then I can start up a flight, poistion my gauges and take some nice pictures. Maybe a video too.

Then it is on to the G1000 panels. I have a bezel printed out, FINALLY got a clear explanation of why the gauges size the way they do when popped out. (Has to to do with a 4:3 gauge on a 16:9 screen. I'll post the link to the fellow who made it all "click" for me.)

I've sourced a few 4:3 1026x768 LCD panels on Amazon ranging from $80-$120USD. Any one of them will fit in my bezels nicely and give me nice full gauge displays.
I've finally decided on a three display, a G1000 on either side of a third that will be used for various things. Moving map, charts, etc. With touch support it opens up a few options.

The GNS430/530 have been replaced with a GTN750 (available from PMS5, it will popped out and displayed on the center console.

I tested popping out the ATC window on the center display as well. Works great with touch features. With that said, I MAY move the GTN750 to its own dedicated unit. I have some bezels printed that will work well. They were intially tests for the center console, so I may be able to repurpose them, well use them as origninally intended, lol.

I do have a mock up of a GCU475 printed. However funtionality of that unit isn't in place for MSFS2020. So it doesn't really make sense to build one right now. I MAY put the ATC panel in it's place with another screen. It is a horizontally placed screen so the choice will be determined by what will display nicely without have to pull apart and redesign that section of the console.

I reinstalled my PC OS and MSFS and all of its apps. Currently I'm just waiting on the AIG AI to finish doping its install of the AI models and flight plans. I'm extracting my AddOns (sceneries, aircraft, avionics and associated bits) once tha tis done I'll move all the addons into a nice clean sorted directory structure that will make sense inside of http://MSFS AddOn Linker. This is a nice app that lets you "install" AddOns OUTSIDE of your main Community folder. This enables you to put all your AddOns on another drive and even split the locations across several drives. Thereby saving space and not having to dropping more sheclkes than neccessary for a LARGE SSD. You also get the added bonus that if you ever need to reinstall MSFS2020 you DON'T need to reinstall all your AddOns too. Just run the linker and Bob's Your UIncle they are all "installed" and ready. In addition the linker lets you dynamically activate/deactivate AddOns as needed. FOr instance I mainly fly in the Southwest United States region. SO I enable my main features, aircraft and the sceneries required. If I decide to fly elsewhere in the world, I can deavtive my Home Stopping Grounds and activate the region I want to fly in. Thei GREATLY speeds up the start time of MSFS and INCREASES the FPS. When I was laoding EVERYTHING it would take upwards of 20 minutes for MSFS loa dand drop me into the main menu. I would average about 20FPS on most flights with it getting up cloase to 30FPS in the unpopulated areas. Using the linker PROPERLY and only loading what I need, FS2020 starts in the average 3-5 minutes that it is normally supposed to do. My FPS went from 20 to 80!!! BIG difference!

I'm working around the house today while my FS PC cranks out the extractions and installing the AI. Once it is compelete I'll take the pictures of the installed and working Center Console. I'll do a full write as well, with files, links, some instructions and what-not later on and add it to my FS Site.

See y'all in the skies!

[sonjamichelle]

After much fiddling, an odd loading error (or lack thereof) which precipitated a reinstall and an eventual OS reinstall. I think I was having issues because that PC was participating in the Windows Insider Beta. Once I "rolled back" everything loaded again. That gave me a second chance to really round out the add-ons and sort the community folder nice and neatly.

I just flew a flight from KOUN (Oklahoma City, OK) to KSGR (Houston, TX) in the Cirrus SR22. All the pop-outs worked, touch screen for the ATC panel on the center console worked out great! I'll put the GTN750 most likely on another 7in touch screen in its own purpose built "side" panel. With the AddOns sorted out neatly and utilizing MSFS AddOn Collector and MSFS AddOn Linker to turn on/off what I need for a particular flight I am seeing a jump from 25FPS to 80+!

The G1000 bezels are printed, painted and engraved. I'm just waiting for the paint to dry so that I can attach the bezel faces.

Forgive the "mess" and the overpainted work area. The setup so far:

Panels painted and prepped for assembly






The panel frames were printed on a Prusa Mini 3D printer in PLA (Purple, actually, lol).
Then sprayed with flat black Rustoleum Spray Paint.

The face pieces are made from 2mm Card Stock, painted with white primer, then painted with the flat black. The sheet was then placed in the Glowforge laser engraver/cutter. I used a high speed low/power setting to etch away the black layer. For future projects I'll lower the power a bit more. The lettering turned a bit yellow with the heat. Then I used a slower higher power setting to cut the openings for the knobs and buttons and the overall shape, then they'll be glued onto the PLA frames. I was going to use white acrylic with a black paint, but I couldn't find a thin enough acrylic sheet readily available. The cardstock was in stick at the local Michael's for $3.

So far the easy part is done. Now it's time to source the electronics, LCDs and PCBs. And of course assembly and programming. The programming shouldn't be too hard since most of the code is already done and available on GitHub. I won't be using iPads, instead I'll just directly display the Pop-Outs on the LCDs inside the bezels using a USB to HDMI adapter. I already use one for the existing displays. I'll just upgrade to a four port model to support the two G1000's, the G3000 and the GTN750. I could even use the old two port for the console screen and the Steam Gauge display as well. That leaves the 3 Display Ports and 2 HDMIs on the RTX3090 for the main monitors and Valve Index VR headset. I will eventually upgrade to a 49" Ultra-wide monitor simialr to what RealSim Gear uses for their Cirrus package. I found a decent Asus LCD on Amazon for less than $800/USD. That will give me the clarity and smoothness that the 55" TV doesn't.

Moving on,

The center panel in place:



HiRes picture - here.

You can see the little 7in touchscreen in the center console. The ATC "window" popped out on here with touch activated using MSFS PopOut Manager works great! Though with my tendancy to fat finger the touch on top of the tremor, I may need to use a stylus, lol.

In the HiRes picture you can see the Power Panel just under the throttles on the bravo. Using Mobiflight and an Arduino Nano I've got full control of the batteries, avionics, alternators, engine masters, fuel pumps and starters. the last black toggle is the Pitot Heat. The round red pull knob is the parking brake.

Lights are controlled on the default Bravo toggles. The last 7th toggle is yet to be assigned. (Suggestions?) The cheapo flap default lever on the Bravo is currently assigned to the brakes until I wire up the pull knob.

On the default trim wheel is just a printed cover to make the trim a bit easier to use. I may ask my wife to dress it up a bit with some black and white paint. The throttles are just the commercial levers from the default Bravo kit with a couple of printed covers for the itty bitty knobs. Again my lovely and talented wife painted the covers and the numbers. (She DOES love me!)

The two mixture levers are currently the fuel on/x-feed/cut-off levers. Soon to be replaced by the black ones at the end of the panel just like the DA62. I still have to figure out how I'll operate those. Either some toggles attached to the levers or frankensteined from my old Saitek throttle quad. On the end we have a nice spring loaded flap lever with a printed detent for a really authoratative feeling flap control! The detent can be swapped out with other ones for 4 or more positions. And of course the design of the Bravo allows me to mix up the levers as I change aircraft. The current setup really works well for most twin engines (piston and turboprop). I can even go single engine without any physical changes, I just choose the correct profile in MSFS and move the two throttles as one. If I do any Twin Jets, I just remove the mixture levers, shift the throttles over to the right and pop on the spoiler lever. Everything else works well with that setup too. Even the power panel with the toggles and the push button "ignitors".

Above all that is the Saitek/Logitech Radio Panel and three FIPs. The FIPs display Altitude, Attitude and VSI. I will eventually use an 8 inch long by 4 inch high (roughly) LCD to display a Six-Pack set of gauges. Or I'll splurge and get the 11 inch and add some RPM or NAV gauges or someting.

The three Garmins will go across the top in place of the current HDMI screens. The brown Garmin GTU475 is just a static mock-up. Currently there isn't support for the unit in MSFS. Until then I may just leave it as is until supported and either scratch build one or get the RealSim Gear Unit.

The two black levers at the end will be the Fuel control. On/X-Feed/Cut-Off, just like the DA62. Under those are two toggles which will be the Aux Fuel Pumps.

And a quick overview shot of the progress so far:



Yes, I do use an X-Box controller these days. I find that I can no longer keep my arms up and extented on a full yoke for any length of time. With the neurorapthy and tremor I begin to hurt in short order. Using the X-Box controller I can rest my arms in my lap and easily reach everything else while maintinaing stick control. I did think about a Diamond style center stick, but I could never really get used to those. Even in the real DA20.

Yup, the decent into insantiy is firmly under way!

BTW, Tom, the pictures are no longer restricted BUT do get cut off at 600 pixels. Resizing is still necessary otherwise you'll only get a portion of the pitcure. Since most phones these days do a 4K resolution you only get the top left 8th of the picture.. I'll try to find that fluid layout setting for you when I have a bit of time to poke around on my web server.

[AS 2 Tom Little]

Wow what a project! "So far the easy part is done" huh? LOL!

Impressive attention to detail and dedication!

And thanks for the feedback Sonja, I know the picture settings/layout have always been a problem on this forum and now in fact I am afraid of fiddling with the layout templates as I am getting some strange errors.

[sonjamichelle]

Woot Woot!

The screens for my G1000's arrived today!



The long screen for the Steam Gauges should be here later this week. The push buttons for the G1000 in a couple of weeks. I'll ge the rotary encoders in a couple of weeks. I jus thave to decide on whether I'm going to go with a PCB version or a wired up version.

Depending on how these do, I'll get the third one later on for the center G3000 MFD screen.

[AS 2 Tom Little]

Wow amazing! You'll be surrounded by screens! But really that is gonna be a sweet setup.

[sonjamichelle]

Wow amazing! You'll be surrounded by screens!

Not too many screen actually. The main screnn, the 55" Vizio, which hopefully will be replaced in the future with a 49" ASUS Ultrawide Monitor. It's a similar one to what RealSim Gear uses for their Cirrus Cockpit package. Believe it or not, it will actually save some space, but give me a wider perspective. And of cours ea much better refresh rate and a clearer visuals. The TV is nice, but they were meant to be seen from across the room and just don't have the pixel density that a true computer monitor has that was meant to be viewed from a couple of feet.

Then the 3 Garmin displays, the little display in the console, MAYBE a GTN750, the little wide screen will just simulate steam gauges and will be mostly covered by round bezels. The only other screen would be the old Micorosft Surface for LittleNavMap and an old Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 running Aida64 with some PC stats, like temps, freqs, fan rpms, FPS. I'm REALLY trying to limit how many screens I have to chase my mouse around when not actually flying. These days it does get frustrating trying to find that little fuc ---- sucker. :mrgreen: