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	How To Add Mini Panels Modifying Panels - Lesson #4

Lesson #1, How to add a GPS to your aircraft

Lesson #2, Adding other things to your Panel

Lesson #3, Adding Nav Panels

Lesson #4, Add or change your Mini-Panel

Please view and understand the first "How To" instructions before attempting to add these panels.

Ok, what is a Mini-Panel?

When you are in the 2D cockpit and hit "W" to get a better view you get a set of guages on the bottom of the display.
Some planes have a cool Mini Panel but most planes use this default panel.

I prefer something more functional with controls and guages that I need.
When flying a real plane your attention should be outside and you don't need the sim panel filling most of your view. I only want to look at the panel when I need to.
So what I did is make smaller panels with the esentials that I need to fly.

This is the Mini Panel that I have added to my Cherokee Six.

[Window Titles]
window00=MAIN
window01=GPS
window02=Nav Panel
window03=Mini Panel

[Window03]
file=hood-2.bmp 
position=7
size_mm=900,125
window_size_ratio=1
child_3d=1
ident=MINIPANEL

gauge00=bendix_king_radio!Bendix-King Radio AP, 80,25,205,75
gauge01=Lear_45!Nav GPS Switch, 87, 40, 20, 35
gauge02=SimIcons!Kneeboard Icon, 55, 40, 20, 20
gauge03=SimIcons!ATC Icon,  55, 60, 20, 20
gauge04=SimIcons!GPS Icon,  55, 80, 20, 20
gauge05=SimIcons!Map Icon,  55, 100, 20, 20
gauge06=cessna!Heading_Indicator, 285,22,100,100
gauge07=cessna!VOR1, 385,22,100,100
gauge08=Cessna!Airspeed, 485, 22, 100, 100
gauge09=cessna!Altimeter, 585, 22, 100, 100
gauge10=cessna!Vertical_Speed, 685, 22, 100, 100
gauge11=Cessna!Flaps,  790,40,40,80
gauge12=mooney_bravo!Master Alt Bat, 85, 98, 20, 25
gauge13=mooney_bravo!Boost Pump, 105, 98, 20, 25
gauge14=mooney_bravo!Landing Lights, 125, 98, 20, 25
gauge15=mooney_bravo!Navigation Lights, 145, 98, 20, 25
gauge16=mooney_bravo!Pitot Heat, 165, 98, 20, 25
gauge17=mooney_bravo!Strobe Lights, 185, 98, 20, 25
gauge18=mooney_bravo!Rotating Beacon, 205, 98, 20, 25
gauge19=radalt,  197,16,55,12
gauge20=Bell_206B!IOAT, 235, 98, 40, 25

You will need the hood-2.bmp file for the panel background [ CLICK HERE ]

Here is the panel that I use in the Howard 500.


[Window Titles]
Window00=Howard Main
Window01=Copilot Panel
Window02=Pedestal
Window03=Radio Stack
Window04=Fuel-Mag Overlay
Window05=Zoom
Window06=Sm ECU
Window07=Left Console
Window08=Right Console
Window09=GPS Window
Window10=Shadin
window11=NAV Panel
window12=Mini Panel

[Window12]
position=7
size_mm=900,100
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
window_size_ratio=1
child_3d=1
ident=MINIPANEL

gauge00=Lear_45!Nav GPS Switch, 0, 25, 20, 35
gauge01=bendix_king_radio!Bendix-King Radio AP, 20,0,220,80
gauge02=cessna!Heading_Indicator, 235,0,100,100
gauge03=cessna!VOR1, 340,0,100,100
gauge04=ST_HW5!Airspeed, 550, 0, 100, 100
gauge05=cessna!Altimeter, 650, 0, 100, 100
gauge06=cessna!Vertical_Speed, 750, 0, 100, 100
gauge07=ST_HW5!HW_FlapGear,  445,0,100,100
gauge08=SimIcons!Kneeboard Icon, 70, 80, 20, 20
gauge09=SimIcons!ATC Icon,  90, 80, 20, 20
gauge10=SimIcons!Map Icon,  110, 80, 20, 20
gauge11=SimIcons!Avionics Icon,  130, 80, 20, 20
gauge12=SimIcons!GPS Icon,  150, 80, 20, 20
gauge13=SimIcons!ECU Icon,  170, 80, 20, 20

Here is the Mini Panel that I use in the default Boeing Jets

Notice that all the sizes and coordinates have changed due to the window size settings already set for this aircraft.


[Window05]
position=7
size_mm=550,55
BACKGROUND_COLOR=100,100,100
child_3d=1
window_size_ratio=1
ident=MINIPANEL

gauge00=Lear_45!Nav GPS Switch, 0, 15, 12, 20
gauge01=737-400!Autopilot, 12, 5, 192, 45
gauge02=cessna!Heading_Indicator, 205,0,50,50
gauge03=cessna!VOR1, 255,0,50,50
gauge04=737-400.flaps, 305, 0, 42, 42
gauge05=lear_45.gear, 347, 0, 40, 42
gauge06=Lear_45!Backup Airspeed, 390, 2, 50, 50
gauge07=cessna!Altimeter, 440, 0, 55, 55
gauge08=cessna!Vertical_Speed, 495, 0, 55, 55
gauge09=SimIcons!Kneeboard Icon, 305, 42, 12, 12
gauge10=SimIcons!ATC Icon,  317, 42, 12, 12
gauge11=SimIcons!Map Icon,  329, 42, 12, 12
gauge12=SimIcons!Avionics Icon,  341, 42, 12, 12
gauge13=SimIcons!GPS Icon,  353, 42, 12, 12
gauge14=SimIcons!ECU Icon,  365, 42, 12, 12
gauge15=SimIcons!Compass Icon,  377, 42, 12, 12

In this one instead of useing "file=something.bmp" for a background, I set the background color. "BACKGROUND_COLOR=100,100,100", the three numbers are RGB values from 0 to 255. Black would be 0,0,0 but in Flight Sim this value is treated as transparent.

On some aircraft this panel configuration is too small. If your's is too small then try this.....
This is simply done by multiplying all the values by 1.5

[Window05]
position=7
size_mm=825,82
BACKGROUND_COLOR=100,100,100
child_3d=1
window_size_ratio=1
ident=MINIPANEL

gauge00=Lear_45!Nav GPS Switch, 0 , 22.5 , 18 , 30 
gauge01=737-400!Autopilot, 18 , 7.5 , 288 , 67.5 
gauge02=cessna!Heading_Indicator, 307.5 , 0 , 75 , 75 
gauge03=cessna!VOR1, 382.5 , 0 , 75 , 75 
gauge04=737-400.flaps, 457.5 , 0 , 63 , 63 
gauge05=lear_45.gear, 520.5 , 0 , 60 , 63 
gauge06=Lear_45!Backup Airspeed, 585 , 3 , 75 , 75 
gauge07=cessna!Altimeter, 660 , 0 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge08=cessna!Vertical_Speed, 742.5 , 0 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge09=SimIcons!Kneeboard Icon, 457.5 , 63 , 18 , 18 
gauge10=SimIcons!ATC Icon, 475.5 , 63 , 18 , 18 
gauge11=SimIcons!Map Icon, 493.5 , 63 , 18 , 18 
gauge12=SimIcons!Avionics Icon, 511.5 , 63 , 18 , 18 
gauge13=SimIcons!GPS Icon, 529.5 , 63 , 18 , 18 
gauge14=SimIcons!ECU Icon, 547.5 , 63 , 18 , 18 
gauge15=SimIcons!Compass Icon, 565.5 , 63 , 18 , 18

This is a new one that I did for the Piper Navajo Panther.


[Window13]
position=7
size_mm=900,115
file=hood-2.bmp
child_3d=1
window_size_ratio=1
ident=MINIPANEL

gauge00=bendix_king_radio!Bendix-King Radio AP, 55.5 , 37.5 , 288 , 67.5 
gauge01=Lear_45!Nav GPS Switch, 70.5 , 42 , 18 , 37.5 
gauge02=cessna!Heading_Indicator, 345 , 22.5 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge03=cessna!VOR1, 427.5 , 22.5 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge04=Beech_Baron!Airspeed Indicator, 510 , 22.5 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge05=cessna!Altimeter, 592.5 , 22.5 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge06=cessna!Vertical_Speed, 675 , 22.5 , 82.5 , 82.5 
gauge07=Kingair!Flaps, 757.5 , 37.5 , 30 , 63 
gauge08=lear_45.gear, 790.5 , 37.5 , 45 , 63 
gauge09=SimIcons!Kneeboard Icon, 90 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge10=SimIcons!ATC Icon, 108 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge11=SimIcons!Map Icon, 126 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge12=SimIcons!Avionics Icon, 144 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge13=SimIcons!GPS Icon, 162 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge14=SimIcons!ECU Icon, 180 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge15=SimIcons!Compass Icon, 198 , 19.5 , 18 , 18 
gauge16=radalt, 222 , 21 , 70.5 , 15 
gauge17=Bell_206B!IOAT, 297 , 16.5 , 45 , 22.5

You will need the wood panel hood-2.bmp file [ CLICK HERE ]

If you prefer the gray panel instead of the wood panel then you need the hood-1.bmp file [ CLICK HERE ]

If any of the panels that you have added are too large or two small, change the value of "window_size_ratio=1".
A value less than one will make it smaller and of course a value more than one will make it bigger.
By now you should have learned how to do a lot of cool things with panels

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