f-18 hud waterline

[crim3]

Something that I've been missing since the first day is the waterline symbol on the hud, but didn't give importance to it. I supposed that for some reason the real f-18 doesn't have it in its hud simbology. But some weeks ago, trying to collimate the hud (yes, I'm still with that. I keep thinking about it on each flight, specially at landings, when my eyes change the convergence all the time between hud and the runway) I found a directory called 'hudhornet' within 'gauges' with several .xml files. One is called hudhornet.xml and in that file there seems to be settings about the visibility of the waterline symbol. So I thought that it would be cool to have that symbol on the HUD and I tried to edit it but nothing I try changes the HUD behaviour. Maybe some kind of "re-reading" of the xml's is needed after editing them but I don't know how to trigger that. I thought that fsx reads all gauge files when each time an aircraft is loaded, but it seems like I was wrong.

Any comments about this? Can these xml's be edited for something useful?

[virtuali]

I found a directory called 'hudhornet' within 'gauges' with several .xml files. One is called hudhornet.xml and in that file there seems to be settings about the visibility of the waterline symbol.

That's not something that comes with the Acceleration F/A-18. The gauges for the F/A-18 are written entirely in C++, and are all in the FA-18.DLL, which is not something that can be easily modified.

You can sort of "calibrate" the horizon line, by using the mouse wheel on the screw below the hud.

[crim3]

That explains a lot of things
Maybe belongs to captain sim f-18. I don't remember any other f-18 installed in my fsx.

Don't worry about the dll, I dont have neither the skill, nor the knowledge, nor the software to do that kind of modifications.

[Sludge]

You can get the KB SuperHornet HUD and install it, and get it "collimated" as well.  The only problem I had was the clock would never fit in the HUD "glass" area, so I just shut it off.  It even has an extra control panel that you can change some of the HUD properties and functions, hence how I shut the clock off.

Yes, this can be installed on the FSX acceleration Hornet, with a few minor changes to your "panel.cfg" file in the panels folder.  I highly recommend it.  So much more realistic and easier to fly navy carrier pattern approaches and landings CORRECTLY.  You can use the course lines, the bracket alongside the velocity vector, and the energy caret to get on glideslope much better and make onspeed/slope landings with far greater ease than the default Hornet.  Also, the waterline is great for a visual cue of AoA, since the default Hornet doesnt have this either.

If you can wait a day or two, I will submit a "usmc pilot/hud" package .zip file to several of the main downloading sites, that has instuctions on installing the KB SUPERHORNET "realistic" HUD/control panel, along with a VMFA-312 pilot with proper flight suit patches.  In case you didn't notice, the default guy has USAF patches and wings, whats up with that?  ACC patch on the right chest, and USAF name tag... wtf?! NOPE, this doesnt fly for me.  So I took off the arm patches, and put a decent VMFA-312 logo patch on his right chest and gold wings on his flight name tag.

Any questions, feel free to ask...

Christian
fgrimley32@yahoo.com

[Voodoo]

That sounds like a really useful package, Christian! I must keep a look out for it!

@crim3
FYI, the Hudhornet gauge folder you've got is probably by a guy called Scott Printz and came with Dino Cattaneo's old F14 model for FS9 (which was upgraded for FSX by Ivan Kostic and Steve Hinson and loads of other people)

[SpazSinbad]

fgrimley32, New Hornet HUD sounds interesting. Why not post the link here please? Thanks.

Dino Catteano has been updating his freeware FSX Tomcat regularly. Latest update (but check for earlier ones if required) here: http://indiafoxtecho.blogspot.com/2009/08/future-of-tomcat-project.html

MAIN PAGE here - scroll down to skip some earlier releases: http://indiafoxtecho.blogspot.com/

[Doum76]

If you can wait a day or two, I will submit a "usmc pilot/hud" package .zip file to several of the main downloading sites, that has instuctions on installing the KB SUPERHORNET "realistic" HUD/control panel, along with a VMFA-312 pilot with proper flight suit patches.  In case you didn't notice, the default guy has USAF patches and wings, whats up with that?  ACC patch on the right chest, and USAF name tag... wtf?! NOPE, this doesnt fly for me.  So I took off the arm patches, and put a decent VMFA-312 logo patch on his right chest and gold wings on his flight name tag.

Any questions, feel free to ask...

Christian
fgrimley32@yahoo.com

I'll be looking forward for this package also.

[crim3]

@crim3
FYI, the Hudhornet gauge folder you've got is probably by a guy called Scott Printz and came with Dino Cattaneo's old F14 model for FS9 (which was upgraded for FSX by Ivan Kostic and Steve Hinson and loads of other people)

Thx for the info!

[neutrino]

You can get the KB SuperHornet HUD and install it, and get it "collimated" as well.  The only problem I had was the clock would never fit in the HUD "glass" area, so I just shut it off.  It even has an extra control panel that you can change some of the HUD properties and functions, hence how I shut the clock off.

Yes, this can be installed on the FSX acceleration Hornet, with a few minor changes to your "panel.cfg" file in the panels folder.  I highly recommend it.  So much more realistic and easier to fly navy carrier pattern approaches and landings CORRECTLY.  You can use the course lines, the bracket alongside the velocity vector, and the energy caret to get on glideslope much better and make onspeed/slope landings with far greater ease than the default Hornet.  Also, the waterline is great for a visual cue of AoA, since the default Hornet doesnt have this either.

Christian
fgrimley32@yahoo.com

Hello Christian, what do you mean by "collimated" - that the HUD horizon can be adjusted to match the outside horizon? Also is it possible to use course line steering and ILS on moving carriers?

[virtuali]

Hello Christian, what do you mean by "collimated" - that the HUD horizon can be adjusted to match the outside horizon? Also is it possible to use course line steering and ILS on moving carriers?

Collimated HUD, means the HUD display is focused on infinity, so the pilot doesn't have to refocus his sight to see the outside world or the HUD graphic. A Collimated HUD will appear as if it was a large object far from the airplane. And, if the pilot moves is eyepoint left/right/up/down, the HUD will still be at the same position over the world.

Conformal HUD, instead, is when the HUD waterline matches the real world horizon, and so are all the other informations like the flight path marker.

[neutrino]

That's great info, virtuali, thanks! It seems then it will be kind of hard to make a collimated HUD in the sim unless you can read the current eye position. A conformal HUD however will be easier to make for a fixed eyepoint. I guess that's what Chrisitan was implying.

[sonofabeech]

Any news of the pilot/hud package that was mentioned in this thread
Grimley was going to post it within a few days and havent heard anything since.
Im sure Im not the only one who would be interested....
Anybody know ?

[Sludge]

Hello all...

Wow, I had to NUKE my win xp and start over and finally got everything up and running.  Holy crap, did I stir up the "hornet's nest" with my post.  Sorry for the delay, so let me get to some answers.
Its only letting me send one, so Im sending the "panel.cfg" file.
OK, Here is the link for the KBT SuperHornet HUD.
http://www.simviation.com/fsxpanels2.htm  Its called "FSX F/A-18 Panel with realistic HUD".  Once you unzip them, all you have to do is copy and paste both "FA18_HUD" (contains the 2d HUD files and the HUD control panel) and "FA18_HUD_VC" (VC HUD, thicker lines) to your fsx/simobjects/airplanes/fa-18/panels directory.  You also have to copy and paste the
"switch_background" file into the panels directory.  Make a backup of your "panel.cfg" file in the panels directory.  Use my "panels.cfg" file and replace yours.  Start up FSX and use the F-18 in free flight.  If you start from engine off, you have to wait for your 2nd engine to start spooling to get HUD power.  Now you should see the new conformal (thnx virtuali) HUD, then go to shift-2 and a HUD control panel should come up.  You can set the HUD RADALT from there, along with clutter/declutter controls, and even use a GPS/NAV1/NAV2 small arrow steering on your HUD.
Any questions, feel free to email.
Laterz, Sludge

[Sludge]

Hello all...

Here is the "f-18_main05_t_usmc.dds" file that replaces the default USAF pilot with a VMFA-312 pilot, w/wings of gold.

To install, backup your "f-18_main05_t.dds" file in your simobjects/airplanes/fa-18/texture directory.  Then unzip the "f-18_main05_t_usmc.dds" folder, rename the .dds file to default fsx name listed above, copy/paste to ...fa-18/texture directory.  Thats it.

Any questions, email me anytime...
Christian "Sludge" Snow
fgrimley32@yahoo.com

[SpazSinbad]

fgrimley32, many thanks for the HUD. A quick first look gives me the impression that it works very well. The previous default view setting had allowed your new HUD to be larger and more visible. Very nice - so nice that on first use (runway landing) I spent way too much time looking at all the numbers and stuff instead of the indexer and glideslope. Video of poor landing (approach part only) can be made available if anyone interested to see the new HUD (not for the landing   ) at about 20Mbs .WMV:

http://www.filefront.com/14508887/NewHUDhornet11sep09FinalsNowraRW26stddefWin7FRAPSbestMUSICinagaddadavida.wmv

This is a Windows 7 RC default FSX setup showing NAS Nowra approach Runway 26 with a 35 knot westerly wind down runway no turblence. There is a steep gully off the approach end of this down and then up sloping runway but I go a bit too low. Hook is down to get a steady AoA Indexer. Music by 'Iron Butterly' "Innagaddadavida".