DC10 Core Files/Gauges Question (Panel not showing)

[crisso69]

I consider myself a fairly experienced aircraft installer within FS9, including your excellent products here (DC9/Tristar/DC8/B707/B727, etc.). However, I'm experiencing a problem with the DC10-30 in that the panel doesn't show. I believe I have followed all of the customary steps (aliasing, etc.) and this is the first HJG DC10 I have installed.

The instruction for the DC10 Core Files/Gauges Files V1.0 says that in the Gauges sub folder, when extracted to my temp folder, there should be an old DC10 folder plus 4 gauge files all destined for the Gauges folder in FS9. However, I notice that one of these 4 gauge files is in fact called Z_DC10GC.CAB which is transferred (in my case) as a RAR folder. Does this latter file need to be extracted or any other action taken?

I'm not saying this is the cause of my problem and, despite being a fairly old Flight Simulator hand, I still may have missed an obvious step but, want to eliminate any possibilities.

Thanks in advance for your comments....and constructive criticism...

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Installation of allHJG supplied DC-10 panel follows our normal long established and very successful procedure as follows ....

1. All Panel Gauges related files/components to the FS2004 "GAUGES" folder

2. All Panel Sounds related files/components to the FS2004 "SOUND" folder .... that's the SOUND folder among the FS2004 folder directory and not the Sound folder inside any HJG supplied DC-10 aircraft base pack.

3. All Panel folders to the FSFSCONV folder .... and then .... the PANEL.CFG file contained within the default PANEL folder, inside all HJG suppliedDC-10 aircraft base packs, aliased back to the aircraft type specific DC-10 panel installed inside the FSFSCONV folder.

That should be all that's necessary.

What particular DC-10 panel are you trying to install ?

I ask out of curiosity only .... since the installation procedure remains precisely the same for each .... differing only in accordance with the specific DC-10 aircraft type name associated with each individual DC-10 panel.

In addition to the supporting INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS text .... the content of the DC-10 PANEL GAUGES/CORE FILES package, and the installation of these particular components, are precisely as follows ....

- dc-10 effects files container .... containing 15X FX related files each of which must be installed inside the FS2004 "EFFECTS" folder.

- panel gauges container .... containing 1X folder named "DC-10 OLD" and 4X separate GAUGES related files each of which must be installed inside the FS2004 "GAUGES" folder. PLEASE NOTE: The "DC-10 OLD" folder must be installed intact inside the FS2004 "GAUGES" folder .... do not open it or spill its contents among the GAUGES folder content.

- panel sounds container .... containing 1X folder named "DC10" and 13X separate WAV related files each of which must be installed inside the FS2004 "SOUND" folder. PLEASE NOTE: The "DC10" folder must be installed intact inside the FS2004 "SOUND" folder .... do not open it or spill its contents among the SOUND folder content.

The above is all that's necessary .... apart from installing the actual panel folders and then editing the base pack contained PANEL.CFG files accordingly .... as mentioned above.

Are you sure you've edited the PANEL.CFG folder correctly .... precisely in accordance with its FSFSCONV DC-10 aircraft type specific panel folder name ?

This is a error some people do make

The only part of your commentary that concerns me is the following detail ....

I notice that one of these 4 gauge files is in fact called Z_DC10GC.CAB which is transferred (in my case) as a RAR folder. Does this latter file need to be extracted or any other action taken?

This particular gauge file/component should appear as a standard CAB type file .... and not as a RAR type file .... unless something on your system has changed its format.

In any case .... "DO NOT" open or otherwise spill the content of this particular file/component into the FS2004 GAUGES (or any other) folder. It must be installed "intact" .... as-is .... along which each of the other Panel Gauges components.

I'd be inclined to look more closely at your panel aliasing procedure .... to the extent of copying and pasting the recomended installation instructions stated edit/s to your PANEL.CFG file.

Otherwise .... let us know specifically which DC-10 panel file you're talking about .... and what you've actually tried to do, so far, in a little more detail

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[crisso69]

Thanks Mark, for your quick response and have re-read your tips/procedures and, am fairly confident I have followed same correctly. (fingers crossed).

When installing, I always try one aircraft at a time to ensure all works ok. In this case, for my new replacement computer running Windows 10, I recently downloaded the DC10 10-30 core aircraft file; Laker Skytrain texture file for the 10-30; DC10 Core Panel/Gauges file; DC10 10-30 Panel file; Engines Sound file that matches the 10-30 and; lastly the Effects File.

Starting FS9 - the Aircraft looks wonderful externally and sounds great. Just a screen showing the runway, etc., when in cockpit mode!

Re my previous concern regarding the WinRAR file - I have closely looked and this is in fact just a .CAB file and simply superimposes their logo. (This is the file named 'Z_DC10GC.CAB'.)
Incidentally, there is a similar looking .CAB folder complete with WinRAR logo, for the default Beech Baron within the FS9 main gauges folder and having checked, that aircraft's panel displays and functions fine.

(I had previously downloaded WinRAR to use as my main unzipping program, as it works well for my FS9 and Train Simulator downloads.)

I have also again rechecked my correcting placement of files and folders plus, copy and paste editing the DC10 10-30 aircraft panel cfg file to correctly be aliased to the fsfsconv folder where the base DC10 10-30 panel folder resides.

If it's a case of just scratching our head then, I'll simply uninstall the aircraft and try again from step one...

Again, I appreciate your prompt reply.

Very best regards, Chris

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

OK .... I understand you've successfully installed the DC-10-30 .... and at least one of its textures (LAKER SKYTRAIN) .... as well as the recommended soundpack (DC-10-15/-30 GE CF6-50) we offer too.

This being the case, then, all you need to do now is install, and assign, the "DC-10-30" version panel for this particular simulation.

I want you to once again check that you've correctly installed all of the "DC-10 panels gauges/core files" components to the necessary FS directory folders .... although, thinking about it, I don't think this's likely to be the cause of your problem.

CHECK ALSO .... that the DC-10-30 panel folder you've (hopefully) installed inside the FSFSCONV folder is the folder named as follows ....

panel.dc-10-30

There's a possibility that you may have the above panel folder still contained within its orifginal containing folder from the ZIP file.

The containing folder for this particicular panel is named "DC-10-30_panel_v1" (again this's just the container .... a shell around the actual panel folder) .... whereas the actual valid panel folder which you need to have installed inside the FSFSCONV folder is the folder named "panel.dc-10-30" .... note the difference/s between both folder names.

"IF" .... my suspicions are correct (the valid folder still contained within a containing folder theory), then, this'll result in precisely what, you say, you're experiencing .... no panel being visible over the FS scenery due to the simulation not being able to recognise the panel folder name.

This's another error people do occasionally make .... you're not the first

Once you have the correct DC-10-30 panel folder installed inside the FSFSCONV folder .... you then need to go to your DC-10-30 aircraft base pack, open the default PANEL folder located there, then open the PANEL.CFG file contained there-in, and delete the default PANEL ALIAS= entry that appears there .... and replace it with the following data (then save this edit) specifically for the DC-10-30 panel in order fo FS to be able to recognise, and display, this particular panel with the simulation ....


[fltsim]
alias=fsfsconv\panel.dc-10-30


Please adjust things as recommended .... and let us know.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[crisso69]

Mark/Chris

Problem solved!
What I had done somehow, was to incorrectly name the Panel notepad file within the Panel folder of the base aircraft (DC10-30) as 'panel.cfg' and not just 'panel'. I can only assume I had inadvertently done this when deleting and amending same panel.cfg folders (original and fsx) when placing/editing the base aircraft?

Once again I apologise for troubling you and appreciate your attention to this. Sometimes though you just cannot see the wood for the trees... (especially when it's late at night and you're constantly searching though the tree file structure, etc.!)

Very best regards and thanks to you all for your wonderful aircraft, etc.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

No problem Chris .... glad to know you're sorted.

At least we appear to have been on the right track (I think) in regard to our 2nd analysis .... that being panel file name versus PANEL.CFG alias not being in agreement .... and easy mistake to make

BTW .... if you're new to our "BIG TEN" .... then .... take time to familiarise yourself (if you've not already done so) with my/our DC-10 manual/"DC-10 PANEL INSTAKLLATION & HANDLIG NOTES" as follows ....

tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thread/7344/dc10-panel-installation-handling-notes

This information is "quite extensive" .... covering a whole lot more than just installation alone .... to explain almost everything that needs to be understod in order to be able enjoy these great simulations to the maximum

Get back to us if you have any further queries

Mark C
AKL/NZ