3.25 How do I install a third party gauge into a panel?

From FlightSim

Q:

HOW DO I INSTALL A THIRD PARTY GAUGE INTO A PANEL?

A:

The gauges go in the FS98 Gauges directory. The panel files (.BMP and panel.cfg) normally go in the aircraft directory. But check with the installation instructions to ensure their proper location.

Dan

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As well as putting the gauge into the Gauge directory of FS98, you need to tell FS98 to display the gauge on the panel you have selected for it. So you need to tell FS98 what gauge to display, where to display it, and how big to make it. You do this by looking into the panel.cfg file. You will find this in the Panels folder of the panel you want to put the gauge into.

In the panel.cfg file... you need to put another line in.... it will be in the following format.

Lets assume that you have a gauge... and the name of the gauge is A320.Flaps.gau and when you look in the panel.cfg you find a list, the end of which looks like this

............................
gauge21=A320.Toggle.31,764,937,15
gauge22=A320.Toggle.32,1012,914,15
gauge23=A320.Toggle.33,1012,937, 15
gauge24=HG_Radioalt_V1600,302, 589, 130

1. This list will always start with gauge00...and will be in STRICT numerical order.... if you don't give your gauge the next available number...it will not work. If you get one number out of sequence...ALL the gauges after this point will not work. So to add your gauge to this list you will have to number it gauge25, the next number, so the first bit of the line that will add your gauge will be gauge25
2. Then you have to tell it which gauge you are adding, so the next bit is =A320.Flaps, So you have told it that this is gauge25 and that it =A320.Flaps Notice that you don't add the .gau after the gauges name, or tell where to look for the gauge. It assumes that the ending is .gau and that the gauge file will be in the FS98\gauges folder. After the gauge name there is a comma...which separates the rest of the information.
3. Now we have to tell it WHERE to put it, and how BIG you want it to be. We do this by using three numbers, separated by commas.... The First number is how far to the right you want it.... higher the number..the further to the right it will be placed.. The second number is how far from the top you want it...higher the number, the lower it will be. And the third number is the size you want the gauge to display. Therefore the format for the line to add the gauge will be..... gauge25=A320.Flaps, 1055, 906, 60 And the panel.cfg file will look like this gauge21=A320.Toggle.31,764,937,15
   gauge22=A320.Toggle.32,1012,914,15
   gauge23=A320.Toggle.33,1012,937, 15
   gauge24=HG_Radioalt_V1600,302, 589, 130
   gauge25=A320.Flaps, 1055, 906, 60

So by putting your new gauge file in the FS98 gauges folder...... and adding a line like the one above to your panel.cfg file... you have added your new gauge to your panel. You must play around until you get it the right size, and in the right position.

Bruce Upperton