"W" key sequence

Hi,
I would like to find out how a person can add (or take out) a panel that is displayed during the "W" key sequence (cycling through the panels when pressing the "W" key on the keyboard).
Which text in panel.cfg does this? (Or is this done by changing code in another file?)
For example, in the default Cessna 172 of FSX, there are a total of five panels which are cycled through when pressing the "W" key.
Thanks so much,
Randy

Thanks, Frank.
But there MUST be more to it than what you wrote.
For example in the panel.cfg of the default Cessna 172 of FSX, there are six Windows defined in [Window Titles]. However, only five windows cycle through when a person uses the "W" key.
Also, of those six (in the [Window Titles]) two are not the ones in the "W" key sequence.
(Those two not in the sequence are the
Window01=Radio Stack and the Window02=GPS)
Therefore, at least one OTHER window not listed in the [Window Titles] appears in the five windows of the "W" sequence.
Specifically, which "coding" and which windows are the five that appear in the cycle (sequence) when a person presses the "W" key when flying the default FSX Cessna 172?

I'd really like to find out about this, because I want to begin doing some modification of aircraft panel.cfg and/or panels, with other aircraft.
I am preparing to fly the Amelia Earhart Lockheed L10E with the extra large capacity fuel tanks on her around the world flight.
Thanks again,
Randy

Right. They are there (on my FSX,anyway). And, they come up in the order I would expect.
I think you are missing the fact that there are 3 alternative main panels. These are selected by clicking on 'Main Panel' to reveal a sub menu. Here you can (or should be able to ) select Normal,IFR or Landing views. They are 00,04 & 05 respectively.
If I can help with the amendment(s) you want to make, please ask. At the moment I am not sure what you are hoping to achieve.
Frank

My last post was a bit lengthy, so here is the short-form question:
Which line in the panel.cfg file tells IF that window will appear in the "W" sequence?

Frank, you wrote: "they come up in the order I would expect".
What line in the panel.cfg is that? (that determines the order)
Also the "3 alternative main panels".....
How does one make them in another aircraft that does not have them?

Lastly, if I could at least find out my main question of
Which line in the panel.cfg file tells IF that window will appear in the "W" sequence?
Thanks

Frank,
Yes, I fly in Windows mode, single screen.
(I don't have deep pockets, but do love flight simming. After ten years with the same weak computer; a 900 MHz CPU and 16 Mb video card and 250 Mb RAM; I finally bought a strong computer this past June: 3.5 GHz CPU, 1 Gb video and 8 Gb RAM)
I am trying to get ready to fly the Amelia Earhart around the world route in her plane, a Lockheed L10E, which someone modified to much larger fuel tanks (and much heavier weight when they are filled). However, the view out the windshield is lousy; even when flying straight-and-level at just a couple of thousand feet AGL, one cannot see land out the front. Also, even though it may not be fully realistic, I need better navigation gauges. The VOR gauge is lousy and I need a larger one.

So, I want to add a couple of windows to the "W" cycle, one in which the view out the front shows more "clear windshield" while also showing most of the instrument panel. (not just the five-gauge minipanel which doesn't show any dashboard backing, so doesn't even look realistic)
The reason that I keep referring to the default Cessna 172 is that everyone has that, so anyone reading this can refer to it (not the case with an add-on) and also because there are two extra panels in the "W" cycle of the Cessna 172 that show the entire instrument panel, and each is different in the amount of "clear windshield" that is shown. The one that shows more windshield (while still showing most of the instruments) is the one that I would like to duplicate (or as much as possible) in the Lockheed L10E.
Oh, by-the-way, you can see by my "fictitious user-name" NR16020 how much of an Amelia Earhart fan I am. So, I am trying to really prepare for the around-the-world flight in her plane.
Thanks again. I really do appreciate both your help and the extra time that you have spent.

It's getting late here, and at 79 I am ready for bed!!

I will take another look tomorrow when I'm fresher.

Why don't you fly VC in Full Screen? Your equipment should handle that. You can raise and lower your seat in VC mode. And, switch to various views using Shft+1 et seq.

We'll talk again tomorrow.
Frank

Bill, thanks much! (superb)
The other main thing that I am trying to find out is what code (or text) in the panel.cfg (or what other file) determines which panel/window comes up in the "W" keypress sequence?
I have really been struggling to get an answer on that one.
Your help is much appreciated,
Randy

The default Cessna 172 (in FSX) has 5 "W" key views. Other aircraft have less.
There must be a difference in the .cfg files (or some other file?).
The Cessna has an unobstructed view, a 2D panel and two other 2D panels which have different amounts of windshield (therefore outside view), as one cycles through using the "W" key.

Yes, I know what happens (with windows/panels) and I know (usually) how to bring the windows "up" (to the fore.... to use them).
However, what I am trying to get someone to tell me is how I can CHANGE (or modify) the windows/panels which are available in the sequence of the "W" key-presses.
In other words, if an aircraft has, for example four windows which are cycled through during the "W" key sequence, and I want to add a fifth window that isn't currently there, how do I do that?
Or if there are four windows which are cycled through during the "W" key sequence, and I want to delete one of the windows (delete from the "W" cycle, not totally delete it) so that there are only three windows which cycle through the "W" key sequence, how do I do that?
I need to know specifically what "code" (text) in the panel.cfg (or aircraft.cfg or ?? file) that I need to change in order to get my views to do what I have mentioned.

The double forward slash simply takes out a line.
What I am trying to find out is what code (or text) actually gives the command to FSX to include (or exclude) a window in (or not in, as the case is) the "W" key sequence.

Some windows defined in the panel.cfg are not in the "W" key sequence, and some are.
Which line(s) in the panel.cfg determine this? (or is this determined in some other file, such as aircraft.cfg?)

I'm not sure, but look at this line in the C172:

ident=MAIN_PANEL_ALT1

My guess is that you could name other windows ALT2 etc and they would show up.

From the SDK:

Quote: "ident      Specifies a unique identifier to define the panel window. You must have an ident for each panel window. Valid entries are the following:

MAIN_PANEL
MAIN_PANEL_ALTn (where n is 1 to 9)
THROTTLE_PANEL
RADIO_STACK_PANEL
COMPASS_PANEL
MINI_CONTROLS_PANEL
ANNUNCIATOR_PANEL
ANNUNCIATOR2_PANEL
IFR_MAIN_PANEL
COLLECTIVE_PANEL
GPS_PANEL
OVERHEAD_PANEL
PARKING_BRAKE_PANEL
FLAPS_TRIM_PANEL
FUEL_PANEL
ELECTRICAL_PANEL
TRIM_PANEL
LANDING_GEAR_PANEL
MISC_POPUP_n (where n is 1 to 10)
MINIPANEL

If your panel windows description does not fit any of above, use any number between 10000 and 19999. Lower and higher numbers are used internally.
There should be a MAIN_PANEL for every aircraft, otherwise other panels may not be rendered correctly."

As already mention several times, the "W" cycles through camera views that have absolutely nothing to do with the panel and/or panel.cfg file.

Bill, thanks. That helps.
However, not all aircraft have the same number of "W" key views. Many have just four views when cycling the "W key".
Also, with different aircraft, the actual views (in the "W" key sequence) ARE different.
For example, in the default Cessna 172 of FSX, there are three views that show the entire instrument panel (left-to-right) and those three views differ only in how much is shown of the windshield (top-to bottom) and, therefore, how much can be seen outside in front of the aircraft.
Most other aircraft do not have that much variation of the entire instrument panel/clear windshield view(s).
Are these the ident=MAIN_PANEL_ALT1, MAIN_PANEL_ALT2 etc.?

The other two views (of the default Cessna 172) available when cycling through with the "W" key are the minipanel and the outside view in which no gauges are shown. And, yes, those two views ARE shown for almost all aircraft.

Bill

Bill, your last post helped a lot.
Thanks much!
Yesterday, I received "FS Panel Studio" in the mail (I ordered the program on CD rather than a download version). Scanning through some of the .pdf manual, it looks like I may be able to get the results that I want.
Right now, and for the next few days, my "non-simming" life is keeping me too busy to spend hardly any time with Flight Sim, so I won't know for awhile how all this stuff will turn out.

My main goal is to fly the Lockheed L10E on Amelia Earhart's round-the-world flight, using a panel which is almost like the "DC-Airways" DC-3. However, I will need to "cheat" a little by having a better instrument for VOR navigation. (I will not be able to truly keep to the 1937-only navigation). I like the airplane; the person who did it added the much larger fuel tank capacity and therefore a heavier aircraft weight. I will need a panel that can switch the fuel flow from one tank to another (one at a time, as in the 1937 Lockheed). There are a total of three fuel tanks (left, right and center).
I am a real Earhart buff, as my NR16020 (her plane number) shows.
She disappeared on July 2 and that is my birthday. In high school, I had a big crush (but too shy to ask her out) on a girl whose face looked almost exactly like Amelia's (though she was much shorter). I didn't realize the similarity until years later, when I was looking back at the high school yearbook, and said to myself, "Oh my, she looks almost like Amelia Earhart".

Again, to everyone who has helped (and several of you have added at least a bit of help), thank you very much. Your time spent is appreciated.

If you only need to reference the SDK manual itself, you can use the ESP SDK (which was essentially unchanged from FSX + SP2) online here:

Confirmed.. this will add the Throttle Panel to the W sequence in the FSX Baron:

[Window03]
size_mm=215,337
windowsize_ratio=0.73
position=0
visible=0
ident=MAIN_PANEL_ALT1 // THROTTLE_PANEL

gauge00=Beech_Baron!Engine Controls Unit,0,0

New to me too