Re: [Flightgear-devel] Panel designers: feedback needed

[Tim M. <ti...@re...>]

James Turner wrote:
> On 28 Dec 2008, at 15:54, Heiko Schulz wrote:
> 
>> Currently there are two approaches:
>> -making it all 3d. Means that signs, symbols lines are mostly done  
>> with 3d-objects. Good example the 787-display
>>
>> -using 2d-layers. Syd is using this approach on his 777 but it does  
>> have problems on some hardware- some layers disappear and are not  
>> visible and shines trough other objects.
>>
>> The second approach seems to be easier for me as modeler, I only  
>> have to make the textures, but the current issues prevented my from  
>> using this method yet.
> 
> Okay, that's very interesting. I'd love to know what the specific  
> problems are with the 2D layers code, because some of them may be  
> fixable.
> 
> Since it seems both have a future, I am naively wondering if I can  
> combine the two, by extending the animation classes, and changing  
> Cockpit/panel_io.cxx to build an SGAnimation graph. This would have  
> the obvious benefit of being invisible to panel designers - they're  
> just use either format, as they preferred, but internally the same  
> kind of structure would get built.

You should also take a look at the weather radar code in 
Instrumentation/od_gauge.cxx and wxradar.cxx for yet another appproach.

Tim