[FreeTerran]

I would code an new hud display (new position of the hud things) but i need some ideas i hope some of you guys could help me and make an hud layout

[Tolwyn]

how 'bout a bitmap cocpit image? Woudn't it look better? I am not sure if this can be easily implemented into Freespace though.

[Lynx]

I second that. There were talks about that earlier and it doesn't seemed to be that easy, but it would be cool. Easily Customizable HUD positions, so that you can adjust them to the cockpit would be good too.

[Black Wolf]

Make it table based ala mainhall.tbl. Otherwise there's not point to changing it - you'd just be locking us into a different HUD combination that nobody is used to.

The ability to add simple new guages and displays would be an incredibly useful addition too. Guages would obviously need to have an easily defined variable for display (Eg distance from a particular object, or along an axis, or hitpoints of a target, something like that.) Displays, on the other hand, would just need custom graphics, and be controlled by sexps - told to appear, disappear or flash.

[Lynx]

An MFD would be quite useful, so that multiple gauges use the same space of the screen maybe. I always felt that the screen in FS was quite crammed with gauges of all sort compared to some other games. I'd rather see the gauges for the energy setting only when I manipulate them, for example.

[Tolwyn]

that sounds reasonable, BUT is this doable?

[Lynx]

It couldn't be that hard I think. Simply place all the gauges at the same place and make them invisible until you hit the key assigned to that gauge. And obviously every gauge will have a different key so you won't have the problem that two of 'em occupy the same place at the same time.

[Tolwyn]

and who is going to do that? I think it will be the same story as shielded cap ships.

[Deepblue]

It would be cool if it were possible to make something like the Iwar reticle in freespace...

[Lynx]

It would be simply editing the code to change some gauge positions, like you could do with the interface. A problem could be to program that some gauges stay invisible until they're activated  by a key or something and that they go invisible again when they are inactive.

[Flaser]

Dynamic positions would be even better.

If that was implemented there'd be no problem with 1600 x 1200 and other high resolutions.

[Lightspeed]

just have it so you can set a cockpit bitmap as well as the location for the different gauges and displays.

A cockpit image really has no use if you cannot change the location of things

Then have table called cockpit.tbl containing all the info (cockpit bitmap, cockpit locations, etc and name for that setup) -- you'll simply set the setup name in the ships table and the ship will use that cockpit. If no cockpit is set, it defaults to the original.

[IPAndrews]

Perhaps there could be multiple named cockpit configurations in cockpit.tbl, you could then refer to a specific cockpit configuration for a ship in ships.tbl? I'd also love to see a 3d cockpit model.

[Nico]

Originally posted by IPAndrews
I'd also love to see a 3d cockpit model.

So do I, since nobody will never make a good looking 2D cockpit, I keep telling that, I keep being taken for a fool .

[Flaser]

It may sound stupid, but for performance issues it could be beneficial to bake the cockpits, or at least do a quite low poly version of the cockpit and used the baked textures - for the biggest downside I heard was the performance drain, and the fact that low-poly 3d cockpits tend to suck.

That's my 2 cents, but in reality it's all up to you Modellers/Artists.

[Nico]

I suggest you get a look at Xwing Alliance, then the upgrade project for Xwing alliance.
Hell, just take a look at Iwar2.
The only people I know who could make cool looking 2D cockpits, they mod Flight Simulator,  not FS2.

[Lightspeed]

Well, from my point of view it shouldn't be too hard to do a good looking 2D cockpit. at least about 1000 times easier than doing the thing in 3D.

[Nico]

I've tried both and from my point of view it's not.

[Goober5000]

This is on the list to be implemented after 3.6 is out.

[Lightspeed]

Got an IRC coder yet?