Default head-up display: Difference between revisions
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[[File:HUD_default_overview.png|thumb| | [[File:HUD_default_overview.png|thumb|420px|Huds/default.xml]] | ||
[[File:HUD_minimal_overview.png|thumb|420px|Huds/minimal.xml]] | |||
[[File:HUD_NTPS_overview.png|thumb|420px|Huds/NPTS.xml]] | |||
== Features == | == Features == | ||
=== Control inputs === | === Control inputs === | ||
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: [[Avionics and Instruments#Turn Coordinator|Turn Coordinator]] | : [[Avionics and Instruments#Turn Coordinator|Turn Coordinator]] | ||
: Properties: <code>/orientation/roll-deg</code> and <code>/orientation/side-slip-deg</code> | : Properties: <code>/orientation/roll-deg</code> and <code>/orientation/side-slip-deg</code> | ||
[[File:HUD_default_autopilot.jpg|thumb|420px|HUD autopilot]] | |||
=== Autopilot === | |||
If the autopilot is active the HUD displays its settings. For each active function (heading, altitude and speed) a box will appear below the gyrocompass containing information on its mode and, if existent, the associated value. | |||
; Heading control | |||
: Whether it is active or not and on which mode it operates is determined by the content of the <code>/autopilot/locks/heading</code> property. | |||
: The values are taken from <code>/autopilot/settings/heading-bug-deg</code> and <code>/autopilot/settings/true-heading-deg</code>. | |||
; Altitude control | |||
: Active mode: <code>/autopilot/locks/altitude</code> | |||
: Their values: <code>/autopilot/settings/target-altitude-ft</code>, <code>/autopilot/settings/vertical-speed-fpm</code> and <code>/autopilot/settings/target-agl-ft</code>. | |||
; Speed control | |||
: Active mode: <code>/autopilot/locks/speed</code> | |||
: Their values: <code>/autopilot/settings/target-speed-kt</code> and <code>/autopilot/settings/target-speed-mach</code> | |||
Revision as of 00:40, 28 January 2013
Work in progress This article or section will be worked on in the upcoming hours or days. Note: Article is going to be completely reworked. See history for the latest developments. |
The Head-up display (HUD) is an important instrument in modern, mostly military, cockpits. FlightGear provides a XML-based system to relatively easily create HUDs for aircrafts such as the F-14 and F-16.
However, this article's focus is on FlightGear's default head-up displays. Those are available for any craft which does not include its own set. Have a look at #Further Information if you're planning to create a HUD.
Activate the HUD with the [h]-key. Pressing it repeatedly moves through the configured colours and turns it off again. To change the brightness, press [shift]+[h]. Press [shift]+[i] to go through the available HUD's. Press [i] to switch back to the first one at any time. Have in mind that some aircraft do assign one or more of those keys differently and therefore one or more function/s is/are missing on them.
Some of the head-up display's options can be altered in the menu: View --> Adjust HUD Properties
Features
Control inputs
- Aileron
- Monitors the bearing of the control input on the aileron's axis. Attached along the upper side is the indicator for the trim input on that axis.
- Properties:
/controls/flight/aileron
and/controls/flight/aileron-trim
- Elevator
- Monitors the bearing of the control input on the elevator's axis. Attached to the left the trim on this axis.
- Properties:
/controls/flight/elevator
and/controls/flight/elevator-trim
- Rudder
- Monitors the bearing of the control input on the rudder's axis. Attached to the bottom the trim input.
- Properties:
/controls/flight/rudder
and/controls/flight/rudder-trim
- Throttle
- Monitors the throttle input axis.
- Property:
/controls/engines/engine/throttle
Instruments
- AMSL (Height above mean sea level)
- Current altitude relative to sea level in feet (ft) (1 ft = 30.48 cm).
- Property:
/position/altitude-ft
- g-load
- The g-force appealing to the pilot - to avoid black-/redout.
- Property:
/accelerations/pilot/z-accel-fps_sec
with factor -0.03108095
- Gyrocompass
- This is an ideal version of a gyrocompass without the drawbacks of a real one. It shows heading of the aircraft relative to the geographical North Pole (true north) in degree (360 degree scale).
- Property:
/orientation/heading-deg
- KIAS (Knots Indicated Airspeed)
- Current speed relating to the ambient air in knot/knots (kt/kts) (1 kt = 1.151 mph = 1.852 km/h).
- Property:
/velocities/airspeed-kt
- Latitude / Longitude
- Current location according to the geographic coordinate system.
- To change the format of the displayed coordinates, go to Autopilot --> Set Lat/Lon-format.
- Properties:
/position/latitude-string
and/position/longitude-string
- Pitch ladder
- Displays the aircraft's pitch and roll relative to the ground's level/horizontal in degree. It's used as an artificial horizon (Attitude indicator).
- Properties:
/orientation/roll-deg
and/orientation/pitch-deg
- Radio altimeter
- Shows current altitude above ground level (AGL) in feet. Relating to the location of the aircraft's radio altimeter, it's not zero if the aircraft is on the ground.
- Property:
/position/altitude-agl-ft
- Turn-bank-indicator
- Turn Coordinator
- Properties:
/orientation/roll-deg
and/orientation/side-slip-deg
Autopilot
If the autopilot is active the HUD displays its settings. For each active function (heading, altitude and speed) a box will appear below the gyrocompass containing information on its mode and, if existent, the associated value.
- Heading control
- Whether it is active or not and on which mode it operates is determined by the content of the
/autopilot/locks/heading
property. - The values are taken from
/autopilot/settings/heading-bug-deg
and/autopilot/settings/true-heading-deg
.
- Altitude control
- Active mode:
/autopilot/locks/altitude
- Their values:
/autopilot/settings/target-altitude-ft
,/autopilot/settings/vertical-speed-fpm
and/autopilot/settings/target-agl-ft
.
- Speed control
- Active mode:
/autopilot/locks/speed
- Their values:
/autopilot/settings/target-speed-kt
and/autopilot/settings/target-speed-mach
Further Information
The setup of the default HUD is defined at $FG_ROOT/Huds/default.xml.
Documentation can be found at $FG_ROOT/Docs/README.hud.
HUD's may be replaced or added by changing or adding their path(s) to preferences.xml (<hud> tag) or by setting the paths as command line options. To change the order of the existing ones the options would be: --prop:/sim/hud/path[1]=Huds/minimal.xml
--prop:/sim/hud/path[2]=Huds/default.xml
--prop:/sim/hud/path[3]=Huds/NTPS.xml
Additional HUDs
- HeliHUD
- Designed to fly helicopters in Helicopter View it is also handy for any craft with a not yet finished cockpit. It also contains a minimalistic HUD only showing some navigation informations such as compass and GPS. The download contains instructions and specs.