Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

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WillemijnL
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:14 pm

Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

#1 Post by WillemijnL »

I was creating a panel on a second touch screen monitor for the Carenado Piper PA46 in X-PLane. I tried to remove bezels from the G1000 PFD pop-out to use it together with the G1000 overlay instrument. But I did not succeed. So this afternoon I have created an instrument to make hiding unwanted parts (such as the window bar) of a pop-out panel easy: an "overlay background". No tweaking in X-Plane necessary any more. When this instrument is added to the Air Manager panel, it creates a background with a transparent area in it to see only the relevant part of the pop-out panel. When placed behind the regular instrument it can hide a bigger area then the regular instrument. This instrument doesn't use any images, only configuration in the user properties. It is a passive instrument and doen't have any interaction with the flight simulator. Therefor it works with all flight simulators.

My panel with the G1000 PFD pop-out panel on top.
Overlay background - screenshot 1.png

My panel with the G1000 PFD pop-out behind the Air Manager panel, but without the G1000 overlay instrument yet.
Overlay background - screenshot 2.png

My panel ready to fly with, with the G1000 overlay instrument (and without debug information).
Overlay background - screenshot 3.png

How it works (from the instrument info):
Settings (user properties):
- Background color.
- Add transparent area yes/no (when false this instrument can be used as a solid background).
- The position (x, y) and size (width, height) of the transparent area.
- Mark the transparent area yes/no (creates a border, usefull when creating or changing the panel and the monitor background is of the same color). Should be switched off in normal operation.
- Color of the marker.

First set the panel background mode to "transparent". Then add this instrument to the panel. After adding this instrument, expand the instrument to fill the required area. Then apply your settings (user properties) and move the panel to the top of the panel instruments list (CTRL + ARROW UP), so it is behind the other instruments in the panel (last instrument in the list is the top most instrument).

When you have two pop-out panels on the same monitor, then add a second instrument, one to hide the first pop-out panel and one to hide the second pop-out panel.

Overlay background - screenshot 4.png
Overlay background - screenshot 4.png (11.26 KiB) Viewed 1289 times

As an example, the settings of my overlay background:
Instrument position and size (x, y, w, h) = 0, 0, 1920, 1080
Background color = "black"
Add transparent area = on
Transparent area position and size (x, y, w, h) = 170, 243, 1002, 753
Mark transparent area = off

If you like it, give it a try (import the instrument in Air Manager):
Generic - Overlay background.siff
(15.34 KiB) Downloaded 128 times

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Sling
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Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:37 pm
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Re: Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

#2 Post by Sling »

Not sure why you needed to do this because this functionality is built in to AM. Lots of us use it all the time.

Mako.creative
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2022 11:17 pm

Re: Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

#3 Post by Mako.creative »

Hello Willem,

I’m happy I found your post. I wanted to make a black background without the window bar so you can’t see it. I am a novice to coding or photoshop.
I downloaded and imported your file to air manager.
I need to adjust the size of the transparent center to my screen and also the position but I don’t know how to do that. Do you know how to adjust the size and position of the transparent center (where you put in the pop up/instrument panel)?
Where do I go to adjust this? Photoshop?

Sorry for the inconvenience.

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WillemijnL
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:14 pm

Re: Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

#4 Post by WillemijnL »

I needed an easy way to create panels with pop-outs behind them. Although I'm familiar with graphical tools I prefer not to use them for this and to use an easy workflow to create a panel, starting with the blank panel. I tried the method of Russ Barlow to change the pop-out, so I only had to chang the pop-outs once, but that didn't work. So I created this instrument to create my panel just in the Home tab. This is just another way of hiding when only a background color is sufficient.

The second reason is that I know a lot of flight simmers for whom the creation of a dedicated panel with a panel layout is way to difficult. And they are not the only ones in the world. If they can do the job just in the Home tab, then Air Manager might the right tool for them. Otherwise they will not buy and use Air Manager. I'm thinking of planning Air Manager workshops for them and with this way of hiding pop-outs I can make it clear how to do that.
Last edited by WillemijnL on Sat May 07, 2022 12:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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WillemijnL
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:14 pm

Re: Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

#5 Post by WillemijnL »

You can adjust the position and size of the transparent area in the settings of the instrument itself by selecting the instrument in the panel tree at the left side of the Air Manager window and then at the right side scrolling down to the user properties. No graphical tool is needed. The painting is done by the instrument.

You can do a little trick and use two extra copies of the instrument to easily calculate the position and size of the transparent area.
If you have the G1000 instrument (or any other) at the right place in your panel, then you can do the folowing.

Overlay background HOW-TO 1.png

A. Add temporarily two other overlay background instruments to the panel.
B. Resize them to 100x100 pixels both (100 for easy calulation) by selecting each instrument and adjusting the instrument values at the right side.
C. Select the panel and at the right side move the first one to the top-left corner of the desired transparent area. Then move the second one to the bottom-right corner. You may place these a little outside the desired transparent area (see example).
D. Select the first one and take the values "Left" and "Top" (visible at the right side).
E. Select the second one and take the values "Left", "Top", "Width" and "Height".
Note: the positions of both instruments may be exchanged in your panel.

Example (see the image):
X1 = 111 (smallest Left)
Y1 = 513 (smallest Top)
X2 = 698 (largest Left)
Y2 = 935 (largest Top)
W2 = 100
H2 = 100

Now you can calculate the values of the transparent area in the overlay background.
X = X1 = 111
Y = Y1 = 513
W = X2 - X1 + W2 = 698 - 111 + 100 = 687
H = Y2 - Y1 + H2 = 935 - 513 + 100 = 519

Finally adjust the position and size of the tranparent area. Select the overlay background in the panel tree at the left side. Then at the right side scoll down to the user properties and change the properties.

Overlay background HOW-TO 2.png

Now remove the two temporary instruments from your panel and follow the instructions in the video at the Sim Innovations wiki how to put the pop-out at the right position.

Enjoy.

Willemijn

Mako.creative
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2022 11:17 pm

Re: Hiding unwanted parts of pop-out panels/windows

#6 Post by Mako.creative »

Hello Willemijn,

This was a much needed explanation for a newbie like me. I really appreciate it. I was successful in following your instructions!
Now I am ready to fly :)
Thank you again.

Daniel

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