An excellent, free, gauge panel running on a second PC is available here -
Although it was developed 10 years ago for FSX, it’s really quite good - considering you get it for nothing, thanks to Michael Nagler. There are 12 sets of gauges, including C172, a BE58 and there’s a Garmin 1000. As well as gauges a large number of switches can control comms, lights and so on. It needs Java Runtime Environment to run. Firewalls on the server and client should be disabled until someone finds which apps can be allowed. Once Microsoft gives us the option of no 3D cockpit and consequent increase in FPS, we’ll be able to easily set up a neat little cockpit. Why not give it a try now, anyway?
Use Notepad to open the simconnect.xml on the MSFS server PC -
C:\Users[user name]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache
Add the following lines at the top, just below SimConnect.xml -
<SimConnect.Comm>
<Descr>Global IP Port</Descr>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<Protocol>IPv4</Protocol>
<Scope>global</Scope>
<Address>MSFS PC IP address/Address>
<MaxClients>64</MaxClients>
<Port>7421</Port>
<MaxRecvSize>4096</MaxRecvSize>
<DisableNagle>False</DisableNagle>
</SimConnect.Comm>
Enter the IP address and 7421 port number when you start GaugeBook by double-clicking ‘gaugebook.bat’ on the client PC. If you wish to reset, delete the …\cfg\GaugeBook.properties file; it is re-built on running.
This topic was originally started in the ‘Simconnect’ category; I think it is justifiably ready for exposure in ‘Cockpit Builders’.