I agree. I am not sure what they thought these instruments could be used for. I am still going to try and create a .png of each Gauge and make transparent “holes” where the LEDs will show through… just to see if it can be done and what it will look like.
You say that creating these as “proper Air Manager instruments is quite straight forward”.
Wow… OK… you must be good at coding.
I find making instruments in Air Manger quite a job… and I do it by modifying script that someone else has created and slotting in new image names so mine display instead of the original images. I have no idea how to create code that makes all those LED numbers change and the little lights illuminate across the digital indicators.
Frankly it seems to me that the Air Manager team has gone missing with available instruments for MSFS as it has developed. I have not seen any new instruments since I downloaded Version 4 about a year ago. I have not even seen any new community or paid instruments.
Some are “buggy” and unfinished.
I downloaded a batch of siff files from SIMSTRUMENTATION but only a few of them were useful for my purposes. I generally look at the code and figure out what works and then incorporate that into some new set of switches that I need… and make my own images.
Actually, the method required to create/build an instrument (or switch panel as an instrument) in Air Manager is insanely cumbersome… unless there is some easier way that I have not figured out.
It is comparatively straight forward (although not simple) to create a new panel under the panels tab because you can see what you are building as you go adding new items. When you have what you want you can save your custom panel in the create/edit section - although that is not entirely simple either. You need to know what to do with making a “background” and a “preview”… and close down / reopen Air Manager so the images show up properly.
Fair dinkum, it is harder than learning Photoshop!!!
I just wish you could drag and drop images and instruments anywhere you want them and have the script code generate itself (like you can with website building these days).
I realize you would still have to write the code for the instrument to functions as required, but it would be so much easier of you did not have to enter each position parameter and click “RUN” each time just to see if the image is in the right place.
Anyway… if you get to write the script for these digital gauges, I would be fascinated to see it.
Cheers