Daylight instrument panel too dark

[-0303-]

Similar / same as P-51 after last lightning fix (now 2.5.6.52196). Made a thread in P-51D forum. Read for more detail /context. Copying argument from that thread.

• If you stand in the middle of a room with windows daytime, you will be able to see the texture of the wallpaper.
  
• Sitting in a cockpit, daytime, less than a meter from the instrumental panel, light coming in from a 180 degree arc from above (the canopy) ... Even inside cloud one should have no problem seeing the panel textures.
  

I can't say it much simpler. Intuitively this is just too dark for daytime. Note sun position, above & behind. Three pics. 1) Panel at default distance. 2) Sun position for shot 3) Max light at night, also a little dark or ok?

Note, images are noticeably darker in game (for me anyway).

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2020 by -0303-

[imacken]

I love the cockpit lighting in the latest patch. It was totally blown out before.

[Terry Dactil]

The Spitfire instrument panel has been almost unreadable for many years now in spite of many complaints to ED.

However, here are some mods by NAKE350 that will fix the problem.

For me, it has madr the Spitfire playable, and I can't thank NAKE650 enpough for this.

 

Spitfire High-Contrast Cockpit Gauges

Simple mod to improve clarity of cockpit dials and gauges

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3302602/

 

 

Even better is this one, as it also gets rid of the over-bright cockpit floor.

Spitfire Cockpit Refurb

Refurbished cockpit to improve depth of shadowing on the stock version and add higher contrast gauges.

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3303032/

 

Here is the standard view with unreadable instruments (click to view full size)

 

 

and here it is after the Spitfire Cockpit Refurb mod has been installed V

 

 

If you have trouble moving the files...

Get the "TakeOwnership" app" and use it on the zip file.

Then you will have the permissions required to move the .ds and .dds files into the zip file.

Do NOT open the zip file. Just copy/paste the new files and they overwrite the existing ones.

 

With some extra effort you can copy the amended ... textures.zip file to make an OVGME file for easy mod disable/enable for updates.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Terry Dactil

[-0303-]

I've been using Naked350's mod. Until maybe 4 patches ago when Spit became readable and I took it out. Now I'll probably reinstall Spitfire Cockpit Refurb mod.

~

 

Note, I install Cockpit_Spitfire_LFMkIX in Saved Games here:

 C:\Users\username\Saved Games\DCS\Liveries

and it works. Looking at instructions it says to install in the main game folder but this isn't necessary unless I'm confused.

 

Ed/add: Looking at my own notes it's a bit more complicated. I made a unique modification so I could put it under Saved Games. I prepared Cockpit_Spitfire_LFMkIX zip file to contain Naked350's five files and a modified 'description.lua', like this:

description.lua
SpitfireIX-CPT_DIF.dds
SpitfireIX_1_DIF.dds
SpitfireIX_2_DIF.dds
SpitfireIX_3_DIF.dds
SpitfireIX_4_DIF.dds

Original unmodified 'description.lua' copied from:

C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Mods\aircraft\SpitfireLFMkIX\Liveries\Cockpit_Spitfire_LFMkIX\default

In copied 'description.lua' deactivated every file (by editing out) except the five Naked350 files references. This will override the default files from main folder and instead use the Naked350 files from the Saved Games folder. Noted by trial/error that the reference to the mirror file cannot be edited out, it must remain active. Mirror file reference is the second of these two:

{"pilot_RAF_FP_Notepad",0,"mfd3",true};
{"mirror_SpitfireIX", 0 ,"mirrors",true};  --mirrors texture replacement with runtime rendered one
  

Left both these activated (not sure if first one required). I said it was complicated. All of the modified 'description.lua' (-- edits out).

Note only Naked350 Refurb files + notepad & mirror files left activated:

livery = 
{
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_inst", 0, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_inst", 1, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_norm", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_inst", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff_roughmet", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_inst", 14, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff_filtr", false},
   {"SpitfireIX_3", 0, "spitfireix_3_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_3", 1, "spitfireix_nm_3", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_3", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_3_dif_roughmet", false},
   {"SpitfireIX_2", 0, "spitfireix_2_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_2", 1, "spitfireix_nm_2", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_2", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_2_dif_roughmet", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS", 0, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS", 1, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_norm", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff_roughmet", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS", 14, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff_filtr", false},
   {"SpitfireIX-CPT-pribors", 0, "spitfireix-cpt_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX-CPT-pribors", 1, "spitfireix-cpt-pribors_nm", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_ARMOR", 0, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_ARMOR", 1, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_norm", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_ARMOR", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff_roughmet", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_GLASS_ARMOR", 14, "spitfireix_cpt_glass_diff_filtr", false},
   {"SpitfireIX_1", 0, "spitfireix_1_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_1", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_1_dif_roughmet", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_5", 0, "spitfireix_5_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_5", 1, "spitfireix_nm_5", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_5", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_5_dif_roughmet", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_6", 0, "spitfireix_6_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_6", 1, "spitfireix_nm_6", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_6", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_6_dif_roughmet", false},
   {"SpitfireIX_4", 0, "spitfireix_4_dif", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_4", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix_4_dif_roughmet", false},
--    {"L39-LAMP_CPT2", 0, "spitfireix-cpt-cl", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_1_SHTORKA", 0, "spitfireix-cpt-shtorka", false},
--    {"SpitfireIX_1_SHTORKA", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "spitfireix-cpt-shtorka_roughmet", false},
--    {"map_pilot", 0, "pilot_raf_kneeboard", false}, 
--    {"map_pilot", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "pilot_raf_kneeboard_roughmet", false},
--    {"Material #3108", 0, "pilot_raf_fp", false},
--    {"Material #3108", 1, "pilot_raf_fp_nm", false},
--    {"Material #3108", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC, "pilot_raf_fp_roughmet", false},
--[[bogus material: 
   SpitfireIX_GLASS_PRIBORS]]--
   {"pilot_RAF_FP_Notepad",0,"mfd3",true};
   {"mirror_SpitfireIX", 0 ,"mirrors",true};  --mirrors texture replacement with runtime rendered one
}

To activate or inactivate the Naked350 Refurb cockpit mod I lift in or out my preprepared zip Cockpit_Spitfire_LFMkIX from:

C:\Users\username\Saved Games\DCS\Liveries

Edited July 24, 2020 by -0303-