SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 9:56 pm Post subject: EasyGauge 2.0

I hope all of you are doing well. I got this gauge program a few weeks ago called EasyGauge 2.0. It’s been awhile since EasyGauge 2.0 has come out, though I have only heard of it a couple of weeks ago, on this very site. I managed to get the money together to meet the relatively steep price ($66 US), and so took the plunge and bought the program I thought some of you might be interested in checking out this program. Here’s a sort of review about this pretty cool program. Like I said, it costs an arm and a leg, but if you really like to build models or want custom gauges, this might be something you want.

To start with, there is a demo, but it only allows you to put parts together to create a working gauge, rather than allowing you full use of the program for a limited time. Installing the demo got me into trouble, as the program and the compiler program require you to create a directory, and if you type it wrong, you will be unable to use the program. I think the installation could have been a bit more automatic and fool proof. After you spend five minutes creating the only gauge you can create, an airspeed indicator, indicating 0-240 knots, you are supposed to read the manual. However, I am one of those people who likes to work though a manual, performing the actions I write about. So I bought the access key. But the compiler was not installed properly. So I had to wait all weekend until the authors could send me another key, along with telling me what I did wrong and how to fix it.

Next was the problem of the gauges not showing up. Turns out that I missed the line about that in the manual. (Yes, it was just one line.) This time, I posted a question on the EasyGauge Forum. The reply came within the day, and my problem was solved.

First I built an airspeed gauge suitable for an ultralight. To do this, you must make a background bitmap, then a needle bitmap. You can make the needle and back ground as detailed as you want, so this is the lengthiest part of the process. It took me about 30 minutes to do this. Then I started up EasyGauge, loaded up the background and needle, specified where the numbers were on the back ground so the needle would know where to point, compiled the gauge and presto! My gauge was perfect.

I then built a VSI, using information found on the forum. Again it was easy and worked. When I tried a compass, I tried a more complex operation, and the manual failed me. I think the manual is limited in scope and could have been greatly improved to include examples of how to use every feature of the program. It will take some browsing the forum to learn the information I need.

Finally, I tried a Tachometer. This took some browsing in the forum as well. But once equipped with the proper information, I built my tachometer and loaded it into a plane I built. It failed to indicate proper readings, and was stuck on the max stop. Bummer. I began to rework it, thinking I had done made an error. I reassigned the values, this time instead for 0-5000 rpm’s, my gauge went to 0-20,000 rpm’s. It indicated running at about 15,000 rpm’s. I redid the gauge yet again, and this time, every 500 rpm tick mark on the background was assigned a 1,666 rpm increase over the previous one. So when the gauge indicated 4,500 rpm’s, the engine was running more like 15,000 rpm’s. To my surprise, the gauge was accurate, and the default gauges also indicated my plane’s engine was running at 15,000 rpm’s. So why did I tell you this boring story? To demonstrate that you can “cheat” by creating custom gauges. If your engine should be reading 3,000 rpm’s and instead is running at 20,000 in the simulator, you can create a gauge that gives the illusion of an accurately modeled engine.

So overall this program is easy to use and allows a user to do anything he wants. One can create many gauges quickly to come up with that instrument a simmer wants. The highly active, knowledgeable, and rapid responses from the forum community will provide the help a newbie needs to get his gauges to work. On the other hand, the price seems really high, probably cutting down on the people who would otherwise want to use this program. The demo is too basic to give an interested person a good idea of what the program is like or can do. The installation can be tricky, and the manual is not the greatest. But, more importantly, the program is fast and easy to use, quick assistance is a forum post or email away, and the gauges look really good.

For more information, and to download the demo, the address is www.easygauge.net Very Happy