Caution, warnings, computers and fonts

Back into the THelicopter class today, with a new refined TAvionics class that will pretty much act as a container for all things related to the helicopter systems.

A new instrument today. The computer panel located upper right in both cockpit areas is a general all purpose display of radio channels, transponder, time and in Longbow 2 it had the magic ability to tell you if you were locked onto the pirmary target. It also maintains a list of current cautions, warnings and alerts. Typically you see a long list of these during startup.

In our game we're going to maintain the authentic scale, 35x10 characters, and track the current radio frequencies. I've added a stack that various systems (such as the powerplant) will be able to send messages to for the display of cautions and warnings.

I'm using a pre-rendered computer panel texture from the original Combat-Helo high-detail cockpit made by Joao and a Fixdsys font. This is a close approximation of the real Longbow cockpit. I tried adding a "glow" shader to this to make the alphanumeric characters 'bleed' visually (simulating my now crappy eyesight) but it doesn't have the desired effect. I'll try a bloom later.

In the absence of a cockpit I needed something to give visual feedback on systems before I work on the startup procedures. Hence this panel. There will be a simple "on" button just like Longbow 2.

I did start on the controller mapping too, there's some things I need to think through as it was not as easy to deal with all possible axis and different devices which the implementation I was using before.

And speaking of Jane's Longbow 2, I came up with a logo to test out...it's a bit cheeky. I used that styling all over the place years ago, the font is Impact, italicised, with an outer-stroke, gradient filled. Interior also gradient filled.

The name implies different helicopters may be coming, think, BlackHawk Combat Helo, or HIND. But as we're having difficulty getting the bloody Longbow sorted out it's kind of moot. I'm not sure if I want to laugh or cry about it.

More updates on the computer as we go. If it's all looking nice and blinky at the end of the week it might be worth a video. Which reminds me, I forgot to add a check for bus power to all these systems.

Note to self: Add checks to THUD, TMFD for power status in PlayerHelo.PowerPlant.