"AM Radio WAV/MP3" Gauge for Microsoft FS2000/FS98/CFS/CFS2 -- By R.L. Clark 05/09/2000

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The accomanying "gauge" file, MP3_Radio_HQ.gau, simulates a four channel push button AM Radio for playback of music, recorded broadcasts and the like from sound files the user provides and installs for purposes of ambiance and general entertainment while flying FS2000/FS98/CFS aircraft. On-off, relative volume and and channel selection controls are included. Does not include four sound (wav and/or mp3) files that users must name and add to their FS2000/FS98/CFS \Sound directories. Data stream playback of song files is provided to minimize aircraft/panel selection load times. Songs are programmed to play as looping segments until the channel selection is changed or the radio is turned off. Files specially enabling use of this radio with the default FS2000 Cessna 182 RG and Martin B-26 in "Marauder.zip" (updated by "amradio.zip") are included. A second version of the radio (MP3_Radio_LQ.gau) is included for possibly improved FS performance in some systems at the expense of slightly less sound playback quality with some sound files.  

INSTALLATION

1. Add the accomanying file(s), MP3_Radio_HQ.gau (and/or MP3_Radio_LQ.gau), to the \Gauges directory of your FS2000/FS98/CFS program. 
2. Add four WAV files of your choice to the main \Sounds directory of your FS2000/FS98/CFS program. These files must be added and named "song0.*," "song1.*," "song2.*" and "song3.*". The files must be *.wav (PCM or ADPCM) or *.mp3 type files, or a mix. For example, "song0.wav," "song1.mp3," "song2.wav" and song3.mp3." For mp3 files, playable files must be formatted for 16kHz or higher sampling rates. If you don't add and name all four sound files correctly your radio isn't going to work properly and may "crash" your FS program.  Your Windows 98 Sound Recorder ("Sndrec32.exe") can be used to change/correct *.wav file formats and edit file lengths, volume levels, etc. For acquiring new wav files from virtually any hardware or software sound playback on your computer (e.g., from your CD drive, line in, MIDI file, RealAudio source, etc.) you can use "Total Recorder," a shareware product of High Criteria, Inc. available at: http://www.highcriteria.com/ . ACM Station v. 2.1 available at http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,000NX8,.html is a nice freeware utility for sound file format conversions. Other products may be available.

USING THE RADIO (VOLUME CONTROL, ETC.)
The radio is turned on and off by mouse clicking the center of the on-off control knob (marked with a white dot), on the left side of the radio. The on-off knob on the radio doubles as a volume control, as on a real radio. Mouse click to the right of the knob to raise the volume (the knob appears to turn clockwise), and click to the left of the knob to decrease the volume (the knob appears to turn counter-clockwise). Different songs are selected by mouse clicking on one of the four push buttons in the center of the radio, again as on a real radio.

PROBLEMS
Some users of my earlier radios have reported problems with FS crashing when a song is to be played. Virtually all of them were able to solve the problem by installing the lastest version of Mircrosoft's DirectX drivers (Version 7.0a) avilable for free down load at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads/default.asp . If you don't have them these drivers should probably be installed in any event for optimal graphics card performance and FS frame rates.


CREDIT
Credit and thanks go to Ian Luck (http://www.icl.ndirect.co.uk/music/) for his BASS DirectSound library files that enabled the audio gauge file programming for this project. Credit and thanks also go to Michael Vader and Roger Gaylor who helped conceptualize this project package. 

DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT
The accompanying files should not harm your computer in any way but, if you believe they have, I accept no liability. The files are released as "freeware" and are not to be used re-distributed in exchange for any payment, fee or other value. 

R.L. Clark
rlclark@ix.netcom.com