These are aimed mainly at gauge programmers who are not
brilliant artists too!!
The gauge backgrounds are all blanks; you will need to paint
your own faces on for whichever gauge you are creating. Similarly,
if you are creating a named indicator (e.g. a lamp with GEN
written on it) you will need to add the wording yourself. All
of the indicators and switches were created using the standard
FS5.PAL (a copy is enclosed for Paintshop Pro) but a lot of the
gauge backgrounds have their own palettes.
The only differences between some of the gauge backgrounds are
a subtle variation in colours and shading, so look carefully.
Careful usage will avoid the horrible "samey" look you get on
some panels (including my early ones!).
A BIG hint particularly for Paintshop Pro users ;-)); if you
need to resize the bitmaps, do it like this:-
1. If it is a gauge background then first Save the palette
2. Increase colours to 16 million
3. Resize the image
4. Apply either the saved palette or FS5.PAL as needed.
That way you will not lose the definition of the final image.
I also suggest that when you are working on a gauge background
you make a copy of the original and increase the colours on the
copy to 16 million colours. Use the original to select your
colours from and work on the copy. When adding wording, shapes
etc. ensure that anti-aliasing is turned ON as this will
feather the edges between one colour and the next. Save your
work often and just as often, apply the relevant palette to
the gauge to check that the colouring will be what you want
when you make the final palette application. You can always
Undo the palette application to get back to 16 million colours.
Legal Bit.
I claim no copyright whatsoever on these images. Most were
created from scratch by me but others were hacked out of
default gauges and then modified. This archive is placed into
the public domain on the understanding that legally Microsoft
still have copyright on some of these images.
