I don't know how one would work comfortably without a panel gauge, every time I need to score something wide I wish I had one. I've started making one, I'm planning on doing it simple, with a wedged arm and wedged blade. I like a wedge in a marking gauge as I find it comfortable to make fine adjustments with a plane hammer. just before I started I looked up some pics for a general feel and noticed 2 things:
1. triangular arms...? My thought it that a well fitted rectangle should hold it's setting perfectly, so why do something else aside from the cool look?
2. the rabbet on the bottom... most of the ones I've seen online have this, does it really help when marking wide boards? not that it's hard to do or anything just wondering about the function. seems to me one would have more control over the cutting angle of the blade without the rabbet.