Modelling a Nieuport 17 for the first time, I am once again at a loss, since photos lack depth perceptio and I can't tell how the wing bracing wires criss cross each other.

From fore to aft, the rigging is thus

On each wing there's a pair of paralell bracing wires, I call them A and B that go

A from engine cowling to top of leading interplane strut
B from hole in fuselage to top of rear vertical interplane strut

There are also a pair of divergent cables that go from the bottom of the wing strut to

C to the leading vertical cabane strut

D to the top of the angled rear cabane strut

So if we look at the airplane from the side, from fore to aft, what's the correct sequence?

I believe the divergent wires are bracketed by the paralell wires, so the sequence is

A C D B

But I am not sure if they are interpolated.

As a bonus question.. does the basic Nieuport 17 have a cross bracing wire between the front vertical cabane struts? Or some have and some don't?

A good question Romani.
I will be building a Nieuport 17 in the near future and will be following this thread closely.
Not wishing in any way to hijack your thread,but does anyone know of a website or usefull reference book that gives acurate rigging diagrams for WWI aircraft and biplanes in general?
Nige

Your sequence seems to be good. For a good study of the Nieuport online see:
The Nieuport Pages.
Here is a recently restored Belgian Nieuport 23. The rigging is the same as the Nieuport 17.

The image is from a Belgian contact and good fellow Daniel Clamot.

As for the Cabane strut rigging see my Eduard type 21. It is a type 17 airframe with an 80hp LeRhone instead of the 120hp LeRhone. The double sets of landing gear wires were seen on many type 21 trainers. These were not often seen on the type 17.