Commercial Add-ons hardware support. There is none!

[Guest Erups]

>Did you find those with FSInterrogate or what btw?FSI is sufficient.

[Guest GeorgeDorkofikis]

An SDK is not even needed in most cases...some simple lines of code would do the job perfectly just by updating and reading the default MSFS variables! Then the access to those default variables via FSUIPC would do the job.But, no, they don't do that. Why? For reasons that someone from inside explained to me and I failed to understand, no matter how much I think about it.The reason given was "So that other companies can't use our a/c for their benefit". In plain words... Project Magenta has a lousy flight model and an even worse autopilot. They could use their displays, with the autopilot and flight model of the PMDG ?But, could they? Would they?And even if they could, WHY would someone pay $400 for some big displays when you can get them in the PMDG anyway for $50 ?!?!?!?!I may be getting a bit out of mind here, or saying stuff that should be kept secrets, but I feel so DISSAPOINTED, I have to share my thoughts!George DorkofikisAthens, Greecehttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/betaimg.jpg

[Guest yoss]

Hi guysThere is not and will not be any support from commerial vendors for cockpit buildersAs well i bet that upcomming 767 PIC ver 2 will not support us eitherI reading their forum for few years and any begging about variables was not even responded--may be networked gauges for separate price and some key commands so dont dreamWe are on our own and we will have to do that by ourself and John already prooved thats possibleThere is a number of tallented guys on this forum with programming knowlege and if we would share our efforts we could extract those variables and be able to use our harware with PMDG at least ,so farGroup approach always winsJust my 2 centsBy the way, George , exsist a mod for PMDG and PM, u can find that on Magenta site Joseph

[Guest Erups]

Theoretically it is possible to use PM displays with PMDG autopilot...The only thing which won't be possibile, is the display of the waypoints in the ND, since there is no way to intercept and redirect the data flow from the FMC to the ND.

[Guest yoss]

Actualy they are using their own autopilot, fms,and glass cockpit with Pmdg So everything displayed

[Themis 0]

Wrong!!Project Magenta is using the PM autopilot, fms, glass cockpit and only.If you want to use PMDG you can as a flightmodel only, also PIC, and also the default 737You can't use the Project Magenta with the PMDG A/P and systems. They are living to their own worlds.ThemisPS: PMDG thinks that the eyes of all the developers are pointing to their autopilot!! I have heard this rumor also...:))Themis KatakalosAthens/GreeceThey made a good A/P...Right....It's because PICv2 is in the corner..:))

[Guest Erups]

>Actualy they are using their own autopilot, fms,and glass>cockpit with Pmdg Then what they use the PMDG for?

[Guest yoss]

They using PMGD for visual model , airfile, overhead , throttles if needed,and another itms not available in in PM

[LawnDart 19]

I've never understood the cry from developers that it's "Too much work" to include keyboard commands.If the mouse routines are already there it's a simple matter of establishing what keyboard keys to use, then merely mapping them to to already existing Mouse methods.I don't know a thing about panel/gauge programming but I would assume it goes something like this:...private void MouseCLick_FuelValve1_ON(){ //Do some funky Fuel stuff here...}......private void Key_Pressed(string inKey){ if(inKey == 'F1') { MouseClick_FuelValve1_ON(); } ... ...} Granted, this is HIGHLY over-simplified, but the logic is fairly easy to understand. It would take a junior developer about 3 days to fully interface the keyboard to a mouse-only panel....

[tigert 0]

The problem is not data input, at least everything can be done with Key2Mouse utility program over the existing panels - a friend of mine uses 767PIC that way. Tedious maybe, but possible.The issue is how to get the data *out*? To display the values on the MCP number displays, MCP mode button leds, announciator and warning lights.. that is the hard problem where reverse-engineering the stuff is probably the only way. A Fancy FS2004 panel does not help much on the screen when you want to replicate it on your home cockpit.//Tuomas

[oal331 0]

>The problem is not data input, at least everything can be>done with Key2Mouse utility program over the existing panels ->a friend of mine uses 767PIC that way. Tedious maybe, but>possible.>It's not so simple, but you can do it with one or another way. The best method of course is to use Fsuipc offsets.>The issue is how to get the data *out*? To display the values>on the MCP number displays, MCP mode button leds, announciator>and warning lights.. that is the hard problem where>reverse-engineering the stuff is probably the only way. A>Fancy FS2004 panel does not help much on the screen when you>want to replicate it on your home cockpit.>>//Tuomas>>Searching with Interogate (3 scans) you can find the offsets you need to have the MCP's values in your hardware. You don't need more than 5 minutes :-)Eddie ArmaosAthens-Greece

[Guest spiliot_]

Hi again.During the past days I was away and when I returned I had an inbox of several private messages, plus the ones posted here.I took all arguments under account and I decided not to publish the variables because PMDG might start legal measures against me for doing so. I'm sorry, but I can't afford this.It is not difficult for one to find the variables on his own. I used a program written by myself, but FS Interrogate should work OK.Perhaps if we all press PMDG to release the variables (and include better support) for home cockpit builders they will do so.John Spiliotopoulos/GreeceOAL667

[tigert 0]

Sigh, silly people :)If it is so easy to figure out with FSInterrogate, are they so naive that they think the competitors havent done that already? Sigh. Classic case of "security through obscurity"..Thanks for the tip anyway.//Tuomas

[Guest allistah]

So where do I get FS Interrogate from anyways? I looked in the library but couldn't find it.-Allistah

[tigert 0]

>So where do I get FS Interrogate from anyways? I looked in>the library but couldn't find it.>>-AllistahIt's in the FSUIPC SDK if I remember correctly. From Dowson's page on www.schiratti.com/dowson.html//Tuomas