PMDG or Default for the Cockpit Builder?

[coryryder 0]

Ok so the title might confuse you as much as I'm confused.But here I go. I just bought the 747-400x at my local Microcenter 29.99!!!And right now I only have a joystick. My future plans are to build a 737-800NG Cockpit for added realism. Why do these people on YouTube spend thousands and thousands of dollars (sometime over 20K) on hardware and use the default 737??And having to spend hundreds on software to make all the switches even matter.Can I just buy a PMDG, click and drag the the windows to like 6 different monitors some being touchscreen and not have to get Project Magenta.... Cause all the systems are built into the PMDG?Same question applies when the new PMDG 737 NG comes out later this year.Will I be able to buy a GoFlight MCP and plug it in and thats it...Will I be able to buy a Overhead panel Kit and assign all the switches via the default fsx command since the buttons are clickable on screen?Sorry for the million questions I just don't know which way to go yet.One more question, since I wont even see the virtual cockpit or the outside of the plane, can I shut those off so it doesn't tax my system?Ok last question I swear!...can I pull out the backup gauges somehow so when I build my front panel i can drag them to the stenciled out area for those so i don't have to buy a real gauge?

[themax222 1]

Hello,what if you want to configure your led's or switches for the overhead or MIP ? You can't with PMDG. (Some people did it, but it's difficult). With a complete software, I will take for example FlightDeckSoftware that I'm using, you get a realistic flight model (better than payware add-ons for fs), complete displays that you can drag on multiple pc's and ready scripts for switches, etc.It's expensive, but it will make the cockpit building a lot easier.Maxime.

[coryryder 0]

It's too bad you cant click and drag out each simulated LED on the 2d Cockpit and place them somewhere on a screen and place them on a stenciled out frame placed over on a monitor then you wouldn't have to configure anything. Maybe ill just buy huge touch screens LOL.Anyway, are you suggesting if I want to build my own 737 cockpit buying a the upcoming 737 ng2 PMDG isn't worth it?PMDG could put Project Magenta out of business if they could make it so everything can be clicked and draged out, when i say everything I mean even the Master Caution Light for an example. And have everything programmable with hardware such as GoFlight. yeah I'm cheap

[Paul_Smith 92]

It's too bad you cant click and drag out each simulated LED on the 2d Cockpit and place them somewhere on a screen and place them on a stenciled out frame placed over on a monitor then you wouldn't have to configure anything. ...

Of course you can, but you wont be able to flick a picture of a switch, or turn a picture of a knob. Things start simple with something like a joystick. $20?Next stage would be a joystick with throttle and programable buttons $50.Joy stick with multiple axises (axees, axii?) $150 Rudder pedals $150Throttle quadrants etc, $200+And so on. All of these can simply be plugged in and (fingers crossed) they will work. It doesn't matter if you are running FSX or Rainbow 6, the sim doesn't care about any of them and they don't care about the sim. But what to do if you want for example something simple like a radio stack. It has an on/off switch, an six digit display and two knobs for adjust the decimal and fractional part of the frequency. The on/off switch is easy and the knobs are pretty easy too as they can be mapped to whatever key stroke combinations are needed by the sim, but what value do you display on the stack? Where do you get this value from and how? Now you need to consider the sim very carefully. The buttons and knobs are cheap enough that CP Flight will sell you the sort of thing you would see in a 737 (for a single radio) for about

[Turbine777 13]

Hi Cory, Please sign your posts with full name per forum rules, thanks (or add it to your sig).In regard to some of your questions, let me try to shed some light on some things I know for you and others that may be interested in cockpit building.First to try and clear up some questions and building planning, PMDG has mentioned in other posts that a long awaited SDK is being worked on and hopes to be available with future products such as possibly the NG. The SDK will allow for other companies both software and hardware to work with the PMDG logic, therefore showing the values of the MCP on a module such as the MCP-Pro and various other products.In regard to Project Magenta, PMDG develope software that works as addons inside FS and PM deveoped software that works as standalone application outside FS and just communicates with FS but absolutely seperated from FS and its PC. PM has their own logic, PMDG theirs. They are different systems and for better and more up to date info I would contact Thomas Richter at support@projectmagenta.com.Years ago, PMDG made their panels undockable and resizable, so as a cockpit builder you can drag and drop certain screens like the PFD, ND etc... to your other monitors. Currently however there is no way to do this with networked computers and hopefully an SDK will make this possible. Of course you could just have as many video cards installed into one machine and try and make that work, but having experience in cockpit building can say that if your going to attempt a project like this you would want a network rather than a sole comp. Panels, buttons & switches you now have many options available online, but it's a to each their own group. Engravity, Goflight & Flightdeck solutions all make different assortment of panels and CDU's, switches, nobs etc... and are meant for serious cockpit building but hardly practical for a lot of users. Whichever course you decide to go with will need an interface to then interact with FS. The easier solution for many would be a stand alone type device like you mentioned as far as the GoFlight MCP. This will not work by itself and would need a driver for it. There was once a PMDG driver for it but no longer available since the developer is no longer at PMDG. This was one of the reason PMDG have looked more into developing a more useful solution such as an SDK. As SDK is AWESOME news to any builder but again, needs to have a driver or method to tie it into (interface) the hardware to the software. So to have an overhead panel to use as you would like cannot happen without some sort of way to access that particular function via a programable setting. To get more advanced fearures to work with say a cockpit warning light to illuminate at a specific point would then again, need some type of software to communicate between the two platforms.If your building your own as I prefer, then you would need different ways to make things work such as IO boards of various types. Some fore buttons and switches, some other for specific Potentiometers and then of course 8 digit LED's. The choice is to the builder and amount they want to control. FSUIPC of course is used for making a lot of it work and can even help bypass some logic boards own software but these methods would be far from plug and play and you would want some tinkering experience before partaking such a project. At my highest point I spent just under 11k and didn't have anything in comparison to something

set up. I can gaurentee that he has about 20-30k invested easily. My first project was years ago and was with the original R&R Electronics Epic cards and programming methods that I never fully understood, it was mostly copy, paste and test back then :(EDIT: Personally I am looking at new options, if nothing else to replace all of my now ancient IO boards and even some panels. My old stuff is in storage in a relative basement and even though it was well preserved when I stored it can only imagine what time and conditions have done. I should further mention that if you like tinkering with things, starting such a project can test your control. It is a very addicting hobby and never though I would get into it 1/100th as much as I did, but being a simmer and at the time more so a tinkerer, fell into it as an obsession the minute I soldered my first switch and saw it work in FSX. I laughed at the idea that someone could spend so much on it even though I truly admired their work and especially patience, but as I mentioned, Very quickly got consumed by it and was soon spending beyond my means. Like any addiction, it can turn into exactly that,,, and addiction. Luckily I stopped before the main step, which for me was the methods and choices for the displays for the scenery. Things have gotten a lot cheaper in terms of monitors and lcd's, but the above cockpit is using what looks like some fairly high end projectors. Projectors still have not gotten to where I would personally like to go all out on a cockpit. Not just in resolution, but in price.Hope this helps answer some of your questions and others interest,

[dazz 69]

I found this thread searching for touchscreen info.Seems the way to go for CDU, but will it work with the 744 overhead where some gauges are handled with mouse right button clicks please?If so, I may buy a larger screen so I can operate both CDU and overhead panel.For the MCP I think I'll get me the VRInsight one

[dazz 69]

Ok, a basic search answered my question :(here: http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtop...;hl=touchscreen

[Turbine777 13]

Hi Dario,I have thought about the touchscreen idea as well, and probably is the best and safest route not to mention the cheapest. I'd recommend it. I'm still debating getting a more advanced stand alone unit from FDS, and have come very close to hit buy now a couple times in the last weeks. It would work with my Project Magenta, but definitely not with PMDG, at least as of now. Perhaps a driver can be written once an SDK is available. The unit I want is $1000.00 per (haha, if at all, I will only be getting one ;-) and can be seen here. I'm also debating on which to get. With PM I can use it with any plane, but of course the face plate and lables will need to be marked by me. This is another huge aspect to cockpit builders they need to decide on when choosing what to build/replicate. For the most part, my 747-400 style can be used for all of Boeing AC with little changes and none of which for hardware, but of course greatly differs for the MD-11 as it would for any type of Airbus or any other series.

[dazz 69]

LMAO. I should learn to learn from people like you Dan. I swear I try, but I'm such an eager beaver :(Yesterday I just drove to one local department store here after all the googling, to check their stock on touchscreens. They happened to only have this Acer T230H and couldn't help but buying it just to find out it doesn't work on XP :( Well, I was planning to get me a new desktop for my new FSX setup anyway, but still, that was quite foolish ha ha. What I like the most about touchscreens is versatility. I know for sure I want the NGX and the 777, and as much as I would love to have a fancy home made cockpit, I also know how frustrating it would be not to be able to fly the 744 or MD11 properly with such a set up, let alone how much time, effort and money would that take.That FMS looks sick man. hope you can get it to work in the end with the new SDK :)

Hi Dario,I have thought about the touchscreen idea as well, and probably is the best and safest route not to mention the cheapest. I'd recommend it. I'm still debating getting a more advanced stand alone unit from FDS, and have come very close to hit buy now a couple times in the last weeks. It would work with my Project Magenta, but definitely not with PMDG, at least as of now. Perhaps a driver can be written once an SDK is available. The unit I want is $1000.00 per (haha, if at all, I will only be getting one ;-) and can be seen here. I'm also debating on which to get. With PM I can use it with any plane, but of course the face plate and lables will need to be marked by me. This is another huge aspect to cockpit builders they need to decide on when choosing what to build/replicate. For the most part, my 747-400 style can be used for all of Boeing AC with little changes and none of which for hardware, but of course greatly differs for the MD-11 as it would for any type of Airbus or any other series.

[Turbine777 13]

Ouch, that's too bad Dario that it doesn't work with XP. Have you had a chance to mess with it anymore? I did a quick google and see people with some success although I read somewhere a while back something to do with touchscreen support being implemented in Vista or Win7,,, still don't know why their own software wouldn't work though.As for learning from others, I am probably the worst at this. No matter what advice I ever read I think we all have a little of a "Need to see for myself" approach. I know I do anyway and have gotten many grey hairs from my stubborness, but have also found solutions that others may have missed. Hope you can find a way to get it working, that's a nice price for it's size!

[dazz 69]

Exactly what I found. Vista is supposed to support touchscreen partially, while XP doesn't even have a driver for it. At least at the Acer download site.I'm puzzled. Been searching for hours to no avail. Did you really find someone managed to get it working on XP?I'll try it on a friend's laptop with W7 just to make sure it works, but for now I'm stuck with an overpriced regular monitor :(Thanks for the feedback :)

...touchscreen support being implemented in Vista or Win7,,,

[Guest shearder]

OK; after some reading, and GOOD reading too, i will wait before i purchase any software for my cockpit LOLI am, however, WAY to impulsive and that is m downfall MANY times over!! I think i have wasted MUCh money because of it and had to restart numerous times. I have built my own electronics, using FSBUS. I currently have 196 inputs, 128 outputs - LEDs etc, 7seg displays x 12 (for now) and all because i can't afford exchange rates and import duties and i am glad i did this becvause i can scale it they way I want!!! I am also programming the interface between HW and FSX. I also have a fully licensed FSUIPC.Hey, it works but I guess sometimes i still debate the cockpit layout. MUCH of any cockpit is the same in all aircraft - it's the differences that keep you up at night !!I am going to wait for 737NGX :) I haven't added a yoke though and dual throttles etc but I am 90% 737 but 10% generic so i can still fly airbus, GA and Helos :)I would hate to spend 1000's (as i have already LOL) and be tied to one flavour - BUT 737 is my favorite!!Thanks guys!Sean Hearder