Hi everyone.The ones who, like me, are the lucky owner of the VRInsight MCP-Combo panel, will have noticed, that the MCP-Combo doesn't work together with the PMDG744X/8i Voice Commander. The reason for that is that the panel installer for the MCP-Combo, after running it for the PMDG744X writes a PMDG_747-400_Kbd.ini file into the Microsoft Flightsimulator X\PMDG directory. This file contains the keyboard commands, used by the MCP-Combo to activate it's buttons, rotary knobs, and switches. FS2Crew's PMDG744X/8i Voice Commander does exactly the same, and makes a back-up file from the MCP-Combo keybd.ini file. The keybd.ini file, generated by the Voice Commander contains keyboard commands, which are fully different from the MCP-Combo keyboard commands. In fact, this means, you can use either the MCP-Combo, or the Voice Commander, and only one of the two can do it's job. So far so bad.There circulate a couple of dat-files that claims to be the solution for the problem. Sorry to say guys, but it's a fairy-tale. Better forget about those files and put them into the recycle.bin.After a lot of informing and experimenting, I was finally able, to write a PMDG_747-400_Kbd.ini file, which will give you really full access to the Voice Commander, and at the same time, you can use all of the important possibilities of the MCP-Combo. So far so good.In the meantime, I absolved a number of short test-flights, which were succesfully. At this moment, I'm writing a doc-file, which explains what and how to do, and gives an explanation, which buttons, rotary knobs and switches work in the MCP-Combo.After I've finished this doc-file, I will upload the whole stuff at Flightsim.com and Avsim.com.Kind regards,Henk

Weird, I just tested Dazz's keyboard.ini on my 7448i and it seemed to work for me. I didn't go from cold/dark, just a few in flight commands MCP/Gear/Flaps. Honestly today though is the first day I actually got around to trying it out as I was wating on building my new machine for PMDGs 737 and waiting on my CDU2 to arrive. BTW why are you using MCPs panel installer? All I did was choose pmdg 744 from serial FPs list and I had copied the dat to serialfp and the ini to PMDG.

Weird, I just tested Dazz's keyboard.ini on my 7448i and it seemed to work for me. I didn't go from cold/dark, just a few in flight commands MCP/Gear/Flaps. Honestly today though is the first day I actually got around to trying it out as I was wating on building my new machine for PMDGs 737 and waiting on my CDU2 to arrive. BTW why are you using MCPs panel installer? All I did was choose pmdg 744 from serial FPs list and I had copied the dat to serialfp and the ini to PMDG.

Hoi Vincent,FSX or FS9?Henk

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I guess, I become mad about this. But any further help from you is very much appreciated. I have a couple of further questions:From Dazz, I only saw two modified dat files, no keyboard.ini file. Could you tell me, where you got this ini file?Did you, after having installed the 747 Voice Commander run the FS"Crew PMDG747 Configuration.exe (it's a icon on your desktop). I assume you did. If so, did you also activate the button: 'FSX: Set PMDG Keyboard.INI file to FS2Crew' ?Thanks for an answer, and more thanks for the geed-backHenk

Henk, Sorry the keyboard file was my FS9 version, I own both. For FSX I just overwrote the file in serialFp (keymap?) directory, set FS2 to overwrite PMDGs keyboard ini and then when you start serialfp shoose pmdg 744 fsx version. The only thing you should have to really do is overwrite one file and voila it should work.

Thanks Vincent,I did try it out, the way you told. And then it works indeed. However, I'm not able to activate the VOR-ADF switches on the EFIS panel in the MCP. So the modified *.dat files, circulating do their job, and I have to apologize for telling that those files should go into the recycle.bin, but still I choose for the way, I have choosen, to let the MCP work with the Voice commander. Then tihose VOR-ADF switches work.Thanks for you help anywayRegards,Henk Edit: I already own the CDU II for a couple of months, and it is real winner. Flow the PIC737, LevelD767, and now the PMDG747, without any problems. One thing, I do hate from FSX (and FS9), is having to use the mouse to handle functions for an aircraft, and the CDU II let me programm the FMC with the fingertips. You will certainly like the CDU.

My CDU did come in today and just set it up. Truth be told I think I was bettter off with my lilliput touchscreen. Its a heckof alot easier to drag and drop a CDU and it doesnt seem to have such a fps hit. I run a 4 monitor setup and I had to drop a vga for the CDU, but seems like I took about 9fps hit. Anywhoo, I just bought AIrline extreme mainly for the lvl-d and J41 and wow what a difference when you dont have to worry about keyboard files!

My CDU did come in today and just set it up. Truth be told I think I was bettter off with my lilliput touchscreen. Its a heckof alot easier to drag and drop a CDU and it doesnt seem to have such a fps hit. I run a 4 monitor setup and I had to drop a vga for the CDU, but seems like I took about 9fps hit. Anywhoo, I just bought AIrline extreme mainly for the lvl-d and J41 and wow what a difference when you dont have to worry about keyboard files!

Every extra monitor, added to your system, goes at the cost of frame-rates. I should think, that if you exchange one monitor for another, it should not be so dramatically. Of course, your computer (CPU, GPU and memory) will play a role. Hope, you can live with the fact of losing frame-rates. I can understand, that the drop and drag of the CDU onto a touchscreen monitor is more simple in the beginning. But you have to do this everytime you fly an aircraft. With the CDU II it's a matter of a single-time installation, and re(sizing). Once you're satisfied, and redraw and save the settings, the next time you fly that aircraft, everything is OK. It's a matter of getting used.Btw, can you tell me what Airline extreme is??Henk