Question about NGX for cockpit builders

[tom87]

Hi everybody,I guess this question would be for Ryan given that he seems to be one of the main developers. I'm building a home cockpit for the 737ng: right now it based on the default 737 from Microsoft. Now even if it's based on the the default aircraft i tried some add-ons from other companies and I saw the various add-ons had different degrees of compatibility with default systems. To explain what I mean some examples: an A321 (hadn't decided yet to build a 737 dedicated cockpit) had the lighting system fully compatible with default FSX commands while another one could just turn all the lights on and off by pressing L key not responding to the single lights keys (or switches or FSUIPC offsets and so on). The first airplane, even if pretty compatible, had it's own FMC/Autopilot system so it wouldn't respond for FSX autopilots command. Now since I saw FSX has some variables/system which are not shown to the public (Battery voltage, APU EGT and so on) I'd like to know what (not a list of course, just some sort of informations would be great) FSX variables will be used by the NGX if any and what systems are totally independent and designed by PMDG. To clarify: if I press the battery switch on the keyboard (or set it's default FSX offset through FSUIPC) will it turn on the NGX battery or it's a custom system built from scratch with its own internal variables?As a note:I know the NGX is not mainly intended for cockpit builders, but I hope to use it both on my test computer and my cockpit so I just wanted to ask before I started coding (with SIOC) for the default 737(-800 i guess??) and finding "two days" (no reference to the release date here! just a figure of speech) later I could have used such a beautiful piece of software.Tom

[Tabs]

Tom,I'm not one of the "main developers", I just run the forum and do support tickets along with Paul.We are releasing an SDK this time that will allow you to program hardware to interface with anything on the plane. The airplane should also be compatible with LINDA, the LUA scripting system/UI developed on another forum here at Avsim.

[dazz]

Tom,I'm not one of the "main developers", I just run the forum and do support tickets along with Paul.We are releasing an SDK this time that will allow you to program hardware to interface with anything on the plane. The airplane should also be compatible with LINDA, the LUA scripting system/UI developed on another forum here at Avsim.

That is absolutely great news! thanks man

[tom87]

Tom,I'm not one of the "main developers", I just run the forum and do support tickets along with Paul.We are releasing an SDK this time that will allow you to program hardware to interface with anything on the plane. The airplane should also be compatible with LINDA, the LUA scripting system/UI developed on another forum here at Avsim.

Thanks for the news Ryan. I'm not really familiar with LUA and how it works, but I'll figure it out by myself. Just another question: will the SDK free and available with the airplane so available for us individual or it's just something you're going to give/sell to "big" hardware manufacturers?

[dskviator]

tom87, you can read about LUA variables in here: http://forum.simflight.com/topic/63146-tutorial-how-to-get-lua-vars-or-commands-out-of-fs/Or hang about until someone already makes and posts them and then use it

[KAPTEJNLN]

As a littel node not all Lvars might be found by the lua log file pete made but gives good endications for some push buttons. Displays might can be tricky to get in the log, depending on how it works. Then a look in the model MDL file for the plane might help some times. And i would say that if PMDG have the Lvars for the MCP and a little time i would like to hear from them by PM or so, whit the names and so, or even better a full or shorter version if the want it that way of the MDL whit the Lvars. As then i could start creating the Lua files for it, and could get it online at the time of release, because then it is just a matter of testing if it works, or some small edits hopefuly. As then i would do my best to get the Goflight MCP-PRO supported, from the start i hope, as it is the device i made Lua files for 3 other planes so far.