Why didn't PMDG make a Center pedestal for the 2D Panel?

[adamant365 28]

I guess everyone's had a rough week....But c'mon, it's Friday!!! Let's all have a drink!

[Sekstifire 10]

I appreciate your respectful response. I am watching videos on both options to begin my research. I'm not all that thrilled about having to invest more money but if that's what it takes I might have to bite the bullet. The internet connection where I am at right now is pretty bad so videos are a bear to attempt to watch. I made it through most of a video using EZCA. To me it seems like what I mentioned before that root action is taking the VC and positioning the camera to view a panel from a 2D perspective. If this is the best we can do, why aren't we keeping the full compliment of 2D panels? Now I'm looking at videos with TrackIR which look a little more promising. I'll have to wait to get home to hit the research hard. Thanks for the tips.

I'm also mostly a 2d user, however, in planes with sub-par 2d panels I use the VC. EZCA is a must have application for every 2d fan when they are in a VC imo. It makes the vc experience that much better than the non ezca vc experience

[nwadc10 0]

I'm also mostly a 2d user, however, in planes with sub-par 2d panels I use the VC. EZCA is a must have application for every 2d fan when they are in a VC imo. It makes the vc experience that much better than the non ezca vc experience

You do have a point there, funny that I didn't see it that way as I watched the videos. How do you move from one camera preset to another, is it key combos or are there clickspots that you add to the panel?

[Sekstifire 10]

Hotkeys, personally I use the number keys on the top of my keyboard

[PIC007 82]

I appreciate your respectful response. I am watching videos on both options to begin my research. I'm not all that thrilled about having to invest more money but if that's what it takes I might have to bite the bullet. The internet connection where I am at right now is pretty bad so videos are a bear to attempt to watch. I made it through most of a video using EZCA. To me it seems like what I mentioned before that root action is taking the VC and positioning the camera to view a panel from a 2D perspective. If this is the best we can do, why aren't we keeping the full compliment of 2D panels? Now I'm looking at videos with TrackIR which look a little more promising. I'll have to wait to get home to hit the research hard. Thanks for the tips.

One 'workaround' I use is to go to the VC, move the view to the throttle quadrent, zoom it in to where I like it, then just leave the view there and go back to the 2D cockpit. When I need to see the TQ I just hit the 'A' key then Shift+A to go back. Its a pain but at least it's doable without having to spend more money.

[texlnghrn24 0]

I was forever the 2D panel user even with the PMDG MD-11 and 747's. I would look at the VC cockpits and be like, yeah not doing that.But I wasn't satisfied with just clicking small buttons to make each panel appear. Didn't seem very real to me, and after seeing TrackIR in action eventually prompted me to try it out. I loved being able to pan around and view every panel and look out the window like I was actually there, leaning forward to get those hidden views that I would never see in the 2D view. I didn't feel like I was looking at a flat plane screen anymore as well, everything pops out with subtle shifts in shadow and switch movement etc.The NGX came out and has totally re-written the rules in detail regarding VC cockpits. With the added touch of EZdock to quickly (pan) to a section of the panels makes it even more of a delight especially during busy ground and inflight procedures.My point is that even the most hardened 2D panel users like me who thought it would never happen were able to switch to a VC cockpit, after learning to navigate and finding my zone of comfort manipulating all the switches as I once did in the 2D panels I don't see myself going back to 2D. For those disgusted over the 2D throttle quadrant I suggest taking a step back and being open to the new level of detail that PMDG's NGX VC offer and try it out if you haven't with the TrackIR and EzDok setups. After all the money I have spent on Add-ons and computer upgrades, these two additions have been well worth the money, and make flying much more enjoyable.Cheers,Dave Kocian

[flyingscampi 2]

Let's take this in a different direction. Before we do that, it's interesting that the pro VC posters here don't think it's a big deal that a 2D panel is missing that's required to start the engines and instead proceed to tell the 2D guys to get over it. The pro 2D guys meanwhile show no ill will towards the pro VC guys, at least I don't. FS has the capacity to do both panels, why not do both to completion instead of one complete and the other missing this little used but very important panel? That panel is needed for the fuel cutoff switches. Having to change to VC soley to actuate the fuel cutoff switches isn't acceptable. Sure we've got keyboard commands and I've got my CH throttle quad switches programmed to cover this function which somewhat deadens the issue but this is an issue of principle for me personally, it's bigger than just a missing 2D panel.I digress. So last night I sat down determined to get to know this VC panel with an intent to like it. I saw this industry shift coming long before any of you posted above and long before the NGX was released. I don't get it. The VC is horrible in terms of functionality. It's so bad that I figure I'm doing something wrong because so many others love the VC. My serious question to the VC guys is how do you do it? I'm not asking to start any arguments, I'm asking to learn to like the VC. The following questions and statements of my own observations also has the same intent to learn and point out the current frustrations I have with VC. My first observation is that the eyepoint is far too high and forward to make the overhead panel useable. What are the tricks you are using to make this workable? Are you moving the eyepoint aft and down so you can see what the switches on the other side of the overhead are? I know one technique is to use the bookmark/shortcut, whatever they call them, of a head on view of the overhead or other panel. But this is essentially giving you a 2D panel making this whole argument like that of a politician. I played with a couple of methods such as opening the overhead in 2D, moving it to my second monitor, then going back to VC but it creates a bad experience on the overhead in that when I right click a switch it first opens the popup menu and a second right click actuates the switch. VC works great for taxiing, that feels good and realistic. I just don't see how to make it functional in terms of interaction with systems, hopefully someone can enlighten me. At the end of the day functionality must rule to have a good experience.

First thing to do is zoom the view out to about 0.60 (on my setup anyway) which gives you a wider view without any 'fisheye' distortion.Second thing is to get EZdok. I configured 8 camera positions as follows:Captains PanelHUD ViewCentre PanelCDUOverhead Panel FwdOverhead Panel Aft (IRS switches etc)Throttle ColumnPedestalI keep the same zoom for each view and move the camera position so the panel I want to see fills the screen. For example to look at the overhead panel with a 0.6 zoom, I move the camera position to a point just above the pedestal. The transition between views is suprisingly smooth and natural providing you keep the same zoom setting for each view.In EZdok, I assign a key to each view and then assign the key to the HAT switch on my CH Yoke (up, down, left, right and shifted up, down, left, right).If I push the HAT forward I get the Captain's panel, if I move the HAT back I get the overhead panel - you get the idea. I've almost stopped using TrackIR in airliners because EZdok is so good - I would certainly try that first.There are a number of Ezdok training videos on YouTube which are well worth watching as they demonstrate the program very effectively.Good luck!