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Smasher77th

To the honorable PMDG team members, a suggestion concerning the HGS combiner glass and its partial frame

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Dear PMDG team, I really want to heartily thank you all for this wonderful masterpiece! Yes everyone has chimed in on how much it performs beyond our little imagination, but I’m saying it again because it can never be overemphasized.Having said that, let me start by first acknowledging that I know nothing when it comes to computer designs and stuff like that, so if my suggestions sound foolish or impossible, please instead of crucifying me, exercise the patience to explain to me why it cannot be done. I know I brought this subject up some time ago during the development of the NGX, and an explanation as to why it couldn’t be done (FSX limitation) was given, but I think I may have figured out a workaround for this. . Also, this is not too big of a deal as I (and I believe, every other owner of the NGX) can live with it, but if it’s fixed, it will take this already most beautiful bird way higher in the scales. I’m talking about the thickness of the combiner glass when looked directly at the edge as opposed to when looked at from within the glass itself. There is a little refraction, making the glass look about one-third of its actual thickness (for those who don’t understand what I’m talking about, watch the youtube videos, paying close attention to the edge of the combiner glass

Now compare it (the edge) to the one in the attached screenshot.I took the screenie while the combiner was in motion toward its stowed position (with ¼ simulation speed), to emphasize the edge. MY SUGGESTED SOLUTIONThis idea came to me as I was getting ready to take off at Gatwick Airport for the TUTORIAL #1. I noticed how big the approach lightings are on this airport add-on, and to me they looked exaggerated. Well I didn’t like them that much, but that’s no big deal. The overall airport scenery itself is very beautiful. Now I was watching the replay of my takeoff on FSRecorder, and noticed how you could only see the approach lighting from one side, and they were invisible on the opposite side. Now I have seen this before on other airports, but never taken time to consider them this deeply. The touchdown zone lights, approach lighting, yellow and red runway lights that tell you you’re nearing the end of the runway (but become white when you turn around in the opposite direction and the actual runway end (red) lighting at the end of the runway, but when you pan around, they become green signifying the threshold of the opposite runway (end RWY 09 red lights turn to threshold RWY 27 green lights, for instance). From a layman’s point of view, I could guess that the lights are textures, and that these textures are made (by the designer) to be visible only on one side, and invisible on the other side (however this is achieved, I don’t know). Take for instance, a touchdown zone light texture, is only visible on one side, and invisible on the other side. I believe there is only one texture involved here, whose ‘back’ side is invisible. Now here is another scenario: a runway end/runway threshold light. Here, I believe there are two textures here, both back to back, and both invisible on their ‘back’ sides, and visible on their ‘front’ sides. This is my guess. Remember like I said earlier on, I know nothing about computer designs. I’m only making a guess here, so I stand to be corrected if any of my assumptions here is wrong. If however, I am correct, then this is the suggested workaround I have come up with: 1. Make a copy of the texture of the combiner’s edge (We’re going to modify this copy later). I’ll call it ‘INSIDE TEXTURE’ for clarification purposes. 2. Modify the original texture (‘OUTSIDE TEXTURE’ for clarification purposes) so that it’s only visible from the outside (red arrows on my attached screenshot) that makes it invisible from the inside (green arrows). 3. Now modify the INSIDE TEXTURE by shrinking its thickness from the bottom upward to somewhere around the purple line (yellow arrows = top; blue arrows = bottom), and make this texture only visible from the inside (green arrows on the attached screenshot) 4. Merge both textures in the same way the Green Threshold/Red End Runway lights are merged. 5. Do the same process with the partial frame to which the combiner glass is attached (light blue arrows), so it also clutches the INSIDE TEXTURE edge the same way it does in this screenshot. I believe this will create the illusion of a refracted edge when looking at the glass. Thank you in advance, Ryan, RSR, and the rest of the PMDG team, for the patience to read this lengthy post and for considering it worthwhile to try my humble suggestions (if they’re workable, that is).

PMDG-777-EK-SIG-MAY1713-2_zps6f2ed2be.pn
 

Chidiebere Anyahara

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As he said, to make the glass have refractive properties so that when looking through it, the frame wont be the same thickness at both sides

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I wish he didn't shout like that...and honestly, is he complaining about a few millimeters of thickness ?While there is a whole wonderfull simulation of the 737 systems right in front of him ? Really, I sometimes "don't get" people

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It sounds like the type of thing captain sim would focus 100% on getting right, then rush the systems and everything else that's important

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It sounds like the type of thing captain sim would focus 100% on getting right, then rush the systems and everything else that's important
I made a simple suggestion that I think is workable, and I might be wrong. I just got excited thinking about this, ok. it doesn't have to be done, I and everyone else can live with it, I am not complaining at all, just something that came to mind. If it can't be done, no problem. If it could be done, but PMDG has no time to do it, no problem either. But if they consider it, and want to do it (if possible), beautiful. I don't see how there is any problem here.
pic_12274687376847.jpg
Ok Let the admins delete at their discretion.

PMDG-777-EK-SIG-MAY1713-2_zps6f2ed2be.pn
 

Chidiebere Anyahara

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Gentlemen please! Are you gentlemen? He made a suggestion, he's entitled to suggest such a thing. If you think his suggestion is without merit, then don't contribute to the topic, ignore it. No need for impoliteness. Manners costs nothing. Martin Wilby

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what?...its a piontless pencil, just like the picture.How you take it is personal prefrence Dont you think the team got enough on there plate without silly meaningless post like this?...theres nothing wrong with the hud- let me remind you, no matter how realistic it may be, your sat infront a pc and what you see on the screen is a digital representation of a cockpit.Any ''Normall'' person isnt goin to sit there, slow the sim to 1/4 speed, and check how thick the glass is - whitch, at normal sim rate inst goin to be noticed, and when it is down in its full position, as it shud be, it looks fine.Too much time on your hands... What's next, ''the tyres only have 9mm of tread, but they should have 16''???...........

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what?...its a piontless pencil, just like the picture.How you take it is personal prefrence Dont you think the team got enough on there plate without silly meaningless post like this?...theres nothing wrong with the hud- let me remind you, no matter how realistic it may be, your sat infront a pc and what you see on the screen is a digital representation of a cockpit.Any ''Normall'' person isnt goin to sit there, slow the sim to 1/4 speed, and check how thick the glass is - whitch, at normal sim rate inst goin to be noticed, and when it is down in its full position, as it shud be, it looks fine.Too much time on your hands... What's next, ''the tyres only have 9mm of tread, but they should have 16''???...........
I did not slow down the sim to 1/4 in order to check out how thick the glass is. You didn't read my post properly. When the NGX was still at the early stages of production, sometime last year IIRC, when they showed the first vid of the colimated display, I made a post in which I asked about the refraction of the glass, and the magenta tint. At that time, the HGS was clear with no tint. The dev team replied that the tint was noted and would be taken care of (and they did add the magenta tint later), but that the refraction could not be reproduced due to FSX limitation. Now, it just occurred to me that there could be a workaround to this limitation, and I'm making this suggestion to the team. Why people are getting so upset with a simple suggestion beats my imagination. Please no name calling here. I've seen people make worse comments here, and nobody crucified them. Who tells you you can't notice it with the HGS down? Take a look at this pic.I just took the previous pic like that to lay emphasis, and to be able to stress my point. It seems everyone skipped the part where I said that this not a problem at all, but would make this just a little better if it worked. Or do you think PMDG wouldn't have done it if it was straight out possible within FSX limitations? Please guys this post was addressed to PMDG. Allow them to reply it. If you think it's pointless, go over to other more pointed posts. I don't remember requiring everyone to read it before going to fly. I don't think I have faulted anything here.

PMDG-777-EK-SIG-MAY1713-2_zps6f2ed2be.pn
 

Chidiebere Anyahara

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Honestly, I'm not sure how old some of you guys are, but you really ought to learn some basic manners. I'm sure indeed that PMDG have got a lot on there plate, and I'm also sure PMDG will ignore such suggestions if they feel they have no merit. Like how certain self-righteous individuals that believe they are the forum police, should not read the topic, not comment, and go away and fly the NGX. Much better than responding to a topic they aren't interested in, merely to berate another forum member. It's trouble making like this that PMDG can do without, not suggestions they can easily ignore if they think they are without merit. I moderate a different forum, and I can tell you that any such disrespect, ill manners, self-righteousness, and trashing of posters suggestions, is dealt with very harshly. Theres no need for it, it just gives the forum a bad name. Leave the guy alone and go and do something more useful. Martin Wilby

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Honestly, I'm not sure how old some of you guys are, but you really ought to learn some basic manners. << --- snip --- > Theres no need for it, it just gives the forum a bad name. Leave the guy alone and go and do something more useful. Martin Wilby
+1 --------------------------------------------- Smasher77th How about a POSITIVE response to your idea Loser.gif Its a neat idea, that may or may not work. If it was suggested to PMDG before,but at the time, there was thought that there was no way to impliment it, then why not try it yourself ? If you don't have the Graphic skills, ask someone who does... get a working example, and see if it really does what you expect. If it does work, its seems to be just a Texture change ?( I know nothing about textures .. not my area of expertize). However, if it improves the realism, why would one not want to do it ? Congratulation on "Thinking outside the box" .... ( Don't let the Forum Trolls get to you !! Ignore them)

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+1 --------------------------------------------- Smasher77th How about a POSITIVE response to your idea Loser.gif Its a neat idea, that may or may not work. If it was suggested to PMDG before,but at the time, there was thought that there was no way to impliment it, then why not try it yourself ? If you don't have the Graphic skills, ask someone who does... get a working example, and see if it really does what you expect. If it does work, its seems to be just a Texture change ?( I know nothing about textures .. not my area of expertize). However, if it improves the realism, why would one not want to do it ? Congratulation on "Thinking outside the box" .... ( Don't let the Forum Trolls get to you !! Ignore them)
Thank you Geoff. I'm consoled that some people are at least reasonable. I appreciate it. Previously, during NGX early stages, when they showed us the first video of the HGS, I just asked if this refraction could be achieved and I think it was either Tabs or RSR that told me it couldn't due to FSX limitations. I left it at that and never thought of it ever again. I was happy that at least the pinkish tint was possible. This idea just came to me a couple of days ago, but I was a bit too busy to mention it, but today I was free so I did. So the PMDG guys haven't told me yet that they can't try my suggestion. Also, I wish I knew anything about working with textures! I would have had a go at it.

PMDG-777-EK-SIG-MAY1713-2_zps6f2ed2be.pn
 

Chidiebere Anyahara

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Honestly, I'm not sure how old some of you guys are, but you really ought to learn some basic manners. I'm sure indeed that PMDG have got a lot on there plate, and I'm also sure PMDG will ignore such suggestions if they feel they have no merit. Like how certain self-righteous individuals that believe they are the forum police, should not read the topic, not comment, and go away and fly the NGX. Much better than responding to a topic they aren't interested in, merely to berate another forum member. It's trouble making like this that PMDG can do without, not suggestions they can easily ignore if they think they are without merit. I moderate a different forum, and I can tell you that any such disrespect, ill manners, self-righteousness, and trashing of posters suggestions, is dealt with very harshly. Theres no need for it, it just gives the forum a bad name. Leave the guy alone and go and do something more useful. Martin Wilby
And that's exactly the point, Martin-W, a lot of them are just idle, rich 'kids' with nothing to do but to tear down and destroy instead of offering 'constructive criticism'. One forum member offers a well thought out suggestion, whether feasible and practical or not, and in marches the truant spoilt brats with their sneers and, what I suppose they truly believe to be, 'witty' comments. Like you said, if it is of no interest to them, why not just move on and show respect for anothers opinion ? I suppose lack of proper training and ethics does rear its ugly head with an exhibition of such poor manners and tastes. GodfreyGcool.png

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