2nd Graphics Card Help with Extending Desktop for CDU NGX

[ohsirus 241]

Could you point me to that tweak as Im curious if it could apply to other gauges.

[ronski 1]

Hi ohsirus,

 

I can tell you how the cdu works, not sure if will work on other FSX gauges or panels, but if you want to experiment. :Thinking:

 

Firstly, go into windows display and arrange your monitors in a line from left to right, so that you have monitor 1. on the left and each other monitors in sequence. This is only to make it easier to calculate the numbers.

 

make sure you have extended desktop enabled.

 

Now, let's say monitor 1. is a TripleHead2Go setup running say 5080x 1050 resolution.

Monitor 2. you may have gauges or something, and that monitor is running 1920x1200 res.

Monitor 3. is the one you want for the CDU. set this to 800x600res.

 

So to get monitor 3 to display the actual CDU when started we need to add up; 5080 (1st monitor) and 1920 (2nd) which gives a total number of 7000. Then you add 1. (or 2 to shift it a bit more).

 

In the cfg file for the CDU you then enter that number, ie.

 

FULL_SCREEN=1

 

WINDOW_LEFT=7001

WINDOW_TOP=0

WINDOW_WIDTH=800 (monitor resolution)

WINDOW_HEIGHT=600

WINDOW_ROTATE=0

ROTATE_X=0

ROTATE_Y=0

 

The CDU screen will now always start in that position, ie, on the third monitor.

If you only have 2 monitors, and the 1st is 1920x1200 then the figuer becomes 1921. but you see how it works.

 

I have no idea if this can be applied to Default panels cfg. I am away with only a laptop for a few days, but it might be interesting to try.

 

Regards,

 

Ron.

[ohsirus 241]

Hmmm, makes sense. Might have to research it.

[Mike A 338]

Its a cdu pop up from FSX... I know I was amazed as well as I had read that you usually have to run in a 'windowed mode. At the moment I am still having to re size the display each time on the CDU but I am still tweaking etc...

 

Hamish

 

Hi Hamish,

 

I've been following this thread with interest. Just wanted to clear up a point: were you able to do this without the Sim-A software?

 

 

Mike A

[Manny 1,293]

Good topic. Saving it.

 

Looking at this CDU unit.

 

I was also planning to do something like this with the G1000 MFD. I am working on a hardware option with a bezel less 14" screen and then adding bezel with rotary switch and button. I have gotten them all working in a proof of concept way.

 

Now, the question is building a PCB board and physicaly connecting the switches and the rotary. I am finding these various switches and rotray have different standards...that there is no standard PCB board that I can get where all of them would plug in properly. The PCB holes required need to have different spacing. Also the switch base to board ht also changes.. Oh well!

 

I can also get another 10" or 12" LCD and do the PFD as well..

 

All of them have the same issue that is addressed well in this topic

 

Manny

[hamish7777 1]

Hi Mike

 

Yes I having FSX running fullscreen without SIM A. Basically there is software that FlightDeck Solutions sent to me that allows the CDU to work directly with the NGX (SDK) and you have to edit the Panel.cfg slightly.

 

Its a fabulous unit especially running with the CP Flight MCP Pro they work great together.

 

 

Hamish

[YokeBloke 2]

Hi Hamish

 

I just recieved my FDS CDU this afternoon, WOW! I got it running with the demo version of SIM A software nice... ref the "software" FDS sent you, Do I have to contact Peter Cos to get it or can it be downloaded from somewhere?

 

Clive

[hamish7777 1]

Hi Clive

 

Yes the software you need only comes from FDS, it was Steve Cos that sent it to me. If you have their e mail give them a shout as they probably did not know that you were going to use it with the NGX.

 

Its a great unit and works very well. The only issue I am having is that I have to resize the cdu window for each flight but I am still testing various options (saving flights,fullscreen,windowed) etc.

 

Let me know if you have problems and I will send you Steve's e mail.

 

 

Hamish

[ronski 1]

^{Hi Hamish,}

^{When you say you have to resize each time, is it too big and you have to reduce , or too small?.}

^{If it's too big, then you could try and increase the resolution for the cdu monitor to something like 1024 x 768.}

^{Or, in the panel cfg file, you could try changing the size from 600 x 800 to something else, and see if that works.}

 

^Ron.

[hamish7777 1]

Hi Ron

 

The CDU size is too small and I have it set 800 x 600. When running fullscreen when I click on the cdu in the NGX it appears on the right hand side of my screen then I have to drag it over to the left then outside the main monitor area when it appears on the CDU screen as I have extended the desktop. I then have to re size it by making it 20% larger. If I save the plane settings when I reload unfortunately the CDU buttons do not respond in the sim. I think it is early days of the NGX users using the FDS CDU without Sim A software so I would like to speak to anyone who might have worked out how best to do it.

 

To be fair it only takes 30 seconds to re size each time. I will post on the FDS forum.

 

Thanks for you help...

 

 

Hamish

[YokeBloke 2]

Hi Hamis and everyone,

 

Thanks for your info I have got my CDU up and running with the software from Peter Cos. Ref the screen, I am finding it difficult to switch on the screen prior to starting FSX, so here is a check list of the way I go about setting it all up for flying the PMDG NGX...

1. Run the CDU controller program.
   
2. Right click on the FDS-CDU (in taskbar), select 'Configure...' then 'CDU Controller Test Module' from the pulldown menu of available modules.
   
3. Select an assignment from the pulldown menu (mine is 'CDU 1') and click 'Save'.
   
4. Select Device Type 'Boeing' then select the 'LCD' and 'Back Lighting' boxes (at this point you can use the hardware brightness control to set the level of brightness.)
   
5. At this point if you have not already set the NGX CDU window size, run FSX and load up your saved flight. Move and resize your 'Undocked Window' in the FDS CDU screen.
   
6. At this time you will not be able to operate the FDS CDU and get a response in the NGX CDU... (don't worry), minimise FSX.
   
7. Now right click on the FDS-CDU (in taskbar), select 'Configure...' then 'PMDG' from the pulldown menu of available modules.
   
8. Select an assignment from the pulldown menu (mine is 'Captain') and click 'Save'.
   
9. You will notice that the FDS CDU keys are still lit!
   
10. Now 'restore' FSX and the FDS CDU will now control the FSX NGX CDU!
    
11. Save this now in a startup flight and everytime you start the CDU will be in the correct size and position! Just go through this list.
    

Hope this helps...

 

Clive.

[hamish7777 1]

Hi Clive

 

I shall try this.. Thank you for the step by step tutorial....

 

Did you work this out yourself?

 

Will let you know, many thanks

 

 

Hamish

[YokeBloke 2]

Hamish

 

Yes I did, took me all day though. And then I emailed Peter Cos with the info too, but he says that the backlights should be on anyway, and he didn't know what was happening 'my end', strange. Anyway I'm more than happy with the results for the present time.

 

Clive

[YokeBloke 2]

Looks like all this is only valid for free flight mode, in multiplayer mode I still get the problems you got Hamish :-(

 

I'll have a think and see if there are any other solutions.

 

Clive.

[hamish7777 1]

Its strange I cant get that system to work, maybe because I am running 3840 x 1024 it freezes when going back to full screen. I have also now got an issue with running FS2Crew with the CDU as they are both accessing the SDK. Its still early days I hope we are able to iron out the bugs...

 

 

 

Hamish