More issues in the SDK

[_andreas_ 0]

Hello people!

As previously discussed in http://forum.avsim.net/topic/403290-reading-door-annunciators-via-sdk/ there are a few things that are missing in the SDK (SP1C). I managed to work around most of them using ugly LUA hacks.

Since then I've stumbled across a bunch of new issues in the SDK. Some of them are just related to inconsistencies in how switches and knobs work, for example some momentary-on switches will return automatically while others will not, so you have to do that manually by sending multiple events. Also, FSX will crash because of an error in PMDG_737NGX.DLL when sending events while a flight is loading. This is easily fixed by check the sim status. Although such things does give a bit of impression that the SDK haven't been thorougly tested, it's no big deal once you've located and fixed these issues.

A bigger issue is the annunciators. I would have thought that "what you see in the VC is what you get in the SDK data struct", i.e. if the annunciator is lit, the returned value is 1. That does not always seem to be the case. For example when cutting the power completely (no engines, apu, ground power nor battery), the annunciator values in the SDK seem to still be set to what they would display if we have had power. Not impossible to fix but it requires quite a bit of programming logic that I would expect the SDK to take care of for us.

One thing I've not managed to work around is the thing that happens when you shutdown the engines. Some annunciators will start to get out of sync in the SDK vs what's displayed in the VC. For example, the f/of pitot, r elev pitot, r alpha vane, aux pitot and equip cooling annunciators will always be set to 1 in the NGX data struct, even though they're really off. Starting up the engines and turning the corresponding switches on/off makes no difference, the reported annunciator values are stuck although the VC shows the correct ones. Only by ending the flight and loading it again will get you back in sync (simply reseting the flight will completely mess upp the SDK but that seems to be an old known bug). Also, the Window overheat test button will activate all four ICE_annunOVERHEAT annunciators in the SDK whereas the VC will only activate number 2 and 4. And so on... basically it makes you not being able trust the annunciators which is not a good thing.

Am I the only one with these issues?

 

Andreas

[roarkr 73]

Hello people!

 

As previously discussed in http://forum.avsim.net/topic/403290-reading-door-annunciators-via-sdk/ there are a few things that are missing in the SDK (SP1C). I managed to work around most of them using ugly LUA hacks.

Since then I've stumbled across a bunch of new issues in the SDK. Some of them are just related to inconsistencies in how switches and knobs work, for example some momentary-on switches will return automatically while others will not, so you have to do that manually by sending multiple events. Also, FSX will crash because of an error in PMDG_737NGX.DLL when sending events while a flight is loading. This is easily fixed by check the sim status. Although such things does give a bit of impression that the SDK haven't been thorougly tested, it's no big deal once you've located and fixed these issues.

 

A bigger issue is the annunciators. I would have thought that "what you see in the VC is what you get in the SDK data struct", i.e. if the annunciator is lit, the returned value is 1. That does not always seem to be the case. For example when cutting the power completely (no engines, apu, ground power nor battery), the annunciator values in the SDK seem to still be set to what they would display if we have had power. Not impossible to fix but it requires quite a bit of programming logic that I would expect the SDK to take care of for us.

 

One thing I've not managed to work around is the thing that happens when you shutdown the engines. Some annunciators will start to get out of sync in the SDK vs what's displayed in the VC. For example, the f/of pitot, r elev pitot, r alpha vane, aux pitot and equip cooling annunciators will always be set to 1 in the NGX data struct, even though they're really off. Starting up the engines and turning the corresponding switches on/off makes no difference, the reported annunciator values are stuck although the VC shows the correct ones. Only by ending the flight and loading it again will get you back in sync (simply reseting the flight will completely mess upp the SDK but that seems to be an old known bug). Also, the Window overheat test button will activate all four ICE_annunOVERHEAT annunciators in the SDK whereas the VC will only activate number 2 and 4. And so on... basically it makes you not being able trust the annunciators which is not a good thing.

 

Am I the only one with these issues?

 

Andreas

Hi,

 

I have the same issues with a lot of annunciators for the OVH. It has been a pain to make the script working and in sync with the VC. A lot of logic had to be made in order to solve it. This should have been handled within the PMDG logic.

 

 

I will send a fault report to PMDG. Suggest you do the same. Hopefully they can make correction to this in the next SDK release/version.

 

rgs