Watching Kyle's latest video he spent some time talking about the COMMs page and about how it's basically inactive due to there not being one standard for text communication in the FSX world.

 

He mentioned Hoppie's ACARS client, which I've used in PS1 in the past and have played around a little bit with TOPCAT. It would be awesome to integrate this with the 777.

 

So, I know things are still in a pre-release stage, but does anyone from PMDG know if the SDK will include access to the COMMs page? I'd be interested in writing a shim between this and Hoppie's client if there's access to it.

A few of us have been asking PMDG to open up the MCDU to allow 3rd-party apps to use it as the interface, as well as FMC data. I doubt that it will be in the upcoming release, but hopefully one day they will explore this idea.

I am just gonna point y'all to my post here.

Would be great to see e.g. Hoppie's system integrated. There is an SDK available for doing just that.

 

I know VAs have their own systems for various things, but this seems to be the "go to" software for people who fly online and want to use ACARS/CPDLC with VATSIM for example.

 

Best regards,

Robin.

Ideally, whatever system PMDG give us (if they do), would allow VAs to integrate their own systems as well.

 

From a real world perspective, each operator actually has their own implementation of ACARS (CPDLC is, of course, the same for everyone).

So looks like what people are asking from PMDG is to develop an EFB for their aircraft, and a CPDLC that could somehow connect to the VATSIM network, AND (I THINK) we would need a new VATSIM client.  

 

How do you feel about PMDG putting down airplanes for the next 2-4 years while they focus on really awesome payware flight tools for FSX?

If you actually read the thread, no one is asking for any of that.

 

We are just looking to read FMC data and be able to use the MCDU/MFD COMM page as an interface for third-party applications, such as CPDLC and ACARS. No one is asking PMDG to actually make these as it would then be tied down to one particular implementation.

 

 

AND (I THINK) we would need a new VATSIM client.  

 

FWIW that is in the making (with native CPDLC support)

What about just a couple of simple pages that allow input of a request and then confirm after a minute or two of CPDLC connection and a page where you can enter position report data and a simple confirmation of receipt.  Nothing to do with Vatsim or anything else - just easy to do stuff to simulate the things done in the real world.

Regards

Tim Carter

Heck, I'd be happy if OOOI times are implemented.

So looks like what people are asking from PMDG is to develop an EFB for their aircraft, and a CPDLC that could somehow connect to the VATSIM network, AND (I THINK) we would need a new VATSIM client.  

 

How do you feel about PMDG putting down airplanes for the next 2-4 years while they focus on really awesome payware flight tools for FSX?

 

I am absolutely not asking PMDG to develop any of these things. I'm only interested in what their 777 SDK will offer access to so other third parties can integrate with it.

I think that we have to wait to see what PMDG produce. Anything else is, at this stage, pure speculation.

 

I am happy that PMDG will shortly provide a superb B777 and let us know a little more of their longer term plans.

 

I am prepared to be blown away by what is provided!

 

 

If you actually read the thread, no one is asking for any of that.

 

I have read this thread and every other thread in the entire PMDG forums.  If you had, you'd notice people are asking for everything I've listed, which is only two things.  These two things work well in this thread so I brought them up.  

 

 

I am absolutely not asking PMDG to develop any of these things. I'm only interested in what their 777 SDK will offer access to so other third parties can integrate with it.

 

I wasn't saying you.  In general the tone on the forum is people want PMDG to create, or to be able to get in to the SDK themselves to create these things.  

 

I was kinda saying IF pmdg decided to make these flight tools they would be awesome.  

I believe PMDG has said previously (regarding the NGX SDK) that it would be unlikely, or at least extremely guarded, if they allowed any significant data access to the FMC.  It is one of their treasures and they obviously don't want to share secrets.

 

Now with that said, I can't find the original discussion, but believe the context was in using FMC data to help out a fuel planner.  Obviously these deep calculations are very much the secret of PMDG.  I am hopeful that they may allow data to be written to FMC fields (i.e. ATC page on the COMMS menu).  Writing to certain fields shouldn't really risk revealing their secrets (at least I can't imagine how).  Perhaps there could be even limited data output from the FMC in the SDK...what I'm thinking of here is simply registering things like the ACPT or RCT button presses, not really calculation/formula/data.

 

For those experience with FS2Crew on the NGX, the SDK clearly allows button presses to be input on the CDU.  Hopefully this is roughly akin to typing a message in that would be displayed on the COMMS page.

 

Eric Szczesniak

FYI, it should be possible to get extremely close to the accurate fuel planning numbers with PFPX.