PMDG's XPlane 10 Development Fact Thread [Updated 25NOV13]

[ronb64 0]

...what would be the point to make a small, uncomplicated aircraft, if PMDG want this first project to help them learn how to make big, complicated airliners for FSX?

 

you meant X-Plane, didn't you ;) but I agree. In this discussion I always read the word "complicated" / "uncomplicated" aircraft... Isn't this a huge missunderstanding? PMDG has experience building manuals for real airplanes with hundreds, no, thousands of pages. THAT is complicated, because lifes could depend on the quality and precission of such manual.

Taking this into consideration when building a plane for a sim, it might become true, that ALL planes are complicated.

 

Assuming a development on a 777 for example, it might seem "complicated", wich is definitely not ! This plane exists already for FSX.

• Visual Model and Textures? might be ready for usage with some modifications (?)
• FMS? Where is the problem? the complete logic exists in written Code !
• 3D Cockpit? Eventually the same thing. Modify the existing material, if at all
• Flight Model? That is the only point I can see as "complicated", since it has do be started from scratch. But this applies to ANY plane

[Baylorguy 39]

 

you meant X-Plane, didn't you ;) but I agree. In this discussion I always read the word "complicated" / "uncomplicated" aircraft... Isn't this a huge missunderstanding? PMDG has experience building manuals for real airplanes with hundreds, no, thousands of pages. THAT is complicated, because lifes could depend on the quality and precission of such manual.

Taking this into consideration when building a plane for a sim, it might become true, that ALL planes are complicated.

 

Assuming a development on a 777 for example, it might seem "complicated", wich is definitely not ! This plane exists already for FSX.

• Visual Model and Textures? might be ready for usage with some modifications (?)
• FMS? Where is the problem? the complete logic exists in written Code !
• 3D Cockpit? Eventually the same thing. Modify the existing material, if at all
• Flight Model? That is the only point I can see as "complicated", since it has do be started from scratch. But this applies to ANY plane

 

 

 

In the development world things are never as easy as they initially seem.  Even something that is properly sized that SEEMS to be nailed down logic wise, assuming you have staff with the proper skill sets, can still turn out to need double, triple, etc amount of time than initially thought.  If things were really that simple, many of the 3rd party developers for FSX would have just ported everything over to XPX.  

[virginblue737 0]

I have recently Bought xplane, and then alot of addons to make it look a lot better! 

 

But its definately missing say a NGX or a 777! 

 

Is there any update with this 

[howie87 1]

I have recently Bought xplane, and then alot of addons to make it look a lot better! 

 

But its definately missing say a NGX or a 777! 

 

Is there any update with this 

 

 

PMDG Development for Xplane:

 

We are nearing completion on our first project for Xplane! As we have previously mentioned, this project is designed to be a development catalyst to help us learn how to work with that platform more effectively- and it has been a great exercise thus far.

 

 

 

We will be unveiling the project sometime in the next 60 days (estimated) and we will also announce the second project for Xplane at that time...

[virginblue737 0]

PMDG Development for Xplane:

 

We are nearing completion on our first project for Xplane! As we have previously mentioned, this project is designed to be a development catalyst to help us learn how to work with that platform more effectively- and it has been a great exercise thus far.

 

 

 

We will be unveiling the project sometime in the next 60 days (estimated) and we will also announce the second project for Xplane at that time...

Thats excellent news thank you

[mcd211255 0]

Hi,

 

I have been able to appreciate both the FS2004, FSX and X-plane 8,9 and now 10. I bought all PMDG's products for FS2004 which included the 737ng 600/700 800/900, the B1900D and C models, the Queen of the Skies B747, MD11 and the B777.

 

I had tremendous fun with these fantastic models from the PMDG team. I had a catastrophic failure of my motherboard and lost some good hardware but after building a new faster desktop with 64bit operating system and having had a pleasurable experience with X Plane 9 ( X-Plane 7 was a bit iffy compared to FS2004) I decided to run with X-plane 9 and later expanded to X-plane 10 in glorious 64bit. What a jaw dropping sim it is. There are plenty of freeware utilities, scenery airplanes and some of the best payware models available include JARDESIGN A320 Neo, FlightFactor's B777 Worldliner and B757 Professional. Not forgetting SSG B7478 Intercontinental, Heinz B787 Peter Hager A380 and EADT x737 project. Sorry if I missed out the others. There are some great regional models SSG Emb190, Ramzees SSJ100. But I must agree that my experience with FS2004 and FSX will put PMDG at the top of the list in my own opinion and will welcome anything that the PMDG team have to offer the X-plane community.

 

X-plane is a developing project and Laminar Research are getting better and better at producing such a polished sim. MS have given up , I believe with MSFS. I would encourage any FS2004/FSX user to download the X-Plane 10 demo and have a play. Its great with a 64bit operating system running the 64bt version and mac and linux users are not left behind all 3 versions are on the boxed set of X-Plane 10. 

 

Not forgetting those who like Virtual Airlines, Worldwide Virtual is number 1 this month in the list of VA's and supports MSFS and X-plane.

 

PMDG...cant wait.

 

Mike Douglas 

EGGP

 

[jjohnsondawgs 0]

I’m super excited about PMDG venturing in to the XP world, but I also feel this is a necessary move to start to solidify the future “#1 go to” platform for flight simulation. Here’s the dilemma with “younger” flight sim software, majority of end-users don’t buy it because the lack of big-name 3^rd party developers (PMDG, ORBX, Aerosoft, etc) to design add-ons. Developers are scared to devote large amounts of money and time to a product when the demand is not there for it currently…….meaning the majority of users don’t have XP and are waiting on developers before buying it. The cycle has to be broken either 2 ways, the majority buys the product and……..wait (like we did with MSFS), or “big name” developers start developing add-ons and it gets adopted……this is risky for the developers. Unfortunately the mass isn’t flocking to XP so that is why I applaud PMDG’s risk as this will……in my opinion…….begin a paradigm shift with “big name” developers starting to develop on XP and more and more users going that route. Granted I understand this won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen with just 1 PMDG developed plane, it will take time and more “big name” developers committing to future development in X Plane.

 

If the same add-ons were available for X Plane as they are for FSX, even after buying so many add-ons for FSX…….I wouldn’t skip a beat in moving to XP and calling that my #1 flight sim. Do I have X Plane right now…….nope…..waiting for my SSD before buying it!

 

X Plane + Any PMDG + Any ORBX region/airport = Loads of fun and flying until more addons arrive!!

 

 

PMDG <<<<visionary and leader

 

 

Jeff Johnson

The KATL

[strider1 575]

Any day now !!!

[Superdelphinus 718]

I’m super excited about PMDG venturing in to the XP world, but I also feel this is a necessary move to start to solidify the future “#1 go to” platform for flight simulation. Here’s the dilemma with “younger” flight sim software, majority of end-users don’t buy it because the lack of big-name 3^rd party developers (PMDG, ORBX, Aerosoft, etc) to design add-ons. Developers are scared to devote large amounts of money and time to a product when the demand is not there for it currently…….meaning the majority of users don’t have XP and are waiting on developers before buying it. The cycle has to be broken either 2 ways, the majority buys the product and……..wait (like we did with MSFS), or “big name” developers start developing add-ons and it gets adopted……this is risky for the developers. Unfortunately the mass isn’t flocking to XP so that is why I applaud PMDG’s risk as this will……in my opinion…….begin a paradigm shift with “big name” developers starting to develop on XP and more and more users going that route. Granted I understand this won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen with just 1 PMDG developed plane, it will take time and more “big name” developers committing to future development in X Plane.

 

If the same add-ons were available for X Plane as they are for FSX, even after buying so many add-ons for FSX…….I wouldn’t skip a beat in moving to XP and calling that my #1 flight sim. Do I have X Plane right now…….nope…..waiting for my SSD before buying it!

 

X Plane + Any PMDG + Any ORBX region/airport = Loads of fun and flying until more addons arrive!!

 

 

PMDG <<<<visionary and leader

 

 

Jeff Johnson

The KATL

I completely agree with the sentiment of this post, and I do believe that xp10/11 will emerge as the leading civilian flight sim over the next couple of years. However, just one thing re "majority of end-users don’t buy it because the lack of big-name 3rd party developers (PMDG, ORBX, Aerosoft, etc)". To be honest, I'm not sure the majority of new users will even have heard of companies like this before they are a little more steeped in the flight sim world. I know I hadn't when I first got back into it a couple of years ago (my last real pc flight sim was ef2000 in the 90s before I bought FSX when I built a new computer in 2012!). I think companies like that are important to the longevity of the platform, and to encourage people to move over from fsx et al, but they are almost irrelevant to newcomers to flight sims in general.

 

Oh and the other thing is that xp10 has been in the top 20 of Steam's best sellers list since it was released. I don't know anything about how many sales it takes to get in that sort of position but I'd hazard a guess that it's a pretty good number.

 

Oh and one more thing - though I do like some of orbx's stuff, I think active sky next being ported over to x plane would be far more ground breaking. You can already make x plane look pretty orbx like (at least ftx global) already, and for free.

[ohsirus 241]

Like I said earlier, It will be interesting to see what a major publisher like PMDG can do with X-plane. There are some high quality addons already, but most are made by one and two-man teams and nowhere near the resources and $$$ PMDG has. I just hope it doesn't fall thru and Austin stays receptive and cordial to PMDG's requests.

[rototom 198]

 

 

majority of end-users don’t buy it because the lack of big-name 3rd party developers

 

If you build it, they will come!

[Superdelphinus 718]

Austin seems wrapped up in his new car sim now!

[Chobber 6]

 

 

I think active sky next being ported over to x plane would be far more ground breaking.

 

I've been lucky enough to help out the Sundog Software guys beta test the next version of their SkyMAXX v2 for X-Plane.  It uses X-plane's own live weather from the net and renders it beautifully - multiple cloud layers, overcast layers, high stratus, towering cumulus and storms, reflections, shadows, lens flare and god rays.  Winds aloft data is usually set in X-Plane by the FMC plugins themselves for instance in the 757 I believe, the only thing that Active Sky NEXT does above and beyond this is historical weather I think.

 

 

 

[Superdelphinus 718]

Cool, I look forward to it. ASN made me (virtually) scared to go into clouds in a light aircraft because you never quite know what it's going to be like in there. The other main things I like about it are completely smooth transitions when the weather changes, no cloud popping, the ability to uplink winds aloft data to FMCs that support it and also the ability to tune to set radio frequencies to get en route live weather information as well as weather at your destination airport. If skymaxx v2 can get some of that in and isn't about making pretty skies (ASN comes with zero cloud textures after all!) I'll buy it.

 

Oh one more useful thing I like about ASN is being able to 'search' live weather and fly somewhere with specific conditions. I've never used the historical data thing to be honest.

[ohsirus 241]

Cool, I look forward to it. ASN made me (virtually) scared to go into clouds in a light aircraft because you never quite know what it's going to be like in there. The other main things I like about it are completely smooth transitions when the weather changes, no cloud popping, the ability to uplink winds aloft data to FMCs that support it and also the ability to tune to set radio frequencies to get en route live weather information as well as weather at your destination airport. If skymaxx v2 can get some of that in and isn't about making pretty skies (ASN comes with zero cloud textures after all!) I'll buy it.

 

Oh one more useful thing I like about ASN is being able to 'search' live weather and fly somewhere with specific conditions. I've never used the historical data thing to be honest.

 

Think this thread got a little off course. Skymaxx v2 is an X-plane cloud engine, No weather.