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saitek and pmdg 777

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Hey Guys,

 

I was thinking of purchasing the Saitek line of switch panel, multi panel and radio panel to use with the pmdg 777.I have heard of compatibility issues and i am also aware of SPAD and LINDA.

 

What i would like to know is what limitations would i run into with the radio and multi panel and if SPAD and LINDA can fix those.I have read somewhere that the radio panel is very difficult to set up with the T7.Any idea guys ? Thanks.


Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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Patience, young Padavan ;)

 

LINDA serves the Saitek Switch Panel very well, but not the rest of the Saitek panels.

You'll have problems with any hardware radio panel with the 777 I think, because of the technic behind (FMC tuning etc)


Guenter Steiner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betatester for: A2A, LORBY, FSR-Pillow Tester
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Patience, young Padavan ;)

 

LINDA serves the Saitek Switch Panel very well, but not the rest of the Saitek panels.

You'll have problems with any hardware radio panel with the 777 I think, because of the technic behind (FMC tuning etc)

Thanks for your reply..Would i have anychance with the autopilot module then ?


Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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Patience, young Padavan ;)

 

LINDA serves the Saitek Switch Panel very well, but not the rest of the Saitek panels.

You'll have problems with any hardware radio panel with the 777 I think, because of the technic behind (FMC tuning etc)

Hey Guenter,

Iam really sorry to disturb you.But could you please help me bind my switches on the switch panel with the pmdg 777.I have gone crazy trying to make it work... :(


Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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Hello,

 

have you read the LINDA manual?

Is LINDA properly installed?

Once LINDA is installed, it shouldn't be a big problem to assign the switches ... what problems do you have?


Guenter Steiner
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Betatester for: A2A, LORBY, FSR-Pillow Tester
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Hello,

 

have you read the LINDA manual?

Is LINDA properly installed?

Once LINDA is installed, it shouldn't be a big problem to assign the switches ... what problems do you have?

Hey,

 

I have managed to assign macros from fsuipc for the switches.However when i press any switch and try to assign a function from linda(pmdg 777 module) nothing happens.


Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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:huh:    Why on earth are you messing about with FSUIPC macros? As Günter explained to you, the switch panel (only, of the Saitek line) is supported directly by LINDA.

 

You also failed to have the courtesy to answer his questions about whether LINDA is properly installed, and whether you had read the manual, both of which are essential prerequisites....

 

Well anyway — assuming that you have, or will, and since an example is worth a thousand words, here are the assignments that I use for the T7:

f4g8.jpg

And here are the corresponding assignments within LINDA itself. The flap up and down actions via the rotary are implemented using some rough-and-ready Lua code — "BC Saitek rotary 1 ... 5" — which I'll leave as an exercise for the student (or you could simply use the rotary for something else):

 

qx6u.jpg

 

Providing you *have* got LINDA properly installed (and have read the manual) the above should give you plenty of ideas to get you going.   B)

 

(If not, see here: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/376920-linda-beginners-guide-a-very-detailed-manual/ )

 

Good luck,

 

Brian


Brian747-500x105-Avsim.jpg

 

 

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:huh:    Why on earth are you messing about with FSUIPC macros? As Günter explained to you, the switch panel (only, of the Saitek line) is supported directly by LINDA.

 

You also failed to have the courtesy to answer his questions about whether LINDA is properly installed, and whether you had read the manual, both of which are essential prerequisites....

 

Well anyway — assuming that you have, or will, and since an example is worth a thousand words, here are the assignments that I use for the T7:

f4g8.jpg

And here are the corresponding assignments within LINDA itself. The flap up and down actions via the rotary are implemented using some rough-and-ready Lua code — "BC Saitek rotary 1 ... 5" — which I'll leave as an exercise for the student (or you could simply use the rotary for something else):

 

qx6u.jpg

 

Providing you *have* got LINDA properly installed (and have read the manual) the above should give you plenty of ideas to get you going.   B)

 

(If not, see here: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/376920-linda-beginners-guide-a-very-detailed-manual/ )

 

Good luck,

 

Brian

Hi Brian,

 

Iam really sorry if my question or post came across in the wrong way.

Yes i would assume that linda is installed properly, as when i try to assign a command to the ngx through linda, it works fine.However if i try to use any of the 777 functions, it does not work.

 

I have read through the manual a little bit(guess i should have read it thoroughly).

 

Right now if i press any button on my switch panel or multi panel and then try to assign a light function or system function via linda it does not function in the sim.

 

Fsuipc is registered and linda shows all ok in the gui.If i try to assign maybe a light function in the ngx it picks it up in the sim.


Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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Hi!

 

:smile:   It's just that reading the manual isn't optional — we all have to start at the beginning.....  Questions here are answered by LINDA fans who happen to drop by, not by paid support staff, so courteous questions are more likely to receive a response. And, of course, many of the questions asked here wouldn't be necessary if the manual had been read first, so please understand any slight weariness on our part.    :wink:

 

So we need to break this down and isolate the problem systematically —

 

  • Is LINDA working?

 

  • Is the 777 module working?

 

  • Is the switch panel working?

 

If, as you say, the NGX module is working, then it's a fair bet that LINDA is, too. If that's confirmed, we can move on.

 

If *none* of your 777 functions are working, even with a simple joystick button (please try it), then my guess would be that your 777 module either isn't installed, or has been installed in the wrong place. Take a careful look at the directory structure below and compare it with yours (you might not need all the aircraft modules shown, of course). If you have anything out of place then I'd suggest uninstalling and then reinstalling, checking carefully after each step that the directories are where they should be.

 

directory_structure_marked_zps834171bb.j

 

 

If you find that the problem is confined to the Saitek Switch panel (i.e. using LINDA you can assign 777 functions to a joystick button or something as suggested above, but you can't assign them to a switch on the SP) then it might be worth making sure that you are loading Saipanels.exe. The easiest way of checking that is probably to look in your EXE.XML file (and the best tool for that job can be freely downloaded from the kind TweakFS folks at http://tweakfs.com/download/fsx_xml_toolbox.zip , but for pity's sake don't use it to change anything unless you know exactly what you're doing!) — the EXE.XML file should have a section that looks something like this:

 

  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Saitek Panel(s) Plugin for FSX</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Saitek\Pro Flight Panels\SaiPanels.exe</Path>
    <CommandLine>-run</CommandLine>
  </Launch.Addon>

 

(Needless to say, Saipanels.exe has to exist where stipulated in the <Path> line, too).    :Whistle:

 

One final check: when I start up fsx with my NGX or 777 on the ground I see three greens on the SP landing lights (see pic, below) — do you?

 

hmn2.jpg

 

If not, then there's definitely something awry in the Switch Panel area.....

 

If none of the above helps, then I can only suggest reading carefully through the extended description of the installation process in my detailed manual (link given in my previous post), pages 9 to 19. Don't skip anything — the answer is probably in there somewhere.....    :Straight Face:   But do bear in mind that the manual was written before LINDA supported the Switch Panel, so you won't find any reference to that — a question on the Saitek forum is probably your quickest route to an answer in that event.

 

Best of luck,

 

Brian


Brian747-500x105-Avsim.jpg

 

 

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Hi!

 

:smile:   It's just that reading the manual isn't optional — we all have to start at the beginning.....  Questions here are answered by LINDA fans who happen to drop by, not by paid support staff, so courteous questions are more likely to receive a response. And, of course, many of the questions asked here wouldn't be necessary if the manual had been read first, so please understand any slight weariness on our part.    :wink:

 

So we need to break this down and isolate the problem systematically —

 

  • Is LINDA working?

 

  • Is the 777 module working?

 

  • Is the switch panel working?

 

If, as you say, the NGX module is working, then it's a fair bet that LINDA is, too. If that's confirmed, we can move on.

 

If *none* of your 777 functions are working, even with a simple joystick button (please try it), then my guess would be that your 777 module either isn't installed, or has been installed in the wrong place. Take a careful look at the directory structure below and compare it with yours (you might not need all the aircraft modules shown, of course). If you have anything out of place then I'd suggest uninstalling and then reinstalling, checking carefully after each step that the directories are where they should be.

 

directory_structure_marked_zps834171bb.j

 

 

If you find that the problem is confined to the Saitek Switch panel (i.e. using LINDA you can assign 777 functions to a joystick button or something as suggested above, but you can't assign them to a switch on the SP) then it might be worth making sure that you are loading Saipanels.exe. The easiest way of checking that is probably to look in your EXE.XML file (and the best tool for that job can be freely downloaded from the kind TweakFS folks at http://tweakfs.com/download/fsx_xml_toolbox.zip , but for pity's sake don't use it to change anything unless you know exactly what you're doing!) — the EXE.XML file should have a section that looks something like this:

 

  <Launch.Addon>

    <Name>Saitek Panel(s) Plugin for FSX</Name>

    <Disabled>False</Disabled>

    <Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Saitek\Pro Flight Panels\SaiPanels.exe</Path>

    <CommandLine>-run</CommandLine>

  </Launch.Addon>

 

(Needless to say, Saipanels.exe has to exist where stipulated in the <Path> line, too).    :Whistle:

 

One final check: when I start up fsx with my NGX or 777 on the ground I see three greens on the SP landing lights (see pic, below) — do you?

 

hmn2.jpg

 

If not, then there's definitely something awry in the Switch Panel area.....

 

If none of the above helps, then I can only suggest reading carefully through the extended description of the installation process in my detailed manual (link given in my previous post), pages 9 to 19. Don't skip anything — the answer is probably in there somewhere.....    :Straight Face:   But do bear in mind that the manual was written before LINDA supported the Switch Panel, so you won't find any reference to that — a question on the Saitek forum is probably your quickest route to an answer in that event.

 

Best of luck,

 

Brian

Hey,

I once again tried to assign a function to the ngx using the drop down menu in linda and it worked fine.I tired to assign a similar function to the 777 and it didnt work.

 

I checked the file structure and everything seems in place.

 

Another thing i noticed is that if i use SPAD to assign a fsuipc virtual joystick button and then create a macro in fsuipc, it will work that way, but not directly through linda.

 

Yes the lights do come on for the gear when i boot into fsx.

I also tried to assign a function from my logitech joystick to the ngx and to the 777.The fuction was the flight director switch.The ngx picked up just fine, the 777 didnt.Furthermore i have pasted some text that showed up in the console.Not sure if that would be helpfull in diagnosing the problem.It does seem at the moment that the ngx would work right out of the box with linda, the 777 does seem to have a problem.Could it be because of the sdk ?

 

Also is there any special settings in spad that need to be taken care off ? I will read the manual right away, but if there is anything that you feel iam missing, please do highlight the same.Thanks.

 

LUA.0:  Loading PMDG 777-200LR joysticks config...
LUA.0:  Module: PMDG 777-200LR Started...
LUA.0:  Ready to go, Captain!
LUA.0:
LUA.0:   LVars watching list cleared...
LUA.0:   Offsets watching list cleared!
Advanced Weather Interface Enabled
Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 90 secs = 41.3 fps
[E] *** LUA Error: cannot open linda-cfg/aircrafts/PMDG 777-200LR/config-mcp.lua: No such file or directory
Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 47 secs = 46.5 fps

Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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<sigh>  Look, I gave you a very simple and logical sequence to follow: you didn't follow it (or seem unable/unwilling to clearly explain the results, if you did) — and furthermore FSUIPC macros and SPAD have nothing to do with this and are not required, and as for the SDK......    :rolleyes:

 

  • I can't read the manual for you, that's your responsibility.

 

  • LINDA, the PMDG 777, and the Saitek switch box all work very happily together when they are properly configured.

 

  • The error message very clearly tells you at least one of the problems — for some reason your installation is trying to find the MCP config file in a directory called "PMDG 777-200LR", which doesn't exist. (Although in my installation there is one below "linda-cfg/aircrafts" called "PMDG 777", and which does contain the file, if that's any help).

 

So you have sufficient information to solve the problem: good luck.

 

Cheers,

 

Brian


Brian747-500x105-Avsim.jpg

 

 

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<sigh>  Look, I gave you a very simple and logical sequence to follow: you didn't follow it (or seem unable/unwilling to clearly explain the results, if you did) — and furthermore FSUIPC macros and SPAD have nothing to do with this and are not required, and as for the SDK......    :rolleyes:

 

  • I can't read the manual for you, that's your responsibility.

 

  • LINDA, the PMDG 777, and the Saitek switch box all work very happily together when they are properly configured.

 

  • The error message very clearly tells you at least one of the problems — for some reason your installation is trying to find the MCP config file in a directory called "PMDG 777-200LR", which doesn't exist. (Although in my installation there is one below "linda-cfg/aircrafts" called "PMDG 777", and which does contain the file, if that's any help).

 

So you have sufficient information to solve the problem: good luck.

 

Cheers,

 

Brian

Hi Brian,

 

Thanks for all your help and detailed explanation.I am going to read the manual tonight and try and figure out whats going on based on all the steps that you have advised.

 

Just one quick question.Could i please know what is supposed to appear in the C:\fsx\Modules\linda\aircrafts\PMDG 777 folder.I have got 3 files in it.If you could maybe post a screenshot please.

 

I believe it got to be something between Linda and the 777 installation that is not talking properly as my ngx installation works just fine.

 

I am really sorry for all the trouble.This is my first time getting into hardware panels for fsx.

 

Thanks.


Clinton Royston Fernandes.

Vabb-Mumbai India.

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OK, one more time:—

 

> "...what is supposed to appear in the C:\fsx\Modules\linda\aircrafts\PMDG 777 folder..."

 

Er.... You do realise, (or perhaps not?), that as well as the folder you mention there is another one called C:\fsx\Modules\linda-cfg\aircrafts\PMDG 777 — and that (or rather, something in a slightly differently-named subfolder called PMDG 777-200LR) is the one that is being cited in your error message, not the one you're asking about? I do appreciate that the linda and linda-cfg folder names are similar, but be absolutely sure you're clear which one you're dealing with.

 

For the record, in my case anyway, the ...\linda\... PMDG 777 folder (that you asked about) contains actions.lua, readme.txt, and ident.lua.

 

The ...\linda-cfg\... PMDG 777 folder, on the other hand, has config-hid.lua, config-mcp.lua, config-mcp.default, and config-mcp2.default. (I have the original v1 of the MCP Combo, not v2).

 

I hope that helps.

 

> "I believe it got to be something between Linda and the 777 installation that is not talking properly as my ngx installation works just fine."

 

Hmm. All I would say is that after over 40 years as a techie in the computer business I have seen many thousands of hours wasted because someone has formed a theory and then gone looking for evidence to justify it. Wrong methodology. Belief is fine in its place, but in problem solving it's inappropriate because it can all too often be seriously misleading. (It can sometimes be misleading elsewhere, too, but that's a debate for a different forum).

 

Instead, I would seriously recommend looking carefully and analytically at the evidence of what is actually happening and then determining why, and hence what's wrong, and hence the way to put it right. Otherwise you can find yourself in a maze of your own creation. In order to do this you will need a knowledge of how LINDA works, which means having read both manuals so that you know what you're dealing with, otherwise you're playing guessing games.

 

For example, you might start by asking yourself about that strange PMDG 777-200LR folder name in the error message......? The only place that I recognise that from would be if you load the 777 and click on Edit — do you see something like this?

 

LINDA_edit_zpsbb6c0980.jpg

 

Or you might perhaps try following the initial route I outlined in post #10, above. Or follow your own investigations, as long as they are systematic and focused.

 

I'm assuming, of course, that you have read the LINDA 777 release notes? Have you also tried a search of this forum for any similar problems?

 

Anyway, my bet would be that when you do find the answer, it'll probably turn out to be something really silly and simple, and you'll kick yourself for not having noticed it before. That's life.....    :wink:

 

But it's probably time I stood back and let someone else have a stab at helping you.   ^_^

 

Best of luck,

 

Brian


Brian747-500x105-Avsim.jpg

 

 

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IMO you're a little harsh Brian, not everyone knows how to use this software and to be honest it is pretty complicated. I consider myself a PC expert but I found the setup process of LINDA and Spad to get the multi-panel (not the switch panel) to be quite complicated and time consuming.

 

I have been able to get both the multi panel AND the switch panel working within FSX. Unfortunately the multipanel numerical values won't match what the VC values say, but that's not a real big deal.

 

I'm also uncertain if it's just me but, it seems as if there is a hard-coded switch function on the switch panel for fuel pumps. Even when flying in the 777 if you hit the fuel pump switch it will activate a non existent fuel pump and you'll hear the sound of a small aircraft fuel pump turn on. I believe this may be hard coded as I unmapped all switch and keyboard controls.

 

Anyway check out youtube as someone made a video on how to program the saitek multi panel using Spad, FSUIPC, LINDA, PMDG FMC Keystroke commands and the use of Spad FSUIPC Virtual Buttons. Very complicated but it works.

 

James Burke

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