MD11 Startup screen flicker and Mouse Flashing - 3 Monitors

[ampharoah 3]

Please could someone advise.

 

I have FSX Acc on a 3 screen system with NVidia 680 card and 5760 * 1080 resolution (60Hz).

 

When I start the PMDG MD11, having first loaded the default Trike and then a saved MD11 location, I'm getting a flashing strobe type effect on the screen for about 30 seconds and the a flashing mouse cursor thereafter.  Not seeing this with other aircraft from PMDG or Majestic or Leonardo or  Aerosoft or Flight Sim Labs etc 

 

I'v seen another posting on this forum, reporting similar behavior but no reported solution.

 

Please advise what I'm doing wrong?

 

Andrew

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

This is called the 'flashing mouse cursor of death'. It is a problem that only happens on multi-screen setups in fullscreen mode. The simulator wants to open a 2D panel, but that panel is too large for a single screen. So the sim wants to tell you this with an error message, but that window cannot open either. So the sim gets stuck, cycling these windows.

 

I resized all 2D panels in the panel.cfg, because they get opened by FS2Crew on my rig, having the very same effect.

 

- Always start the sim in windowed mode and only switch to fullscreen after resizing offending panels.

- Never choose widescreen panels in the config, those most definitely are too large.

 

Btw this is not a problem specific to the MD11, it always happens on spanned displays if you are not careful. But one does learn to live with it...

[ampharoah 3]

Thanks for that. I have tried opening in windowed first the fullscreen and that solves the problem as you suggested.

 

Don't completely understand "only switch to fullscreen after resizing offending panels" though?

 

How do I know which panels? what size do I make them? Is that done in the panel .config somehow or while running in the sim?

Sorry, probably a bit dim on my part! Could you explain a little more please.

 

Many thanks for your forbearance.

 

Andrew

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hi, it is always the panel you tried to open ;-)

If you have the 2D main panel as default, you get this error for sure. Set the VC as default or start windowed.

 

Are you planning to use the 2D panels at all? If not, just close them all before you switch the VC to fullscreen. If you do want to use them, resize them, you can either set size parameters in the panel.cfg (sorry, you need to google this, I'm away from home this week and cannot check my own files) or you drag them smaller, about one quarter of a screen and center it, so that the panel doesn't overlap multiple screens.

 

I'm using the VC exclusively, with EZDOK. Had to resize the panels anyway, because FS2Crew needs to open them. I can get you the necessary parameters on friday, but I guess you will find additional info about the flashing mouse cursor online until then.

[SWVA4420 8]

Hi - I've just tried to fly her again after a long absence, with a triple screen setup, and am having the same spinning mouse cursor-extreme response lag due to the 2D panel sizes.  I only use the VC, never the 2D panels with my setup. To nuitkati - or anyone else? - can you please send me via PM your panel.cfg with your resized 2-D panels?  I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks,

Jim

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hi Jim,

 

basically I juggled the window_size - parameter. It represents a percentage of the full screen (eg  5940x1080). I use the normal panel, because the widescreen setting would exacerbate the problem due to larger window sizes to begin with.

 

So I went in to the panel.cfg  and added

window_size= 0.25, 0.10

to every [WindowNN] definition like this:

 

[Window00]
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
size_mm=1600,10
window_size= 0.25, 0.10
position=0
visible=1
nomenu=1
ident=MAIN_PANEL
(...)

 

This cuts the size of the panel down to one quater screen(!) width and one tenth of screen height. Of course the panels get unsuable by doing this, you would have to resize every panel to just the right amount for them to stay readable. But it is enough for FS2Crew to work properly.

 

Other parameters to try would be window_pos (so that the panel does not overlap screens) or size_mm obviously.

 

See the definition of the parameters here:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526956.aspx

 

Hope this helps!

[toddl 14]

I had this problem and opens a support ticket and PMDG was kind enough to send me new panel configs for my triple screen set up that eliminated this problem. I suspect they would be happy to do it again. Good luck!

 

Todd

[SWVA4420 8]

Hey Folks,

 

Yes, thanks, I know the window_size parameter needs to be changed.  I did it for the F1 Cessna Mustang, and it works great with the 3-screen environment....I didn't want to go through 40+ window definitions in the MD11's panel.cfg!  Fortunately I found a reworked panel from a youtube video post's description from Andreas Stangenes that eliminates the problem.  He also put links to his reworked B744 and B744F panels, and they work great also.  If you search youtube for "Flickering mouse PMDG MD11" or his name, you'll find his video with the links!

Thanks,

Jim