737NGX - loss of click spots in VC (FSX-SE)

[BAW9DV 2]

Hi,

 

I recently moved up from FS2004 to FSX-SE on a brand new Flying Computer from Chill blast, a company specialising in high level PCs here in the UK.  Running Windows 10, 64-bit, latest update on an i7-7700k 4.2GHz CPU with 16GB RAM, a GeForce 1080ti 11GB graphics card.   OS is on a 500GB SSD with FSX-SE on a separate 2TB 7200 HDD.

I have owned the FS2004 versions of the 737NG (all variants) and the 747-400/400F and am a long time customer.    

The 737NGX is installed correctly, licenced and the Operations Centre functions fine and is up to date.   The 737NGX is a wonderful aircraft and it has taken me some time to move up from flying on a 2-D panel to flying in VC but now I have mastered it.   Problem is that I seem to intermittently "lose" all my click-spots in the VC from time to time!   I have researched this a little and it seems I'm not the only one experiencing this anomaly.

Sometimes it's all fine, other times I just cannot click anything in VC at all.   Sometimes it sorts itself out and comes back.  Mostly when it happens, it does not come back.   I tried changing the views and the zoom levels.   Mostly it does not work.   Switching views worked one time, but today, I was flying from Gold Coast in Australia to Coolangatta in Cairns and I had to use the 2-D panel to descend and complete the landing.

Then, parking on the stand, guess what?  I could not shutdown the engines! The 2-D panel did not help because there is no throttle quad in the 2-D panel!!   I tried using CTRL+SHIFT+F1 and I managed to shut down No.1 engine - but I could not shut down No.2!   For 10 minutes I tried everything I could think of to shut it down.   Using the "E" key to switch from No.1 to No.2 did not work.  Neither did CTRL+E, CTRL+SHIFT+E or anything else.  Cycling the views did not work and I could not pull the shutoff lever at all.   My last effort was to shutoff the fuel pumps.  No luck there either.   In the end I had to exit the sim.

This only seems to be an issue with the 737NGX.  I have the 777-200LR and the 747 QOTS II and so far this has not happened with them.   Most people seem to reload the sim and sort out the problem.   Not really something I want to do during an ACARs monitored flight!

So before I go to PMDG Support, i wanted to ask here if anyone had any ideas about how to solve this?

Thank you for your time.   Merry Christmas to you all!

Regards,

 

Lee James

West Sussex UK

 

[Budbud 227]

Hi,

Just to rule out a possible cause, because you talked about switching the views but I didn't see you mentioning that you tried to move the eyepoint.

Are you sure that you are not in the head rest? The issue with the intermittent loss of the clickspots can be explained by the fact that the eyepoint is set according to the position of the CG and moves slightly with the latitude and heading so sometimes.

I don't remember the controls to move the eyepoint but you could try to move a little forward when the clickspots don't work anymore.

[Headley 26]

Hi, do you use any camera addon?

There is a known issue when you are too far backwards (in the headrest) one can no longer click the knobs in the VC.

Move your camera viewpoint a more forward can help this issue.

[BAW9DV 2]

Hi,

Thanks for your kind replies.

To be honest, I'm not sure about the "eyepoint"   I don't use any camera addons.   Essentially, because I'm in VC mode, I need to be able to see the cockpit in wide screen so to speak - so when the aircraft loads, I go to the FMS and select COLD & DARK - then I set the cockpit view to its widest view by zooming out (using just the "+" key on the top row) and then I re-arrange the cockpit by moving it across to the left, so I can see the ALT window and the CMD buttons (I hold down the SHIFT and the CTRL keys and then use BACKSPACE or ENTER to "move" the cockpit to the left (in the Captains seat).

I then use the A key to cycle through the various panel areas that I'll need to use (IRS NAV buttons, top panel, the OVERHEAD panel, the RADIo/PEDESTAL panel, etc,) which I then use the "+" or "-" keys to re-size so I can see them clearly.   From this point on, I can then use the "A" key to get to whatever panel I need to use or watch during my pre-flight and startup.

Add to this, I usually then resize the outside views as well - for good outside views.

As to the "eyepoint" I do not know exactly where that point is, so I don't know if I'm behind or in front of it.   I have tried using the SPACEBAR to reset the view.   But I then loose the bottom of the flight deck.   And this does not re-establish the click spots.

So I need a little more help to identify this point so I can try your fix.

cheers,

 

Lee 

[Budbud 227]

The eyepoint is where your head is in the cockpit (which corresponds to what you say when you re-arrange the cockpit by moving it to the left -  you actually don't move the cockpit but your eyepoint).

To check the eyepoint, swing the view to the right or the left and you see through the headrest, then you are too backwards and you need to use the keys (I don't remember which ones) to move the view forward.

In any case, if your clickspots are not available anymore, try to move the view a little forward (or the cockpit backwards as you say in your post, it is just a matter of perspective).

[daiglep 0]

Join the club my friend.

 

This product is awesome when it come to the depth of simulation. But, God, i've never seen a product so buggy, at least in fsx::SE. Flickering, corruption on pause, corruption on welcome page in fsx, mouse out of focus all the time. I've this problem since the begonning. Support of PMDG of no help. Wow, at this price, unless you really need that level of simulation, this is a very bad purchase. If it was not a final sale, I'd ask for a refund right away!

[Budbud 227]

Mmhh... What is the purpose of your post? Do you think it really helps answering the OP's request in anyway?

In addition be kindly informed that the forum rules require to sign all the posts with full names.

[neos63 0]

Hello .

it happened to me even after installing the scenery, I had forgotten to use vector configurator. After configuring the altitudes the problem has disappeared. I do not know if this is your case and if you have scenery or ORBX products.

Paolo Rognoni