T7 Checklist "Flow"

[vadriver 248]

Team

Not sure what I need (to know) ..... but I suspect it is a "user guide" to the specifics of how to use the PMDG's 777 MCE checklist feature so that it is fluent & compatible with the DU displays of said aircraft.

For example, I rarely have the correct page of the checklist opened when requested although the challenges are appropriate to the requested, As rare, on completion of the requested, the DU closes to a blank screen, not the previous DU Eicas page.

Where I might be struggling with is understanding the "consequences" of the options "strict" & "item status check" & how they influence what one might expect.

In that, my expectations include each challenge should be closed (green) if the response is accepted by the PNF.

I suppose broadly put, I expect the PNF to do all the "functions" that match what one can do with a mouse click (?), but then that means not by the PF (me) who is more than occupied otherwise / "flying".

Hoping to hear more.

[FS++ 712]

On 1/8/2021 at 2:05 AM, vadriver said:

Team

Not sure what I need (to know) ..... but I suspect it is a "user guide" to the specifics of how to use the PMDG's 777 MCE checklist feature so that it is fluent & compatible with the DU displays of said aircraft.

For example, I rarely have the correct page of the checklist opened when requested although the challenges are appropriate to the requested, As rare, on completion of the requested, the DU closes to a blank screen, not the previous DU Eicas page.

Where I might be struggling with is understanding the "consequences" of the options "strict" & "item status check" & how they influence what one might expect.

In that, my expectations include each challenge should be closed (green) if the response is accepted by the PNF.

I suppose broadly put, I expect the PNF to do all the "functions" that match what one can do with a mouse click (?), but then that means not by the PF (me) who is more than occupied otherwise / "flying".

Hoping to hear more.

Unlike with FSX where FO fiddles with checklist DU directly in VC, under P3D, he can't do that. The PMDG SDK doesn't cover checklist interaction.

One way around this is to get him to pop-up 2D checklist DU and select items as you go. Could be implemented, as we already did that for the QW 787

 

[vadriver 248]

15 hours ago, FS++ said:

One way around this is to get him to pop-up 2D checklist DU and select items as you go. Could be implemented, as we already did that for the QW 787

Gerald

Thanks for your notes ........ & yes, I found the PMDG P3D4 SDK lacking in this though (now) wonder if the FSX SDK options could work in the VC??

I would welcome that 2D pop-up option, but only if it is not a "lengthy" task & hopefully of value to others.

Edited January 10, 2021 by vadriver

[FS++ 712]

On 1/10/2021 at 3:37 AM, vadriver said:

Gerald

Thanks for your notes ........ & yes, I found the PMDG P3D4 SDK lacking in this though (now) wonder if the FSX SDK options could work in the VC??

I would welcome that 2D pop-up option, but only if it is not a "lengthy" task & hopefully of value to others.

Implemented in V2.9.00. Grab latest patch

Manually replace files as per folder structure.

 

[vadriver 248]

2 hours ago, FS++ said:

Implemented in V2.9.00

thanks ....... will certainly use & report.

[vadriver 248]

2 hours ago, vadriver said:

will certainly use & report.

Gerald

No flights yet, just a startup & taxi ......

• Seems "great" given the limitations of PMDG's product except the cursor positioning for the required checklist is a tad off, thus showing the next one but saying the required (eg requesting before start shows before taxi, but says before start ..... the cursor positions on the border between the 2 ?? ).

Maybe the window needs to be a certain size ?

Mine's

"// Zoomed Lower DU
//
[Window10]
BACKGROUND_COLOR=10,10,10
size_mm=555, 555
window_size = 0.28906, 0.46250
position=8
visible=0
ident=413
zorder=95

gauge00=PMDG_777X!DU, 10, 10, 535, 535, 1 LOWER #14 ZOOM"
 

Some other "minor" notes:

• NoStateCheck=1 ..... the copilot will activate beacon if off etc. Is this correct.
• On completion of a checklist, the display reverts to the Status page momentarily, then blanks & doesn't close to the VC display. I'd prefer it to revert to the AIR page in the VC.

Thanks (again)

[FS++ 712]

15 hours ago, vadriver said:

Gerald

No flights yet, just a startup & taxi ......

• Seems "great" given the limitations of PMDG's product except the cursor positioning for the required checklist is a tad off, thus showing the next one but saying the required (eg requesting before start shows before taxi, but says before start ..... the cursor positions on the border between the 2 ?? ).

Maybe the window needs to be a certain size ?

Mine's

"// Zoomed Lower DU
//
[Window10]
BACKGROUND_COLOR=10,10,10
size_mm=555, 555
window_size = 0.28906, 0.46250
position=8
visible=0
ident=413
zorder=95

gauge00=PMDG_777X!DU, 10, 10, 535, 535, 1 LOWER #14 ZOOM"
 

Some other "minor" notes:

• NoStateCheck=1 ..... the copilot will activate beacon if off etc. Is this correct.
• On completion of a checklist, the display reverts to the Status page momentarily, then blanks & doesn't close to the VC display. I'd prefer it to revert to the AIR page in the VC.

Thanks (again)

You're welcome. We'll tweak further.

In theory, you could position and resize the 2D panel at will.

FO should be able to work out window position and dimensions, compute the targer click spot and hopefully hit the correct one. Tested down to 1 inch by 1 inch

The most challenging thing is the cursor built-in inertia which makes it difficult to predict how long it would take a particular checklist section to be in focus ready fior the next click.

"No state check" is there for non supported planes where FO basically just reads the checklist and doesn't challenge you on anything. You're expected to check things yourself.

All PMDG planes are fully supported and FO is fully aware of the built-in ECL, even the few items that are "auto-check" so that he doesn't attempt to click them.

I suggest you select option "strict checklist" in "Advanced options" panel so that when an item isn't already in expected position, Fo will try to set it as per checklist.

 

 

[FS++ 712]

On 2/14/2021 at 12:16 AM, vadriver said:

Gerald

No flights yet, just a startup & taxi ......

• Seems "great" given the limitations of PMDG's product except the cursor positioning for the required checklist is a tad off, thus showing the next one but saying the required (eg requesting before start shows before taxi, but says before start ..... the cursor positions on the border between the 2 ?? ).

 

Redownload patch (it has a new dll for PMSG 77.

Just replaxce "mcpmd77X.dll in \Prepar3D v4orV5\MCE dlls\ folder this time

Confirm it changed for the best.

 

[vadriver 248]

4 hours ago, FS++ said:

Confirm it changed for the best

Gerald

Yes ...... much better, opening / saying / closing the correct page.

I'll need to "review" mce's interface with voxatc co-pilot to avoid clashes of calls, but that's a minor distraction about sequences more than anything.

On 2/14/2021 at 11:16 AM, vadriver said:

On completion of a checklist, the display reverts to the Status page momentarily, then blanks & doesn't close to the VC display. I'd prefer it to revert to the AIR page in the VC.

Do you have any thoughts on this aspect ?

[FS++ 712]

21 hours ago, vadriver said:

Gerald

Yes ...... much better, opening / saying / closing the correct page.

I'll need to "review" mce's interface with voxatc co-pilot to avoid clashes of calls, but that's a minor distraction about sequences more than anything.

Do you have any thoughts on this aspect ?

We'll work something out so that Status is default and setting a specific value in upcoming ini file for the T7 would give users the option to select the EICAS page to go to. For now, use speech commands "eicas display aircon", "EICAS show airconditioning", etc...

 

[vadriver 248]

7 minutes ago, FS++ said:

We'll work something out

Gerald

Thanks ....... all seems to be going well with page / challenge cursor depiction.

My reference to voxatc was a my miss call of a mce script which triggered a vox copilot call.

Looking forward to the next "evolution".

& you should promote your skills / solution at https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/pmdg-777-forum/103019-checklist-use

 

[FS++ 712]

12 hours ago, vadriver said:

Gerald

Thanks ....... all seems to be going well with page / challenge cursor depiction.

My reference to voxatc was a my miss call of a mce script which triggered a vox copilot call.

Looking forward to the next "evolution".

& you should promote your skills / solution at https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/pmdg-777-forum/103019-checklist-use

 

You're welcome.

Actually, in FSX we managed to get FO to interqct with T7 ECL as well as QW 787 ECL directly in VC. It's just not happening in P3D V4 yet (because LM has made changes to the way various windows are layered (and they seem to re-order them periodically). We just can't afford to fixate on it with many other things going on (MSFS 2020 being one of them). Only a couple of days here and there to try new ideas and drawing blanks so far. Therefore, not necessarily something PMDG would need to implement (although would make things much easier and welcome of course if they did). SDK is good enough for most things.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by FS++

[vadriver 248]

2 hours ago, FS++ said:

It's just not happening in P3D V4

Gerald

Any different in P3D5 ...... thinking of the T7's imminent update.

[FS++ 712]

6 hours ago, vadriver said:

Gerald

Any different in P3D5 ...... thinking of the T7's imminent update.

Same regarding V4 & V5.

[vadriver 248]

Gerald

A quick question ...... I am having a small "interference" with sending an unsolicited Voxatc copilot call when using the ECL with the freighter at before taxi.

Looking at the check.txt's, I see the difference in the challenges (before start / doors) but nothing else apart from the fact you include an update in the patch for the pax's but not the freighter's.

Quirky it seems, surely not a date thing or is there a reference in the dll not linking ??

Your thoughts please ...... it is not an airport scenery thing & pax's have no similar.