PMDG Status Update 02SEP23

[Andrew2448]

https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/general-discussion-news-and-announcements/263768-02sep23-update-updates-for-your-weekend-update

 

Captains-

Happy Saturday to all of you- and greetings from all of us at PMDG.

This weekend's update is a bit like being stuck on the stand with a delayed flight when the captain tells you it will be another fifteen minutes. So as you read this, do so in "Captain Voice" and you'll get the full effect.

PMDG Universal Flight Tablet:
I am starting with the tablet this time, which should tell you that things are getting exciting! We continue to push weekly updates to our beta team, focusing on cleaning up the v1.0 functionality and ensuring that it doesn't have any hard corners against which you can whack a shin. We have not yet signed off on a release date, but that will happen very close-in to the release date anyway. Our beta testers are in the process of error checking performance computations and we are working through a number of refinements that they have recommended. The tablet is being tested in the 700, but we are about to expand testing to the 600/800/900 as well, although in those airplanes it will largely be a matter of ensuring the performance data can be correctly parsed by the tablet- as the core functions are all the same.

In other good news, the tablet was fit into the 777 this week, and testing onboard that airplane will take place simultaneously with the normal beta process, which means the tablet will be present from day one.

Something that has been going on in the background, meanwhile- is that commencing with MSFS SU13, we **finally** have the ability for C++/WASM to communicate with the outside world like a normal C++ program (mostly) and like the script based products on the platform. This capability was locked out of the initial C++/WASM capability and it is incredibly important that we finally have this functionality- so full credit to the devs at Asobo who kept this on their radar, keeping their promise to use from three years ago that it would arrive eventually.

What does this mean for the tablet? Well- we can toss out the Voyager 1 binary parsing language that we had to design for the tablet in order to pass data between the tablet and the airplane. This has already been done in testing and works the treat. This also opens up a TON of functionality that we had in holding because the binary parsing language we had to create in order to facilitate communication between the C++/WASM airplane and the script language tablet had many many limitations. We'll be rolling those functions into the tablet starting right away- with some being implemented prior to release and others rolling out in the continual update process afterward.

All in all the tablet development team is pretty excited to hand this off to you shortly. Stay tuned.

PMDG 737 Marketplace Updates:
During 2023, the Microsoft team has really done a good job of improving the Marketplace intake and approval process. While I know some developers have hit some knee-knockers, at PMDG we were able to begin accurately predicting how long the intake/approval process would take- and plan our development to support that process. Beginning in July, this new stability went out the window and we began to see disconnects between intake and approval. Approvals that would have taken a week were suddenly dragging on with no end in sight. We have mentioned this at times just to keep you aware of it.

Last week we reached out to Microsoft to inquire as to whether anything we were doing was causing this problem and we were informed that they are "transitioning" some things in their intake/approval process and that it was causing a bit of disruption that should smooth out over time. We continue to experience disruptions and we also continue to monitor.

As of this moment, the version builds for Marketplace users are running about 6+ weeks behind PMDG.com customers. We apologize for this, but the issue is very clearly on the intake/approval process and they are aware of it and attempting to sort it out.

We have two rounds of updates backed up in the Marketplace intake/approval process for the 700/800/900 and three for the 600. They will arrive when they arrive!

PMDG 737 Update 3.00.0073:
We have been investigating some issues in the way we build the 737 micro updates that creates texture problems that are only seen after a micro process. We think we have a clear understanding as to why this happened in build 71 and 72, and we will be testing a fix for it in build 73. That build will enter testing next week, but we aren't planning to roll out any 737 updates until the tablet release is ready. That guidance might change- but as of this moment I want to keep development resources focused on the tablet and the 777 transition to beta testing.

PMDG 777 for MSFS;
Work on the 777 continues to go really well. We aren't quite ready to commence beta testing on the airplane, but we have begun to talk about when that might take place. We are close.

In terms of product quality- the 777 leverages a ton of development learning that took place over the DC-6 and 737 cycles- and we think you will notice a tremendous improvement in both performance, resource utilization, visual quality and a more tightly integrated experience with the MSFS platform itself.

I know you are eager to see previews. I'm eager to be able to share them with you. It will all happen at the appropriate time!


Alright, that is all for this weekend. I just returned from annual recurrent training which included familiarity training for Aspen, CO. I think I"m going to take the BBJ there today and practice the terrain escape procedures in MSFS. It isn't terribly difficult to do in the sim, but it sure would get your stress level up having to do it for real with all of that granite out the front window. I highly doubt I'll ever fly in there for real- but it was a great training exercise for high and hot. I used to live and fly out near KRNO/KRTS so it is a subject near and dear to my heart.

I hope you are enjoying some fun flying in your part of the world. We have a ton of exciting things coming in the near future and I am looking forward to sharing them with you.
 

[Bobsk8]

Counting.   😉

[thepilot]

Didn't expect the 777 to be so close to beta. But then 'soon' really can mean anything especially at PMDG...

Edited September 2, 2023 by thepilot

[Mace]

15 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

Counting.   😉

Ok.  Ah ah ah....

Sesame Street: Count To Twenty With Liam Neeson - YouTube

[Mace]

That's interesting the hear about the C++ / WASM.  I thought that was behind us, but I guess there will be continual advances in that direction.  Hopefully PMDG's "binary parsing language" can be of some use in the future.

[Sethos]

18 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

Counting.   😉

We're proud of you, Bob.

[JBDB-MD80]

10 minutes ago, Mace said:

.  Hopefully PMDG's "binary parsing language" can be of some use in the future.

Think GFO

[Steve Dra]

Been flying the 737-700 exclusively the past few weeks. 🙂  Always come back to my USN C-40 because I can fly it just about anywhere without adhering to an airline schedule.  Testing many route variations. Can't wait to start testing the other 737's....then on to something.....bigger. 🤔

[B777ER]

With Asobo changing the communication protocol in SU13 and with RSR saying that they will now change some things, I am thinking mid to late October at the earliest for release on the tablet. 

Edited September 2, 2023 by B777ER

[ryanbatc]

News about news hurray

[Bdub22]

56 minutes ago, Sethos said:

We're proud of you, Bob.

Condescending adoration. How lovely. 

[Wise87]

Sounds like we wont hear or see anything from PMDG again until after official SU13 update rolls out on 21 September. I'm sure some could use the .73 update for the texture issues. Still running .65 here as the .71 & .72 updates seem to have caused problems.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Wise87

[sd_flyer]

Can we get universal WX radar along with universal tablet? 🙂

[chapstick]

58 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

Can we get universal WX radar along with universal tablet? 🙂

That's going to be a universal no

[RobJC]

We are getting closer, and the quality level will be amazing. Patience truly is a virtue i don’t have.