frantzy

Similar to Markus, I have 1 PC with 2 GPUs running P3DV4 on 6 monitors: CPU is an 8 year-old i7-2600K; 16GB RAM, Win 7 on SSD and P3D on HDD. GPU1 is GTX 980. One output is to a Matrox TH2GO and 3 x 27” widescreen monitors. The other output from that GPU is to a 2D cockpit display monitor. GPU2 is GTX 760ti. Both are connected to 2D cockpit display monitors. I fly PMDG 737/777/747 into only payware airports with Active Sky weather and an AI traffic addon. I also have a yoke and pedals and 17 GoFlight modules including throttle. And i use an Android tablet with the wonderful Virtual Avionics apps to run the FMC. Since my cockpit displays popouts displayed on monitors, i don’t fly in the virtual cockpit - only the straight ahead blank cockpit view (toggling as needed to the OH panel now that PMDG made it 3D only). I get smooth 25-30 fps mostly with occasional dips into 10-15 fps at busy airports. My graphic settings are very modest - in most cases about 25% of full right. Some weather settings are higher but notably dynamic lighting is off. I am in the process of replacing my PC with a modern CPU i hope will allow me to improve these visual effects, but flying fluidity and operational complexity is what’s most important to me. I limit graphics features to preserve that. The key to multiple GPUs in my experience is that only 1 GPU drives a 3D output. As Markus said that no longer requires the Matrox triple head device but i have it so i use it. Good luck to all who read this! Our hobby is challenging but rewarding... Mike

I owned the FSX version and now the P3D and I remember the issues you describe, but a major update in March fixed them. It also dramatically improved performance, at least in P3D.

Thanks Chris I appreciate that. I unfortunately can’t help with technical details other than to say he’s looking for the command that turns the range between 10-20-40-80-160-320-640 miles when the dial on this device is rotated: GoFlight EFIS

Hi Chris - yes that’s right, and I relayed that information in their support forum to Steve from Pollypot software, the developer of GoFlight Interface Tool, who has become de facto support for linking GoFlight modules to complex add-ons. (GoFlight itself seems to have gone largely dormant on the software development front). But I can’t compel how and when the companies I buy from to work with one another. When I asked again today he replied today that he is working other issues and will get to it in the New Year. Don’t get me wrong- I’m extremely satisfied and amazed with the past collaboration among PMDG, GoFlight and Pollypot which allow me to fly the other PMDG with these hardware add-ons. I’m sure this one will get sorted in time, I was just trying to accelerate the process and understand the issue better myself. I had been holding off on flying the -8, thinking this might be a quick fix since everything else works with the GoFlight modules. I think the modeling of the EFIS Range knob DID change from a selector in the -400 to a rotary in the -8, right Chris? If so wouldn’t that mean the SDK - or at least the values supplied by PMDG to add-ons - would need revision too? Thanks, Mike

Thanks - I actually did open a ticket about 2 weeks ago. But they replied “the SDK is available” - so I’m caught between the hardware vendor who needs something new from PMDG and PMDG who says (I guess) they provided it. It works in the 747-400, 777, and 737 just fine so something must’ve changed...

I use hardware including the GoFlight EFIS, but with the -8 the Range knob (only) no longer works. Can PMDG provide a selector type we can map the hardware to? Thanks, Mike Frantz

Claude thank you for solving the APU puzzle for me too! Another way to do Autobrake is to assign one button to counterclockwise rotation and another button to clockwise rotation. Since the 777 EICAS enunciates when the autobrake is set, I don’t bother with the light. Louis, I agree with you this should all be easier, but thank heavens GFIT and the Pollypot site even exist. My speculation is that GoFlight (the company) builds & supports excellent hardware but aren’t equipped to handle the software complexity for interactions with ever changing 3rd party add-on aircraft. So the awesome Pollypot guy Steve and power users like Rob Ainscough are filling the gap.

Claude is right. I continue to fly the PMDG 777 and 747 on my GoFlight setup which has 15 modules. I have swappable magnetic label strips - not the individual cutout labels provided, but a magnetic backed paper I load in my printer and custom create for each airplane type. Inspired by Rob Ainscough, whose laminated version is even better (see his tutorial videos for more info). Good luck! Mike Frantz

I began simming in 1987 but it became a real hobby for me after FS98. Got my private pilot license in 2001 and then added ratings for instrument, commercial, multi engine, and seaplane soon after. Co-owned an airplane from 2004-2017.

RESOLVED - it was user error on my part. I believed I had properly installed P3D v 4.3 but in fact my installation was still 4.1. When I properly installed Prepar3d the PMDG 777 worked normally. My sincere apologies to PMDG Support. Mike Frantz

Kyle, I'm not being dishonest. In 13 years as a customer I've had enormous pleasure well in excess of my $1,038 investment and look forward to adding future new releases. I still don't think a minor update thru the Ops Center should render my 777 AOG for 2 weeks and counting, and I don't think having multiple monitors and GoFlight hardware constitutes a "pretty customized setup". Thanks, Mike Frantz

An interim progress report: I am receiving guidance from Paul & Chris through the support ticket, but after a full delete and clean install, the problem still remains. The behavior I'm seeing sounds just like Ron's. Thanks, Mike Frantz

Hi Chris, I am 80% sure the answer is no. I've only been making the transition from FSX to P3Dv4 in the past month, and my settings are still default almost everything. However I'm a multi-monitor cockpit-builder kind of user so there's a slight chance I chose to save the current state to see if any functionality had been added to the P3D version to allow instrument panel pop-out window positions to be restored. The CDU and all other functions are inop so I can't verify this. I checked the Ops center settings but didn't see anywhere that would tell me the panel state of each plane. I checked the PMDG 777 Panel State subfolder and there are only the original 4 panel states listed (long, short, default, clddrk) dated the day I originally installed; also the 777 options .ini file does not show any panel state customizations. So far I've only flown the 777FX variant - but I believe the panel state setting would carry over to the -200LR and -300ER. Mike Frantz (Chris is supporting me through a PMDG support portal ticket, so I will come back to this thread and post when we've reached a resolution)

I applied the latest updates for P3D v4 through the Operations Center, and now the 777 has no landing gear and the cockpit buttons are not operational. Thinking it’s the traditional “licensing issue” I uninstalled and reinstalled, but no joy. Any ideas? Oddly the reinstall never asked for my Activation Key. (I’m a loyalist from long ago and happily pay the purchase price, but this is a PITA and I would have thought PMDG would be better than this by now. Next time I won’t be so quick to apply updates). Mike Frantz

That’s a different airport (Haneda RJTT not Narita RJAA) and different vendor. Don’t feel bad - I actually flew to the wrong one last week! 😂 Mike

I made this exact mistake yesterday and eventually figured it out, but wondered - is that how it alerts in the real 737? Audio beeps but no warning message or text? (It took me a while to resolve the issue but rather than admit to not reading the manual, I’m going to claim I was simulating hypoxia). Thanks, Mike Frantz

Your sim preferences sound like mine - want to fly high end payware add-on aircraft and not be tied down to just one type. Would you consider my setup - I use an old Android tablet and iPads plus the Virtual Avionics apps to have a nearly life size CDU, which works with PMDG 737, 747, 777. Not real buttons I know but well within your budget. Mike

I'm also in the same boat as you, Percy. I built a home cockpit with extensive hardware and multiple monitors. For the most part PMDG has accommodated us in its (understandable) move to VC, but the fact that landing lights aren't visible except with VC means I avoid nighttime takeoffs and landings in the 777, which is a hassle. (Actually it's the taxiing that's difficult) Seems like there's no workaround for this airplane, but fingers crossed for the upcoming 747. Mike Frantz

I have this exact problem. I submitted a help ticket but haven't heard back yet from PMDG. Did you get this resolved? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Happy to help Randy. I can't tell you how long I struggled to figure out how to change the range ring distance on the EHSI Map view. And I still have trouble with engine start.My standard procedure has become: click Accept on the INIT page, then go to FPL page, and enter only the Origin Airport and the Destination Airport. Then I select the SIDs and STARs if applicable. Then I insert intermediate waypoints between the end of the SID and beginning of the STAR.To be honest I can't remember whether I do it this way because of something with the Dash 8. In the real world I fly a Cirrus with a Garmin GPS, and there's a rudimentary VNAV feature which works better if I enter the destination before the intermediate waypoints. So it's a habit.

Hi Randy,I've got my Dash 8 fired up so hopefully I can help now. For the squawk code, I see 0000 on my transponder display. When I push the center of the button on the right, the left-most 0 blinks and I can click the outer ring of the button left or right to select the first digit. I push the center of the button again, and the next digit flashes. Does this work for you?When I put KPIH and KSLC into the flight plan and click on the departure page, like you I see no SIDs but 4 runway choices. It's ok to choose a runway but just leave the SID field blank, and then click FPL (lowest right LSK) and return to the FPL page. Does yours not allow you to leave the SID blank? For SLC, I actually do see a list of approaches (22 of them) as well as STARs into SLC. Two possible differences, I'm using the payware Pro version, and I applied the available patches from the Majestic Software site.But regarding outdated AIRAC and missing waypoints, I feel your pain. I'm trying to fly to Santa Rosa / Sonoma County (KSTS) but it doesn't seem to exist.Mikeedited to add: To me Fanda's Dash 8 has all the highs and lows of a flight sim add-on. It's a wonderfully detailed and complete simulation, particularly in the high end payware models. I have friends who fly Dash 8s for airlines and they're impressed. The developer was clearly passionate and resourceful but English might not be his native language, so the documentation can be hard to follow. And although he seems very committed to ongoing support, the effort to bring it up to "state of the art" and expand to other variants is too much for one person. Other add-ons I love have these same traits.

I'm not at my sim desk right now but lets see what i can do from memory on the first issue. On the INIT page don't type anything, just hit accept. Then go to the FPL page and enter your airport ICAO. Does it take it? Then hit Menu and see if the SIDs are there.

Today's headlines feature a spelling mistake that plagues aviation

I really appreciate this thread because authentic-flying aircraft matters more to me in simming than does visual fidelity, scenery, or other factors that appeal to other simmers.But your specific point again reminds me of something I've never understood: why we don't have a great B777 available. Especially considering it's the predominant long range aircraft in real-world use these days.

...and by the way, for simmers interested in flying real-world IFR procedures, the IFR hold is one of the most challenging aspects of obtaining an instrument rating. Four factors make it hard:1) Visualizing the oval position in relation to the waypoint2) Entering the hold while staying within the oval3) Adjusting the outbound leg of the oval to compensate for tailwinds/headwinds so the inbound leg is exactly one minute long4) Compensating for crosswinds in the straight parts of the oval and in the turns, so the airplane remains within the oval.All of this is important because staying within the boundaries of the hold ensures terrain clearance. If you want to improve your flying skill, mastering the real-world holding pattern is a great way to do it.