I have been a Cockpit builder for several years now and like many, I have tried to mimic the Boeing 737-800. I use other software for now but there are several features and systems not functioning properly. I bought the PMDG NGX as one of the first airplane I bought for FSX and quickly realized that it was incredibly advanced. Everything from flight characteristics, engine, hydraulics modeling.
I've always loved PMDG and been impressed with what they managed to accomplish.
Ever since iFly anonserad their home cockpit builder version, rumors spread that PMDG will release a cockpit builder version. But it has been very quiet about this. I have tried to interpret what Rob Randazzo says in the film: 4:23 minutes into this movie:
In my interpretation, the simple answer is No. A friend of mine has programed C++ and interfac the entire MIP. Even FDS JetMax seems to have solved it. But then instruments, Overhead and DUs remaining, and problems using the NGX with many computers?
Is there a hardware company that interfaced the entier Overhead Panel?
But if you think more complex on the answer, it is YES. Why? For that there is money and publicity to gain from having a cockpit builder version. No TV company will be filming someone who has a computer and a joystick, but there are several TV companies who filmed those with a home cockpit. If they can say that they use the PMDG this would give publicity.
It seems that it will be possible to interfac NGX, but not that there will be a version adapted for cockpit building, that is to say, not so advanced 3D cockpit that uses large amounts of computing power.
Hardware companies want obviously to be able to interfaca PMDG aircraft, because then they can sell hardware to those who purchased a PMDG aircraft. But it is not as obvious that the hardware companies that make for example Pokey cards want to interfac PMDG!
But why would you want to use Pokey instead of FDS or CPflight. They are perfectly suited hardware for flight simulator. The simple answer is money. Can I get away with 150 euros to get the switches to work in the cockpit. Instead of 350, I try to do it. Everything to everyone who wants to be welcomed into the cockpit builder family.
The first question to PMDG are:
1) Is it not easy for PMDG to support hardware, because they already have fully completed modeling of aircraft systems? Or is it two different questions?
One of the things that is still a problem with whether to use NGX when building home cockpit is (DUs) (All displays). If you build a full cockpit, you need a number of screens for instruments: two screens cronometer, 4 screens DUs, two screens CDUs. Even the outside view of the aircraft requires 1-3 screens or projectors. Then it is more economical to have more computers than using a computer with super motherboards and four graphics cards. You need all the power you can get to run FSX, especially when using multiple views!
It also appears that most cockpit software uses OpenGL for display. Which gives razor sharp instruments!
2) Is it not easy for PMDG to make a program that can connect to NGX and show its displays?
3) Finally, can anyone who knows anything give any hope for us building cockpit?
Sincerely, Jacob