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Hi everyone! I have been a fan of FSX for quite some time and i recently decided to give P3D V3 a go. So far so good, everything looks much better than in FSX and it even runs much faster. I do have a problem tho, I am not sure if I am really getting the entire eye-candy that I should get, because I do see videos on youtube of people who managed to make the entire sim look almost perfect. Right now I'm having one particular problem I have seen in other threads for P3D V2 and V2.5, basically, SimObjects are just too dark at night, you almost can't see them, there's just a black silhouette where the aircraft or simobject is supposed to be. Allow me to illustrate. Notice also how the concrete is a light yellow color, this, as far as I know, is not normal at all. I would also like to point out that I have installed REX4, ORBX Vector and the airports you see are FSDreamTeam KIAH and Airsoft London Heathrow respectively. The concrete being yellow might be a problem not with the simulator itself, but with the airport. I have all settings turned up to max and quite a beast of a computer. I have also messed with the Prepar3D.cfg file to turn up the exposure and tweak the HDR, but the only thing it does is make everything bright, including the sky and the airport itself. In short, I'd like to make my sim look like this at night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTzfAOWFRLE And like this at day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI9lN9pCJr4 (I am aware that SweetFX might be the thing making the video look so realistic). Here are some photos also of my sim during the day: Thanks! Any help would be appreciated!

So, I'm new to the PMDG 737 and have been trying to follow the manual but have already hit a snag. In the manual to go from cold and dark it says to use the FMC and load the cold and dark state. I do so, and get the green initialization bar at the top of the screen, but the FMC doesn't come back. It stays blank and I can't use it afterwards. What could be wrong here? Thanks -- Alexander

For all no time have to read the MANUEL`s B747-400 QOTSII COLD and DARK (Short Version from PMDG_747-400_QOTSII_FSX_Tutorial_1.pdf) ELECTRIAL POWER UP 1. Overhead BATTERY switch ---> (ON) 2. BATTERY switch guard ---> closed (ON) 3. STANDBY POWER selector ---> (Auto) 4. Start APU two clicks ---> (ON) monitor the APU startup on the STAT page of the EICAS. 5. Connect Overhead APU Generators switches when illuminate PREFLIGHT 6. Turn the three IRS Mode selectors ---> (NAV) Press LSK 4R to copy the aircraft’s current GPS position into the scratchpad, then line select it into the SET IRS POS field below at LSK 5R Attention COM-RADIO MIC and SELECT-LIGHT ---> ON (for Clearance PRO-ATC/X) 7. At this point, continue with the FMC setup PAX - FUEL - FLIGHTPLAN ect. 8. Close the guard on the EMERGENCY LIGHTS switch ---> (ARM) 9. Set Pedestal SEAT BELTS selector and NO SMOKING ---> (ON/AUTO) 10. If more than 127000 lbs of Fuel on board turn the two X-FEED VALVE switches ---> (ON) 11. Rotate all three PACK selectors ---> (NORM) 12. At this point set up the MCP 13. Test OXYGEN System by pressing the slider down located on the left wall 14. Set AUTOBRAKE ---> (RTO) Run the PREFLIGHT checklist from the QRH book. 15. CDU DOORS pages Close and Arm any entry and cargo doors BEFORE START 16. Hydraulic PUMP 4 ---> (AUX) 17. Hydraulic PUMP 1,2,3 ---> (AUTO) 18. Turn ON all FUEL PUMPS for tanks that have fuel 19. BEACON light switch ---> (ON) Run the BEFORE START checklist from the QRH. PUSHBACK and ENGINE START 17. On the CDU, press MENU, then FS ACTIONS, then PUSHBACK at LSK 4L……. 18. Rotate all three PACK selectors ---> (OFF) This is done to give the engines enough bleed air to start 19. Press the lower EICAS control panel ENG button to select the secondary Engine display on the lower EICAS. We need this to see the N2 values during the start. 20. Pull the black cylindrical overhead Start switches for both Engines 3 and 4. White lights illuminate at the ends of the switches to indicate the start process is in progress. 21. Pan down to the pedestal and lower EICAS. Turn the Engines 3 and 4 fuel control levers to RUN with a left click once N2 has reached 25%. 20. The engines will accelerate and stabilize. As soon as you hear a solenoid click sound and the two START selectors move back to their unpulled position with lights extinguished, repeat the procedure for Engines 1 and 2 BEFORE TAXI 21. Rotate the APU selector ---> (OFF) 22. Hydraulic PUMP 4 ---> (AUTO) 23. Rotate all three PACK selectors ---> (NORM) 24. Set the FLAPS to the selected takeoff setting (usually 10 or 20) 25. Check the flight controls using the STAT page of the lower EICAS 26. Press STAT again to blank the lower EICAS and Check your Equipment (Joystick) 27. Set the IGNITION switch ---> (ON) 28. Set the Transponder to TA/RA if at an ASDE equipped airport Run the BEFORE TAXI checklist from the QRH PROPER TAKEOFF PROCEDURE 1. Advance the Throttles to approximately 50% N1 2. Press TO/GA don’t use the MCP A/T button, it takes half a second or so to "capture 3. If TO/GA is not selected prior to 50 knots, AT operation will be inhibited until 400 feet. In this case, the throttles will only move manually until that point 4. Wait until you see THR REF annunciated on the FMA 5. Push the Throttles fully forward. They are dead now because the AT is active THINGS THE WIDE BETA TEAM WANTED YOU TO KNOW At high gross weights – particularly those at “hot and high” airports – be prepared for underwhelming performance. Take off rolls will be much longer, and the climb rate will be sluggish, particularly at acceleration altitude when retracting the flaps. When planning, normal remaining fuel values are much higher than you are used to. A good minimum is at least 30,000 pounds. If TO/GA is not selected prior to 50 knots, AT operation will be inhibited until 400 feet. In this case, the throttles will only move manually until that point. When soft disconnecting the AT, the disconnect switches need to be clicked twice with a 1-2 second pause in between to avoid the auto throttle disconnect EICAS message and associated caution. The APU will run while airborne, but it will not start unless the aircraft is on the ground. There is enough redundancy on the aircraft that its use while airborne is not required. Unlike the 777, the transfer of power between the engine generators and the APU is manual. Remember to reach up and transfer the power source from the engines to the APU prior to cutting fuel to the engines. Pilots of the NGX will likely be less prone to forgetting this step. Don't forget to press the MIC button on the ACP panel (below the radios panel) corresponding to the radio you want to transmit on or no-one will hear you online. Yes, it’s modeled that closely! There are certain calculations that you perform through the CDU that take a surprising amount of time to complete. A good example is the required trim setting generated by entering the %MAC. Keep in mind that the processing power in this FMC is equivalent to the old Intel 8086 processor. The FMC has been purposefully designed to have the same response times as the real FMC. GSX will interfere with the PMDG Ground Service vehicles. If you use GSX for parking, be sure to restart couatl before selecting service vehicles. When taxiing, keep speeds in turns at 12 knots or less to ensure that the body gear steering is active to assist the turn. Have a good flight and always a also always good landing Manfred Maier

Hi, just purchased and installed the Cj2 P3dV4. No Mods (yet) Can start - and fly . Everything is working except the comm/nav/adf/tpdr stack. Have tried uninstall and reinstall but no change Win 10. Any ideas? Scott

Hey Gang,My 737-700 virtual cockpit is dark/ has no lights and is pretty useless at night. I probably messed with some files a while ago, but now for the life of me, I can not get any lighting in the VC. How the heck do I fix this? Is there a line/string in the aircraft.cfg? In the panel.cfg for the VC? Appreciate any help!Thanks,Torsten

I'm not sure when this started, but at some point in my flight, all of the numbers on various gauges (MCP, radios, etc...) went dim. The autopilot ones appeared a bit brighter (but not much) after I turned off the dome light, which I had accidentally left on, but the radios are completely indiscernible. Any ideas?Thanks,boeing247

Good evening! I'm new to this forum :) I just bought the 737-800\900 and -600\700 from PMDG. So far so good. Except, there is a really annoying propeller noise at the very beginning. You hear it inside the cockpit and outside but it should be completely (almost) silent. I uploaded a sample on youtube: I really hope so much that anyone can help me! This bothers me a lot! Greetings, Carsteb!

When I try to load a PMDG Aircraft using select aircraft the plane does appear but the plane is hovering above the ground without the wheels being down. Everything else is dark and you can't select anything. I have been experiencing this on and off meaning sometimes it would work as intended and other times as I described above. I have reinstalled FSX and the PMDG aircraft to no avail. Currently I can't load any PMDG without it appearing in the hover position. All other aircraft (non PMDG) load and work as intended. Can anyone give me an idea where to trouble shoot this. Thanks KIS1000 Ken Strout

Hey guys,Still a newbie here so I hope Im posting this in the right place. When flying at night my plane is pitch black and its annoying. Does anyone else get this too? Better yet, does anyone know how to fix this? Thanks!

Could someone tell me how to load the 737 NGX in cold and dark? I made a save of it in this state and made it default but the "initialising" green bar thing starts up the plane anyway. I found out that you can load the plane through the "addons" tab however I have never had this tab and cannot seem to make it appear. Any help much apprieciated!!!

I just attempted a cold Dark night startup. I was reminded of the guy who couldn't find his own butt in the darkwith a flashlight. That's it!! A Flashlight. Is it possible to create a flashlight that is mouse movement operated, to illuminate either the flight-deck, or outside doing a preflight walk aroundbefore startup? I have purchased all of the Manuals for the NGX, I've viewed the AoA lights lesson, and all I was able to start up was Background, and AFDS Flood lighting. The only clues I had after fumbling around was a magic hand appearing and disappearing to enable me to start the afore mentioned light Knobs. To further clarify my problem, I use EZE Dok with TrackIR, so any slight head movement fumbling in the dark causes more problems finding the knobs andswitches. All flight crew carry flashlights for such a purpose. As a matter of fact, it's illegal to fly at night without one on the flight-deck. I could have probably fumbled around for another 10 minutes. But seriously, it wasn't worth the time.As many of us try to make it as real as we can, we need a flashlight! What do you think? Can it be done? Is it necessary? Love this Aircraft Taurcan

hi, today I got the pmdg 747 queen of the skies v3 for p3d v4. I installed it and updated it to the latest version. I flew once with the default condition of the aircraft around and everything was ok. several hours after, I loaded the plane, I went to the central fmc to load the cold and dark condition and while in the countdown procedure, at 4 seconds, the game stuck (not responding). since then every time I load the plane, p3d crashes and gets me to the desktop. any ideas pls? thank you

Hello everybody I recently noticed something bad in my sim. On some Airports (for example Orbx LDDU, FlyTampa EHAM), all Simobjects (My planes but also for example GSX vehicles) appear to be completely dark when i set the time to night (See the Pictures). The textures are there but they just don't receive any lightning from the floodlight on the airport. Also, No light comes to the inside of the cockpit. It only doesn't work on some airports (For example no problems in Aerosoft LSZH). Has anyone an idea what the problem could be and how i could solve it ? It happens to PBR-Planes as well as non-PBR-Planes. The problem also occurs with Tomatoshade enabled and disabled. I have dynamic lightning and HDR lightnind set to On in the settings. Pictures: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mrxer0rgbs0ml3k/AABkGtgF8MCJPWWk8pruhumRa?dl=0 Best regards Felix

My 777 cold & dark cockpit. (PMDG 777 300ER, Turkish Airlines) Antalya International Airport / TURKEY (FSX Acceleration, PMDG 777 300ER, FTX GLOBAL V1.30, free sky textures from Avsim library)