Greetings from Bulgaria

[flitepal]

Hi everyone!

I won't be surprised to be the first Bulgarian guy in this forum.

So my name is Ivan, I'm 26 years old and I am a Boeing 737-800 pilot, working for a low-cost European airline. Before getting my first aviation job, I was working for years as a software developer with technologies PHP, ASP.NET, C#. I am also a bachelor in IT.

Some time during my type rating, I was thinking "I wish I had a sim to practice all the things at home". So basically I got the idea to build myself a 737 cockpit. Now, even though I fly the real airplane on a daily basis, I still wanna build that thing I have enough spare time, I know what the airplane is like, I have experience in software development as a senior developer.

However, I need some help from the experienced cockpit builders here. I will be happy if I can receive some directions

I've been doing some research for the past few days. My biggest concern and focus at this point is communicating with the simulator, in terms of getting information from it and passing information/commands from an outside application. For now, I'm focusing on MSFS X with the PMDG airplane. I'd like to stick with C# and I would like to be independent of any other software. I'm just about to install the SDK on my computer and see how it goes. Check this video for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9bo8bzojIo

This guy has done something, that would be a great start for me. Are there any guys that are using C# in this forum?

An example of a particular question that I have, is:

If we take an event ID from the SDK documentation, lets say KEY_FLAPS_UP, can I write a method in C# that would, using that event ID, tell the simulator to put the flaps up? Can I, in this manner, use the event IDs for PMDG 737 to tell the PMDG aircraft some things?

Thanks and once more, hello to everyone

Regards,
Ivan

[KyleH]

Welcome Ivan,

I'm using c++ to interface my hardware components to the sim. I'm using the LevelD SDK, and FSUIPC to interface to the aircraft and Microsoft flight simulator.

You may find it's easier to deal with sending and receiving data using FSUIPC, than the FSX sdk. Not sure myself, I've never tried it. I'd be interested to see how you make out that way.

I believe the PMDG 737X has an SDK, though I think you have to contact them to get it.

[RayS]

Welcome!

I'm a C# fan myself. There's a great FSUIPC SDK that contains some excellent C# examples.

I've used C# mostly, but for the higher-performing things like displays I would use C++ (or even Java.... but you didn't hear that from me. :-) )

[flitepal]

Hi guys and thank you for the replies

I am continuing my research and I'm finding out how much I have to learn.

So questions do start to pop out. I've found that a lot of people use prosim737, which is like an airplane without the virtual cockpit, but more accurate than the 737PMDG and with better aerodynamics. Is that true?

I watched some videos of people explaining how does FSUIPC work and I still cannot understand what special does it do. I mean you assign controls, but you can do that with MSFS itself. How can I talk to MSFS through FSUIPC? How can I use FSUIPC to get my home-built hardware to work with MSFS X, PMDG 737 or Prosim?

[Trevor Hale]

Hi guys and thank you for the replies

I am continuing my research and I'm finding out how much I have to learn.

So questions do start to pop out. I've found that a lot of people use prosim737, which is like an airplane without the virtual cockpit, but more accurate than the 737PMDG and with better aerodynamics. Is that true?

Actually, ProSim is the the Instruments of the aircraft.  The overhead logic and the flight model.

All you use FSX/P3d for is the outside view.

I watched some videos of people explaining how does FSUIPC work and I still cannot understand what special does it do. I mean you assign controls, but you can do that with MSFS itself. How can I talk to MSFS through FSUIPC? How can I use FSUIPC to get my home-built hardware to work with MSFS X, PMDG 737 or Prosim?

FSUIPC is a module installed into FSX/P3d.

It gives you better control of configuring your axis in FS Yes, but it also provides access to buttons/switches that are not available inside FSX/P3D.  FOr instance You can;t start the APU with a switch in FSX without FSUIPC, Well I guess you can because you can configure that through Prosim..  So thats a bad example, but FSUIPC can be used to send a Push to talk switch from your main FS Joystick Button to a remote computer running your Vatsim software. etc.

Trev

[Aerosim Solutions]

Prosim737 is your answer, believe me! To build a 737 cockpit attempting to create your own interface would be a big waste of time and effort. This hobby is hard enough as it is, don't try to take shortcuts on the 'brains' of your sim, it is the most important component!!
Cheers Gwyn