PMDG 737NGX and Project Magenta (Home Cockpit)

[blueskydriver]

Good News!

After PM's with Rob about using PMDG 737NGX with a home cockpit on Project Magenta, 3 projectors and Nthusim, and then spending a good amount of time looking at things on here on our end, we found a way to set it up. However, it is a little too early to tell yet as to how it'll fly.

The point is that PMDG 737 NGX uses only the Virtual Cockpit (VC) modes and limited pop-up 2D panels. It's not like being in 2D mode and using W key to remove the panels. In fact, if you're in 2D cockpit mode, with the 4 undocked windows (3 seen, 1 under, not seen), and then you setup the .FLT file using the 2D GUID Camera, you will see the interior of the VC cockpit on the left and right views. This was the big problem!

If you used the Virtual Cockpit GUID Camera, you'd still have the VC cockpit showing, and no way to turn it off. Even after clearing out the panels.cfg file to just the Views (like it was done with the FS9 PMDG 737), the VC still showed on the 3 viewable projected undocked windows. No matter what was tried in the traditional way, the VC stayed...until now.

Here is how you make all this work. Do what you have done in the past to the panel.cfg and the .FLT file, and then go to the Model folder inside the PMDG 737-800NGX folder located in the SimObjects>Airplane folder. In the Model folder, open the model.cfg file, and then put two // in front of the line interior=PMDG_737_800_VC.

Removing that addressing keeps the VC from showing in any of the camera views; therefore, when you setup the .FLT file, you will see what you're supposed to see in your home cockpit and not see PMDG's VC at all.

Finally, the next step is to test it while flying. Maybe some of you with Sim-A, ProSim or Project Magenta would like to test this all out if you have PMDG 737NGX.

BSD

[blueskydriver]

Did some test flying and it is really amazing how good the model flew. Very smooth compared to using the older PMDG 737 NG from FS9. There are a lot of details to discover and check yet, but it's working on the curved screen with the three 3 projectors...YES!

Plan to post a list later of the pros and cons; hopefully, other builders who have the new PMDG 737 NGX and PM or SimA or ProSim will start checking this out.

Finally, all the talk in the past we had about the sound; well, having it in the cockpit is 1,000 times better than hearing it on the desktop for the first time. Plus, just got the Butt Kicker installed yesterday and "Oh what a feeling!". Imagine having the two big sub woofers and a Butt Kicker under your rump, it changes the term "Seat of Your Pants" into "Vibes in Your Pants"...oh here we go, more dirty minded thinking!

BSD

Found the previous post; here is the link:

http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php?topic=1979.0

More info regarding the flaps thanks to Maurice:

http://www.flightdecksolutions.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=28111&sid=74acd1470c7be669d2de3d532babffe6

[NeoMorph]

What projectors are you using and are they 4x3 or 16x9 ones (or even 16x10).

I'm really wondering if getting a decent curved screen and projectors is going to be better than getting 3 TVs... The prices are about the same but the projectors are going to cost more to run... but the immersion is so much better. If I get TVs I can just see myself wanting the projectors...

[blueskydriver]

Using the Mitshubshi EW230U Short Throws at 16x10. They cost about $1,000 each and work very nicely. You should do projectors period!

LCD Tv's are great when you don't have the room or prefer not dealing with the projector setups and curved screen issues. However, there is nothing better than the image from the projectors that goes from one side to the other, back window to back window (with no frames). Plus, the LCD TV's will not give you the depth that the projectors do...

Not knocking the TV's because they're good in their own right. Like the fact that LCD's do not have the screen (like a screen door) residuals as the projectors have. You'll notice it at first, but once you get used too it, you never see it anymore. Although, it's still worth it for the projectors.

You need to visit Ivar or fly over to CA to see Maurice's setup. You'll see what projectors will look like and then decide. Besides, nothing better than testing it out before you go down that path. In fact, there are enough people now with the 3 projector setup that you should be able to visit just about any one of them to see it first hand. Unlike before, when it was all seat of the pants or trial and error from only people like Nat and Ivar (the front runners).

Whatever you do, listen to what Ivar has said time and time again..."Have a plan, with a drawing of your area and screen size based on the circle" Choose the projectors based on that.

BSD

[NeoMorph]

I had originally planned to buy two or three plasma screens as the price is falling through the floor here. My problem is I tend to look at US dollar prices and think "too expensive for me" when they aren't that bad due to the exchange rates. As long as I buy local (ie not import) then it works out better. Just need to find a good bright one or black out the bedroom.

On top I will need to add in Nthusiasm(sp) too. One pity is you can't sim looking back at the wings to check for ice.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[blueskydriver]

Well, decided to work on the PM and PMDG 737NGX combination again and have made a few leaps forward.

First, the lights; if you have A2A Shockwave Light ReDux, you can add in those light positions to your aircraft.cfg file of the PMDG 737NGX "700" (that is the only ones I did so far). You'll find that the coordinates are really accurate and I even used lights that light up the body, so to speak.

The lights look good and when looking from outside, you can see them (for those people who like to make photos or videos of their planes flying from the outside). However, the body items (flaps and etc) still didn't move, so I tried a few things after reading a post by Mark Hastings at SimA:

Here:

http://www.flightdecksolutions.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4493&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=d48f74d4e571e9c2867e46c5ffbbc431

I took Mark's idea of combining the old PMDG 737-700 (FS9) with the new NGX version, as well as using the shockwave lights. So, you get a visual model that works outside (and inside of course) and lights that work via your Overhead switches (in PM either using PM, FSUIPC, or FDS InterfaceIT Offsets). Now, the lights will light the runway.

Additionally, I noticed this; like the old FSX default lighting, PMDG 737NGX is using what is known as FX light shapes that will appear to light the ground in a triangle shape. In the old default FSX you see three shapes, in the old PMDG 737 you see three, in the new PMDG 737NGX you see five.

Why is this important? Well, if you're blenindg lights in from shockwave, they do not actually light the ground, they only appear as globes of light in a sense. It is the FX light shapes that actually light the ground in front of you. So, that is why you must mix the old PMDG with the new to get those FX light shapes. Could you just add the FX light shapes to the new PMDG (with logic removed) and see if works? No, because you must be able to turn the lights on and since the new PMDG lights are tied to the logic, you cannot turn them on, if the logic has been removed for PM (or SimA or ProSim). Thus, the reasoning for the old/new mix.

What is the importance of doing all this? Well, like Mark states, you get the flight model of the new PMDG, and the visual model of the old PMDG (He says default FSX, but I used old PMDG). Or, it could be that I just like the sounds of the new PMDG so much, I wanted to make this work. However, did you know you can just copy the sound folder from the new to the old PMDG and use them that way? Yes, it sounds just as good on the old as the new and if you're still just using the old PMDG, you will not need to fuss much; you just copy one folder over!

Finally, pursuing all the light aspects is important because of having the new PMDG 737NGX add-on and wanting it to work with PM at night. Daytime flying is great, but it does get dawn, dark and dusk when flying, so I didn't want to lose out on that...or seeing my way.

Here are the coordinates for my lights and remember it is 737-700NGX (note this part of the aircraft.cfg txt file):

[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing, 6=taxi, 7=recognition, 8=wing, 9=logo, 10=cabin
light.0 = 2, -53.828, 0.090, 7.989, fx_shockwave_strobe_3, //Aft Strobe

light.1 = 1, 10.300, 0.000, 10.800, fx_shockwave_beaconh, //Top Beacon

light.2 = 1, 2.500, 0.45, -3.50, fx_shockwave_beaconb, //Bottom Beacon

light.3 = 3, -14.000, -56.370, 4.000, fx_shockwave_navred , //Left Nav Light red
light.4 = 2, -15.202, -56.586, 4.000, fx_shockwave_strobe_2, //Left Strobe

light.5 = 3, -14.000, 56.370, 4.000, fx_shockwave_navgre , //Right Nav Light green
light.6 = 2, -15.202, 55.586, 4.000, fx_shockwave_strobe_2, //Right Strobe

light.7 = 3, -72.350, 56.550, 4.000, fx_navwhi_pmdg , //Right Wing Aft Position Light
light.8 = 3, -72.350, -56.550, 4.000, fx_navwhi_pmdg , //Left Wing Aft Position Light

light.9 = 3, -53.828, -0.090, 5.989, fx_navwhi_pmdg , //Aft Position Light

light.10 = 5, 13.600, 6.8, .400, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_narrow,//Right Inboard Landing Light
light.11 = 5, 13.600, -6.8, .400, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_narrow,//Left Inboard Landing Light

light.12 = 5, 12.500, -2.7, -3.400, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_narrow,//Bottom Left Landing Light
light.13 = 5, 12.500, 2.7, -3.400, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_narrow,//Bottom Right Landing Light

light.14 = 8, 12.70, -14.76, -3.80, fx_pmdgwinglight,//winglight illumination
light.15 = 8, 12.70, 14.76, -3.80, fx_pmdgwinglight,//winglight illumination

light.16 = 5, 10.500, -14.750, -1.500, fx_shockwave_landing_light_light, // Engine Illunination Left
light.17 = 5, 10.500, 14.750, -1.500, fx_shockwave_landing_light_light, // Engine Illumination Right

light.18 = 6, 40.5, 0.0, -5.700, fx_shockwave_landing_light_small_xenon,// Taxi Light Nose Gear

light.19 = 4, 47.000, 0.0, 5.500, fx_PMDG_NGX_vclight
light.20 = 4, 45.500, 0.0, 4.500, fx_PMDG_NGX_vclight

I plan to do more later, but it is only when we're not flying and things are slow...

BSD

[xavier]

Hello guys,

Could you please give us an update on using the NGX with prosim (i guess it's the same as with pm)?

If i understand correctly...

It is possible and will work great but i will loose landing lights and external animations such as flaps. I am flying a simpit so i don't care for the flaps animation as I don't look the AC from the outside. For the landing lights, if i understand correctly, a merge between the FS9 PMDG (or default) for the exterior appearence and the NGX for the flight model will do the trick when using A2A redux lights.

An updated explanation of where we stand today woud really be appreciated.
A complete tutorial would be a dream


thank you very much in advance

Xavier

[xavier]

no one???

[blueskydriver]

Hi Xavier,

I did this using PMDG NGX and PM. I am not sure if someone did it with ProSim or not yet. I have ProSim, but still haven't changed over yet...just too much going on at the moment. Still, I am thinking it will not be much different with ProSim because the PMDG NGX is just using the model or AIR file in a way and you're turning off everything else from it. Have you checked the ProSim forums to see if anyone has done it there yet?

I will try to get something going with it, but it might be a little while longer, as well as the fact to make a tutorial would take even more. However, I will try to do this...

John

[xavier]

thank you john

much appreciated

[xavier]

help :-)

[jskibo]

Easier to just buy the Jetstream model for ProSim.....

[blueskydriver]

Hi Xaiver,

Do you have skype? If so, I can skype with you tomorrow night or better on Friday. I can explain it too you a whole lot easier and it'll be much faster than me getting a tutorial together...

John

[xavier]

Hello and thank you to both of you johns for your answers.

I do actually fly the jetstream from prosim but was told pmdg is better...

no true?

As for your proposition to help me on skype...second john.... that will be difficult as we are not on te same time as i am from brussels...and i am gone on the week end most of the time...

but if u can record urself explaining i d go for it :-)

[jskibo]

My only thought was the jetstream was made specifically for the ProSim software, while PMDG was not.  So rather than trying to force something to work by tweaking and playing with it, might be better to use the "drop in" solution. 

PMDG will certainly give you a better visual model on the outside, but I haven't used that view since moving to a full cockpit.