MSFS2020 - Expectations Setback For Cockpitbuilders ?

[FredK]

Apparently PMDG has put off launch of a PMDG 737 version for MSFS2020 into the end of next year.  The issue is that there are SDK coding requirements in the base MSFS2020 program yet to be implemented and that are not the highest priority for Asobo at the moment.  So in the meanwhile PMDG is reassigning resources to supporting P3D developments.

See the following..

https://www.thresholdx.net/news/pmdgdl

Does not bode well for the hope of multi-screen / multi-channel priority either I would assume.

So as impressive as it is, for the time being MSFS2020 remains in the "game" category for most cockpitbuilders, probably into 2022.

No matter though...I am very content with P3Dv4.5 with SimAvionics right now.  That combination is bullet-proof!

Fred K

[jackpilot]

I second that ! 

[Neil Hewitt]

Well, we know multi-screen in on their backlog (it's #8 on the wishlist) and is in development, they've said as much. No commitment as to when and I suspect it'll be a few months but since the base capability to render multiple views of the same scene is required for the VR update which is supposed to be this year (and is about to go into beta) then it can't be that far away. Whether they can avoid a huge FPS drop for every open view is a different question. P3D seems to have gotten far better in this respect and that seems to be down to DX12 while MSFS will be DX11 for a while at least.

As for multi-channel - Luciano Napolitano has a basic version of Wideview working on MSFS already. Not tried it myself but some brave soul out there is doubtless giving it a go as I write :-)

[Trevor Hale]

I was going to suggest wideview.  If I am not mistaken I thought it used fsuipc or simconnect.  no reason it wouldn't work and the slew mode still works. which is how the clients work.  manually setting the eyepoint on each computer should allow this to work.


Trev

[FredK]

If you go to the WideView website you can download a trial version of the WV software for MSFS2020 that will work for 10 minutes each time it is launched. Included in the free download is a PDF User manual that explains the current limitations and the recommended methods to eliminate the aircraft panels from the views (nothing new there though). It is an interesting read none-the-less. You do not need a copy of MSFS2020 on your computer to do the download or to access the manual.

WideView has always been specific to multi-channel (that is, multi-computer) view setups. It has no utility for a single stretched view across multiple screens. For the latter my understanding is that MSFS2020 is limited to a 100 degree view without stretch distortion.

One of the main limitations for WideView with MSFS2020 is that the zoom adjustment method is required to get continuity of view across the multiple screens (35%). Use of ViewGroups for multi-channel avoids that of course, but MSFS2020 does not yet have ViewGroups active.

Given the limitations thereof and the fact that I would have to invest in 4 separate MSFS2020 accounts (each with a separate user email account) I have not been motivated enough to test it on my multi-channel setup. My SimA avionics of course would also not work for MSFS2020 at the moment.

Further FYI....For multi-channel I switched from WideView to SymSync about 8 months ago and never looked back. SymSync does a much better job handling AI traffic depiction....smooth depiction and no lost aircraft.  SymSync is freeware, not yet available for MSFS2020 from what I know. Ultra easy to setup...simply involves setting IP and port addresses for each computer involved.

Fred K

[kattz]

Hi, Fred,

Thanks for that info!

Did I understand correctly that FS2020 will be limited to 100° views?  That's going to hurt the full sized sim community - perhaps the view had to be narrowed so as not to require a Cray supercomputer to generate RT graphics!

Kev

[Joe Lavery]

From what we're told they are going to implement different view ports but it's not a priority at the moment.

I did a Q&A with the developers recently which will be published in our magazine next month.
I also asked about a possible 737 aircraft, I have not had a reply to that yet.

Joe.

[navymustang]

Hasn't Prosim announced that it has a MSFS 2020 compatible version of their 737 in the works?

[jackpilot]

Nothing to be expected short term I think.

Same for other Avionics softs.
2020 still too unstable

[FredK]

Hasn't Prosim announced that it has a MSFS 2020 compatible version of their 737 in the works?

Both ProSim and SimAvionics have announced that they are working on a MSFS2020 version of their software.  However the fact that PMDG has given up on their version for the time being may indicate similar issues for ProSim and SimA.

Fred K

[kattz]

2020 still too unstable

2020 still too unstable,
kicking in chairs and knocking down tables
in a restaurant in a West End town
Call the police! There's a madman around
Running down underground
to a dive bar in a West End town...

Sorry, went back to the 80's for a second there.  Saw that line and all I could think of was "Hm.  Pet Shop Boys..."