PMDG 737TNG Offsets

[Raafie75]

Dear PMDG Team / Pete Dawson,

Please forgive my unfimilularity will all this but I'm very keen to get up and running with my simpit using 737TNG.

Would it be as simple as making the 737TNG offsets available to the average then leaving it up to them using FSUIPC SDK to make these commands within FSUIPC?

I've been a user of MSFS ever since birth of it and now I'm in a position to make something very realistic. From what I've read from the PMDG support forum its going to be the most realistic sim ever and thats exactly what I'm looking for? :o

I haven't used FSUIPC SDK before, I'm waiting for the MSFS 2004 version so I don't have to learn a new package again. At the moment I'm trying to collect as much information as possible to see if I can make this thing work. :D

I've already built a few FSBUS boards and from what I've seen from the software it will interface with any command built into FSUIPC. From what I can see it wouldn't be hard for the PMDG team to provide these offsets for atleast us to play with? I may be wrong with the last comment, sorry if I am! :oops:

I would appreciate any feedback available please.

Kind Regards,

Brad Heller.

[Pete Dowson]

Would it be as simple as making the 737TNG offsets available to the average then leaving it up to them using FSUIPC SDK to make these commands within FSUIPC?

I've been hoping PMDG would publish their programming interface soon, but I've seen no sign of it yet. Have you asked them?

I haven't used FSUIPC SDK before, I'm waiting for the MSFS 2004 version so I don't have to learn a new package again.

There's no such thing as "the FS2004 version". The SDK was updated with some FS2004 stuff when FS2004 was released, and continues to be updated with new stuff at intervals. I've got quite a lot more to add to use right now. but there's never any "re-learning" to do. The interface is still the one designed for FS98, just expanding with new data and capabilities as FSUIPC and FS develops.

From what I can see it wouldn't be hard for the PMDG team to provide these offsets for atleast us to play with? I may be wrong with the last comment, sorry if I am! :oops:

No, you are not wrong, I don't think it should be hard, but I think the PMDG team are busy and find it difficult to spare time on what, from their point of view, is not a particularly rewarding job. It's really the same as for the official Microsoft FS SDKs, none of which have appeared for FS2004 yet. They are "spare time" jobs, not what they are paid for.

But by all means ask PMDG again, and let us know what they say.

Regards,

Pete

[Raafie75]

I really appreciate your feedback and for enlighting me on the fact that I can use the SDK now! :D

As for getting information out of PDMG, I haven't had a single reply to any of my FSUIPC questions regarding offsets? Like you said, it might not be on their high priority list but it would be nice to know if I should be commiting myself this early to building my simpit around 737TNG. :?

Thanks again for you quick reply and I will definately get back to you if I hear anything at all from PDMG. :o

Kind Regards,

BRAD HELLER.

Newcastle, Australia.

[Pete Dowson]

As for getting information out of PDMG, I haven't had a single reply to any of my FSUIPC questions regarding offsets? Like you said, it might not be on their high priority list but it would be nice to know if I should be commiting myself this early to building my simpit around 737TNG. :?

I think all the PMDG staff are very busy, which is probably the problem. I picked up this statement from a message in another forum:

"PMDG is working hard to finish the next patch (update SU2), which will fix all the reported bugs with the FMC and MCP. The update will also include wings views I believe and merge a few features that were originally only going to come with the -800/900 series."

Anyway, I've written to PMDG as well to ask them for a progress report on the programming interface. I'll let you know what they say.

Regards,

Pete

[Raafie75]

Thanks again Pete for getting back with your replys so quickly. I can't begin to emagine how busy you are right now! Your a total professional.

I only wish I would get the same from PDMG but I do also appreciate how busy they are aswell. I just feel they are trying to dodge the question. I have posted 2 items on there forum about FSUIPC and haven't had a reply yet.

I look forward to what you find out. :D

Thanks

BRAD.

[Raafie75]

Sorry forgot one question.

Do you need experience in programming to use your SDK to program in new offsets like PMDG 737TNG.

Has there been a simple tutorial been produced that I could look at?

Regards,

BRAD HELLER

[Pete Dowson]

Do you need experience in programming to use your SDK to program in new offsets like PMDG 737TNG.

There's no difference what offsets you want to use. If you want to write a program you need to know something about programming. If you know nothing, then starting with Windows programming AND FSUIPC interfacing at the same time doesn't seem like a good idea. Try some examples in a "Dummies Book of Programing" first.

If you are only thinking of exercising PMDG switches and A/P settings and the like from buttons, dials and keypresses, then I may be adding these as additional controls on the Keys and Buttons pages in FSUIPC in any case, much like the additional controls there already for Project Magenta.

I cannot make any commitments to this until I know more about the interface, however.

Has there been a simple tutorial been produced that I could look at?

No. There are simple examples in each of several different languages in the SDK. Questions posed here usually get someone responding with help and example code.

I'm not the right person to try to offer any tuition. I make a lousy and impatient teacher I'm afraid. You wouldn't like me if I tried! :?

Regards,

Pete

[Raafie75]

Thanks Pete, don't worry I wasn't going to ask. I think you've already got enough on your plate right now as it is.

I had a hit on one of my posts on the PDMG forum overnight but it was to a question if anyone from the PDMG team answer any of my questions. So I've directed them to the 2 posts I put up previously, hope to have a answer soon to the question.

I was hoping you'd eneter the code into FSUIPC for us like you did with Project Magenta but I wasn't going to ask! Whatever you can come up with and whenever I'll be definately happy with that. I know you've got alot more info to obtain from PDMG so I certainly won't be hasstling you for it. I hope to gain some of that info for you. :lol:

Kind Regards,

BRAD HELLER

[Raafie75]

Still not getting a single reply from PDMG Pete. Sounds like too much of a hard question for them?

Brad.

[Pete Dowson]

Still not getting a single reply from PDMG Pete. Sounds like too much of a hard question for them?

No, they're just too busy. I got an answer from the guy I deal with, who is always very helpful. They are planning on providing a proper SDK for programming their cockpits, and it sounds like it's being worked on already, but they won't give timescales yet (I don't blame them, really. It's always a mistake). Whether this is what I want to interface to or not remains to be seen. At the very least you'd be able to use a keyboard interface, programmed for buttons via the FSUIPC Buttons page. I am hoping for more, but we'll have to wait and see.

Pete

[Raafie75]

Thanks for the feedback, thats some of what I wanted to know!

Will I be able to assign certain offsets you've already for established with keystrokes through the FSUIPC interface?

FSBUS allows you to select any of your commands, can that command then be assigned to a certain key command. From PDMG says, the keyboard interface will be available in the Service Release 2.

But I still have the issue when it comes to Annuciators that are not controlled by keystrokes?

Take Care Pete,

Brad.

[Pete Dowson]

Will I be able to assign certain offsets you've already for established with keystrokes through the FSUIPC interface?

I'm not removing any FSUIPC facilities, so, yes, of course you can still generate keystrokes through FSUIPC. But if you are writing a program in any case I believe the PMDG SDK may actually allow you to interface much more effectively directly. My concern for FSUIPC was not for the programmers, more for those who buy or make devices with buttons and knobs currently usable with FS or PM, and want them to work into the new panels too.

But I still have the issue when it comes to Annuciators that are not controlled by keystrokes?

I thought "annunciators" were displays telling you stuff like the modes of the A/P and A/T systems. If you mean directly setting the A/P register values, like speed, altitude, heading, and V/S, then that as usual is one of my concerns, as trying to set these with just INCs and DECs with a rotary switch is a pain.

Regards,

Pete

[Graham Pollitt]

Still not getting a single reply from PDMG Pete. Sounds like too much of a hard question for them?

No, they're just too busy. I got an answer from the guy I deal with, who is always very helpful. They are planning on providing a proper SDK for programming their cockpits, and it sounds like it's being worked on already, but they won't give timescales yet (I don't blame them, really. It's always a mistake). Whether this is what I want to interface to or not remains to be seen. At the very least you'd be able to use a keyboard interface, programmed for buttons via the FSUIPC Buttons page. I am hoping for more, but we'll have to wait and see.

Pete

Did this SDK from PMDG ever get released? I havent heard of anything from them

Graham

[Pete Dowson]

Did this SDK from PMDG ever get released? I havent heard of anything from them

I don't think so, they were undecided about how to play it. I think it possible they only sell it to hardware makers like Aerosoft Oz and GoFlight, maybe. But ask in the PMDG forum.

Pete