... but I started tinkering with this,,, And I like.. (forgive me, prop gods)

Oh my god!    A 146-200.  PLEASE continue with this and make it compatible with fs2004 as well as FSX.  

Now you need a panel designer (hint, Martyn, hint  ) that can set it up for control of ALL of the systems via KEYPRESSES and/or FSUIPC offests in addition to the usual mouseclicks. A model designed for not only the more casual and typical user.... but SPECIFICALLY also for the SIMPIT construction of an aircraft.  

To my knowledge... that approach would literally be a FIRST for ANY aircraft.

best,

......................john

JBaymore wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 11:40am:



I can't do both formats..    it's just too much work..  But I can say this much.. the main landing gear alone will be months worth of modeling.. all that geometry AND the gear doors.    This model is a solid 18 months away from completion.. so hopefully you'll be an FSX-er by then  

As far as a 2-D panel goes.. the sky is the limit (because I won't make one   )...  I'd be more than happy to base the VC with sim-pits in mind (do you sim pit from a VC ?).. I can model/attach/animate/bind ANYthing to it. That stuff is easy compared to modeling and texturing. You just might end up being the primary tester ..

Brett_Henderson wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 12:47pm:


Possible, but not likely on the FSX by then.  My next main machine upgrade will be to max out fs2004, not run FSX at reduced settings.  I have to spread available sim-cash between the simpit and the main computer.  Right now the "budget" doesn't seem to support both.  

I really do not want to run FSX at significantly reduced settings.  When I go that way, I want to go there and actually see a HUGE improvement in the sim.  I'd be like buying a Massaratti and putting a governor on the engine.  

Brett_Henderson wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 12:47pm:


Simpit control really requires NO visible panels at all.  

All of the aircraft controls are run from physical hardware switches and such (brake levers, throttles, yoke, pedals, etc.) located in the simpit itself.  Simpit builders use pretty much "out the windscreen" views with the panels not visible at all. We HAVE the panels.    Some people that use multiple monitors or multiple projectors also utilize angled or 90 degree side views also to create the entire 3-d environment around the "aircraft's" windows.

What IS necessary is the ability to control all the aircraft systems the designer creates WITHOUT needing any mouseclicks at all or displaying any panels at all.  

So for example, you need to be able to turn on the engine #2 generator by using an assignable keypress or a combination of keypresses.  And use a different keypress to turn it off.  Or you need to be able to have the aircraft system check the status of a specific FSUIPC offset (Pete Dowson, FSUIPC author, will assign offsets for specific projects if you ask him......for freeware....they are free) and turn on (or off) something based on the value held in that offset (this are the same offsets that all normal panels look at).  And so on.

Anyway.... hope that helps.  I have amassed some decent materialson the 146-200 if you want some info.


Brett_Henderson wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 12:47pm:


Hope that I can.      


best,

.....................john

This whole idea would be VERY WELL recieved by the simpit building community, althjough the 146 is far less utilized than say the 737 NG.   

Amazingly, no one has yet approached an aircraft model with the pit builder FULLY in mind at the initial design stage.  Level D (payware) is the closest yet, to my knowledge.

best,

....................john

OK then.. we're on roll  


John, start feeding me info on what it will need, model-wise, to be sim-pit friendly..

And Alejandro.. You'll be helping come texture time (and giving me a pilot), so you'll get to also make the FS9 conversion  

Remember, we're talking about a year or more, so no hurry..

Every little bit helps 

I make it a rule to build flight dynamics around real-world geometry.. so that's where it starts. Come testing and tweaking time; the more input from experienced simmers, the better 

microlight wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2009 at 4:02am:


Yup, I can.  

A lot depends on if we are looking for "close enough" to the 146-100/200/300 , sort of more like the default aircraft (Boo!  ) or something closer akin to what PMDG did with the 747-400 Queen of the Skies release (Yippie!  .  

Basically this "real as it gets" approch would include creating a pretty complex panel system and really complex gauges that replicate the function of all the BAe systems that are different than the default Microsoft ones, and then providing external control input access to them.  Also it will require outputting information from some of those systems to FSUIPC offset locations so that external hardware has access to the "outside the sim" custom information.  (Pete Dowson will supply cistom offset locations in FSUIPC for freeware projects if you just tell him what is needed.  He'll do it for payware too, but likely a financial deal must be struck.)

So Martyn, for example to do it "right" it would be taking the APU gauge function for the 146 that you and I were working on a while ago, and adding a number of complicated aspects to the existing sound and visual and external control functions.  

Thinking about this one element quickly, it would be something like:

• before the APU can start there has to be fuel in the tanks (gauge checks fuel level)
• before the APU can start there has to be electrical power (gauge checks internal DC buss for power on)
• before the APU can start there has to be a source of compressed air (gauge checks to see if ground cart is connected)
• before the APU can start the APU pump has to be turned on (external switch command)
• before the APU can start the APU pump must be functioning correctly at the correct pressure (gauge checks the pump pressure at an offset location)
• the APU start switch has to be turned to "run" (external switch command)
• when the start switch is set to run, a series of offset locations need to be filled with steadily increasing values to reflect realistic N1, N2, EGT and so on until normal run conditions are met (these engine values are placed into FSUIPC offsets)
• when the APU engine values are at the appropriate levels, the APU generator needs to kick in and start generating electricity (these electrical values -V and A- are placed into FSUIPC offsets)
• once the APU generator is generating electricity, the APU generator switch can be thrown to "on" (external switch command)
• once the APU generator switch is "on" the aircraft's electricla system has this source of power available (FSUIPC offset has voltage and amp values reflecting available powwer to be fed to different gauges to power the aircraft's systems)

As I said....... this is complex.  That is ONE gauge.

best,

.......................john