How does opencockpits H/W and prosim737s software work?

[archen]

Hi everybody!

I'm about to build my first serious cockpit and I have a very basic questition that I feel I need an answer before I start planning.

I will go with opencockpits hardware.. I will build my own instruments and use SIOC as software for them.

I will use Prosim737's software BUT I have a big questition here.. What does prosim737 actually do? Do I need some kind of payware plane? (like PMDG 737NG)
I don't get it.. is prosim737 actually a plane in FSX or is it just a interface between SIOC and the plane in FSX?
If it's a plane in FSX, do I need to program all the instruments behaviors by my self or does Prosim737 do that for me and I just programs the offsets for example the annunciators? Or do I actually need to program the logic why a annunciator will light up?

I don't know if you know what Im trying to explain here but I will try to explain more detail if you want me to.

Thanks in advance,
Greetings from Sweden!

[metamarty]

Hello,

If you divide your simulator in two parts, here's what each part does:

FS:
- Contains the flightmodel and the aircraft
- Generates the outside view
- Generates engine and wind sounds

Prosim:
- Contains the system logic of the aircraft
- Drives the aircraft displays (PFD/ND/EICAS)
- Talks to your opencockpits hardware
- Reads the state of the switches and buttons and drives the indicators in the cockpit
- Generates aircraft sound (GPWS and warning sounds)
- Can talk to a lot of hardware like joystick cards, OpenCockpits cards, phidgets, etc so you can build your cockpit with all kinds of parts

So Prosim is an external aircraft simulator next to FS. When you fly in autopilot mode, Prosim takes the controls and flies the FS aircraft. You should load a 737 aircraft in FS of your choice. Prosim does not contain an aircraft to load in FS. You may use the default FSX 737, but most people want to use a 737 model with more precise and realistic 737 dynamics, like a PMDG aircraft. Please note that the only part of the PMDG aircraft in use in this case is the flight model. All logic should be removed from the aircraft, since Prosim already contains it.

[737NUT]

If i may interject here, as for the gauges, which ones are you referring to? The overhead? The main instrument panel? The main instruments have nothing to do with Prosim, just use SIOC and standard FSX offsets. As for overhead gauges, you will still need some scaling in SIOC code to get to function properly but the data comes from Prosim as adjusted from FSX properties. Please correct me if im wrong here Marty.
Driving real gauges is both fun and frustrating but in the end it is worth it. :)

Rob

[archen]

Thank you very much guys! Great answers! Is i hard to remove all logics from an PMDG aircraft? I will be using the PMDG 737NGX when it hits the market.

Does Prosim737 handle everything that PMDG would handle? Like failures and so on?

Does prosim737 provide any other sounds like gear, speedbrake extend on landing, trim wheels and so on? I'm flying the pmdg 747 right now and I'm missing those sounds.

best regards,
Anders

[capetonian]

Thank you very much guys! Great answers! Is i hard to remove all logics from an PMDG aircraft? I will be using the PMDG 737NGX when it hits the market.


I cannot speak fopr the NGX version but only for the current FS9 version. You need to delete your panel folder and make a few small tweaks to the .air file. This is the quickest way to get it all working flawlessly with prosim. What I would do if I were you is copy the entire PMDG737-800 folder to a different location on your harddrive as a backup. This way you can always replace it if you decide that you want to fly with PMDG again. I have used a similar method to strip my IFly 737 of it's logic and use it with Prosim.

But ... why spend money on the NXG version if you are not going to be using 90% of the package? All that you will be using is the flight moden and the visuals aka eye-candy?

PMDG harly handles any faliures, Prosim has just about any failure that you could imagine and you can set the failures to happen at random and the number of failures you want each day. If your mates are flying you can activate failures from the web interface on a different pc and scare the crap out of them :) Marty has added a very extensive sound ,odule that I have not fully implemented yet but it has most of the cockpit sounds in it.

[archen]

I cannot speak fopr the NGX version but only for the current FS9 version. You need to delete your panel folder and make a few small tweaks to the .air file. This is the quickest way to get it all working flawlessly with prosim. What I would do if I were you is copy the entire PMDG737-800 folder to a different location on your harddrive as a backup. This way you can always replace it if you decide that you want to fly with PMDG again. I have used a similar method to strip my IFly 737 of it's logic and use it with Prosim.

But ... why spend money on the NXG version if you are not going to be using 90% of the package? All that you will be using is the flight moden and the visuals aka eye-candy?

PMDG harly handles any faliures, Prosim has just about any failure that you could imagine and you can set the failures to happen at random and the number of failures you want each day. If your mates are flying you can activate failures from the web interface on a different pc and scare the crap out of them :) Marty has added a very extensive sound ,odule that I have not fully implemented yet but it has most of the cockpit sounds in it.

Thanks for the reply! What marty have done is truly amazing.. Im so looking forward to install his program.

Is'nt pmdg dynamics worth paying for or can I use any kind of aircraft? How is iFly's model dynamics?

Thank you all for helping me.. I thougt I knew FSX pretty good but in the past weeks I realized that I don't :)

[archen]

Now I have one more questition =) When programming in SIOC and using offsets from FSUIPC.. Do I use FS offsets or does prosim737 have their own offsets?

Thanks,
Anders

[tigerkwy]

You need to delete your panel folder and make a few small tweaks to the .air file. This is the quickest way to get it all working flawlessly with prosim. I have used a similar method to strip my IFly 737 of it's logic and use it with Prosim.


Can you explain the method ? thanks

[hark40]

Hello,

Does anybody know how to remove the iFly logic?

I would like testing iFly flight Model + Prosim.

Thanks and Greetings!

[cuevision]

Please note that the only part of the PMDG aircraft in use in this case is the flight model. All logic should be removed from the aircraft, since Prosim already contains it.

Hi Metamarty,

Can you tell me what you mean with this please? How and where must I remove all logic?

Thanks and regards,
Ed

[metamarty]

Hi Metamarty,

Can you tell me what you mean with this please? How and where must I remove all logic?

Thanks and regards,
Ed

Hello,

I personally have no experience with this, some other people might be able to help. Because there is a common need for a good 737 without logic by cockpit builders, we recently released a complete ready to use 737 package in the prosim737 webshop. This one is ready out of the box.

Regards,

Marty

[cuevision]

Hi Marty

Ok I understand. I have bought that plane too to compare it and see its functionality. However I want to keep on using PMDG, because of its real sound.

Thanks and regards,
Ed

[metamarty]

If you are using ProSim (or another cockpit suite), the easiest is to migrate the sound you want into the JetStream FSX aircraft. It has an empty sound folder that links to the default 737. We installed the Turbine sound studio's audio package into it.

[cuevision]

Hi Marty

Sounds good. Because of me using my home cockpit, I do not need to see the Virtual Cockpit anylonger, which is very nice of PMDG. But as I said the sound of all parts/engines/switches and so on are just a must to have. So when I receive the PROSIM plane I will give it a try...

Thanks again and regards,
Ed