GSX Integration with PMDG 747-400F

[simtom]

Hello,

I know that you've stated you're working on a better integration for the cargo variant of the 747 (nose and side cargo) but you were waiting on PMDG. Do you have more news regarding this or has this plan been postponed?

Kind regards,
Tomas

[virtuali]

Not sure what do you mean with "better integration" or that we should wait for PMDG. None of these features would require help from PMDG. The only thing we would really need help from PMDG, would be the syncronized refueling, and the bypass pin simulation. They don't seem to be interested, opposite to FS Labs, which already feature the bypass pin integration with GSX and recognize the GSX refueling process too.

1) the side cargo works just fine, but must create a custom configuration for it, because the default configuration we made for the 747F uses both loaders in the right, but nothing prevents you to move the door to left, GSX supports loading cargo from the left side since many years.

2) supporting the nose cargo would require a major update to GSX so, it's something for a future version.

Note that, regardless how you configure the airplane, you will always have TWO loaders IN TOTAL, due to limitation of the FSX SDK which would be too long to explain here. Having more than 2 vehicles of the same kind is something we would like to do, but it will probably require a P3D-only version, which is something further down the future...

[simtom]

Not sure what do you mean with "better integration" or that we should wait for PMDG. None of these features would require help from PMDG.

My apologies if my wording wasn't that clear.

The only thing we would really need help from PMDG, would be the syncronized refueling, and the bypass pin simulation. They don't seem to be interested, opposite to FS Labs, which already feature the bypass pin integration with GSX and recognize the GSX refueling process too.

That's why the airplane moves erratically, right?

1) the side cargo works just fine, but must create a custom configuration for it, because the default configuration we made for the 747F uses both loaders in the right, but nothing prevents you to move the door to left, GSX supports loading cargo from the left side since many years.

Thanks, will try that out.

2) supporting the nose cargo would require a major update to GSX so, it's something for a future version.

That's what I actually meant to say.

Note that, regardless how you configure the airplane, you will always have TWO loaders IN TOTAL, due to limitation of the FSX SDK which would be too long to explain here. Having more than 2 vehicles of the same kind is something we would like to do, but it will probably require a P3D-only version, which is something further down the future...

I switched to P3D v4 so I'm looking forward to that.

Thanks for the extra information!

[virtuali]

That's why the airplane moves erratically, right?

Yes, I suspect this might be related to the plane still controlling the rudder while being pushback. Of course, it's nothing we can fix from our side, it's PMDG that should modify the plane code and stop doing that, while the plane is pushed.

GSX has a public variable, which is documented at Page 45 of the GSX manual in the "Interfacing with GSX" chapter, that developers can check to know if GSX is pushing, so they can adapt their internal simulation to do whatever they could do in their code when an external vehicle is pushing. This is something that can work for a quick fix, and doesn't require any assistance from us, since the variable is already there.

In addition to that, GSX supports an even more precise method to support a simulation of the bypass pin, which is used by the FS Labs A320, where GSX will know even the extents of the steering wheel animation, so it will move the front gear exactly as the original airplane simulation would, for a 100% visual match between the animation when the airplane or the GSX truck controlling the steering.

We contacted PMDG explaining how this system works almost 2 years ago, but they don't seem to be interested in using it.

[simtom]

I see, too bad don't they implement it then.

But why isn't the 737 doing that movement? Or did they implement that feature on the 737?

[virtuali]

Or did they implement that feature on the 737?

No, it's just the 737 might not have the feature that causes the movement in the 747.

The whole point of letting developers to detect if GSX is pushing, is precisely to temporarily TURN OFF every non-standard dynamic feature they might have added to the plane that might cause issues when the airplane is being moved by an external force.

[simtom]

Well, let us hope they'll implement it some day.

Thanks for explaining the matter to me.