Project Magenta: Poorly Documented

[coolmanak]

Hello everybody. I'm thinking about purchasing Project Magenta Airbus type software, but I can find no information about it.

What exactly does it contain/do?

[Matt Olieman]

Go to http://www.projectmagenta.com lot's of information.

If you have a specific question please feel free to ask. Lot's of helpful and friendly PM users here.

Matt Olieman

[BlackWidow]

Hello

You can find the documentation on the PM site on the left hand side of the site is a link to Documentation click that link and go to the link for the Project Magenta User Manual. Hope this helps.

http://www.projectmagenta.com/

[N242AM]

As an owner of the AB suite, may I suggest you check on whether the software works correctly, is in a finished state, or when if ever it will be finished.

To me the documentation is a secondary concern.

I suspect my statement applies to all the PM software.

[BlackWidow]

I would defintly agree with N242AM. If only i knew when i ordered my PM software what i know now. But i wont go there.

[coolmanak]

To me it appears it displays the MFD, PFD, and the two ECAMs. However I have a few questions regarding it that I can not find. Firstly, is the secondary ECAM capable of displaying all the different functions a real one can display? Secondly, does this software include the two backup digital gauges?

And the most important bit: It appears that you need *three* sets of software to run it all. PMsystems, PMAirbus captains side, and PMAirbus first officer's side.

So I'm assuming if you get all 3 of these, you get the MFD, PFD, and the two ECAMs, the MCDU, and the FCU? And hopefully the two backup digital displays?

[BlackWidow]

If you download the program you can use it in demo mode and that may answer your questions.

[3202b]

I would defintly agree with N242AM. If only i knew when i ordered my PM software what i know now. But i wont go there.

Another one who agrees, it's probably been one of the most expensive mistakes I've made. I am a very disappointed customer - I asked for a few simple fixes a few months ago and still have heard nothing....I bought the software years ago now and apart from a few minor fixes it's in a broken state with little realistic functionality.

[ak49er]

I am proposing the use of the RJ (Commercial Liscense) and need to know more about it from users, does anyone have any experience with it. What does it NOT simulate; accurately, or at all, what does it NOT offer? I admit I'm concerned after reading the previous posts. I would like to use the RJ softawre wiht PM Systems, PM Instructor staion and some sort of hardware FMC/CDU solution. I am trying to simulate Honeywell Primus Epic CSD-R avionics, and was hoping this would be an adequate solution.

[XOrionFE]

I have it running. i havent dug too deep into it but it is limited on what the screens can do. You dont have the kind of control as you do in the sim with the mfd buttons and such.

[N242AM]

I have no idea what IS provided in the PMRJ as opposed to what the real displays offer.

One way to get an idea of what is provided is to download the documentation file from the PM site. The Key Command section explains much.

From memory, I believe all the PM software is included in the one doc file.

Also, I seem to recall that there is no difference in the Private vs Commercial versions. Both are identical. The Commercial License just gives you better (?) technical support.

[Kennair]

As mentioned earlier, all the PM suites can be downloaded and run with full functionality. They are time limited to about 20min and apart from a couple of interruption messages every 5min or so, it works fully.

I had a go at both the Boeing and the RJ software after hearing lots of complaints about the unfinished products, and while this may be true (I don't profess to have tested everything), I must say it is very sweet. Very easy to setup and very smooth graphics even at large scale. I can see why these guys have little rival currently.

As a matter of interest I also tried demo's of FSXpand and Flight Deck Software. FSXPand was a pain to get going and I eventually gave up due to the incredibly slow response to any configuration changes. Perhaps my lack of understanding but never the less not easy to work with. Graphics weren't as good either. Flight Deck Software proved similiarly tricky to configure and it also proved less flexible with gauge placement. I also couldn't get the full EHSI to show up. All these problems could well have been due to my lack of experience with the software but I must say I had no problem getting PM up and running nor making gauge changes afterward. Very intuitive. I followed the instructions in the associated manuals in all case and while I found all the manuals lacking to varying degrees, getting one working while others didn't is indicative of the effectiveness of the manual. I would liked to have tried the Ellie Avionics packages also but they don't appear to offer demo versions, and I wasn't about to shell out $60 just for the exercise!

The cost of each package of course sets them apart (although the FDS packages aren't all that much cheaper than PM). I am looking at a viable RJ package also, and would seriously consider the PM version (particularly considering there is NO alternative!). It would be nice to have a little faster response to updates and fixes however.

Just my thoughts,

Ken.

[XOrionFE]

I guess I should expand a little also.

I love the ease of use of PMRJ. I have 5 instances of it running on one computer for various displays. In addition I also own PM GAIFR which is pretty awesome. I actually run an instance of GAIFR for my standby guages on my Learjet 45 pit. Speed is great. Ease of use is great. Very intuitive to modify and adjust size, position, etc.

Back to the RJ though, you dont have a bunch of pages you can cycle through like the real thing. You could not emulate all of the PFD/ND button functions in a real learjet for instance. I have the Friendly Panels Learjet and the panels are awesome. However, would be a pain to try to run with any performance using multiple monitors on a single PC. I tried that before giving in and purchasing PMRJ. So in a nutshell, PMRJ offers the best ease of use and performance and looks almost perfect but does lack the functionality found in real panels (unless I have completely and blindly missed something of course).

Scott

[Kennair]

Yes you bring up a very important point Scott and one that is central to purchasing a package such as PM, and that is the speed increase it releases on your main FS PC. I found when testing the PM gauges with each panel I turned off (and there were only two, but fairly complex) I gained an extra 7 to 10 FPS in performance. In high detail airports this resulted in the difference between stuttery movement and smooth realism.

Ken.