Glass panels - how to

[pcride]

I am drafting out my set up based on a 747 cockpit. What is the best way to set up the glass panels below the windshield , i.e. GPS screen, horizontal display, engine status...

I would image a series of 7 inch monitors then some sort of monitor software to move the panels around and lock them in position?

Thanks,

[Sean Nixon]

I'm unfamiliar with the 747 layout, but in the 737, a 19" widescreen will do the Captains PFD & ND, another does the F/O's side, whilst a 'normal' 4:3 ratio monitor does the centre EICAS and standby instruments. I would say that's the most widely used method, although you can do it any way suits your needs.

[jskibo]

The problem you'll run into with a bunch of 7" monitors is having enough video outputs to drive them all. Not a problem if your running 3+ PC with multiple video cards just for the systems (avionics displays).

[Ronson2k9]

In many cases it's best to have a larger monitor and combine the displays into one (EFIS and Nav). Then build a template (MIP) to go over top so it looks like they are separate displays. As your computer can perhaps handle two monitors at a time this works out pretty well (one for the captain and one for the first officer). It's a bit of smoke and mirrors when you build a sim. What you see isn't always what you build. Think of the cockpit as a full size 1:1 model of the actual cockpit. It's not an actual cockpit though only a model. So it doesn't need to be up to FAA specs or even the engineers of Boeing. It only has to look and work like it is. So you can do many things they can't (cheaper, easier, less time consuming etc)...

So in this way you have 4 displays in the cockpit but only 2 monitors. Another thing is if you want a high resolution smaller monitor you end up paying about 2 times the price of a larger monitor at the same resolution. Smaller is harder to sell so demand is low making it more specialized (increasing the per unit cost).

To do a 747 with 3 displays (captain main instruments + engine management + co-pilot main instruments) you will perhaps need a Matrox THTG (http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/th2go/)and a computer with a dual DVI output video card that will give your outside view as well. So you are then running 4 displays from one machine. If you want 3 displays (monitors) for your exterior view then .. Another THTG might be in order. Nowadays though a large screen TV will fit the bill nicely without the added hardware (they are getting pretty inexpensive these days).

It's all in the planning (more or less) you can move processing and video about to a degree.

A few things to remember.
- You can network computers together to have them work with the flight sim (add on software is required)
--- Increasing the amount of inputs and outputs running in one simulation.
- You can add external video drivers (Matrox Tripple Head To Go) extending the port output of your current video card (up to 3 monitors per port)
- You can combine displays that appear to be multiple instruments (Digital and Analog) in the specs of the actual cockpit into one monitor.
- Although it's quite great to have some real equipment (used aircraft parts) in your sim. Almost everything can and has been built with other materials.

Hope that helps a little and welcome on board...
Ron