First cockpit

[SAS541]

Ok, so i finally did it. After a year of hanging around various forums and searching the internet for drawings etc, i built a basic cockpit. It must be the obsession i have developed by hanging out with all of you guy's!!

Right now it has just 1 projector (1280x800) for the front view, CH Products yoke, pedals, throttle quadrant and CP Flight MCP. I am using FreeFD for the PFD, VasFMC for the ND and FMC (on screen) and Fsxpand for the EICAS, standby instruments and the Flaps guage. I made WideFS into a button screen to accomodate the buttons i am losing by no longer using the FSX main panel.

I am getting 35 Fps in FSX with most of the sliders at High settings. I was amazed when i first started FSX with just the one screen (deleted FSX.CFG) and it set all the sliders at maximum. I reduced them in order to get more Fps, as it had set the maximum frames at 20 and i wanted more.

It's really fluid and easier to fly than before when i had 3 screens at 1280x1024 with the TripleHead2Go. I think i might finally be able to master hand flying SID's and STAR's.

I am still playing around with the visuals at the moment trying to get the eyepoint correct, as it currently has a bit of a crabbing effect and feels like i am sitting in a go kart.

Regards
Benja

[mpl330]

Looks great!

Thinking about swapping to FSX myself - if I can get decent fps and can sort out the overall "desert" effects!

By dropping the FSX vc / 2d cockpit did you see an increase in fps?

Cheers
Mike

[SAS541]

By dropping the FSX vc / 2d cockpit did you see an increase in fps?

Mike,

It's hard to say, as i have never flown with the 2d cockpit and only 1 screen.

I had 3 19" screens on the TripleHead2Go before at 3840x1024 and a 17" screen at 1280x1024 and was getting about 15 Fps, so this change is a definite improvement.

I also had no Autogen before and the sliders mostly to the left, so the entire visual setup has improved a lot.

Luckily there are no FSX deserts here in Scandinavia as it's mostly forest and that is hard for Microsoft to get wrong....

Regards
Benja

[mpl330]

Same setup as me then - 3x19" on a TH2GO - really want a projector
Has the projector really made such a difference over the 3 19"? (Bear in mind your answer may affect whether my wife gets an Easter Egg )

The forests are something they have really done well but overall I think FSX looks a little 'washed out'/light coloured and the landclass is awful.

You run any AI to get 15fps? What pc you running that on?
Cheers
Mike

[SAS541]

Same setup as me then - 3x19" on a TH2GO - really want a projector
Has the projector really made such a difference over the 3 19"? (Bear in mind your answer may affect whether my wife gets an Easter Egg )

The forests are something they have really done well but overall I think FSX looks a little 'washed out'/light coloured and the landclass is awful.

You run any AI to get 15fps? What pc you running that on?
Cheers
Mike

Mike,

Yes and no for the projector. I have lost the views to the sides, which makes taxiing a little more challenging and i am pushing less pixels than even 1 of the 19" screens from before, as it is 1280x800, but i feel more immersed in the sim now, as the front view is bigger and definitely more fluid with the extra Fps i have gained and being able to turn on Autogen and ground traffic etc.

No, i didn't run any AI or Autogen for 15 fps before with the TH2Go, but i did have the default 737-800 panel on a 4th screen though.

I am running FSX on a Core2Duo 6700 2.6GHz, with 2 GB of ram, 150 GB Raptor 10,000 rpm hard drive and an Nvidia 8800 GTX (768 MB), which probably explains the good results, as it is only running the front view, PMSounds, FS_Com for my CP Flight MCP and the CH Products controls.

I have a Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, with 2 GB of ram and an Nvidia 7600 GS OC (512 MB) connected to the TH2Go for the instruments and they are nice and fluid too.

I still need help to optimize the 8800 GTX settings, as i am not sure if i should do all through FSX or make some settings in the Nvidia control panel to get better visuals. I run the front view at 0.70 zoom.

Plus, i really want to manufacture some longer throttle levers as well, because the CH Throttle Quad is a little low where it is right now.

I guess these kinds of projects are never finished are they...

I plan on buying the CP Flight Com, Nav and Xponder panels next to install, as i am doing this right now using the FSInn controls when flying on Vatsim and it is a little bit of a pain.

Regards
Benja

P.S. The projector i bought is the Infocus X8 and i can't fault it at all so far. I have played Call of Duty 4 so i could show a friend and the effects were great. It also looked good with movies on it too. I now have to think about rearranging my living room for the movies....