Newest KB Articles in PMDG 747-400X

How to send saved flights to someone

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:56:10 GMT

If you want to share an exciting flight or route with the community or send the PMDG team a flight that demonstrates a potential issue with the product, here's the steps to take to ensure you have all the files you need:

Go to the File menu and choose Save Flight... just as you would with any other aircraft. The difference that happens behind the scenes is the creation of a 747-400 panel state that will automatically be saved along with the normal FSX flight files. You do not need to use the PMDG menu Save Panel State option unless you are only trying to create a cockpit setup such as a Cold and Dark file. Assume for the sake of this example that you've saved the file as "PMDG Flight".
Create a zip file that has the following files in it:
- PMDG Flight.flt and PMDG Flight.wx and PMDG Flight.FSSAVE from the \My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files folder.
- PMDG Flight.sav and PMDG Flight.rte from the \Flight Simulator X\PMDG\747400\PanelState folder.
You now have everything you need, upload or email the zip file and others will be able to load your saved flight by extracting those files to the correct folders on their own machine.

Change list vs. FS9 version

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:04:15 GMT

Producing the PMDG 747-400X has been a long process. It was anticipated that we would simply port the existing FS9 747-400 Queen of the Skies product into FSX and be finished within three months.

This process has taken eighteen months and represents a complete rebuild of the product from the inside out. The following is an incomplete list of things that have been changed, updated for FSX, added or tweaked:

Replaced the core of the simulation to use an event-driven, non polling FS connectivity mechanism (sim-connect) that removes the need for dependency upon external software such as FSUIPC. (Note to user: this was a 15 month enterprise...)
Replaced sound handling process to eliminate distortions on certain sound cards and improve performance
Changed all menus / options / dialogs to match FSX UI style
Improved AIRAC database loading code - performance increase / load time decreased to almost instant
Allowed user selectable optimization to show/hide VC F/O display gauges depending upon user preference.
Added user configurable selection for external Antennas on the visual models. (controlled by aircraft.cfg entry)
Implemented custom engine contrails and associated behaviors.
Implemented code to control wingtip and flap vapor vortexes in specific atmospheric conditions and wing configurations.
Increased flap animation control to provide a smoothness of 3000 key frames - no visible frame steps shown anymore
Improved takeoff trim display gauge clarity
Change in Lower EICAS ENG page automatic display logic (only when fuel set to CUTOFF in flight)
Correction in Spoiler handle position detection logic to improve response and correct control.
Optional use of FSUIPC for online flying when FSUIPC detected
GPWS code to allow disabling of specific altitudes depending on configuration
"Approaching Minimums" callout added
Fuel add/remove logic improved to allow user to directly type entry of fuel quantity in PMDG Options menu.
EICAS Target N1 / Ref N1 indications removed when in REV mode
Reversers logic altered to prevent REV lockout when NAI active.
Load Manager now handles payload / fuel directly when FSX / 747-400X loaded and running
Load Manager has option to remove VC model and panel (requires restart of FSX)
Modified Cost Index Equation: The equation is a differential equation solved by successive iterations. This is a very CPU intensive operation. The element of the numerical procedure has been optimized, yielding a factor of 5 speed up with minimal effect on result accuracy, thus reducing the required load on the CPU for the mathematics involved.
CDU Legs page - predicted Alt Improvements: Above / Below type (e.g. 6000A8000B) soft constraint both vertical flight path prediction and VNAV mode bug corrections and predictive improvements. Also UNABLE NEXT ALT message will appear in all cases referring to soft altitude constraints.
CDU N1 page - flight phase improvements: Regular thrust limit page (instead of TO limit page) will appear now below flap retraction altitude.
CDU Fix page - changes to RAD/DIS to be BRG/DIS
CDU Cruise page - change in step alt code: At 2R the last step altitude target would not appear when step climb was not possible. It does now above the NONE header.
FMC: Various small and large behavior corrections.
GA thrust limit will automatically be set now only if ToD is sequenced and flaps are out (or GS is captured as before)
Retuned the entire pitch channel of the autopilot to accommodate flight modeling changes within FSX. The This includes all related pitch modes (VS, FLCH etc). The main target was to improve mode stability even at high sim rates and in connection to idiosyncratic FSX "real" weather handling. The pitch channel in some places was enhanced with a secondary control routine to improve effectiveness in pitch sensitive roles such as glideslope tracking.
Modified air file related to new aerodynamic center definition for FSX
Various cosmetic changes to CDU display and text handling.
Adaptive refresh rate control for CRTs / LCDs based on target and actual frame rate (order is PFD, ND, EICAS, sby instruments)
Added Bump Map Textures to all 400/400F models.
Added additional fuselage detail to all 400/400F models.
Updated PMDG House Livery for FSX version.
External models rebuilt to take full advantage of new FSX features such as self shadowing, specular bloom, normal maps, vertex animation and more.
External and VC models rebuilt to take full advantage of FSX materials: allows for more realistic reflections, specular highlights and normal maps (bump maps)
Conversion of bitmaps to DDS: allows for faster loading times, and cleaner bitmaps with less compression artifacts.
Smoother animations: Used new FSX animation techniques to smooth out the model animations. This is especially noticeable with the landing gear extension/retraction sequence, and the deployment of the flaps.
Vertex animation: Wing flex and control surfaces now driven by a complex skeletal system, which allows for smooth bending and deformation without visible segments. Wings now flex smoothly and seamlessly, and the variable camber leading edge flaps are now a single piece which smoothly deforms as it extends. The wing structure including flaps and leading edge devices now bends fluidly reflecting the flex tendency of the materials from which the wing and devices are constructed.
Updated external lighting: You will notice higher quality lighting effects for the tail illumination of the logo lights. Navigation, position and strobe lights are brought up to FSX standards.
Updated all models to include the ability to display various external dorsal antenna configurations.
Virtual Cockpit fully compatible with FSX
Great care has been taken to bring the cockpit up to FSX standards and improve realism. Now present are self Illuminating (emissive bitmaps) during daylight hours. Indicator lights now illuminate properly in both day and night environments. Daytime backlighting is fully functional. Glass displays are bright and easy to read even if the aircraft is in shadow, or during dusk/dawn operations. (Use your display dimmers when transitioning between bright and dim lighting.) Together with normal maps (bump maps) and the cleaner compression of DDS bitmaps, these effects bring a higher level of clarity and realism to the cockpit.
Controls and animations updated to conform to FSX specifications.
Modified control and animations techniques used in the FSX VC's in order to reduce processor load on FSX.
Numerous performance optimizations of display and computational code to reduce processor load on FSX.
Various other assorted minor fixes along the way.
Improved wing flex and wing flight path distortion model.
Significant re-tuning of landing gear animation to accommodate changes in the way FSX handles ground contact.
Flap and wingtip vapor vortexes that appear in rain/snow conditions when appropriate.
Added engine and APU fire effect.
Added Fuel Dump effect.

Navdata and SIDSTAR

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:02:25 GMT

The 747-400X uses the same navdata files as the FS9 version. Navigraph's installer is already updated to work with the 400X, (there's a radio button to choose between FS9 and FSX) and sources like Terry Yingling's Planepath files or Dan Downs' custom files available at AVSIM work just fine too.

One for sure way to do it is just copy over the files from your FS9 SIDSTAR folder after performing whatever update... Be aware though that the location of the AIRAC has changed for the FSX version - the files are now in:

<FSX root folder>\PMDG\NavData

Can't find PMDG dll files CTD

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:00:18 GMT

To clear up the problem, please try the following:

Delete your dll.xml and fsx.cfg files. You need to locate your dll.xml file associated with FSX. In XP it's at \Documents and Settings\(Your User Name)\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX and in Vista/Win7 it's at \Users\(Your User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX. Note that you will need "Show Hidden Files and Folders" checked in Windows Explorer's Folder Options in order to see these folders.
Uninstall the PMDG 747-400X from the Control Panel. (Add/Remove Programs in XP or Programs and Features in Vista)
Manually delete the PMDG folders that remains on your hard drive after uninstalling. By default these are at \Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\PMDG and \Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes Within the Airplanes folder, remove the PMDG747-400 and PMDG747-400F folders.
Reinstall the 747-400X and the latest update.
Run FSX, answer yes/run to all the dll popups.
Select the 747-400X and load it, answering yes to the gauge popups.

This should solve the issue. If it doesn't please contact support for further troubleshooting.

PMDG 747-400X fails to reload

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:55:08 GMT

FSX has a problem in the way it loads custom animations for the visual models. PMDG relies heavily on custom animations in order to do everything from flaps and slats to allowing users to de-select the winglets or open and close the cargo nose of the 747-400F. For this reason, the PMDG 747-400 is susceptible to a quirky fault within FSX that is generally relatively easy to avoid:

If you have selected a PMDG 747-400X, then re-enter the aircraft selection menu and select a PMDG 747-400X of the same engine type, you MIGHT trigger this quirky little bug in FSX, and the PMDG 747-400X will fail to load properly and be unflyable within the simulator. If this happens, simply close the sim and start over again.

We identified this failing to Microsoft but there simply wasn’t sufficient time for them to address the issue.

Sometimes it is not obvious that you have been bitten by this bug- so here are a few things that are SURE signs that it has happened:

The cockpit backlighting is ON and the displays are blank
The cockpit switches won’t animate correctly
The visual model appears rigid and is not animated correctly
There is smoke pouring from the engines and the model won’t animate.

This bug should rarely affect you- and can be avoided by one simple rule: Don’t reload the same engine type airplane. (You can switch between engine types with no problems.)

I see a blank bitmap with no gauges loaded when running the PMDG 747-400X for the first time

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:45:23 GMT

This can happen when SimConnect fails to properly load all the gauges in a fast enough sequence (due to having to click on all the popup gauge/module validations). Simply close and restart FSX and all everything should work.

What are all the popups I see after running FSX for the first time after installing?

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:44:30 GMT

These are perfectly normal and are part of Microsoft’s new software signature checking system. After installing the PMDG 747-400X, you will see three pop-up alerts asking if you wish to run dlls that are signed by PMDG. These are the PMDG modules files. You will then see four more when you actually load the PMDG 747-400X aircraft for the first time. These are the gauges. Just select ok/allow for all of them and everything will work.

If you select NO to any of them your PMDG product will not work and you may be required to uninstall the PMDG 747-400X and re-install in order to use this product.

Error Number: 0x800C0005 during install

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:43:47 GMT

Before delving deeper into registry settings and the like, make sure that if you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7 you run the setup installer AS ADMINISTRATOR (right-click on it choose "Run as Administrator").

If that doesn't work:

Information from Microsoft:

This behavior may occur if certain dynamic-link library files (.dll files) are not registered correctly or if there is a firewall between the computer and the Internet that does not allow HTTPS (SSL) connections. RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, use the regsvr32 command to reregister several .dll files:

Click Start, click Run (or just type into the search bar in Vista), type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type the following commands. Press ENTER after each line:

regsvr32 Softpub.dll

regsvr32 Wintrust.dll

regsvr32 Initpki.dll
Click OK.
Restart your computer.

Some have reported that simply re-registering the MSXML3.DLL seems to fix the problem.

Click Start.
Choose Run.
In the Run box, type:

regsvr32 MSXML3.DLL
Press okay

If that hasn't helped you may need to re-registered some more files:

Click Start.
Choose Run.
In the Run box, type (pressing okay after each one) :-

net stop wuauserv

regsvr32 wuapi.dll

regsvr32 wups.dll

regsvr32 wuaueng.dll

regsvr32 wuaueng1.dll

regsvr32 wucltui.dll

regsvr32 wuweb.dll

regsvr32 MSXML3.dll

regsvr32 qmgr.dll

regsvr32 qmgrprxy.dll

regsvr32 jscript.dll

net start wuauserv

Avira AntiVir reports a TR/PSW.Online.BX.15 trojan virus in PMDG_SimConnect_Ldr.dll

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:40:50 GMT

This is a FALSE POSITIVE. We scan all of our files with commercial grade payware antivirus software and we are quite sure our files are clean. Ignore the warning.