G1000 Trainer, Mac, Parallels

[gknauth]

I'm trying to get the Garmin G1000 Trainer v6.01 to work on a MacBook Pro running Windows XP Pro under Parallels.  Has anyone gotten this configuration to work?

[Ricochet13]

Check your settings.  The following are listed in the G1000 trainer's guide:

MINIMUM PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• 1.8 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows® 2000 or XP
• 200 MB free hard disk space
• CD-ROM drive
• Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0b (software application included on the G1000 Trainer CD-ROM)
• Video Card: DirectX capable card with a minimum of 64 MB of memory and video card drivers that support DirectX 9.0b.
NOTE: Intel integrated graphics controllers are NOT supported.

• Screen resolution: 1280 pixels wide x 1024 pixels high
• Four-axis joystick with throttle/power and rudder control (optional).
CAUTION: The G1000 Trainer software application is not designed to run with processor hyperthreading enabled. For processors
that support hyperthreading, hyperthreading must be disabled in the BIOS before starting the G1000 Trainer software application.

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/G1000:Non-AirframeSpecific_TrainerUsersGuide.pdf

Let me know if you figure it out.  I'm running Windows XP using Virtual PC on my MAC.

[gknauth]

My settings are:

• 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo
• 1GB RAM dedicated to virtual machine
• WinXP Pro SP2
• 150GB free hard disk space
• CDROM drive (yes), DirectX 9.0b or better (yes), Video Card capable of DirectX (yes), 64MB allocated to video card
• resolution set to 1280x1024

I'll have to look at the hyperthreading issue.  Thanks.

[Tubacap]

Welcome to the board Geoff!

[flymore]

I hope you guys are using the G-1000 sim for your own currency. Gen. Pineda sent a memo in November of 05 stating that observers not receiving pilot training must receive training from their Wings or Regions.

Seattle and Renton squadrons in Washington Wing have created an observer training program for that purpose. You should contact Pete Kalisky is National and ask for a copy.
If you get no response, let me know I can send one to your Wing Aircrew Training Officer.

Harlan Zentner, Capt.
Director, Washington Wing
G-1000 Observer Training

[rjacobs]

Hyperthreading isn't an issue since the MacBook Pro has either a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo depending on the hardware revision.  Parallels only uses one core for the VM, so from Windows point of view it is a single CPU system.

Your real problem is probably video under Parallels itself.  While DirectX is installed, it will only support DirectDraw functions.  If the trainer requires Direct3D, it won't run on Parallels.  I'm not positive, but it looks like Windows sees the video card as an integrated card under Parallels and not the ATI x1600 that is in the system.  The Garmin documentation says that the software won't run using integrated video, so that might be an issue too.

Direct3D support is supposed to be coming to Parallels v3, so you can give that a try when it is available, but if the software is ultra picky about the hardware it runs on, it probably still won't work.  Your best bet is to try Boot Camp instead which will give Windows direct access to the video hardware.

[gknauth]

2LT Jacobs:  Your message was very informative, thanks.  I'm running the latest Parallels v3.  I enabled DirectX and updated it, but I'll have to check whether Direct3D is involved.  It might be, since the WinXP error dialog detail shows {AppName: cdusimv2.exe, ModName: wined3d.dll, Offset: 00007dad; Exception: 0xc0000005, Address: 0x0000000005917dad}.  I wrote the Parallels team to ask if they could investigate the problem.  The G1000 Trainer starts up and displays the initial screen.  The problem occurs when I press the Power button on the G1000.

It would be nice if I could get the G1000 simulator working on this pretty powerful laptop (latest MacBook Pro with everything maxed), but I can also try the Vista PC I gave my kids.  They actually have the most powerful computer, mostly to make it possible for them to run MS Flight Simulator X with reasonable performance.

CAPT Zentner:  I'm a Mission Pilot and attended PA Wing's G1000 class.

Will:  Hi!