PMDG 737 NGX Base Pack for FSX: Can’t access the FMS control panel

PMDG 737 NGX (FSX) – FMS/CDU panel access

Not normal, no — on the NGX you should be able to bring up the CDU/FMS as a 2D pop-up panel (even though you also have the CDU in the VC).

A few things to check, step-by-step:

1. Make sure you’re in the VC and not an external view. The CDU in the VC is usually on the center pedestal. Try clicking the CDU screen or the bezel keys (some camera positions make it easier to hit the clickspots).
2. Try the standard panel cycle: press A to cycle through cockpit views, and Shift+1 through Shift+9 to see if any of the PMDG pop-ups are assigned there (many complex addons use those default combos for CDU, FMC, overhead, etc.).
3. Check if 2D panels are disabled. Some NGX configurations and some users’ FSX setups run VC-only. Even then, the CDU pop-up should still exist, but it depends on how it was installed/configured.
4. Confirm you’re using the right aircraft variant. If you accidentally loaded a “lite” or non-PMDG aircraft (or a broken repaint entry), you can end up without the expected panel windows.
5. If the pop-up won’t show at all, it can be a panel.cfg/window entry problem (missing/corrupt panel config). A repair/reinstall of the NGX base pack often fixes that more cleanly than hand-editing.

A couple targeted questions so I don’t send you down the wrong path:

• Are you trying to access the CDU/FMS in the virtual cockpit, or do you mean a 2D pop-up window?
• Which FSX are you on (boxed/SP2 or Acceleration, or FSX:SE)?
• When you press Shift+1 .. Shift+9, do you get any PMDG panels at all (overhead/CDU/etc.), or nothing happens?
• Did this ever work before, or is it a fresh install?

Reply with those details and we can pin down whether it’s just a view/key assignment issue or something broken in the installation/panel setup.