• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

X-Plane

Heretic

Heretic

Resource contributor
Messages
6,830
Country
germany
We've basically already started a discussion about X-Plane in another thread, let's just continue it someplace official.


So far, I like version 11 very much, but I wouldn't consider it a valid side development platform since the handling of model, sound, flight dynamics and gauges is very different from what one is used to in FSX/P3D. Unless you have the manpower to maintain products for both sim branches, it's either all or nothing.
One advantage is, thanks to continuous development , that you won't have to waste custom code on mere items like switch sounds and dual batteries for all eternity, yet you will have to stay vigilant as updates might change or break some core aspects of third party add-ons.
that's also the reason why there's very little, 100% compatible free- or payware aircraft around. Sceneries do much better thanks to a centralized tool (World Editor), a central repository for "lego brick" (think default) airports and compatibility with Open Street Map data.

Thanks to the user interface, even MSFS users can find their way around pretty quickly (there's even a default keyboard layout for the FSX keys) and add-on installation is very user friendly (unless you'll have to deal with the ton of required libraries). Planes, sceneries and plugins come in a single folder that goes into the right parent folder and that's about it. For sceneries, you'll have to define your "sandwiching" in a file akin to the scenery.cfg.
And the simulator itself can be run from a fast external device (no registry entries needed), a trait I'm using for cross-device usage (laptop+dektop).

Rendering performance is generally very good, with smooth weather injections and no stutters during slowdowns.

Weak points so far are long loading times, memory usage (8 GB and a very large page file fortunately do the trick), still lackluster AI and ATC (requiring freeware or payware third party tools) and, as implied above, a limited add-on market.
From a end user perspective, most payware aircraft are much too expensive without being on the same level as their MSFS counterparts.

I haven't quite found out what exactly is required to convert a MSFS aircraft for XP11, but provided that you have an export capable tool (Blender or 3ds Max up to 2017) and converted the materials, you can salvage all your animation keyframes.
Then, you'll probably have to load the generated 3D model into Plane Maker, add systems, gauges and the aerodynamic model and then export everything.
Plane Maker only gets you so far though. For all the complex bells and whistles in terms of sounds and systems, you'll have to use external methods (LUA, plugins).
It doesn't look impossible, just very time intensive.

Sceneries seem to be easier to convert, as demonstrated by countless XP users. Convert 3D objects, add excludes, recreate ground network (taxiways, etc) and that's pretty much it.
Haven't found out anything about custom objects placed along vector lines though.


Anyway, XP seems like an interesting platform for those looking for a clean slate. Not sure where exactly LM will take the platform in the future, but at least it seems to be geared toward the armchair simmer instead of the commercial training market.
 
I'm liking what they have done with X-Plane 11. I really like their implementation of VR. I no longer "need" a joystick or yoke to fly the Cessna, just my rudder pedals. I just have to rest my arm on my seat armrest, point the hand controller to the yoke, click locks it to my left controller and fly. Take-off and cruise are ok, the landings get "complicated" ;)

Warning the loading with VR is even longer. You no longer - Need Steam VR for X-Plane, or any other VR add in.

Building aircraft with VR control, like the default cessna, needs you to apply VR MANIPs in the _vrconfig.txt text file.

Here is their FlightSim Expo 2018 talk from FlightSimGuy. X-Plane FlightSim Expo 2018 (need to rewind for some reason)

Look forward to ATC updates and Vulkan updates also, probably in 2019.
 
I got it a three plus days ago. Very impressed. I went to 4K resolution 2 nights ago and it blew my mind. Running excellent and those houses in autogen are amazing. My issue though, and only one, is that my mouse cursor disappears when I am in 3K or 4K mode. :(

The opening tutorial and the first part setup of the joysticks is well done and most worth it. That saved me probably 2 hours.
 
as my repetition from other thread, I like lighting system on X-plane 11, it way more better than P3D v4.2
minus still at default scenery (as it said) like lego brick, sadly my capital city with 10M people filled spare brick forest. :teacher: . unfortunately P3D v4 following this "brick" system when filling autogen :banghead:
I ever have X-Plane 9, with X-plane 11 there improving much unlike FSX to P3D ( hope much with FSW, but it dead).

I still figuring out how to build an aircraft.
 
kalong said:
minus still at default scenery (as it said) like lego brick, sadly my capital city with 10M people filled spare brick forest. :teacher: .
Click to expand...

If the OpenStreetMap data for your area is good, you can also build accurate simulator scenery. So check if someone has created some.
 
Regairding scenery development:
Does anybody know if ground polygons can be made somehow?
Or can at least the runway/taxiway/apron textures be customizes somehow?
 
Heretic said:
If the OpenStreetMap data for your area is good, you can also build accurate simulator scenery. So check if someone has created some.
Click to expand...
I use Ortho4xp to build sat-image scenery, it way more easier to get photographic scenery than in FSX/P3D.
in mater of autogen, till now I can't found any software to create autogen like ScenProc. maybe @arno has something for X-plane.
 
I never looked at X-Plane autogen and if scenproc can also make that.

Ground polygons can be done, they are models with the right attributes. And in the dsf file you can specify polygons as well. I started to understand those and then time ran out again :)
 
The "Photo real' scenery in X-Plane is far superior to FSX/P3D. Some how they have gotten it figured out where it doesn't lose focus at lower altitudes.
 
Who pays for the rights to access and store all of that satellite imagery that Ortho4XP downloads?
 
WarpD said:
Who pays for the rights to access and store all of that satellite imagery that Ortho4XP downloads?
Click to expand...

Is it not like FSET? You it's downloaded from the internet and as long as you don't distribute things you are in the gray legal zone of the image provides that were used?
 
arno said:
Is it not like FSET? You it's downloaded from the internet and as long as you don't distribute things you are in the gray legal zone of the image provides that were used?
Click to expand...

I think Ed meant the premade photoreal sceneries distributed from the X-Plane repositories.
 
lionheart said:
<-- presently trying to learn how the ATC system works. Havent been able to figure it out.
Click to expand...

It requires a flight plan from the FMC/GPS, so you'll have to have one set up first.

Use LittleNavMap for planning (much more comfortable) and then load the saved plan in X-Plane. The procedure is a bit different than in FSX/P3D though, as you'll need to do it directly from the device instead of from the menu.
IIRC, on the GNS530, "FPL" button, then turn the right large knob to the right which will list the content of "X-Plane 11\Output\FMS plans".
Everything else works just about as in a MSFS implementation of a 530.

For the airliner FMC, you'll need to enter departure and destination airports and then type the filename into the "company route" field to load a plan from "X-Plane 11\Output\FMS plans".


XP ATC's advantage is that it supports the 19 AI aircraft that you can have generated by XP, but in all other regards, 124th ATC is the preferable (and free) alternative since it's a bit more flexible.
 
Although 124th ATC is free and better than the clunky default ATC, I think that most XP11 users that care about realistic ATC use the payware Pilot2ATC (which also works with P3d4). The only drawback to using P2ATC is that one needs to also use XPUIPC, which is the equivalent of FSUIPC in XP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top