setting up X-Plane

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Keith Smith
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setting up X-Plane

Post by Keith Smith »

A new user recently asked me how to configure X-Plane to get the best results...here was the summary I posted with the time I had.

- set video rendering options to give you the best visual experience whilst still having a nice, healthy frame rate (30+). The product of density and visibility of objects will have the most direct impact on your framerates (in v9)

- all joystick axis and buttons mapped to meet your needs

- realize that xplane is always calibrating the joystick in real time. Be sure to the move the controls through their full range of motion each time you start xplane

- make sure that when all controls are released that xplane shows 0 input on all axis (use Settings->Data Input & Ouput, row 4 or 8, I forget which, column 4 for visual output)

- set realism sliders to full realism. The artificial stability introduced by the default 25% setting makes the flight feel like it's running on rails. That's not how GA airplanes fly. They waddle and wallow.

- use exponential sensitivity to mute the response about the center. This will give you more fine grain control for subtle movement.
Tim Krajcar
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Re: setting up X-Plane

Post by Tim Krajcar »

Great post, Keith. Very helpful. Can you (or someone) explain the last one a bit? I understand the general concept but am not sure how to implement and "calibrate" it to be accurate.
Tim Krajcar
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Alex Stjepanovic
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Re: setting up X-Plane

Post by Alex Stjepanovic »

Keith Smith wrote:- set realism sliders to full realism. The artificial stability introduced by the default 25% setting makes the flight feel like it's running on rails. That's not how GA airplanes fly. They waddle and wallow.
In your own words Keith: A-Hah! :)

Thx for the tips, you learn something new all the time.
Keith Smith
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Re: setting up X-Plane

Post by Keith Smith »

Tim, there's no science to that one. Change the value to whatever produces the reaction that you expect when you apply a certain amount of input on the stick.
Daddy O
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Re: setting up X-Plane

Post by Daddy O »

It doesn;t hurt to increase your dead zone a little if you want to simulate older craft that might have a little wear.

Watch your weather rendering options, these can turn your sim into a slide show if you increase the cloud features too much.

I like to calibrate my controllers while holding short of the runway, in the place where I would normally do my runup. Calibrate controls, set mixture, finish the pre-takeoff checklist, switch to tower and dial in departure on the standby channel. Lights, camera, action.
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