X-Plane

[Mark Hargrove]

This is way off the subject of PE itself, but I know a lot of people fly (and prefer) X-Plane 10 to FSX. I made yet another attempt to get it set up, largely motivated by watching some of Keith's recent videos (which look amazing). I honest-to-goodness can't see how anybody can fly X-Plane at all. After a fresh install and getting the latest updates, I calibrated my Saitek yoke and TPM module and then opened the Columbia 400 at KSNA to try to fly a couple of circuits of the pattern. I see the same problems as I have every time I've tried X-Plane: my controls simply will not calibrate. The plane was barely controllable during taxi and takeoff roll, and shortly after I rotated the plane immediately banked about 45 degrees left. Not, "hmm need a little right rudder during climb" left, but "holy crap, I'm gonna die! left". It took almost full opposite aileron to get the plane's wings level. Then, after like 1 more degree of right aileron, the plane snap-rolled to the right. Aileron trim helped, but I could never get the plane to fly with wings level (or even close to wings level, really).

I about 99.9% sure I'm calibrating my controls correctly (it's just not that complicated, for pete's sake -- FSUIPC calibration is more complicated than X-Plane and I have no problem with that).

I'm also having terrible trouble understanding how to map buttons and keys to change my out-the-window view. Even using the built-in button mapper, I can't seem to get anything to work. It sees my button presses in the mapper, but the actual simulator just ignores the function when in the cockpit.

Did anybody else who flies X-Plane run into difficulties like this and find a way to overcome them?

-M.

[Alex Stjepanovic]

Did anybody else who flies X-Plane run into difficulties like this and find a way to overcome them?

Yes, similar control-related stuff. I've been toying with XP demos since around 2001, but didn't start flying it until about late 2007, when MSFS and the oldish PC it was running on, decided that just about every time I flew, they'd come up with some new wonderful bug or a way to crash. It was around this time I met KS, and he and a few others confirmed that XP's way was a more realistic way, so I never looked back. From that point on, it took some practice to forget just how easy MSFS made it seem, but after a little while, I got the hang of it.

I had the dubious honor of flying MSFS again a few times on PE, for various reasons, and it's not something worth commenting on


I didn't do anything special to get used to XP, but go simple. Grab whatever simple plane you like(C400 might be a bit too much), whether freeware or payware, and go nuts. Forget the distractions such as autopilot, GPS, FMS, IPAD, this and that and just fly it(even offline), practicing various maneuvers to see what it'll take.



As far as calibration goes, there should be a page(first one I think), in joystick settings, that'll have "calibrate" buttons. Once you click on it, adjust each axis. Not sure why you are having troubles mapping, I don't dig too deep into equipment, so someone else will have to tackle it.

[MikePeavler]

I was a firm Xplane driver for quite some time and even did my IR rating in Motus Level 3 sim which used guess which software....Xplane. The weather in Xplane is far better...set cold conditions ...get into IMC and watch stuff turn to ice just like in real life...where as the MSFS does nothing. I have Xplane 9 and downloaded the 10 to try to see how my system would run it. The biggest downfall to using Xplane is I loose the ability to use the entire package of Saitek equipment i have "Gauges" which allows full screen and also knobs and dials etc you can touch similar to steam gauge planes. The Xplane 10 is even bettter then 9 and I plan on buying it in a week or so due to the overall imrovements. As Alex said...take time and get everything just right prior to flying. I will keep both and use MSFS on the PE just because I like having the gauges....but the best realistic flying sim is Xplane IMO.

m

[Keith Smith]

Mark, I'll try to make a detailed post about this tonight. Hang in there.

[Ryan B]

Hi Mark, I also use FSX but tried the XP10 demo and one of the major third party devs took the time to help me with the setup. The biggest thing for the controls is to make sure you click the function you want to assign, THEN press your keyboard key or flight control button.

Example if you want to set cockpit view left to your hat switch on joystick you click the radio button for cockpit view left THEN press your key command. I was doing the other way around for the longest time.

BIG EDIT: Actually, dang it, I need an XPer to confirm I might have transposed those instructions in my mind. Either way assigning key commands didn't feel natural and that's why it took me a while to get setup.

I really think people too easily dismiss FSX. Default planes are terrible, granted, but so are the stock XP ones. The C172 is plain bad (thing especially needs a graphics update hehe) and their King Air 90 is a little better once I got the controls tweaked. Their Baron is flyable but yeah, extremely touchy on my end. I find planes easier to trim in real life compared to XP (or even FSX sometimes). I do realize there are some amazing addons for XP (DC3, CRJ2, BE76, MU-2) and yeah they probably fly better than FSX versions. But there are many superb FSX addons as well. I think what happens is that the people who try each sim only test against the stock planes and make their judgments. I've flown a few of the addons at friends' houses in XP and really they feel awesome! But so do the FSX ones hehe.

Anyway, yeah go on, try to get the XP10 running. One things for sure their software is always being worked on. I wish MS hadn't abandoned FSX (technically Lockheed Martin is continuing to develop P3D but their EULA is another story).

Oh, p.s. On the topic of weather... I really XP10's rendition. However, recently there has been a third party release (payware) for FSX called "OPUS FSX." The weather is miles ahead of the stock engine and IMC really is IMC now. You can actually practice flying to precision minimums without seeing that stupid "fog" layer above the airport (you know where you could see the airport's boundary fence outline lol). I've flown a lot of other FSX Wx engines are they are mediocre compared to this new one. Also the devs are constantly making changes/adding features.
http://www.opussoftware.co.uk/opusfsi.htm

[Keith Smith]

The big feature of XP10's weather that I haven't seen anywhere else is the ability to have different weather in different parts of the sky. Most weather systems are capable of multiple LAYERS, but each layer is effectively global at that time. XP10 can have clear skies ahead with broken clouds on either side of you. It allows for a whole world of VFR decision making that isn't possible in any other sim that I've seen in the past.

I spent some time with Mark last night and helped him get his XP config running nicely (HDR rendering, a few more objects, explained the world distance thing, turned flight model to fully realistic, helped him calibrate the controls correctly, and most importantly, set the non-linear response curves). When I left him, he was giggling like a school girl while doing some low level flying, watching the cars' headlights lighting up the streets below him.

[Alex Stjepanovic]

...set the non-linear response curves...

Out of interest, what percentage do you have it set at in XP10?

[arb65912]

Keith,

Do you mind to share your X-Plane settings to get the most realistic feel?

Cheers, AJ

[Keith Smith]

"realistic feel" is going to vary from person to person, based on how they approach the simulation, their past real world experience (ie, the aircraft they might have flown) and the type of controls they're using.

I have all the realism sliders set to full and my non-linear response curves are between 10-20% if memory serves. I definitely encourage people to have the realism sliders set to full, but the response curves are purely a function of the factors I listed above.

[Ryan B]

The big feature of XP10's weather that I haven't seen anywhere else is the ability to have different weather in different parts of the sky. Most weather systems are capable of multiple LAYERS, but each layer is effectively global at that time. XP10 can have clear skies ahead with broken clouds on either side of you. It allows for a whole world of VFR decision making that isn't possible in any other sim that I've seen in the past.

I spent some time with Mark last night and helped him get his XP config running nicely (HDR rendering, a few more objects, explained the world distance thing, turned flight model to fully realistic, helped him calibrate the controls correctly, and most importantly, set the non-linear response curves). When I left him, he was giggling like a school girl while doing some low level flying, watching the cars' headlights lighting up the streets below him.

Maybe I need you skills someday. Basically once they fix the endless tiles of repeating scenery in XP and get some decent scenery at small airports (or any at all) I'll start considering XP. I was impressed with the demo and I've heard they've really worked on HDR so it works well without performance loss. I agree... their weather engine is superb.