XPlane installed itself in my Users folder, not Programs,

Yeah, as strange as it may seem, Ben explained that most users requesting support are not very computer savvy, and are not able to locate the X-Plane folder, so he decided to change the default install location to the Desktop, so that any user can immediately locate the folder. Obviously the installer lets you change the install path if you want. Also, remember that X-Plane does not touch Windows registry, so if you want to uninstall it, just delete the main X-Plane folder.

and I do have problems starting XPlane. It initally says that it's Not Responding, and eventually I'm able to get it to respond.

That's perfectly normal, during the initial loading X-Plane is heavily using all PC resources (CPU, RAM, etc.) so it's unresponsive unitl the loading has finished.In addition to Geof suggestions, I strongly suggest you to update X-Plane ( http://www.x-plane.com ) to the 9.30 version, as soon as it will be out of Beta stage (it's at Beta-5 right now).

...and ...ahem-the new beta seems to have added even much better stability and feel-but my left alternater needle now goes bezerk and the plane turns itself in level flight...and I had it all working quite nice..oh well... :(

Geof, seems the alternator issue is indeed a bug of Beta 5:(From the .org 9.3 Beta Bugs thread):"With beta 5 my battery load always stays negativ, no matter if the engine is running or not, the ampere meter is always way on the negative side.Except when engine and battery are turned off.Also the needle is "jittery", and all the LCD - instrument panels start flickering if I turn of the battery with engine running."Marco

Tried XPlane yesterday, and my first day was very frustrating. I can't get it to go full screen, and the XPlane forum tells me to "Search" to find out how to do it. No one there gave me an answer. I also think the planes are extremely twitchy, and need a lot of work.XPlane installed itself in my Users folder, not Programs, and I do have problems starting XPlane. It initally says that it's Not Responding, and eventually I'm able to get it to respond.Think I'll delete it today and try to reinstall it in my Programs Folder. Overall, XPlane just doesn't seem to have the sophisticated "Real" look that FSX has.Stan

Hi, StanSorry to hear of your frustrations! We'll try and get you settled in though!Firstly, welcome to the X-Plane world. It's going to take some slight getting used to, but hopefully I can help you learn a few things. :)Here are the steps needed to get a good working sim:1.) Install X-Plane from your DVDs2.) Once installed, get the following updater program, and install this. If you'd like the absolute latest (9.3 beta 5 at this time), be sure to check the beta box. If not, you'll get 9.22 (more "stable"). Get the updatere app here: http://dev.x-plane.com/update/installers9/...aterWindows.zip3.) Launch X-Plane after the update. You now have the latest in X-Plane versions, and it's time to explore! The first step to exploring is to get your settings right, so, in X-Plane go to the Settings > Rendering Options menu.Now, here's what the settings do:Texture Resolution - Sets the textures resolution as the description suggests. This includes for aircraft, objects, and scenery. Very high works best for most people FPS wise, but Extreme can be done if your system is up to it (I have mine on extreme and still manage about 90fps).Screen Res - You can set your screen resolution here. If you have 9.30 Beta 5 instead of 9.22, then you'll see a checkbox to select it to auto-resize to full screen.The above are the most important settings to do, besides anti-alias level and anisotropic filter textures. If you put your mous over pull down menus and let it hover there for a sec, descriptions of what will happen with changed settings will appear.One other thing I suggest is changing World Detail Distance from default to medium. This tends to give people a bit more of a fps boost. The rest of the rendering options are up to what you'd like to see, and what your computer can handle.4.) Now that you've set rendering settings, press return or click the 'X' to get out of the menu. 5.) Restart X-Plane (This will load in the rendering changes...especially texture settings).Now a few quick pointers:1.) Keyboard flying is not available in X-Plane anymore. There are plug-ins around for $5 that bring the feature back. I assume you have a joystick though!2.) To go to a spot view, use the following key command: shift+\ (don't press the + key)...move around in this view with the arrow keys.3.) Press "W" to get back inside the cockpit, or front mode view.4.) Press "Q" or "E" to look left or right within the cockpit.5.) Press CTRL+O (Letter O, not the number 0) and this will put you in 3D cockpit view. You can use your mouse to move around the eye point, and "lock" the position you are looking at to click panel buttons by pressing "Q" or "E". You can move around the cockpit by using the page up and page down keys, etc.6.) If you don't have flaps programmed into a joystick, you can press "1" to retract, and "2" to extend.7.) The "." key will activate your reverse thrusters.8.) If you have a scroll wheel mouse, moving this up and down will act as a throttle. You can also program this into some kind of joystick.I hope this guide helps you jumpstart a little bit! It's definitely not complete, but maybe I'll get around to this someday! :)

Most importantly, like that fine glass of wine you are holding-give it some time to breath. I was very frustrated for about a week-but found sticking with it well worth it.

Geof,Have you tested the MU2 yet and do you have a bit of a review to share with us.Cheers,

Hi, StanSorry to hear of your frustrations! We'll try and get you settled in though!Firstly, welcome to the X-Plane world. It's going to take some slight getting used to, but hopefully I can help you learn a few things. :)Here are the steps needed to get a good working sim:1.) Install X-Plane from your DVDs2.) Once installed, get the following updater program, and install this. If you'd like the absolute latest (9.3 beta 5 at this time), be sure to check the beta box. If not, you'll get 9.22 (more "stable"). Get the updatere app here: http://dev.x-plane.com/update/installers9/...aterWindows.zip3.) Launch X-Plane after the update. You now have the latest in X-Plane versions, and it's time to explore! The first step to exploring is to get your settings right, so, in X-Plane go to the Settings > Rendering Options menu.Now, here's what the settings do:Texture Resolution - Sets the textures resolution as the description suggests. This includes for aircraft, objects, and scenery. Very high works best for most people FPS wise, but Extreme can be done if your system is up to it (I have mine on extreme and still manage about 90fps).Screen Res - You can set your screen resolution here. If you have 9.30 Beta 5 instead of 9.22, then you'll see a checkbox to select it to auto-resize to full screen.The above are the most important settings to do, besides anti-alias level and anisotropic filter textures. If you put your mous over pull down menus and let it hover there for a sec, descriptions of what will happen with changed settings will appear.One other thing I suggest is changing World Detail Distance from default to medium. This tends to give people a bit more of a fps boost. The rest of the rendering options are up to what you'd like to see, and what your computer can handle.4.) Now that you've set rendering settings, press return or click the 'X' to get out of the menu. 5.) Restart X-Plane (This will load in the rendering changes...especially texture settings).Now a few quick pointers:1.) Keyboard flying is not available in X-Plane anymore. There are plug-ins around for $5 that bring the feature back. I assume you have a joystick though!2.) To go to a spot view, use the following key command: shift+\ (don't press the + key)...move around in this view with the arrow keys.3.) Press "W" to get back inside the cockpit, or front mode view.4.) Press "Q" or "E" to look left or right within the cockpit.5.) Press CTRL+O (Letter O, not the number 0) and this will put you in 3D cockpit view. You can use your mouse to move around the eye point, and "lock" the position you are looking at to click panel buttons by pressing "Q" or "E". You can move around the cockpit by using the page up and page down keys, etc.6.) If you don't have flaps programmed into a joystick, you can press "1" to retract, and "2" to extend.7.) The "." key will activate your reverse thrusters.8.) If you have a scroll wheel mouse, moving this up and down will act as a throttle. You can also program this into some kind of joystick.I hope this guide helps you jumpstart a little bit! It's definitely not complete, but maybe I'll get around to this someday! :) Thank you, thank you. Your post and Geofa's explanation really help me a lot. I will give this sim a real chance. Promise. I look forward to having fun with it. Appreciate your advice, guys.Stan

Stan-Under "rendering" there is a box to click that says something like "match screen resolution". Clicking that should give you a full screen.As for the twitchies-right on the money. Unfortunately you have to change that yourself-at least on the default aircraft. See my post above on the subject-start with the right handed joystick setting and you should be able to get it to settle down nicely.One of the things I did also was run a driver cleaner and reinstall my video driver. I really didn't expect much to happen-but it took care of constant crashes I was having with xplane.Concerning visuals-try different areas-I'd suggest O05 (chester rogers) for instance. I think you will fine the terrain, water stunning (make sure they are both turned up in your rendering options). I think you will find although you give up generic buildings at airports, and high res ground textures, you get incredible water-lakes, rivers, with beautiful reflections of clouds and mountains, and cloud shadows on the terrain. You give up some things but you get others.Most importantly, like that fine glass of wine you are holding-give it some time to breath. I was very frustrated for about a week-but found sticking with it well worth it....and ...ahem-the new beta seems to have added even much better stability and feel-but my left alternater needle now goes bezerk and the plane turns itself in level flight...and I had it all working quite nice..oh well... :(

Thanks, Geofa. I'll reinstall and give it a real chance.Stan

Geof,Have you tested the MU2 yet and do you have a bit of a review to share with us.Cheers,

Hi Chris,I have looked at it a little but haven't had time to really do it any justice so prefer to stay mum.However, I think us FS users are very spoiled with aircraft add ins for fs (in a good way). Not the fault of xplane developers but xplane just doesn't support a lot of things we take for granted in fsx.However, again I am attracted more by things xplane has that fs does not than the other way around.I think the main thing to consider is xplane may not be a replacement for fsx(at least at this point)-but a complement. It just does things fsx does not-but then again fsx does things xplane does not. I will still be using both-but probably more time on xplane because the things it does have are just more important to me at this time in my simming career.

Geof, seems the alternator issue is indeed a bug of Beta 5:(From the .org 9.3 Beta Bugs thread):"With beta 5 my battery load always stays negativ, no matter if the engine is running or not, the ampere meter is always way on the negative side.Except when engine and battery are turned off.Also the needle is "jittery", and all the LCD - instrument panels start flickering if I turn of the battery with engine running."MarcoThanks Marco-I guess I'll just hang out and see if the next beta fixes this.

Hi Chris,I have looked at it a little but haven't had time to really do it any justice so prefer to stay mum.However, I think us FS users are very spoiled with aircraft add ins for fs (in a good way). Not the fault of xplane developers but xplane just doesn't support a lot of things we take for granted in fsx.However, again I am attracted more by things xplane has that fs does not than the other way around.I think the main thing to consider is xplane may not be a replacement for fsx(at least at this point)-but a complement. It just does things fsx does not-but then again fsx does things xplane does not. I will still be using both-but probably more time on xplane because the things it does have are just more important to me at this time in my simming career.

Thanks Geof, much appreciated, however look forward to a more exhaustive analysis if you ever get the opportunity to check out the MU2.Cheers and all the best,

Thanks Geof, much appreciated, however look forward to a more exhaustive analysis if you ever get the opportunity to check out the MU2.Cheers and all the best,

I just ordered a bunch of pipers for xplane for $14-they are very good as is the mu2-but compared to fs standards they are not up to the same league as say the Flight one Mustang..On the other hand-they are smooth, and fm's are very good. A little like apples and oranges-fs products look a lot better (both 2d and 3d), but xplane has the upper hand on flying smoother and in some cases more realistically...Why? the 3d cockpits are not up to fs's, there are not multi 2d cockpits like fs, the scenery textures are not as sharp as fsx's , and the visiblity is limited compared to fsx's. If we were competing who would win? Do we want better visuals-or better reality?All I know is I actually appreciate that xplane has "limited" certain functions to get more "reality" in a lot of important areas-possibly for real flyers-and that reality is getting more and more useful to me. Not for everyone of course..again like comparing apples to oranges-but I would say for the price of one fs add in-more than worth it to give it a try!

I just ordered a bunch of pipers for xplane for $14-they are very good as is the mu2-but compared to fs standards they are not up to the same league as say the Flight one Mustang..On the other hand-they are smooth, and fm's are very good. A little like apples and oranges-fs products look a lot better (both 2d and 3d), but xplane has the upper hand on flying smoother and in some cases more realistically...Why? the 3d cockpits are not up to fs's, there are not multi 2d cockpits like fs, the scenery textures are not as sharp as fsx's , and the visiblity is limited compared to fsx's. If we were competing who would win? Do we want better visuals-or better reality?All I know is I actually appreciate that xplane has "limited" certain functions to get more "reality" in a lot of important areas-possibly for real flyers-and that reality is getting more and more useful to me. Not for everyone of course..again like comparing apples to oranges-but I would say for the price of one fs add in-more than worth it to give it a try!

Geofa,Have you read the manual and dedicated much time to the MU-2? I highly agree with you that the Piper aircraft are not up to quality to that of FS aircraft. As a long time MSFS user, however, I find your analysis of the MU-2 a bit off. It's an amazing aircraft, and certainly up to snuff with MSFS aircraft...especially those in the payware market! There are many things (including fun over the top features like folding tables, opening doors, etc) that the MU-2 can do that the Eaglesoft aircraft you mention can do.The Piper aircraft details come nowhere near that of the MU-2 in my opinion, and I'd like to understand where your quick analysis of this is coming from. Having read over so many forum posts, and flying the aircraft myself, I can certainly say it's a sim changing aircraft, and many would agree to this testament. The MU-2 is heavily driven by custom plug-ins, and not X-Plane's model. Please elaborate here. :)

So did you test any further then just look at the pretty pictures? I can assure you that the FSX add-on doesn't fly 1 meter in X-Plane ;-)If you like the Caranado model that much I can give you some pointers how you can get the 3D model from Carenado into the X-Plane add-on. Its releatifly easy to do. But how realistic is it flying your aircraft from the outside.

Immersion. Its a good thing. Yes I don't fly a Plane from outside, but it does add a lot to the experience to be in a plane that looks as good as it flys. The biggest gripe I would have is the panel, and that's something you look at constantly.Plus most people get into this hobby because they like planes. they like how they look, they like how they fly. You could make a cube with the exact flight characteristics of a 182 in FSX but it wouldn't have the same attraction to most people. Asthetics matter just as much as performance. Oh and to the continuing FM debate. I fly Cessna 172 M and N's in the flight school I'm currently attending. I have a little over 45 hours in the type so I can safely say I am familiar with how they fly. And the Carenado release for that plane feels really close to the real thing. It behaves exactly like I expect when I put it through our maneuvers and on approach, landing, takeoff, climb and cruise. It's even pretty darn close during stalls.It's actually been a huge boon to me to be able to practice my maneuvers before stage checks and the like. Especially now that the weather here is so unstable I'm not getting the hours I should per week and this is helping me keep the rust off.I've tried a couple of the updated FM's for the default 172 in XP and it's fairly similar. The feel is still too loose and it has no feeling of inertia, but it is much closer to the real deal.There's nothing in it for the two flight models. A well designed aircraft can fly very close to the real deal in either simulator.I'm keeping an open mind about X-Plane and am using it more and more. But neither solution is perfect, and X-Plane aircraft have a ways to go before I can use it for my primary practice device.

Geofa,Have you read the manual and dedicated much time to the MU-2? I highly agree with you that the Piper aircraft are not up to quality to that of FS aircraft. As a long time MSFS user, however, I find your analysis of the MU-2 a bit off. It's an amazing aircraft, and certainly up to snuff with MSFS aircraft...especially those in the payware market! There are many things (including fun over the top features like folding tables, opening doors, etc) that the MU-2 can do that the Eaglesoft aircraft you mention can do.The Piper aircraft details come nowhere near that of the MU-2 in my opinion, and I'd like to understand where your quick analysis of this is coming from. Having read over so many forum posts, and flying the aircraft myself, I can certainly say it's a sim changing aircraft, and many would agree to this testament. The MU-2 is heavily driven by custom plug-ins, and not X-Plane's model. Please elaborate here. :)

I haven't made an analysis of the mu2 so not sure what you are addressing?I have made an analysis of xplane however. The 3d cockpits are about what we had in the first version of fs-primitive looking compared to a typical fsx one! The outside views are likewise lacking detail in compare to fsx. The general instrumentation is lagging behind. The 2d views do not allow multiple panels.Not a critique of the mu2 but a compare of xplane to fsx in these areas...I also did not mention eaglesoft aircraft...though I own them and like them. I did mention the Flight One Mustang which contains a g1000 and highly customized instrumentation.

On the other hand-they are smooth, and fm's are very good. A little like apples and oranges-fs products look a lot better (both 2d and 3d), but xplane has the upper hand on flying smoother and in some cases more realistically...Why? the 3d cockpits are not up to fs's, there are not multi 2d cockpits like fs, the scenery textures are not as sharp as fsx's , and the visiblity is limited compared to fsx's. If we were competing who would win? Do we want better visuals-or better reality?All I know is I actually appreciate that xplane has "limited" certain functions to get more "reality" in a lot of important areas-possibly for real flyers-and that reality is getting more and more useful to me.

As to visibility, I can see mountain ranges well over a hundred miles away in real life. I still haven't found an X-Plane that will slip like something from RealAir; and nothing close in X-Plane when it comes to aerobatics, knife edge, etc. These are just some of my reality's that come to mind. While I can see that X-Plane may work better for some other flight regimes, it still appears that MSFS works out better for mine.L.Adamson

I still haven't found an X-Plane that will slip like something from RealAir; and nothing close in X-Plane when it comes to aerobatics, knife edge, etc. These are just some of my reality's that come to mind.

Knife edge:

Lomcevaks:

Torque rolls:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBHcWMdJHRUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IrqhG6NFOIMarco

Try raising the "Gamma" value in the Rendering settings menu ( the default value is 2.2 ).Marco

I had searched for these settings, but never found it.also, when I kept X-plane in Pause, it had counted the time adjusting the sim for my use for the 10 minutes time of demo, leaving me with only one chance to make a TGL and shortly after, the Sim locked my stick.Since the Demo has only a limited area of Insbruck, really don't see why stick the 10 minutes of joystick.

I had searched for these settings, but never found it.

The gamma setting was added in 9.22 or 9.30 (I don't remember which one of the two), so you have to update to latest version.Marco