I have used FS for many many years. I decided to download the X-Plane demo to check it out. I have some really basic questions. 1. can the joystick hat-switch be setup to pan around?2. does the 3d cockpit have have click spots.3. is there an easy way to map the keys to be consistent with fsx; or any way?i appreciate any info

Far as I know, use ctrl + o to get into 3d cockpit view. Then you have to use the mouse to pan around. So, no way to use the mouse to "click" when in the 3d mode. There may be a way to reassign the panning in 3d mode via the key assignments screen. Push mouse up towards the top till the title bar shows, then select settings. I own the the Graphsim v9 version; but rarely fly it. Hopefully some of the X-Planes guru's will swing by and answer your questions more accurately and thoroughly.jimb

You can use the move in 3D cockpit mode. There's a command (can't remember what it is off the top of my head) that stops the mouse panning and then you can click buttons/switches and maneuver controls in the cockpit.

1. can the joystick hat-switch be setup to pan around?

Yes, go to "Settings"->"Joystick & Equipment"->"Buttons: Basic", then press hat-switch right and click "View: pan right", hat-switch up and click "View: tilt up", hat-switch left and click "View: pan left", hat switch down and click "View: tilt down", and you should be done.

2. does the 3d cockpit have have click spots.

Yes, if the author of the 3d cockpit has chosen to add them. Usually the best 3d cockpits for X-Plane have all click spots.

3. is there an easy way to map the keys to be consistent with fsx; or any way?

Yes, but you must do that manually. Go to "Settings"->"Joystick & Equipment"->"Keys"I quote from X-Plane manual:"There are two ways to change a key

There's a command (can't remember what it is off the top of my head) that stops the mouse panning and then you can click buttons/switches and maneuver controls in the cockpit.

A very new feature (9.40 I think)...is when you're in "CTRL-o" mode...that is the free camera mode when you're looking around the 3D cockpit with the mouse cursor...whenever you push the mouse button "down", the movement of the camera stops while the mouse button is down.This is useful for using the 3D "click spots" and manipulators. For those of you that don't know..manipulators in x-plane is a technique where you drag onscreen the move things. Instead of clicking to flip a switch..you drag the cursor a few pixels to flip a switch as in reality....though it's up to the aircraft author to integrate the feature and decide if they want to "click" or "drag" a switch. Other 3D controls can be configured in different manners but again...the author decides those methods.Please let me make you aware of (www.x-pilot.com) for a few reasons. This is a relatively new x-plane forum with some of the most experienced x-plane users and developers. I am NOT trying to disuade anybody from using these forums but only provide an additional source of information should you need to search further. In my experience here at AVSIM, many times, "new" users of x-plane are providing advice that's not fully accurate and if I happen to miss it, then folks may get the wrong impression about x-plane. Now of course it's not my responsibility to answer questions in this forum, but i do somewhat take it upon myself to answer people's questions about x-plane as honestly as I can.Now of course as a payware developer for x-plane, I have an interest in wanting people to try x-plane; however, people get free choice and when people ask questions, I know they want accurate answers, which is all I'm out to give them....and then they can choose whether x-plane is for them or not themselves.In many cases...something as simple as "can I pan around in 3D" is enough of a point for someone to not want x-plane and in that situation, that would be unfortuante because there may be many things they might like about the software but not find out due a quick judgement with erroneous information.This forum has indeed served it's purpose though with Murmur's accurate answers and I myself do check this one frequently, BUT I just want users to be aware of this other forum for more in-depth questions or questions regarding what x-plane CAN do or WILL do in the future as a few of use are "tuned in" to Laminar in some capacity.Of course you can try the x-plane.org forum, but that forum has been viewed as hostile to new members on numerous occasions. So sorry for the sales pitch...but my only goal here is to point people in directions to get accurate answers to their x-plane questions....finding info for x-plane is not always an easy task. In the end, it's always up to the end user to decide if x-plane is for them or not.Tom Kyler

A very new feature (9.40 I think)...is when you're in "CTRL-o" mode...that is the free camera mode when you're looking around the 3D cockpit with the mouse cursor...whenever you push the mouse button "down", the movement of the camera stops while the mouse button is down.This is useful for using the 3D "click spots" and manipulators. For those of you that don't know..manipulators in x-plane is a technique where you drag onscreen the move things. Instead of clicking to flip a switch..you drag the cursor a few pixels to flip a switch as in reality....though it's up to the aircraft author to integrate the feature and decide if they want to "click" or "drag" a switch. Other 3D controls can be configured in different manners but again...the author decides those methods.Please let me make you aware of (www.x-pilot.com) for a few reasons. This is a relatively new x-plane forum with some of the most experienced x-plane users and developers. I am NOT trying to disuade anybody from using these forums but only provide an additional source of information should you need to search further. In my experience here at AVSIM, many times, "new" users of x-plane are providing advice that's not fully accurate and if I happen to miss it, then folks may get the wrong impression about x-plane. Now of course it's not my responsibility to answer questions in this forum, but i do somewhat take it upon myself to answer people's questions about x-plane as honestly as I can.Now of course as a payware developer for x-plane, I have an interest in wanting people to try x-plane; however, people get free choice and when people ask questions, I know they want accurate answers, which is all I'm out to give them....and then they can choose whether x-plane is for them or not themselves.In many cases...something as simple as "can I pan around in 3D" is enough of a point for someone to not want x-plane and in that situation, that would be unfortuante because there may be many things they might like about the software but not find out due a quick judgement with erroneous information.This forum has indeed served it's purpose though with Murmur's accurate answers and I myself do check this one frequently, BUT I just want users to be aware of this other forum for more in-depth questions or questions regarding what x-plane CAN do or WILL do in the future as a few of use are "tuned in" to Laminar in some capacity.Of course you can try the x-plane.org forum, but that forum has been viewed as hostile to new members on numerous occasions. So sorry for the sales pitch...but my only goal here is to point people in directions to get accurate answers to their x-plane questions....finding info for x-plane is not always an easy task. In the end, it's always up to the end user to decide if x-plane is for them or not.Tom Kyler

Tom-We appreciate your presense here. Hopefully this forum will grow to be equally useful, and with help from people like Murmur and you, and hopefully others,it can happen. Thanks for posting.

thanks for the responses. I will give it another try.