Hi, Just out of personal interest, I'd like to see the Avsim userbase opinion. A clear one, where there aren't too many options available. You can interpret the answer options like this as well: 1. 2D only2. 2D preferred, VC ok3. VC only Tero

I will be interested to see how this turns out. About a year or two ago I would have said 2D would win hands down, but I bet that's not the case now

Back in my FS9 days I always flew with 2D panels mainly due to the fact that my computer at the time wasn't strong enough to fly using the VC and the fact that VC's at the time weren't always 100% functional which still required the use of 2D panels anyways. That doesn't mean that I really prefered 2D panels then, which frankly I didn't because I really hated the look of them as well as the eye point and view, plus it just looked unrealistic to me since when sitting in a plane you dont view a panel like that anyways, but I had no other choice at the time since my rig couldn't really handle a VC. Forward to 2011, now I only use VC's since most good quality planes like the PMDG offerings allow you to pretty much do a whole flight using the VC only. Plus with the introduction of EZdok and the way you can preset views of the overhead panel and center pedestal, it virtually gives you the same functionality of using 2D panels and makes it very easy to navigate the VC quickly to access different switchs/controls. Plus I like the fact that I can get a little bit of movement in the VC using EZdok when flying into windy or turbulent conditions.I always read posts where people who fly airliners complain that they can't do a flight from start to finish using a VC, but in all honesty I dont understand why not. I fly airliners 99% of the time in FSX using the VC only with EZdok utilizing preset panel views and a hat switch to pan around and I dont find it at all difficult, but then again I have been flying VC only in FSX for over 3 years now so part of the reason its easy for me is due to the fact that I have retrained myself away from 2D panels and have gotten used to using only the VC.Just for fun the other night I switched to 2D in the NGX to give it a shot and to be honest I hated the way it looked having the whole main panel stuck right in front of my face. After about 5 minutes of it I couldn't take the look and had to switch back to VC for the rest of the flight.Of course everyone is different and some still prefer to fly only 2D which is fine by me since we all prefer different styles and methods of flying, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if guys like PMDG or LDS went only VC going forward. Although I do understand that people who build home cockpits need to be able to have 2D panels, but since I am not a cockpit builder its a non-issue for me.

The only reason NOT to use VC is performance issues (or insufficient VC quality). EZCA gives you 2D panel basically, you can "open" them with any shortcut you specify, much like default Ctrl+number as per default.

No poll selection quite fits. "2d only". No"2d only vc OK" (No! vc is not ALWAYS "OK".)"VC only". Definitely not! I do use 2d panels the vast amount of the time, although there are a couple of birds with ONLY 3d virtuals to which I concede. IMHO they were done so well that I really notice little difference from the 2d provisions and view. Forced to go VC presently with some panels, or in the future with all aircraft, I may concede since that may be the only choice I have, but I would in no way clasify that as "OK". It will be like having to take a medicine that tastes terrible and only arrests the illness but cures nothing. I may stop throwing up, but at least a little diarrhea will remain. ONLY VC with no provisions for secondary 2d Popup windows for multiple monitor implementation is totally unacceptable to me personally. In fact, with the few aircraft that came this way that I possess I have origianted a 2d panel with such provisions or borrowed them from other aircraft. I was waiting until SP1 before buying the new NGX in the hope that some of the problems folks have had would be cured. I did not realize that the NGX has no primary 2d panel and popup windows are limited (IF I am interpreting correctly). I totrally agree with many that consider PMDG to be a flagship developer for flightsim and I will probably still purchase this aircraft. However, before buying it I am already a little disappointed if the NGX fits the above scenario (To say nothing of future PMDG offereings). Regardless of how fine it may be, rather than being the cat's whiskers IN SOME WAYS it will move to the other end of the cat to me. To each his own and I hope we will still have the option. Respectfully:RTH

In FSX I usually use the VC in combination with some additional 2D panels (e.g. the overhead or radio panel), because especially taxiing and landing without A/P is easier from the VC. Nevertheless, I use some aircraft without VC, for example the Tu-154 or the Fokker 70/100, which are really great planes in my opinion, so I wouldn't say that a missing 3D flight deck is a reason not to fly an aircraft for me. Despite this I think I would not buy any aircraft that doesn't have a VC. There are some things I don't like about the VC's, though, for example the lack of rain or snow effects (strange enough that they exist in the 2D cockpit), and missing wipers.Of course there are planes with VC's of low quality, but these can often be replaced by the 3D cockpit of an other plane (unless these aircraft are not FSX-native)In FS9 -which I use very seldom- I'd rather prefer the 2D-panels, because it is more difficult to "navigate" to all the A/P of the VC switches on time using the number keys.

I was a rabid 2D only guy until I upgraded my comuputer and got a widescreen monitor. I'll never forget firing up the "Ejets" airplane in the VC. I was hooked. Sure it is frustrating in some airplanes to find the right place to click or whater and I have to fall back to the 2D (e.g. iFly 737's clickspots seem to be all over the place). Flying the Captain Sim 727 from the VC is about as good as it gets for me.

I agree, the one missing item from the poll is for those of us who want both 2D and VC and do not wish to give up either.Regards.Ernie.

Sorry guys, the idea was to see a clear preference between these two, not to seek in how many ways people like to use them both. I intentionally omitted "VC preferred, 2D ok" from the selections too because of this. The current trend is towards VC, but I wanted to see, if there are other 2D buffs there besides myself. Hence the three options. It is clear that if the majority are "VC only" that there will be a lot of "VC preferred, 2D ok" types of people too, but I want to see how many people really prefer 2D over VC, and might even decide against getting an add-on if it didn't have 2D panels. It's just out of personal interest. I've followed many 2D vs. VC discussions and they are basically like this: - 2D is useless- use ezdok!- 2D is "harmful" for us VC users- "I can't understand how you can't fly accurately from VC" I wanted to see what a larger user base really prefers, and how many people are still into 2D for real. For now it seems that a little over 1/3 of users prefer 2D. Will be interesting to see how it develops with time. I wouldn't personally say that 36% is a "small but vocal" group. YMMV. Tero

I have been using the VC since it appeared (was that in FS2000 or FS2002 ?? Can't remember which) - in those days you still needed the 2d pop-ups. These days 2d is irrelevant and really does not offer the suspension of disbelief that you get from flying in the VC, especially with my current 2 favourite add-ons the NGX & Turbine Duke.. .. .. and that is without EZDOK or TrackIR G

Myself i fly with VC, and have 2D pop-ups on a second monitor..whitch leaves me with no option to vote for.So i think this poll is a little flawed.

Myself i fly with VC, and have 2D pop-ups on a second monitor..whitch leaves me with no option to vote for.So i think this poll is a little flawed.

It is not flawed, read what I wrote above. Tero

It is not flawed, read what I wrote above. Tero

Although you might consider that this poll is not flawed, it's worded in such a way that precludes me from participating in it.

Hi, You really need to edit the poll to include a combination (VC/2D) of both, I prefer flying via the VC with the following 2D popups, FMC,Overhead and Pedestal.

It depends on how your fly, and how many monitors one uses.