Hello All ----

 

Just wondering if anyone has picked up on any news relative to the timing of the next update to Prepar3d ??

 

I am ready to jump in, but want to wait for the next group of fixes......

 

Many Thanks --- Bob :Big Grin:

No official word other than v2.0 is to be released in 2013. On average they have done incremental releases about every six months so we might see one in the Spring of 2013.

No official word other than v2.0 is to be released in 2013. On average they have done incremental releases about every six months so we might see one in the Spring of 2013.

 

Hello Clutch --- and thanks for the response. OK, if that is the present release mode, then spring 2013 it is.

 

Do present subscribers get all updates free as part of their subscribtion?? I would think so given the cost but.....what say??

 

Thanks --- Bob B)

From what I understand version 2.0 will not be a free upgrade. Academic users will have to pay for new version. Commercial Developer and Professional versions have yet to be determined from what I believe. But I think there will be some sort of upgrade price there as well. Time will tell.

From what I understand version 2.0 will not be a free upgrade. Academic users will have to pay for new version. Commercial Developer and Professional versions have yet to be determined from what I believe. But I think there will be some sort of upgrade price there as well. Time will tell.

 

Well, justification for more charges would stem from how much of the new version is an "upgrade" and how much is an "update". The two definitions, as I am sure you know, are very different. From what I have read, the present ver. 1.4 still has some work to be done on it that would clearly fall under the definition of "updating" (bug patches) which, IMHO, should not be charged for.

 

At the same time, if LM plans significant feature additions/enhancements then that is a different story. That would clearly represent "upgrading" and would be worth some additional charge for liscense holders.

 

So as you say, time will tell. Still trying to get an idea if I should jump in at this point with version 1.4 --- what do you think? Is it solid enough in your opinion?

 

Thanks for your comments and thoughts -- Regards, Bob

For me, I find v1.4 definitely solid enough. That is to say it performs smoother, less stutters, reported better coloring, sharpness, and better performance, some improved features, especially if you use multiple displays. That being said there are some obvious drawbacks as well.

 

There is no start up screen to create a free flight like in FSX, there is no real-time weather (there are themes and custom weather like FSX), and i am sure there are a few others that don't come to mind. But we simmers are a resourceful bunch. There is already a freeware app to work like the FSX front end (SimLauncher). There is a payware app FSX migration tool to install FSX add-ons into P3D for those items you can't port over yourself. There are 3rd party weather apps that work just fine in P3D.

 

So if you like to be on the leading edge, don't mind tweaking a little, using a few work-arounds, and got 49 bucks to burn I would say go for it. Otherwise, just wait for v2.0.

 

I, like you, was hesitant at first. My FSX setup was working quite nicely so why change? But I did and now I can't see myself ever going back to FSX.

there are freeware migration tools available too, such as FSXtoP3D.

 

Honestly, if 1.4 was the LAST update to P3D, I would still be so happy with it. I've done a few VATSIM flights, all over 1.5 hours, without ANY error of any sort.. and I INTENTIONALLY tried to push it to its limits.. flying the NGX from payware scenery to payware, opening and closing menus, windows, etc.. saving the flight every 20 minutes, etc.. and nothing could make it crash.

I, like you, was hesitant at first. My FSX setup was working quite nicely so why change? But I did and now I can't see myself ever going back to FSX.

Honestly, if 1.4 was the LAST update to P3D, I would still be so happy with it.

 

OK Gentlemen -- you have me convinced. Gonna give it a try, understanding the stage of its development and knowing a little bit about what LM has as objectives for the ver. 2.0 release, here we go. I will go for a separate partition for P3D so I can keep all my FSX "untouched". Comparisons will be real interesting. See ya on the forums here and on LM's forum -- I foresee many questions going up the learning curve.

 

Thanks for pushing me over the edge :Big Grin: -- Bob

FSX2P3D tool cost 10.00 US - not free - works fine

cthiggin

That's the payware, this is the freeware - http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?68166-FSXtoP3D

 

I may buy the payware FSX2P3D because it seems to have more features.

All of this raises a primary question. At present all upgrades are a reinstallation, not just running an installer. All of that scenery has to be reinstalled even if most aircraft can be readily moved, although PMDG and any other devs that heavily use XML dlls make the job more onerous.

 

Do we, I. skip the next couple of upgrades even though they're free - or do I just hope that the next one will be a more conventional installation.

 

For v2.0 I'm happy to pay, why??? Well I would have bought FSX XI or XII if they had ever eventuated. I just treat v2.0 in the same light but the move up the 1.xxx scale is a pain at the moment.

 

To change the subject the Payware FSX2P3D is well worth it, but it does not deal with dlls at all, and with MJS coming out with its Dash 8 running outside the core code a new challenge will emerge.

At present all upgrades are a reinstallation, not just running an installer. All of that scenery has to be reinstalled even if most aircraft can be readily moved, although PMDG and any other devs that heavily use XML dlls make the job more onerous.

 

Hello Ian -- yes, that is the case. I have procured P3D to start the learning process, but going through what you describe is not what I want to be doing. I too have much add-on material, including my own fictional airports and scenery and I do not want to go through reinstall over and over. So to keep the "pain level" low, I am going to move slowly right now and until the product finally settles to the point where major fixes and changes have been done. There is much learn as the product evolves --- plenty of fun stuff to work on.

 

Thanks for the comments!!! --- Cheers, Bob

"OK Gentlemen -- you have me convinced."

 

Ah-ha! We snagged another one! Regarding some of comments here on add-on scenery, I have not had to re-install many of mine. What I have done is have a separate hard disk I named 'A:' for addons (who uses a floppy anymore?), and installed most of my FSX stuff there. For P3D I have just been pointing to that path without having to re-install. All my freeware addons have worked. So that saves time.

 

Not sure if v2.0 will make much difference regarding this as I believe it is more on the developer's side to make installations smooth. Funny, Orbx which claims to be P3D ready gives me the most trouble. Those pesky .dlls would show up with every start up of P3D. Orbx said they are working on a solution but that has been several months. Finally got tired of the dll warnings so I just moved the whole bunch of them out of their folders to a nice 'holding' folder. I can't see any difference in the airports so not sure what they do?

"OK Gentlemen -- you have me convinced."

 

Ah-ha! We snagged another one! Regarding some of comments here on add-on scenery, I have not had to re-install many of mine. What I have done is have a separate hard disk I named 'A:' for addons (who uses a floppy anymore?), and installed most of my FSX stuff there. For P3D I have just been pointing to that path without having to re-install. All my freeware addons have worked. So that saves time.

 

Not sure if v2.0 will make much difference regarding this as I believe it is more on the developer's side to make installations smooth. Funny, Orbx which claims to be P3D ready gives me the most trouble. Those pesky .dlls would show up with every start up of P3D. Orbx said they are working on a solution but that has been several months. Finally got tired of the dll warnings so I just moved the whole bunch of them out of their folders to a nice 'holding' folder. I can't see any difference in the airports so not sure what they do?

 

Those are the "flow" dlls. Texture, people, object ect. It was my understanding that they were to enhance performance.

I'd be happy with a 1.5 upgrade that fixes some of the issues with P3D, and a new 2.0 version that can be installed side by side with 1.5. Two sims, twice the fun.