Looking at those Cessna 206 pics, I just talked myself into getting one too... 

Aw, c'mon, guys!  QUIT TEASING ME!  I think the C206 is the only one I don't have of the singles.  I don't NEED another single.  I don't NEED another single,  I don't NEED .... .... .... aarrgghh!

LOL, collect them all.

Yup the C206 rocks. I was disappointed though that the v3 still has the crappy manipulator on the AP Altitude knob which STILL goes up in 10 feet increments, making setting a precise altitude a real chore, if not impossible.

The development of the scroll wheel manipulator is ongoing, and there will be improvements to the way things work.  My vision for manipulators is, to make them "vanish", so that you don't ever have to think about manipulators... that any way you approach them, with whatever background you have, or whatever software you're used to, the transition to Carenado's X-Plane manipulators should be seamless and intuitive.  AND you should have options, to use the manipulators as you see fit... preferably without even having to set any preferences.  

 

You like click-style manipulator?  For precise entry, clicking repeatedly on a click zone is often the best way to get precise results.  Not ideal for covering large amounts of values.

 

Click-holding to get to values faster would be helpful.

 

Like scrolling?  That's the most intuitive way to deal with knobs and certain types of handles and switches.  Ideally, the scroll manipulator should differentiate between quick and slow scrolling, and it should just "feel" right.  

 

What about click-dragging?  It's a great way to get where you want more quickly and precisely, especially if you have the option to drag vertically for fast, rough changes, and drag horizontally for fine-tuning.

 

Or how about a text window, that allows you to type in values via keyboard?  No more fiddling!  Imagine that!  

 

Now imagine having all of these in ONE click zone! And then imagine being able to turn off the options mentioned above that you dislike, or find to be interfering (e.g., if you're using a MagicMouse or MagicTrackPad on the Mac, then sometimes scrolling gets in the way).  

 

This is what we're working towards.  I call it the "SuperManipulator", and I think you'll like it.  

The manipulators are getting better, but the zones where they work are still pretty poor. For example some of the NAV to COMM swap buttons on the new GNS430 - it's a tiny tiny spot...

 

If you're looking head on it's easy but with Track IR it can be difficult

On which plane(s)?  The GNS430 click spot for swap is actually larger than the visual button.  Not sure if parallax plays a role for you. 

It seems to me as though many of the complaints regarding manipulation of dials and click-spots are directly related to the use of TrackIR.  I abandoned TrackIR after trying it because I couldn't look down at my keyboard without messing up the view.  After many adjustments, I gave up.  No problems with any knobs or dials now.  I use the right mouse button to "look around" and I much prefer that.

 

And clicking on the GPS zooms it to usable size which makes adjustments easy.

For those who are experiencing click-spot issues with TIR, maybe consider x-camera, as there is an option when you create the view that TIR is not active for the view. Just a thought. I am using it with no issues but only with the f33.

 

 

Bob