hi Guys!

I am brand new to the Avsim community. I have been through all the incarnations of FS. I'm currently still throttling about with FS9 (2004) I recently purchased XPlane11 and I'm still sitting on the runway,props turning and going nowhere slowly; very frustrated. i have read through many excellent articles on the forum and realise that it's probably something to do with the B key.I also don't know how to switch to"spot plane" view.My software has been updated to 11.25,my joystick is calibrated. Any help and tips for roookies would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for such a fantastic website.

Hi Lion,

yes, there is a certain learning curve, ESPECIALLY if you are used to other software through many years of conditioning.

1.) Brakes are default "V" (full effort, toggle, emulates parking brake) or "B" (half effort, only effective while keyed). There is no big red flashing "parking brake set" like in more gamey (snidey remark) flight-simulators. 😄 You can "output on screen" many of X-Plane´s inner workings, go to the DATA tab and enable the stuff you want to see (framerate, flight controls, aerodynamic forces, brakes, etc...)

2.) Use SHIFT - 1,2,3,4,5,... for the different views. Or use the "view" menu (it also shows the key combos).

You can modify and adjust all these settings in the corresponding menus. Don´t just sit on the runway and go nowhere, investigate the menus, you will find a lot of answers there. Then come back here for more! 😉

Welcome to X-Plane, Jan

 

Edited November 2, 20187 yr by Janov

I've gone the other way, where I try to use X-Plane commands/keystrokes in Prepar3D! Doh!

You will gradually get used to the new interface. It took me a few months, but it helps if you have a Linux mindset.

It's worth the time you put into it, as there are a lot of great aircraft there - IXEG 737-300 for one, and a free/donationware 737-800 if you are used to the PMDG NGX called Zibo 737.

 

Wow! Thank you, Janov and Jude for taking the time to reply so thoughtfully and carefuily. this is why Avsim is such a great community. So glad I joined!I will try everything you guys suggested and let you know how it went

 

Thank you!!

You might also want to consider updating to XP11.30, fixes crosswind issues and adds a few other features.

Cheers, Rob.

31 minutes ago, Rob Ainscough said:

you might also want to consider updating to XP11.30

... when it will be out. Not right now, it's in beta ! 😉

If you really want, you can go to the controls menu and select the FSX key bindings, then it’s very similar. 

It might help us if we know what controllers you have available to use.  With XP11, I don't use a keyboard at all.  Everything is programmed to my controllers. So I don't know any default keys.

If you are using a joystick remember to go in to the options and set the sensitivity.  Otherwise it will be very frustrating to control.

Also be aware that you can save profiles for each aircraft that you have. I love this feature.  With P3D you have to have a registered version of FSUIPC to do the same thing.  XP11 does it out of the gate.

When I went over from FSX to X-Plane, it took about 2-3 days to get used to it. In fact, it now annoys me when I go back as I've forgotten all the shortcuts in FSX/P3D 🙂

I felt the same about the controls when I tried X-Plane...now it’s second nature.  There’s still some things i prefer control-wise in P3D, but there’s plenty I like better in X-Plane.  After a while you’ll be able to switch back and forth with ease.

8 hours ago, regis9 said:

After a while you’ll be able to switch back and forth with ease.

Ha ha, now that's a definitely an art I've been unable to master. I try to map my keys to be the same in both sims, but switching between them is always confusing

I should qualify that by saying I map a lot of the more common commands to my hotas setup, so i can keep those the same.  I do definitely catch myself trying to switch views in xplane by pressing the s key or by using the chaseplane joystickmbutton commands that I have setup in p3d.

Hi guys!

Thank you all so much for your suggestions.I'm still sitting on the runway,props spinning and haven't moved an inch.; I feel like the Springboks trying to get over England's try line (even without a blatant yellow card - apologies to my English friends on this forum and Americans who don't get rugby); Thouroughly frustrated.I have tried some of your suggestions and I can now get the exterior views,but how on earth do I look around the cockpit? when I did a "walkaround" to check that my control surfaces were moving (a habit from my PPL training days). nothing budged. I thought the problem might have been my joystick( a Trust GM 2600;which works perfectly in FS9), so I reinstalled and recalibrated it. Still nothing. I am now totally fed up with XPlane11 when I consider what it cost to buy brand new and the amount I spent on data doing the upgrade (before we had uncapped fiber installed). In South African Rand terms I have effectively paid double for the game (all I got was an impotent Cessna and a measely discount voucher from Aerosoft. very annoyed and am now considering uninstalling (to give FS9 more breathing space) and dumping Xplane at our local charity shop. I have a powerful, dedicated gaming rig with a number of heavily modded games on it ( I really enjoy mods and addons and have created many for The Elder Scrolls games). Hopefully without sounding like an old fart Luddite; I far prefer the ease and simplicity of FS9, It's all very disappointing as I was so excited to buy XPlane after seeing the demo clips on Youtube.

 

Many thanks

Tread lightly on the earth

Well, LionBrother... I don´t want to sound harsh, but if you can´t even figure out how to use the view system or set up your controllers, then X-Plane is probably not the right program for you. It requires a certain level of technological affinity, ability and general computer skills. My son (without me coaching him) has been able to use and manipulate X-Plane views since he was 6 years old. It really is THAT simple.

FS9 is an awesome program and I am sure you will continue to have many happy hours with it. I remember it fondly (like anything from the time when I was still a young man). Sorry for your Rand´s spent, but if you buy a vacuum cleaner at the store and can´t figure out how to plug it into the wall, don´t expect a refund. Except maybe in the US 😂.

Happy flying, Jan

Thank you, Janov

Sslap on the wrist and kick in the pants noted and accepted with grace and dignity. I had a major stroke a year ago and have been using Flight simulators as a form of OT therapy to help my cognitive functions. my left side is paralyzed which means its tricky for me to use a keyboard,so perhaps I should just toughen up and persist until either me or the game starts working properly. . perhaps the whole thing is currently beyond the ability of the remains of my brain, but it is improving. I was in a wheelchair this time last year, but I'm walking now! Your profile picture suggests that you're a pilot; I would love to ask you some questions. I have FSPassengers installed on my fs( I love it;fantastic addon!), but I keep getting penalized for silly mistakes. Maybe a stroke survivor shouldn't be flying 737s. I totally own Halloween!

Thank you again, Janov for taking the time to reply so honestly