Well after much trial and error it is clear apart from the odd outlier if it is an XP11 aircraft then it will have major problems in XP12 - namely in the buttons, cockpit controls, automated scripts and other stuff similar. So now my golden rule is if it is not specifically for XP12 then forget it - those older models will always have problems and one will have to wait patiently for an update (if ever it seems for some payware stuff). Rain mapping and window heating etc is also a major difference between XP11 and XP12. You may get lucky with putting the acf file through model maker and then again you may not, then of course the search to see if any kind or enthusiastic simmer has done a mod or a fix for the aircraft to get it working in XP12. 

Some major culprits that appear to be basically abandoned or not interested in updating to XP12 - Carenado, FJS (727/737) RW Designs. Quite a few excellent aircraft done by groups still to be upgraded, some will I guess some will not (The Hydro PBY Catalina comes to mind - lovely model etc and generally all good in XP12 except engines catch fire no matter how you treat them and the overall handling is well dodgy) 

Scenery by and large most of XP11 seems to me to be fine in XP12 but still some scenery has issues ( namely using the older tree sets of XP11 and before the trees and some orthos). Now I check via the XPlane gateway to see if the airport etc was uploaded there and if it was included in the XP12 desktop release. Some airports are not uploaded to the Gateway for inclusion so the only thing to do is to check out the defaul and then upload and install the preferred version (I only go back to XP11) No issues with any of the Sim Heaven stuff updated for XP12 but removed the Oceania set as could not abide European chalets and roads in PNG and the Pacific Islands (very weird look.

Anyway a few thoughts!

Saving XP11 airplanes in XP12 non beta planemaker, the flightmodel is broken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any ideas on how to avoid such? Thanks

 

 

Not sure about that one Mike44, I checked my Planemaker (see About) and the current version is reflecting that is concurrent with the current XP12Beta version precisely. Maybe check your XPlane updater to see that it is ticked for Beta, perhaps? I have noted in the last 3 updates I believe this is the 3rd update (today actually) that there were changes to Planemaker indicated or listed what I am not sure, I guess reflecting underlying changes in the main sim coding!

The only XP11 aircraft I have had any luck updating to XP12 so it worked perfectly was the Carenado (lets call it the Alabeo) Piper Aztec. Putting the acf through plane maker fixed up the problems of doors, flaps etc etc but there was still no sound. I decided to come to terms with FMOD and did a packaged for the Aztec and lo and behold the Aztec now had sound and worked perfectly. I guess underneath it was not all that complicated a model anyway. I also had the Carenado F50 and it remains a bust. There were some mods using LUA scripts to get the gear working and to fix up some strange behaviour with the autopilot but it still remains suspect. I much prefer the XP12 Dash 8 anyway. Oh there were a couple of XP11 models that worked fine right out the box - namely a Piper Aerostar (700P pressurised version) a few quirks but nothing major at all!

Oh the Zibo B737-800 (recent update works fine by the way) not sure about the 747 I wanted the 747SP but it relied heavily on the XP11 747 and well most of it works but shall we say its flight model is well a bust!

Thats been my experience so far!

19 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

appear to be basically abandoned or not interested in updating to XP12  ... FJS (727/737)

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/272210-x-plane-12/&do=findComment&comment=2456582

On 2/3/2023 at 11:27 AM, Bjoern said:

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/272210-x-plane-12/&do=findComment&comment=2456582

Fingers crossed on that one, seems there are a lot of one man band developers out there - you can push one or two products out the door over time but when a major update and change arrives not so easy - so I understand this better once you see their problem. As for Carenado or Just Flight I suspect they cashed in with XP to bide them over for a year or two as they went across to the MS market. They are not on their lonesome there. I was, when I think about it, a very good customer for Just Flight in the FSX/P3D days and now have not bought a thing from them for over a year now, same for A2A, as for PMDG (expletive deleted). I think the underlying cynical exploitation of their market base is the bit that annoys me most - just more corporate weasel words! If the business is not interested in that area of software (XP) then just say so thats fine by me! Just don't lie about it all the time!

Being positive like its older compatriot FSX no shortage of what I perceive to be a strong and enthusiastic amateur base ( I prefer the term artisans or craftsfolk) within XP and given they have all the tools they need and the way XP is basically open for all to see and use, its use of open source software etc (No 600 page contractual straightjackets here) multiplatform capacity is a breath of fresh air. The results are there for all to see - XP12. Again same old same old, how many aeroplanes do you want to play with? I have 30 in the XP12 Active Hangar - how many are payware? 5 thats all. All the rest are very high quality artisan efforts! That same creative contributive skill shows in the scenery area as well and good on Laminar for harnessing that and making it happen great stuff!

Now here is an Interesting comparison - A2A promised the Piper Aerostar (touted they were doing it) for probably nearly 2 years for P3D etc etc. They have delivered zilch! So now I have two Aerostars in XP12 one payware the other artisan. So I cover the 600 and 700P Aerostars with high quality models and the payware got updated nicely for XP12. 

Proof of concept and because it deserve's a little accolade - the Piper Aerostar or more correctly the Ted Smith Aerostar in XP12. A fascinating aeroplane in its own right, all the control surfaces are the same size and shape and block to block it was only a minute or two behind a Beech King Air not bad out of a pair of Lycomings! But then again I am biased I flew them once!

Edited February 4, 20233 yr by coastaldriver

On 2/2/2023 at 8:39 AM, coastaldriver said:

not sure about the 747

The current git

https://github.com/mSparks43/747-400/archive/refs/heads/master.zip

Is good for flight testing & feedback, "nearly" ready for release. still needs some loving for glideslope capture and approach and some work on the VNAV, I need to find maybe 7 or 8 hours to finish that testing, everything up to final should be good and better behaved than the XP11 release. 

Held up by the XP memory leaks very recently fixed in 12.02r1 which was nuking the flight testing, but not had time to retest everything yet.

On 2/2/2023 at 6:07 AM, coastaldriver said:

if it is not specifically for XP12 then forget it

This was always the case, XP9 ->XP10, XP10->XP11 XP11->XP11.30 and now XP11.55->XP12, LR put as much effort as possible into making the transition from one to the other as painless as possible, but ateotd when the sim changes the aircraft need updating for it.

But developers are encouraged by gentle & friendly comments that people care and want it. 

Good to hear about the 747. Will hold until it is done. At the moment seems not a week or a couple of days go by without an update or change of some sort. If your new to the sim like myself it is a bit of a learning curve. 

28 minutes ago, coastaldriver said:

At the moment seems not a week or a couple of days go by without an update or change of some sort.

Xplanes given me something new and interesting pretty much every day for getting on for 6 years now... I'm loving the default XP12 fleet, loving what has come over from XP11 already, really loving what I'm seeing come together for the future. 

20 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

Fingers crossed on that one, seems there are a lot of one man band developers out there - you can push one or two products out the door over time but when a major update and change arrives not so easy - so I understand this better once you see their problem. As for Carenado or Just Flight I suspect they cashed in with XP to bide them over for a year or two as they went across to the MS market. They are not on their lonesome there. I was, when I think about it, a very good customer for Just Flight in the FSX/P3D days and now have not bought a thing from them for over a year now, same for A2A, as for PMDG (expletive deleted). I think the underlying cynical exploitation of their market base is the bit that annoys me most - just more corporate weasel words! If the business is not interested in that area of software (XP) then just say so thats fine by me! Just don't lie about it all the time!

 

1. FJS is two or three people, who AFAIK have actual jobs and thus limited time for projects. As do a lot of other developers.
2. JF was very committed to XP so far and I do not see any reason why they would pull out of the game given how popular their products are. Their XP conversion team in fact used to work for Carenado and does projects of its own.
3. The roadblock for any payware update has been a lack of a XP12 compliant SASL release, which handles systems and more importantly DRM. SASL's lead developer is ukrainian. Do the math.
4. Platform stability is key factor. Developers do not want to constantly push out updates and fixes just because Austin changed something in the flight model. Thus a lot of devs will wait until the dust has settled somewhat.

And generally, it helps to simply stop feeling entitled to payware and updates. While lack of new products or a sudden end of life cycle is certainly frustrating, it's not the end of the world.

 

Good points Bjoern. I do wonder about some payware folk not that I lose much sleep over their business management where they get their data about what is what. Yes I know they can count sales but their having poor sales may not be the indicator they think of the viability of an offering maybe they just don't get the market. Now I have no idea how many XP12 users there are out there but looking at some download figures from XPlane.org brought me up with a start.  Not sure what floats folks boats but no doubt scenery in XP is a big attraction, They indicate a very healthy market or sim community indeed. 

Here are a few examples:

The Aerobask Robin (XP11 and now Xp12) has been downloaded over 230,000 times - yes that's right over 230,000. Why so popular no idea but it is obviously what users like and want!

The Shensee B720 has been downloaded 18,000 times (Thats a heck of a lot of B707 affecionados)

Manky Dash 8's 16,000

Something obscure or I would have thought obscure the Metroliner - 28,795.

Some scenery packages have in excess of half a million downloads. 

Now those sort of user figures and popularity tells me that XP12 is a very viable market not to mention technically superior. Then again at least the cater for Mac and Linux users (not to be underestimated at all - sure is a lot of Mac users out there) 

15 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

has been downloaded over 230,000 times

That is going to be roughly 8,000-15,000 people downloading 20 or 30 updates since 2018.

e.g. the org reports 40,000 downloads for the 4,000 or so the 744 actually gets.

 

I had it working, suddenly the gear didn't reach ground anymore. Changed something in planemaker now gear is ok but G1000 looks old and says inf#power or alike. Also the engine has no more sound and is not reacting to throttle.- In xp11 all was fine! G1000 was fine in xp12 now looks again like the default Cirrus SR22.
What to do to fix all this? Probably the Planemaker coder was hacked or used infected includes etc. Unless somone can help me, Planemaker is unusable.-

Thanks

 

Edited April 15, 20233 yr by Mike44