Lately I have been experiencing multiple crashes using the XPRealistic plugin. Unfortunately, the way that everything works today in XP, a plug-in crash == a sim crash. 

Considering that I also have some Apps like FsEconomy or Xpliot running externally, I believe it should be possible to have those advanced plugins as external executables that communicate with the sim. 

On MSFS the similar FSRealistic runs outside of the sim and I think this is a much better approach. 

Is it technically possible to have plugins injecting camera effects and sounds to run externally in XP12?

Sure.

And no matter the simulator, you always need a plugin to communicate with its API. Either a general one that exposes everything (something like FSUIPC for Microsoft sims) or one that is tailored to specific functions (like camera position for Opentrack on Linux).

Yes, but that communication can be made through an integrated solution. Multiple apps for MSFS work without any external plugins like FSUIPC. 

It would be great if XP offered a similar built-in communication process, as most of my CTDs are plug-in-related. Or perhaps it does?

19 hours ago, GCBraun said:

as most of my CTDs are plug-in-related

The only solution to plugins not crashing is for the dev to write plugins that don't crash. Which is very not easy.

19 hours ago, GCBraun said:

Or perhaps it does?

XP has a fair chunk of the API exposed via the network (used by e.g. instructor station).

That API is by far the most effective mechanism to cause XP to CTD, due to very little input sanity checking (you want infinite altitude, sure XP will have a go) and is very poorly documented.

At least when plugins crash everyone gets at least some feedback as to why.

23 hours ago, GCBraun said:

It would be great if XP offered a similar built-in communication process, as most of my CTDs are plug-in-related. Or perhaps it does?

It's the job of the plugin developers to fix these CTDs, not Laminar's. In your case, you need to take the issue to XPRealistic.

14 minutes ago, Bjoern said:

It's the job of the plugin developers to fix these CTDs, not Laminar's. In your case, you need to take the issue to XPRealistic.

Sure, but crashing the whole sim just because a plug-in stops working sounds like bad design. XP should offer the capabilities to allow those Apps to run externally. 

1 hour ago, GCBraun said:

Sure, but crashing the whole sim just because a plug-in stops working sounds like bad design. XP should offer the capabilities to allow those Apps to run externally. 

They do have that capability. The problem for them is that they have to build their own interface to the dataref or the SDK in Xplane in order to send and receive the data whether it runs on the same system with X Plane or run across the network on a seperate machine. Most of those addon's are your Navigraph charts, Sim Toolkit, LittleNavNav (Active Sky on for XP11) run outside of X Plane will they have their own interface app running in the sim. There are few exception those running in that configuration. Some apps depend on XPUIPC to interface with X Plane such as Self Load Cargo just the name a few. The problem is XPUIPC does not go far enough for some developers who must extend it to make their apps work, such as the case with MultCrewExperiance that work with atc program like Radar Contact and PE3 in X Plane.  When compare addon developers to the ones that build application for that other sim, you have already support from John and Pete Dawson who are only interested in supporting that ecosystem making it easier for their developers to work with that sim. 

Maybe you can appeal John and Pete and get your friends to do the same and tell them that MSFS, P3D are not only sims that fly commercial aircraft and that we want support for X Plane too, never mind looking a market matrix because not all of them are using those advance tools especially when they counting Xbox users. But many user fly both sim and that should be enough to warrant supporting, as others have.  IIRC FSUIPC was always consider a shareware and not payware up until in recent years now that everyone is depended on it. Would nice if they can take over developenet and get feed back from developers as to what they are looking for and extend it to make it better for all developers.

Also get a specific makerunways for X Plane to work with the addons that depend on the database in order read the scenery like P3E as an example.   

But there is a downside to this as well.

If they decided its not worth their time to support a universal interface such as XPUPIC which many would fear, then users and developers loose, leaving the developers to turn to other solutions such Flywithlua and such which is why done that way.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 20233 yr by BobFS88