What do you consider the essentials?

[Gazzareth 808]

 

New to XPlane from other sims, so I already have the likes of Charts, EFB, LNM, P2ATC which are working.

My interest in the sim is for top quality business jets, so already got the Challenger. 

Interested in what users would consider the "essentials" for XPlane. Any answers appreciated...

G

[jose88 50]

I’ll start

Avitab

Better Pushback

Simheaven X-World

[MrBitstFlyer 3,873]

SimHeaven X-World (Uses OSM data for forests, buildings etc - also uses MSFS building footprints)
Global Forests V2 (many areas of the world not served well by OSM data. In those areas Global Forests offer better coverage)
AutoOrtho (streaming worldwide satelite imagery)
Ortho4XP (Downloadable satelite imagery for areas you want higher resolution than AutoOrtho streamed)
XOrganiser V3 (get everything in the scenery_packs.ini file in the correct order automatically)
XRoads (if you use satelite imagery and you want to disable default X-Plane generated roads - roads in the satelite imagery are seen instead)

Edited March 24, 2023 by MrBitstFlyer

[jcomm 5,919]

And... you started from the very TOP in terms of addons, and the suggestions above are excellent, so, I honestly think you just need to use it now, and enjoy the excellent simulation the CL 650 provides. It's a flight simulator in it's own 🙂

ASXP12 might also be a good option with time and as soon as HiFi get's the necessary control over the sim variables...

Ah, and OFC, Navigraph !

[Swe_Richard 1,172]

Well if you already have the CL650 I think it's hard to find anything surpassing it.. 😉

XPRealistic is rather nice. 

Simheaven X-world as another one said (although I wonder if this is causing quite the FPS drops for me sometimes while up high over certain parts of Europe..?)

[BobFS88 635]

To add to MrBitstFlyer list of essential addons, even though this may not total be essential but certainly should be added is the Xplane 12 Handbook. This should be added to you library for reference. This link is for book one.

https://store.x-plane.org/Flying-Low-The-X-Plane-12-Handbook--Book-1_p_1627.html 

Book two is the link below covers more of the scenery aspect in how its works as well as giving a larger number for examples and links to the freeware and payware scenery.

https://store.x-plane.org/X-Plane-12-Handbook--Book-2--Scenery_p_1681.html

It may also help to have an account or org as well where you can have access to number of freeware and payware notification as they come out. We try to do are best to let everyone know what new as find out ourselves but there find the actual files.  The best part, for each book you only buy once, you will get the updates for free throughout the life if XP12 only.  He keeps adding as more things become known to XP12.

As you have stated that you have the Challenger 650 which I think is the most detailed study level aircraft packed with more real world function where some simmers would not even know its there unless you have flown the real thing. You will enjoy it.

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by BobFS88

[Humpty 751]

Flight stick / pedals / Throttle 😁

[Swe_Richard 1,172]

8 minutes ago, Humpty said:

Flight stick / pedals / Throttle 😁

Good point actually. Decent hardware is definitely a boost in immersion. 

[Bulva 98]

1 hour ago, Humpty said:

Flight stick / pedals / Throttle 😁

+ VR + Buttkicker 🤪

[Bjoern 1,157]

Zibo's 737-800 with a BBJ2 livery.

[Gazzareth 808]

Thanks, seems like there is some good suggestions there.

Noticed that there is no suggestion for terrain mesh - is that more hassle than it's worth?

 

Certainly impressed by the Challenger, it's on a completely different level to anything I have flown in a sim before...

 

G

[tonywob 4,769]

3 hours ago, Gazzareth said:

Noticed that there is no suggestion for terrain mesh - is that more hassle than it's worth?

 

Ortho4XP, if you hunt down for good free DEM data, it can make this for you, otherwise it's mostly third-party paid software that'll get you this. There is HD/UHD Mesh, but this is no longer being updated.

My personal opinion... unless you're flying through mountains in a helicopter or piper cub etc, the extra overhead needed to render a detailed mesh is not worth it. If anything, it will kill your framerate and loading times and doesn't add that much to the simulation

[Noell 115]

X-Camera.  

https://www.stickandrudderstudios.com/x-camera/

...L

 

 

 

 

[MrBitstFlyer 3,873]

15 hours ago, tonywob said:

the extra overhead needed to render a detailed mesh is not worth it. If anything, it will kill your framerate and loading times and doesn't add that much to the simulation

What mesh setting would you recommend for Ortho4XP.  I must admit I did have a setting giving 5 million triangles in some tiles!

[tonywob 4,769]

22 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I must admit I did have a setting giving 5 million triangles in some tiles!

Yeah, that's a lot 

Here are the settings I generally use, and this normally keeps my tiles nice and lean:

One of the biggest hidden killers of framerate is inland water and masks. You don't see the detail in the mesh, but all water features, even tiny ponds can end up being baked into the mesh and increasing the triangle count a lot without adding much, so I reduce these a lot and use the triangle budget elsewhere. I also limit the triangles to around 2,000,000 but may up those to a max of 4 million. These settings have served me well :)

P.S. Ignore the "skip_converts" option... it should be set to false