Me, hmm bored, wonder if B6 is out yet.

Laminar:

Release Date: May 22, 2025

!!! Known Issues !!!

Graphics

• Cloud flickering may still occur in some situations
• Cloud shadows can appear too dark under certain conditions
• Cloud artifacts may still be visible in same cases

Note: These issues are known and currently being worked on. There is no need to report them again.

Fixes and Enhancements

General

• Fixed cloud flickering in the right eye display when using VR (XPD-16905)
• Fixed a crash when setting the weather using the IOS (XPD-16910)
• Fixed texture in Artificial Horizon instrument (XPD-16924)
• Fixed an error that caused navigation data alerts when using Navigraph data

Graphics Core Engine

• Fixed performance issues when using orthophotos (XPD-16850)
• Fixed a device loss issue when switching screens while using X-Plane (XPD-16921)
• Fixed several other device loss errors

Graphics

• Improved cloud visualisation
• Improved volumetric fog near the aircraft (XPD-16906)
• Fixed a device loss when zooming into clouds (XPD-16908)
• Improved exposure in VR

https://www.x-plane.com/kb/x-plane-12-2-0-release-notes/

Glad for the update …. BUT these breaking changes are turning OFF a lot of development work.  2 years later, where is the Hot Start TBM for XP12??  Endless promises from the developer, but with a moving target for a core platform with breaking changes to aircraft, I can see why the developer may have given up.

 

3 minutes ago, CO2Neutral said:

but with a moving target for a core platform with breaking changes to aircraft

I think even without knowing the exact details, I can assure you that the 12.2 update to X-Plane is not the reason why the TBM isn´t ready yet 😉

Either way, not a great situation, hot start TBM was my primary use aircraft in XP.

57 minutes ago, CO2Neutral said:

BUT these breaking changes are turning OFF a lot of development work.

 

47 minutes ago, CO2Neutral said:

Either way, not a great situation

It would have not been a great situation had LR not release beta 6 at all, given the number of complaints that they were receiving from beta 5. However, keep in mind that a beta 7 is certain to be coming soon since we have this from the release notes:

!!! Known Issues !!!

Graphics

• Cloud flickering may still occur in some situations
• Cloud shadows can appear too dark under certain conditions
• Cloud artifacts may still be visible in same cases

Note: These issues are known and currently being worked on. There is no need to report them again.

 Which was what many people hope for to be fix in beta 6.

Edited May 22, 20251 yr by BobFS88

1 hour ago, CO2Neutral said:

Glad for the update …. BUT these breaking changes are turning OFF a lot of development work.  2 years later, where is the Hot Start TBM for XP12??  Endless promises from the developer, but with a moving target for a core platform with breaking changes to aircraft, I can see why the developer may have given up.

 

I believe Laminar got caught flat footed when MS2020 can to be, they are now playing catch up in the graphics department to keep users from dumping XP12 for 2020/2024. as a result everything else has been put on a back burner! For example, Networking should of been out third quarter last year, yet we still wait.

2 hours ago, CO2Neutral said:

Glad for the update …. BUT these breaking changes are turning OFF a lot of development work.  2 years later, where is the Hot Start TBM for XP12??  Endless promises from the developer, but with a moving target for a core platform with breaking changes to aircraft, I can see why the developer may have given up.

 

Thank you for your patience regarding the delay with the TBM.  

I want to assure you that we are fully committed to ensuring the quality of the TBM, and it is in no way the fault of Laminar or the updates.

While Saso continues to work on further improving the code, including "libturbine", I've been working on enhancing various aspects of the model. Given that the TBM was first released in October 2018, I believe it's important to bring it up to the standards expected for 2025.

Rest assured,  we are dedicating a significant amount of time to this project, often working late into the night to add details and prepare the model for texturing.  I am nearing the texturing stage, which shouldn't take very long to complete.  Obviously, I can't give an ETA, but we're hoping everyone will appreciate the quality, given the time it's taken.

I appreciate your understanding as we strive to deliver the best possible outcome.

Edited May 22, 20251 yr by GoranM

6 hours ago, mSparks said:

Fixed performance issues when using orthophotos (XPD-16850)

very possible this might have been the source of my VR perf issues in XP12. Just threw b6 through my quick "this stuff must work" tests and for the first time in a while didn't have any immediate issues.

4 hours ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

I believe Laminar got caught flat footed when MS2020 can to be, they are now playing catch up in the graphics department to keep users from dumping XP12 for 2020/2024. as a result everything else has been put on a back burner! For example, Networking should of been out third quarter last year, yet we still wait.

Yes you like to think. Simply put OGL was never good enough to do what thay are know doing, hence Vulkan was long in the works bebore xp11 was released. As fir MS they too ran into issues with there engine hence the huge updarte. Same issue, old engine wasnt good enough. Vulkan was long in the works before 2020 came along. Not an overnight fix. Thats a complete rewrite. Funny the so "technical" peopls seem to fail to understand the work involve.

4 hours ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

to keep users from dumping XP12 for 2020/2024

Strange that I have seen many users switching the other way around and XP having gained market shares in the last navigraph-survey.

1 hour ago, Franz007 said:

Strange that I have seen many users switching the other way around and XP having gained market shares in the last navigraph-survey.

This goes back to when 2020 was first released, with all the attention to graphics, in particular the clouds update... will naturally bring some back, maybe even some first timers. So it should be no surprise now that the eye candy in XP has had a major update.

Edited May 22, 20251 yr by Mike_CFII_MEL

59 minutes ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

This goes back to when 2020 was first released, with all the attention to graphics, in particular the clouds update... will naturally bring some back, maybe even some first timers. So it should be no surprise now that the eye candy in XP has had a major update.

Two things.

1. It is entirely logical to come to this conclusion.

But

2. it really isn't what happened.

About the only thing in XP12 I can think of that wasn't planned, mentioned previously and well into development prior to msfs even being announced is the trees, and the story behind that is something along the lines of one of the developers going out of his way to prove Ben Supnik wrong about it now being possible with the vulkan stuff they had just got working in XP11, and that tech is nothing like MS is doing.

Everything else you see in XP12 now has been planned and worked on since at least

vulkan chapter @32.30

that was 07/2017

That really is how long it takes to get this stuff ready, very, very very few people realise how much effort it takes, all they see is the instant gratification of being bored at 1pm on a thursday, and 12.2.0B6 being delivered a few minutes later.

10 hours ago, CO2Neutral said:

 these breaking changes are turning OFF a lot of development work.  2 years later, where is the Hot Start TBM for XP12??  Endless promises from the developer, but with a moving target for a core platform with breaking changes to aircraft, I can see why the developer may have given up.

 

Yet they seemed to have no issues updating their C650 for v12, which by all reports is one of the most deeply "First Principles" simulated add-ons for any flight simulator ever.

And then there's Toliss, Flight Factor, Rotate, IXEG, X-Crafts, Airfoil Labs, TorqueSim, Just Flight, et al...

Whatever HotStart are doing with the new TBM version, it can't be the sim that's holding them back.

IIRC, they've other irons in the fire.

Edited May 23, 20251 yr by UrgentSiesta
Clarification

8 hours ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

I believe Laminar got caught flat footed when MS2020 can to be, they are now playing catch up in the graphics department to keep users from dumping XP12 for 2020/2024. as a result everything else has been put on a back burner! For example, Networking should of been out third quarter last year, yet we still wait.

I somewhat agree, but there's been substantial updates unrelated to eye candy.

What you can be sure of though, is that they're prioritizing work according to revenue, which is what every good business does.

Edited May 23, 20251 yr by UrgentSiesta