Prepar3D® Release 1.1 Highlights

Reported by Doug Horton. One of the great assets of Prepar3D is that the staff supporting the program is very responsive to adding and updating features, including resolution of user suggestions and updating the Learning Center and SDK for users and developers. In April 2011, Prepar3D version 1.1 was released. According to developer Lockheed Martin:

“The iteration not only brings users increased functionality, but also includes addition of features that support Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Qualification, new platforms and several modernization upgrades and performance improvements. New features in version 1.1 include enhancements to the end user experience, as well as several additions to and enhancements to SimConnect for developers.”

New Features

• Multi-Touch support added
  • Multi-touch on single and multiple touch panels
• New functionality to save and load custom control configurations
• Additions to the standard vehicle model set:
  • Lockheed P-38 Lightning courtesy of Just Flight Inc., with seven models in 18 liveries

Outside view of P-38F Lightning in “Bat Out of Hell” livery

P-38J-15LO model Virginia Marie over Nevada desert

Virtual Cockpit view of P-38F Lightning

• Lockheed C-69 Constellation “Connie” courtesy of Just Flight Inc., with one model in four liveries

Lockheed C-69 Constellation, prior to delivery to Trans World Airlines (TWA)

GPS Gauge Enhancements to Allow FAA Qualification

• GPS welcome/verification page
• Support for SIDs (Standard Instrument Departures) and STARs (Standard Terminal Arrivals)
• XML format defined for SIDs and STARs
• Added synchronization of CDI scale with analogue instruments

Performance Improvements

• More efficient handling of Bathymetry
• Optimizations for running with Bathymetry disabled
• Upgraded rain and snow shaders to version 3.0
• Upgraded default aircraft shaders to version 3.0
• Default system performance configuration updated

User Interface Updates/Modernization Continue

• Redesigned, dynamic menu system
• New modernized screens
  • Kneeboard
  • Settings

Modernized and larger screen for Settings - General

• ATC
• Fuel payload
• Multiplayer chat
• Flight plan

Updated Flight Planner interface

SimConnect Enhancements for Developers

• New SimConnect APIs added to support enhanced development
  • Synchronous SimConnect
    • Allows for “blocking” callbacks, meaning that the SimConnect server side will wait until you release it to continue running the sim
    • Both new APIs and additional flag values for existing APIs
• Ground info query
  • Allows querying for a grid of ground alt info around a point or a SimObject
  • Can query for just ground, or ground and platforms (land-able surfaces)
• External Simulation support available through SimConnect
  • Allows writing an external simulation via SimConnect
  • Primary External Sims are the main sim for a SimObject, they compute everything
  • Secondary External Sims allow adding additional secondary sims to handle simulating/animating subsystems
  • SimObject containers can be created that use External Sims (via the aircraft.cfg/sim.cfg file)
  • Existing objects can be created and have their existing simulation overridden with a primary external sim at runtime
  • Secondary external sims can be attached to existing simobjects at runtime
  • Simple sample external sim included in the SDK?s SimConnect samples directory

SDK

• Updated sensor view integration, examples and documentation
• Multi-channel instructions rewritten for clarity, additional examples added
• GUID generator example
• Documentation to add SIDs and STARs
• How to control observer views through SimConnect

Known Issues Resolved

• Custom window placements across multiple monitors now saved
• Global texture resolution expanded and renamed for clarity
• Prepar3D default flight changed from paused in-air flight to un-paused, stationary runway flight

Default flight in Mooney Bravo G1000, lined up on runway 10, at Chambers Field, Norfolk Naval Air Station (KNGU)

• Additional SimConnect changes
  • Client Data areas now work correctly with the SimConnect Managed client library
    • See new RegisterClientDataDefineStruct function, similar to the existing RegisterDataDefineStruct function
  • Variable length strings now work correctly in both directions, including multiple strings in a row (native client only, managed client doesn’t currently support variable length data definitions)

• Minimized windows now appear when going in and out of full-screen mode without a flight reload
• Upon first execution, the user is prompted to run Prepar3D as an administrator if they currently are not
• ATC and mission prompt menus now receive and interpret numeric key presses to trigger events
• Add-on legacy aircraft without a thumbnail.jpg are now visible in the simulation
• Gross weight is now accurately re-calculated when editing the fuel payload if the “show fuel as weight? checkbox is unchecked
• Setting the top-down shortcut (F12) now correctly sets the top-down view, not your default view

Top-down view of default flight

• Pilot logbook picture viewer begins in the  “Prepar3D Files” folder, no longer defaults to “My Pictures”
• Fixed a bug where in rare cases flights and vehicles which have been moved to your custom favorites aren’t fully removed from your favorites when you close each window
• Consistent formatting and picture sizes applied to Learning Center
• Users are now able to print the EULA from within Prepar3D
• Users are now able to print mission briefing screens from within Prepar3D
• Fixed a bug where in rare cases the new Pilot Records screen would not be visible in Full Screen mode on Windows XP

Subsequent articles will describe updates beyond version 1.1.

Original Release Notes, revision 1.1, Copyright © 2011 Lockheed Martin Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Reformatted and supplemented with images for AVSIM Online – used with permission.