forkedtail

I have REX and FScene on a frame rate challenged system. I find them completely transparent to any frame rate issues and the effects from both programs make FS9 much richer looking and more complimentary to the beautifully detailed aircraft that are available today. Although I have owned a copy of FSX since the first day it was available, it has never been a serious challenge to the flexibility and low cost of my FS9 setup. I'm not sure what the OP dislikes about the REX weather generator, but I can use the REX weather system as my source for local real- world weather information if I want to, and see it on my monitor while sim-flying from our local regional airport (KDPA). Unfortunately, I have no experience with Ground Environment Pro. I'm sure it lives up to its reputation.

I have a new computer that came with an AMD HD7570 card, and I get decent performance out of it when the frame rates are set around 30 fps. I have no flickering problems with it at all. I'm running FScene and REX and I find the graphics to be similar to the standard ones in FSX, and much richer than the standard FS9 graphics. My planes are mostly Carenado and MAAM-SIM, with a few other freeware gems thrown in, so that puts a fair load on the card. In a way, I take some comfort in your post because I was thinking of upgrading the card, but now I'll just keep mine. So you have helped others if not yourself. Thanks for sharing.

There must be something to this, because even with the changes in the aircraft file made and saved, the OS will not read the changes. This apparently means that you have to install software with the UAC turned off if you are ever going to want to add new paints or modify the tail-draggers to respond to a joystick instead of break pedals. Whatever the reasons for the creation of Windows 8 were, they're lost on me. Give me a simpler world, please?

Thanks, Steve and Big Mack. Those replies are very helpful. I got the changes made as you instructed, but all that admin stuff has me a bit confused. Obviously the purpose of Windows 8 was not to make life any easier! I just followed the prompts when installing FS9. Who knew? Another thing: none of the aircraft images show up in the flight planner menu.

Still no joy on the config file changes. System will not let me save the changes that I made on Notepad. Any other ideas? Hopefully someone who actually has the Windows 8 on their system?

How are aircraft config files edited in Windows 8, such as when adding new aircraft textures? Apparently the old system using a text editor does not exist in OS 8.

Thanks for the reply, Jim. Actually, Carenado tech support answered my message and pointed out the elusive GPS switch. It is interesting to see the advancements made by them, particularly lately; and how they have been able to convert the FSX files to FS9. Yes, the Caravan does hit the frame rates a bit harder than any other of their planes. I notice it particulaly when I toggle to the virtual cockpit. I wonder if they could tidy up the coding to eliminate that? It would be interesting to know how much business has come their way by this late surge of FS9 offerings. I bet more than just a little. There are tons of people who never made the move to FSX (permanently), and who like to keep updating their add-ons.

I purchased four planes from the sale, and one of them, the PA28RT 201 Arrow IV has a GPS on board; but, I can't seem to find a NAV / GPS switch anywhere in the cockpit. Most planes have a switch on the panel so that the autopilot can track to the GPS course. Am I missing something obvious here?

I'm afraid I'm still having MAAM-SIM withdrawl issues. From the looks of the teasers we saw back in 2011, the Stearman had to be fairly close to being finished when the plug was pulled on future project development. Is there any chance that this project will be finished by the former team or a new team, and give MAAM-SIM and the museum a last hurrah in in what was easily the best series of warbird aircraft ever made for flight simulation? It crossed my mind that the appearance of an almost identical and impressive Stearman in the MS Flight game might have been straw that broke the camels back. We now know that Flight was a still-born project and the flight models for those aircraft were almost laughable. So with Flight out of the picture, FSX, FS9, Prepar3D are still very healthy and many vendors are active in add-on development. Personally, I have spent more on fs add-ons in the past six months than during my entire prior fifteen years of simming experience. I urge the MAAM-SIM team to reconsider and finish the Yellow Peril project, and any other plans that might be lurking. The flight simming community needs you.

I purchased the FS 2004 Caravan recently, even before the bouncing and transparency updates were issued. As a long-time fan of Carenado aircraft, I have always been impressed with way these amazing models perform on my modest system. The new Caravan falls a little short of my other aircraft in the frame rate department. Since the Caravan does not have any kind of 2D panel, a first in my experience with Carenado, all of the flying must be done in the virtual cockpit. This is the first of my planes from this maker that lags in rendering the VC after toggling views. I also notice about a 10 fpm drop when in the VC. I hope that the folks at Carenado will consider that many FS9 users are also on older systems, and come up with some tweaks that will smooth things out. Actually, if they had just done some form of 2D cockpit or instrumentation, I would be much happier.

I am interested to see if the posters above still feel today, post mortem "Flight"; the way they did a month ago.

Thanks to all who posted the above very helpful answers. Clears up my concerns completely.

I'm not sure I understand your answer. If you mean " as secure as a software-based program ", I can perhaps agree. "More secure than investments in....FSX", without some substantiation, falls short. Let me rephrase my question: If MS stops supporting one of their on-line games, is the game and the peripherals purchased still playable from your own computer?

This is an interesting question, because if MS would ever shut down the game, would we have anything usable left from our investment?

I understand your question, but with DLC that is largely unknown, it's always the "beta' version, isn't it? :Nail Biting:

Put a fork in it....it's done. It's hard to understand why so many of you have invested emotionally and financially in what you thought would be FS11. It's neither FS nor 11. it's a poorly conceived game. Get over it.

No sadness necessary. Be happy with what you have done for the FS community, the museum, and your own gratification. It all was, and continues to be...appreciated. Perhaps more than you know. Mike

I just got a message from Avsim wondering why I hadn't posted in over a year, so here goes: Its 4/19/2012. I'll post here again in one year....that is if there is still a Flight forum at that time. Cheers! Over and out.

This is my first post in the Flight forum, but I have read the content for many months prior and have owned every edition of MSFS since inception. Like many of the members here, I was disappointed by the abrupt change of direction taken by Microsoft with Flight. I did try it, but quickly saw that this was nothing like the prior editions of the franchise, and that I would continue with the FS and the great range of aftermarket products that are available for it. I feel very sorry for the third party developers that have been abruptly disenfranchised by MS, but perhaps there enough are others like myself out there to keep them going. I did buy an add-on for my sim over the weekend as a token "we're still out here and need you" gesture.I thought the IGN review was spot on. Flight is a lifeless entity. It kind of reminds me of one one of those Earth after People episodes where the infrastructure is there, but the living beings are absent. I think the flight models are poorly done, as well. I won't go on... the reviewer said it all.Personally, I would like to see Microsoft sell the franchise to an interested developer, much the way they acquired it originally from someone. At least flight simulators are a developed niche market, something Flight is not likely to ever be able to claim. Games are a console products. Consoles can run them perfectly for a fraction of the cost of a high-end computer. Honestly, are you really going to spend $2500+ for a PC system to run the likes of Flight? You can be pretty sure that the wizards in Bellevue are viewing the tepid results of their newest endeavor and perhaps coming to the same conclusion.