Any experts in X-plane?

sarangan

sarangan

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Andrew, CFI-I
I would like to connect with anyone who knows about building new aircraft models for the X-plane simulator, particularly using VR. I looked through the X-plane forum, but had little luck getting useful information. Anyone here who has built or modified an airplane for X-plane, I would love to chat. Thanks.
 
Basically, you build a 3d model using Blender or a similar 3d app - that’s just a 3d visual representation of the plane and then you actually model a physical model using X-planes own planemaker - https://developer.x-plane.com/manuals/planemaker/

None of that is particularly easy or intuitive - you need to understand 3d apps, normal and texture mappings and basically a lot of concepts related to 3d modeling for games - so it is not a weekend project..
 
murphey said:
Nope, something different.

https://www.x-plane.com/
Click to expand...

I use the iPad version connected to a very large scree display when I teach the Young Eagle ground school - tilt the iPad left & right, the yoke on the screen follows, as does the picture out the window. Tilt the iPad forward & back, screen yoke moves as does the picture window. Plus the instruments also correspond to the movement, so the kids can see the effect on the panel, too.

So the next day when they're flying, what they see in the airplane and out the window is much like what they saw the night before. Plus I use the airport we fly out of, so the scenery is very similar.
 
Warmi said:
Basically, you build a 3d model using Blender or a similar 3d app - that’s just a 3d visual representation of the plane and then you actually model a physical model using X-planes own planemaker - https://developer.x-plane.com/manuals/planemaker/

None of that is particularly easy or intuitive - you need to understand 3d apps, normal and texture mappings and basically a lot of concepts related to 3d modeling for games - so it is not a weekend project..
Click to expand...

I am primarily interested in adding/removing/replacing new instruments on the panel rather than build an airplane from scratch. All of the youtube videos I have seen on this topic are 10 years old, and they are dealing primarily with 2D panels. For use with VR goggles, I suspect I would need to use a 3D panel. I've also read that planemaker does not work for 3D. This is where there seems to be a black hole of information. I haven't gotten any firm leads other than that it is a difficult task.
 
If you’re trying to create an instrument assist from scratch you need to use 3D modeling software for that. You’ll then need to program the backend so it works as you want in the game.

If you’re just trying to rearrange gauges or add/remove assets from other planes I’m sure there’s a way to do that. I did that in P3D many years ago using a gauges config file. I’m sure it’s similiar in X-Plane. Keep in mind though because someone models the planes individually, swapping gauges will probably mess up you panel details such as bezels and such.
 
Rgbeard said:
remind me... is X-plane the new name for Microsoft Flight Simulator, or is it something different.?
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X-Plane is different than MS Flight Simulator. FS uses lookup tables while X-Plane calculates the flight parameters. PrePare3D is derived from MS Flight Simulator, and is still being updated, while MS Flight Simulator has been stagnant for years.

X-Plane, until recently, I guess, has been second to MS-Flight Simulator, but development is on-going and I have heard that it is now more popular than MS Flight Simulator.

There seem to be more third party support for MS Flight Simulator, but I'm sure that will change.
I have X-Plane 11, but it isn't installed. I have MS Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition (FSX:SE) installed, as well as some third party products for it. There are some holes in FSX:SE, but overall it's better than the original FSX on Windows 7.
 
I also recently bought Flyinside and was very impressed by the VR implementation, but it appears to be an early stage still.
 
Hi.
sarangan said:
...building new aircraft models for the X-plane simulator, particularly using VR. I looked through the X-plane forum, but had little luck getting useful information. Anyone here who has built or modified an airplane for X-plane,..
Click to expand...

As others have mentioned to get a 3D model you have to use some special tools and the simplest that I know of, least amount of time spent in learning it, is Sketchup to get the 3D portion and Export it to XPlane. I've done some models in XP10 but unfortunately XP11 is more complicated and due to the disorganized process existing presently, where their own C172 may not work from one version to the next, and the fact that the "blade theory" they use is somewhat useless when it comes to light GA models, like the C172, I will no longer consider it as a tool, or even a decent game.
The commercial Developers are having a very difficult time keeping their models working from version to version and free developers, for acft development, are virtually none existent.
Their flight dynamics for light GA, during taxi in Xwind conditions and in flight is lacking and I do not think the blade theory they use now, as it is presently, will ever be able to accommodate / create a decent light GA model.
I use FSX and or P3D, or Flight Gear, as tools to demo maneuvers and recommend it to other pilots.
VR is not very good and after a few hours you are likely to go back to regular use, lack of controls access, and resolution display quality is lower and you are better off using it in 4K without VR.
There are some some flight simulator games like FS2, that I understand is fun, and a couple of others.
It will be interesting to see what future brings for LR / XPlane.
 
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sarangan said:
I also recently bought Flyinside and was very impressed by the VR implementation, but it appears to be an early stage still.
Click to expand...
Just curious. What's the benefit of using Flyinside when X-plane 11 has built in VR? Or are you using an older version of X-Plane?
 
hish747 said:
Just curious. What's the benefit of using Flyinside when X-plane 11 has built in VR? Or are you using an older version of X-Plane?
Click to expand...

Flyinside seems to run way faster, more fluid, and the visuals appear more realistic. But number of airplanes and customization are still at its infancy.
 
sarangan said:
Flyinside seems to run way faster, more fluid, and the visuals appear more realistic. But number of airplanes and customization are still at its infancy.
Click to expand...
That's interesting, because I've heard just the opposite. I wouldn't know from experience since I've never used Flyinside, only "native" VR in X-Plane 11.

This is over a year old and I'm sure the tweaks have improved native VR even more. His experience is that native VR looks and performs better.
 
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I have tried native VR in X plane and , if given correct 3d models, the 3d movement within the cockpit feels like the real thing - it is very, very close to how I experience it in my cockpit.
Of course the actual rendering details are nowhere near as close but you don’t notice that with VR - where it really fails is lack of physical sensations - of course, can’t expect that from a $50 simulator running on a consumer pc :)
 
bluesideup said:
Hi.


As others have mentioned to get a 3D model you have to use some special tools and the simplest that I know of, least amount of time spent in learning it, is Sketchup to get the 3D portion and Export it to XPlane. I've done some models in XP10 but unfortunately XP11 is more complicated and due to the disorganized process existing presently, where their own C172 may not work from one version to the next, and the fact that the "blade theory" they use is somewhat useless when it comes to light GA models, like the C172, I will no longer consider it as a tool, or even a decent game.
The commercial Developers are having a very difficult time keeping their models working from version to version and free developers, for acft development, are virtually none existent.
Their flight dynamics for light GA, during taxi in Xwind conditions and in flight is lacking and I do not think the blade theory they use now, as it is presently, will ever be able to accommodate / create a decent light GA model.
I use FSX and or P3D, or Flight Gear, as tools to demo maneuvers and recommend it to other pilots.
VR is not very good and after a few hours you are likely to go back to regular use, lack of controls access, and resolution display quality is lower and you are better off using it in 4K without VR.
There are some some flight simulator games like FS2, that I understand is fun, and a couple of others.
It will be interesting to see what future brings for LR / XPlane.
Click to expand...

Sadly, I have concluded that it is not feasible to design new glass instruments for the XP11 cockpit. This has nothing to do with Blender or Sketchup because I am quite familiar with both. Even though I was able to create steam gauges and bring them into the XP11 cockpit, I was hoping to build a glass instrument, such as the Garmin G5 or the Dynon EFIS. But it seems all glass items in XP11 (GNS430/530/1000) are run by an internal engine, and cannot be created without developing some sort of custom plugin.
 
Random question following this line.

Would anyone know how I could edit a plane I've downloaded to allow the yoke to be grabbed by the mouse/VR "hands"?
The yoke is already modeled in 3D, I'm just not sure how about I'd go to add the interaction box/make it control the Elevator/Aileron inputs.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
-Regic
 
That stinks, I guess it's not very popular (yet?).

I can try making a 3D cockpit and test it in VR. I'm on the road for a couple more weeks then back home where all that fun stuff lives :)
 
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