X-Plane 9.30 Beta-013 is here now! Mac, Windows, and Linux!
 
Grab it at:
 
http://www.x- plane.com/ beta.html
 
Thanks to a meeting just outside of Paris with a bunch of French X-  
Planers, we have a handful of bug-fixes, new features, and refinements  
that are useful for the more serious users!
 
Jump on this and let me know how it goes! The next release will be  
RC-1, as this build is getting VERY solid now!
 
austin
 
New features:
 
Plane-Maker: Option to run it in metric-dimensions mode!
Thrust and the like are still in pounds, but all dimensions are in  
meters.
This should make things easier for our European customers.
 
New flap option in Plane-Maker: Flaps are INFINITE-ADJUST. HOLD the  
button or keyboard flap command to move the flaps up or down smoothly  
as long as the button is held. Please check ALL flap functionality:  
Long deflection times of over 60 seconds, failure to deploy with flap  
failures,
failure to deploy with and hydraulic failures if hydraulically  
activated, failure to deploy with electrical failure if electrically  
activated,
manual-pump deployment, auto-deployment with landing gear, or approach-  
to-stall, and overspeed-protectio n on deployment.
(And, of course, aero, visual, and sound effects for all of the above).
 
New settings in Plane-Maker SYSTEMS window: Conditions under which the  
gear warning will activate: You can make your warning systems a hair  
more accurate here.
 
New Plane-Maker entry: Min runway length. Your moving maps will only  
show you airports with runways longer than this length to cut down  
clutter and select good airports for your particular bird. Also enter  
whether you can accept grass runways and helipads on your moving maps  
there.
 
New Refinements:
 
Frame-rate enhancements with cumulus clouds... you should see nicer  
frame-rates with scattered and broken clouds.
 
Aircraft carrier catshot: Better physics and placement when locked  
down for the cat!
 
When starting up WITHOUT engines and systems running, the manual  
electric hydraulic pump will be left in the OFF position by the last  
pilot.
 
Contrails should not typically come forward of the engine at hi-speed/  
lo-power conditions.
Contrails should expand a bit slower. The contrails will start a hair  
smaller, and fade in smoothly as the ice crystals form from the engine  
exhaust.
there should be no rain under scattered or broken clouds if not  
selected in the weather screen... let me know if you still see any!
 
Localizer on the map screen is plotted at EXACTLY the same width as  
the localizer as presented on the HSI and VOR displays..
This means that if you are exactly full-scale deflection in the  
cockpit, then you are exactly on the edge of the
localizer on the map. As well, the glide-slope on the map should  
EXACTLY match the glideslope you have tuned, if any.
 
When using the FMC, the VVI will auto-set to the perfect VVI to hit  
your target altitude for your next fix.
Feel free to over-ride it if desired.
 
Refinement to helo auto-rotation model... should be more accurate  
descent rates.
 
Rotors should be visible on all craft, whether a zero-design- speed is  
entered or not... Earlier betas did not handle the proper properly if  
it had a zero-design speed. (What can I say: When I wrote X-Plane, I  
was really only thinking about propellers that were design to.. umm...  
move a craft forwards).
 
The control-o view should function just fine in external-views, as  
long as you only wander around in the cockpit area.
 
Bug-Fixes or nice "Code-Tightening" :
 
No more data output putting un-needed carriage-returns or un-changing  
data when the disk or inet outputting is paused in the data-output  
selection window.
 
N1 and N2 do not dip slightly below 0 when stopped any more.
 
No more burners being accidentally disabled after flying vectored-  
thrust aircraft.
 
If you have a real Garmin-430 hooked up to X-Plane, the to/from should  
be accurately displayed on the HSI.
 
New features for expert ACF-Makers:
 
New datarefs for the TCAS system, as requested to make custom TCAS  
systems.
 
Quick tech note: If you are designing your own autopilot plugin, you  
may want to set "sim/operation/ override/ override_ autopilot" to TRUE
so X-Plane does not over-ride your autopilot commands.
 
Bouncers: Damping constants now go to 0.1 digits... so you can do  
better bouncer control.

x-plane REMOTE is here for iphone!
 
http://itunes. apple.com/ WebObjects/ MZStore.woa/ wa/viewSoftware? id=318557071& mt=8
 
x-plane REMOTE is a cool little app for you iphone that lets your
iphone act as a joystick for x-plane! it also acts as an external
cockpit, and a moving map!
 
grab it at the link above!
 
with x-plane remote, you can simply establish a wireless connection
between your computer and your iphone (if you computer has an airport,
you do not even need a LAN! the iphone can connect right to your
computer wirelessly via airport!) to use your iphone as a joystick or
external panel.
 
this gets pretty interesting, because it lets you run x-plane on a
laptop away from the office, and still have a joystick when you are
traveling.. . in the form of your iphone!
it lets you run x-plane in full-screen- ho-hud mode, perhaps on a huge
flat-screen TV for a huge visual... while controlling the sim from
your couch by tiling the phone! AND, at the SAME TIME, seeing an
external cockpit or moving map on your iphone. (or ipodtouch, of course)
 
as well, if you simply want to run x-plane in full-screen mode on your
computer, perhaps using a joystick to fly, you can simply use the
external-panel option on your phone to have an external instrument
panel for navigation, while using the FULL monitor for out-the-window
visuals.
 
OR just use x-plane remote as an external moving map!
 
if you have an iphone and x-plane, this is just too cool an app to not
have.
 
the app is priced somewhere between the value of used gum-wrappers and
old pocket-lint, same as always, so if you have the slightest
inclination to try it out, there is no reason not to!
 
austin

X-Plane 9.30 Beta-14 is here!
 
http://www.x-plane.com/beta.html
 
have at it!
 
austin
 
 
 
 
Fine-Tuning:
 
Turbulence from other planes toned down a bit.. makes glider-tow easier.
 
Fuel-tank placement a hair more accurate in a few planes.
 
Greater flexibility in setting up g1000 software version numbers to  
facilitate testing with new planes when driving real g-1000's.
 
The dynamic airplane shadow is now an optional rendering setting. This  
feature is usually pretty cheap but for very complex custom planes you  
can get fps back by turning it off. The dynamic airplane shadow is  
only for your airplane - making 19 AI dynamic shadows is way too slow.
 
Per-pixel lighting is now a rendering setting. If you have a "cheap"  
card (GF7300, GF8400, HD2400, X1300, etc.) then turning off per pixel  
lighting will help fps a lot, especially when FSAA is on.
 
Some shader tuning may be coming, but to get 922 style performance,  
you'll need to turn off both of these new extra bits of eye candy.    
Fps tests of 922 vs. 930 without per pixel lighting and shadows show  
930 as fast or faster than 922.
 
 
 
 
Plane-Maker:
 
Plane-Maker Visual-Texture-Tegions window is now working
Overlapped text in Plane-Maker Systems screen fixed.
Insert-section into body is undoable.
Plane-Maker detects backward key frames for handles.
Plane-Maker won't quit with an internal error if you undo a misc body  
edit after changing the number of stations.
 
 
 
Tech-Notes for Designers:
 
EVERY SINGLE PLANE MADE IN 9.30 BETA needs to have it's 'FADEC  
automatically keeps engines from exceeding max power' option reversed  
in the Engines screen.
This is to maintain compatibility with version 9.22 and earlier...  
though you will need to change this setting in 9.30 if you made a  
plane in 9.30 beta.
 
 
 
Bug-Fixes:
 
No more clouds rotating with the viewpoint.
Orthophotos should not get "stuck" at low-res.
Orthophoto res will be higher when anisotropic filtering is on, to  
avoid blurry images.
The transition from DSF to planet rendering is smoother for oceanic  
areas.
The landing light does not attempt to light the airplane. This fixes  
the airplane turning black when shaders are off.
Runway anti-incursion lights (wigwags, etc.) have their LOD fixed.
One-way roads go in the right direction in the UK.
Precision of key frames improved for generic instruments
Two-sided facades should render properly.
Taxiway lights should be evenly spaced on curved paths.
Plugins: The y-test prober will not be fooled by boats.

X-Plane 9.30 beta 15 here now!
 
http://www.x- plane.com/ beta.html
 
Plane-Maker can snap wings OK now.
RESET PATH map-button and menu-option now reset the paths of ALL
planes... not just yours.
Frame-rate counter should run a bit smoother.
Ever so slight tuning of the rotor/propeller model.
'Start on Ramp' option back in the Operations and Warnings window.
Should now work with REMOTE for iPhone, even if you are still on an
old power PC!
APU n1 saved with the situation and replay.
Runway bumps fixed when "runway follows terrain contours" is off.
Runways no longer bright at night with shaders on and per-pixel
lighting off.
Facades drape on sloped ground.
App icons look correct on OS X 10.3 and 10.4.
Orthophoto distance tuned for anisotropic filtering.
72 hz frequency monitors recognized in rendering settings
Text entry into numeric fields improved
Datarefs for PFC equipment are writable
Rotation-speed datarefs for wheels/props/ engines won't go negative.

The T-38 flies because it has big jets. The U-2 flies because it has big wings.

X-Plane 9.30 RC-1 is here now.
 
Here is the new Stuff for 9.30 RC-1:
 
Real-Weather 'allow cu clouds' preference is now remembered between
runs.
Helicopter rotors, and tail-rotors, no longer require rpm to change
pitch.
Turbulence effects somewhat less strong.
'ramp-start' option should start you on ramp when opening new planes,
as well.
iPod/iPhone app 'X-Plane Remote' should work with old Power-PC Macs
now... give it a try!
Workaround for texturing problem on NVidia cards on OS X 10.5.7.
Fix for crash on OS X 10.4 when setting full-screen with ATI hardware.
Panel doesn't jitter up and down anymore.
OBJs with diffuse material attributes look correct when shaders are on.
Rotaries with reversed key frame tables work right
 
austin

X-Plane 9.30 RC-2 is here!
 
http://www.x- plane.com/ beta.html
 
If you file a bug report, make sure you indicate what airplane you are  
using, what the exact name of the control is that you are using, what  
you EXEPCT the sim to do when you activate a control, and what the sim  
ACTUALLY does when you activate that control. Also be sure that you  
have turned off all plugins and tried the sim before you report a bug.
 
I have been getting a number of emails that say things like 'the  
heading indicator does not work'... a report so stunningly useless  
among the thousands of planes, hundreds of plugins, dozens of heading-  
indicators, and dozens of ways to CHANGE or READ the heading  
indicator, that the report SEEMS to be a really lame practical joke.
 
follow the procedure listed in the top para, above, when filing bug  
reports!
 
austin
 
Here is the new Stuff for 9.30 RC-2:
 
GPWS annunciator stays lit up for as long as the GPWS system is  
activating.. . it does not just pulse.
 
If you hit the fire extinguisher, the engine is recovered normally  
when you open a new plane or reset the flight.
 
A handful of new gps commands to control the software Garmin-430.
 
Various fail-at-speed- altitude failures should be operational.
 
Twin fuel gage instrument can now handle it properly when people put  
the fuel tanks on the wrong sides of the plane in Plane-Maker.
(Obviously, the LEFT tank should be tank #1, and the RIGHT tank should  
be tank #2, in twin-tank planes... a number of people have been  
breaking this rule...
the new fuel gage should be smart enough to handle that).
 
Multi-IOS should work as intended.
 
The control-o view lets you get a bit closer to the ground, as needed  
for some really low airplanes.
 
Map mode is transmitted from master to external cockpits.
 
Ramp-start option applies to initial start of the sim as well.
 
Conditions under which rain is encountered are tweaked a bit.
 
1 more decimal for wing sweep and dihedral in Plane-Maker.
 
Shadows won't be clipped from inside the 3-d cockpit.
Shadow fades out at night.
Shadow angle is fixed for AI planes.
 
Frame rate will not jitter as much on OS X 10.4 with ATI hardware and  
heavy rendering settings.
 
ARC on engine ECAM in Cirrus shows up in 3-d cockpit now.
 
Generic rotary now works correctly when mode is "rheostat".
 
Allow_rosetta flag allows plugin authors to test ppc plugins on an x86  
mac.

X-Plane 9.30 RC-3 is here, Mac, Windows, and Linux!

http://www.x-plane.com/beta.html

new stuff:

Panel-scroll should be back.
EFIS maps of various sizes should scale properly.
Electric-engined airplanes should be properly functional now.
In-cockpit elevation of viewpoint can be really low.. useful for small
seaplanes.
Waves should not 'rush' too fast when real-weather is turned on.
A fix to the 777 shadow.
A possible fix to crashes with clouds.
Tweaking the helo rotor model just a teeny bit, yet again.

austin

X-Plane 9.30 RC-4 is here now!

Mac, Windows, and Linux!

grab it at:

http://www.x-plane.com/beta.html

let me know of any bugs!

austin

new stuff:

3-D panel does not get stuck when facing due north.
Correct logging of bad png files.
Memory log format is a little easier to understand.

X-Plane 9.30 final is here for Mac, Windows, and Linux
 
I am still posting this in the BETA section of X-Plane.com (http://www.x-plane.com/beta.html  
), and delivering it only when the BETA box is checked in the installer.
I will move it to NON-BETA status shortly.
 
austin
 
Airfoils labelled a hair better in Plane-Maker.
3-D cockpit view panning and tilting working as desired.
Replay mode should be a little more reliable... Tt could get confused  
with many airplanes coupled with airport placement coupled with rapid  
toggle in and out of replay mode before.
New airport and nav data.
Fix for crash on GF4-Ti with 3-d clouds.
Displaced threshhold lights correctly placed with transparnet runways.
Better logging of illegal LOD cmds in objs.
Linux joystick yaw axis should be normally operable.