Coming in X-Plane 12.0.8 and beyond - Roadmap Update

Our team is currently preparing the beta for X-Plane 12.0.8 - we expect to have something ready within the next week or two. This update focuses on improving X-Plane’s flight model (the math used to determine how planes actually fly in the sim), networking/multi-monitoring, and tools for using X-Plane with projectors.

Projector Correction/Blending Using multiple projectors to display the world around you is the gold standard in flight simulation. But there is a catch - when you aim multiple projectors at a curved screen, the image from each projector looks weirdly distorted. We solve this by rearranging the pixels X-Plane sends to the projector itself - resulting in a visually correct image. Behind the scenes, this is powered by various trig and calculations, but the end-user just needs to align a grid pattern with their display, and they are good to go! This feature will be available in our X-Plane Professional Licenses.

Engine Model Improvements Austin has made various improvements to how X-Plane simulates engine performance. Now, jets, turboprops, and reciprocating engines are simulated more accurately based on real-world test data. We used data from Pratt & Whitney and Philipp Ringler to ensure everything runs “spot on.” 😉

Landing Gear Physics The math model defining how the landing gear interacts with the ground is now more realistic in three key areas:

Wheel hub inertia - This means smoother landings, we win! The tires on the aircraft’s main landing gear now spin up to the aircraft’s speed faster after touchdown, reducing the nose-down forward pitch/smack on the nose gear during the landing rollout.

Weld modeling - This code controls the transition of each wheel between rolling and stopped rolling. This might sound trivial, but considering it touches every transition of the aircraft being parked vs. not being parked and taxiing at low speeds, making sure it is correct is important!

ABS revision - Tweaks to the logic of the anti-skid braking system in X-Plane to decelerate after landing to avoid excessive squealing.

New Fuel Temperature Model Did you know that jet planes actually use their fuel to cool their oil? That is why they do not have a visible oil cooler like your old Cessna 172! The oil heats the fuel, and the fuel dissipates the heat through the surface of the wings! So, in effect, jet planes use their wings as radiators.

Now, this process is fully simulated in X-Plane 12. Check the fuel temperature details in the Data Output screen to see it in action on your favorite jet.

Networking and External Visual Sync ……have both received a series of bug fixes to improve the experience of using X-Plane in setups using multiple computers to drive multiple displays.

Graphics Quality Bug Fixes While version 12.0.8 focuses mainly on the physical aspects of X-Plane, the graphics team has sneaked in a couple of quick fixes to address urgent issues:

The most common “ran out of VRAM” crash has been resolved Users should no longer experience long pauses when popup windows appear

Coming Next: X-Plane 12.1.0 (Graphics!) Version 12.1.0 is the release where we plan to integrate the fun features the graphics team has been working on for the past few months. Expect to see:

Real weather improvements When real weather is enabled, no more boxy “Minecraft” cloud shapes.

Cloud shadows on water Better wave lighting effects RCAS (Robust Contrast Adaptative Sharpening) Softer, less jagged ground shadows MSAA (Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing) improvements Photometrically correct MSAA resolution MSAA improvements for alpha-cut textures Improved CPU performance Thanks to our new “modern culler” - this is the code the simulator uses to find all the scenery needed for drawing. We know a lot of users are CPU-bound in X-Plane right now, and this is the first step to improving their experience in the simulator.

Better water transparency ……because the real world is much more polluted than we care to admit.😷

Why our price is changing… To prepare for taking X-Plane to the next level (including everything mentioned above and projects we aren’t ready to share yet), we have decided to raise the base price of X-Plane 12 to $79.99 in the coming months.

This will allow us to continue expanding the team to deliver the most realistic flight simulation experience imaginable.

If you haven’t upgraded to X-Plane 12 yet, you can pick it up at the legacy price ($59.99) for a limited time.