What’s new in X-Plane 12.1.0

As everyone knows, the X-Plane team is growing at an unprecedented rate. One result of this is larger updates with more content covering more aspects of the X-Plane experience, and 12.1.0 is no exception!

While initially envisioned as a graphics-focused release, our team has also implemented new aircraft systems, flight model improvements, weather, ATC system improvements, enhancements for X-Plane Professional, and a physics-based camera that makes you feel like you’re truly moving along with the aircraft. This version is currently undergoing internal testing, and we look forward to releasing it as a public beta as soon as possible.

Here is what you can expect:

Graphics - Our Focus in Version 12.1.0

• Cloud shadows cast onto water surfaces
• Bloom lighting effects Bloom is a graphics effect where ultra-bright light sources “bleed” into surrounding parts of the image, typically observed around the sun or aircraft lights in all ambient brightness levels.
• RCAS (Robust Contrast Adaptive Sharpening)
• Softer, aliased-free ground shadows
• Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) improvements MSAA resolution is now photometrically correct MSAA for alpha-clipped textures MSAA + FXAA combination This is our first step in improving X-Plane 12’s anti-aliasing options
• Improved CPU performance thanks to our new “Modern Culling” This code is used to decide what scenery the simulator needs to draw at any given moment Many X-Plane users are currently CPU-bound, so this should result in a slight performance increase for that crowd
• Better water transparency and turbidity No longer seeing the bottoms of ships in many cases
• New screenshot tool with real-time control over depth of field and exposure

New Particle Effects

• Sparks upon surface impact
• Water spray kicked up by aircraft tires and engines
• Brown/white wake when flying helicopters/takeoff aircraft

Aircraft Systems

• Additions to our G1000 – ADS-B simulation – Storm radar page – Traffic map page – Airport METAR markers – NDB + VOR pages – WAAS/Test satellite constellation – Overlay on startup – (SVS is in progress and should be released in the near future, just not included in 12.1.0)
• G1000 Plugin Interoperability – Our G1000 will now be easier for third parties to modify to meet their specific aircraft needs
• Glass instruments via plugins – This API code will make it easier for third-party developers to integrate custom glass instruments into their aircraft
• STEC ST-360 Autopilot

Flight Model

• Manual flaps system and adjustable flaps functionality
• Electric clutch for helicopters
• Single-lever control for turboprops (if equipped)

Weather

• New real-weather server – Due to reorganization by data providers, our real-world weather service has experienced some outages recently. This patch should resolve these issues and move things forward.
• Real-weather METAR parsing improvements (less random rain!)
• Fixes for bugs causing strange-looking real weather data (fewer Minecraft clouds!)

X-Plane for Professional Use

• Support for X-Plane Control Panel on iOS
• Run the simulator without default aircraft/tutorials – This is a preference for many certified simulator operators
• Scalable Display support – This is a huge development for users using multiple projectors and dome visual systems – Scalable tools can significantly reduce the time required to warp and blend projector channels – While not replacing our built-in warping/blending feature set, this provides another great option for professional users
• More practical weather presets

ATC

• Bug fixes and improvements

Physics-Based Camera - Coming in version 12.1.0 or another upcoming release

• This new in-cockpit camera view option moves the camera based on the aircraft’s acceleration
• In real life, a pilot’s viewpoint is not locked to a single point, as their neck is not locked in a single position either. Therefore, the pilot’s viewpoint moves like a damped spring
• Austin was inspired by this video of an A330 takeoff roll to see what it would look like in X-Plane