SunAir Express Virtual Airlines Forum

If you have FSX please post your own comments, too.

Following a tip from a friend, last night I found FSX Deluxe and Standard versions on the shelf for sale at my local Best Buy store. I picked up the last copy of the Deluxe version (at list price $69.99) and high-tailed it home to install it.

First thing I did was clear everything off my system's 2nd hard drive that has 20 gigs of space and reformat it so I could make this a dedicated drive for FSX. After the reformat, it took about 1 hours to install the 2 DVDs that comes with the program (the only option is a full install). Now my 20 gig hard drive was 3/4 full, thats about 15 gigs just for FSX out of the box! Too bad FSX doesn't include a 40 gig hard drive with the package. Something tells me my 20 gig hard drive will not be big enough for add-ons down the road.

The program must be activated using the Microsoft code key that comes with FSX for full function. But no more having to have the disk in the drive to run FSX. By this time it was getting late in the evening so all I had time to do was load the program and take a look at the setup screens and take a quick look around sitting in one of the aircraft. I must say that the "eye-candy" of FSX looks better than FS9. There were cars and trucks driving around on the roads near the airport and service trucks running around the airport. Microsoft did changed some of the key commands for views and I am sure other things. You know how Microsoft is, they just can't leave things alone so now we get to re-learn the program all over again.

I will try to add more comments soon after I get a chance to do some test flights.

I tried two Best Buys and a CompUSA on the way home from work. Came up empty.

I've had a chance to do more testing with FSX. I am please to say that with some help from aircraft guru Dave Vega, we were able to get 2 SAX livery FS9 aircraft to load after adjusting the panel settings for missing panel graphics. Most likely the rest of the SAX FS9 aircraft should work with FSX.

I flew a short hop in the FSX CRJ-700 using the FSX ATC. I found the ATC window a little annoying but this might be fixed with some further setup tweeking.

Looks like I may need a new computer to really enjoy flying FSX. Even with most of the graphic details set to near minimums I was only getting single digit screen frame rates (5 to 9 fps). FYI, I'm running a 2.26 Mhz P4 with 1 gig of memory and a 256 meg Nivida video board. I usually get 15 to 25 fps with FS9 with the graphics setting at med to high. The FSX screen was a little jerking while flying but so bad that I wanted to give up.

Looks like the multi-player process has changed from FS9. If I am right, you can only log onto or start a host multi-player session from the main menu before starting a flight. And I was not able to log onto the SAX FSHost multi-player server. I am pretty sure that FSX uses a different port then FS9. I will have to do more testing with this.

Fore some reason I am having some trouble taking screen shots of FSX using FSScreen. Maybe FSX uses the same Print Screen key for something else, but I am not sure yet.

I haven't tryed FSACARS or Active Sky yet with FSX. I hope to test these and to have more comments soon.

So far no luck getting Active Sky to work with FSX. But from what I have read AS needs FSUIPC 4 to work and this has not been released yet by Pete Dowson. Here is a post from his support forum:
http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.p ... ad96357bb3

No luck getting FSACARS to work with FSX either. Not sure if it will need upgrading, too. Guess we will just have to wait and see for now.

If you currently have FSNavigator it looks like the current version will NOT be compatible with FSX. I just read this post on the the FSNAv web site: http://www.fsnavigator.com/

FLIGHT SIMULATOR X

2006-10-12

The present version 4.7 of FSNavigator is for now the endpoint of a development that started with Flight Simulator 98. The same concept was kept through all versions, with continuous adaptations as necessary. Since Flight Simulator kept developing further, FSNavigator and Flight Simulator have not, for some time, worked together harmoniously any more. It has therefore become necessary to rebuild FSNavigator completely. This means not only adding new functions, but also removing functions that have become obsolete.

What will remain?
FSNavigator will remain an integrated DLL program with docked and undocked window. It will be able to be called up from the Flight Simulator Startup dialog box. The F9 key will be replaced by the 0 key. Map and Flight Planner will remain in improved form.

Now you can make your wishes known!
What should absolutely be kept in FSNavigator, what might as well be removed, and which functions should be added? Write a short e-mail to support@fsnavigator.com

Facts:
- The present version FSNavigator 4.7 is not compatible with FSX.
- FSNavigator version 5 is being developed, and is expected to be available mid-2007.
- For owners of FSNavigator 4.x there will be no upgrade to version 5.
- FSNavigator 5 will be introduced at a low price.

Good news for Active Sky users. Looks like AS will be compatible with FSX.

Read this post for more info: http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az= ... 9243&page=

Thanks for all the info Dave. As you know I'm putting together a home cockpit which uses a multitude of software and 5 PC's which is working great at this time. After reading what you have been going through I can only imagine what it would take to convert my pit over to FSX. I think for the moment I'll stay with FS9 since I'm looking for more FPS. I'd rather use my CPU power to increase the FPS than watching cars and trucks drive by. Great report and good luck with the rest of it.

The performance tweaks are already starting to appear:

http://www.fox-fam.com/wordpress/?page_id=41

FSX - Ultimate Terrain Series News:

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_p ... ?TID=18886

[quote="Marty_Becker"]The performance tweaks are already starting to appear:

I checked my hard drive after installing FSX and it definitely needed to be defragged. And that was after installing FSX to a newly formated drive all its own!

I will have to go over more of the tips that are starting to come out.

Active Sky v6.5 for FSX has been released.

Here's another FSX preformance Tweak web site:

http://www.fsstation.com/articles/fligh ... weaks.html

Dave:

Have you been successful at getting AS6.5 to work with FS9 and FSX? Supposely, one doesn't have to install AS6.5 another time to work with FSX. One install works for both, with a minor tweak. I don't fully understand it yet and wondering if you have it working with both.

Marty_Becker wrote:Dave:

Have you been successful at getting AS6.5 to work with FS9 and FSX? Supposely, one doesn't have to install AS6.5 another time to work with FSX. One install works for both, with a minor tweak. I don't fully understand it yet and wondering if you have it working with both.

All I did was upgrade to AS6.5 and it works for both FS9 and FSX. AS will download real weather for both flight sims. Make sure you install FSUIPC 4 for FSX.