Difference between revisions of "Microsoft Flight Simulator X"
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{{Fixbox|description=Multi-core Fix|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=Multi-core Fix|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | ||
{{ii}} Changes how FSX uses multiple cores. | {{ii}} Changes how FSX uses multiple cores. | ||
− | + | Go to the config (.cfg) file and add the following change: | |
− | |||
[JOBSCHEDULER] | [JOBSCHEDULER] | ||
− | AffinityMask=n | + | AffinityMask=<code>n</code> |
− | + | : Where <code>n</code> is a number that will depend on the amount of physical CPU cores you have: | |
− | + | * <code>3</code> for a dual-core CPU. | |
− | + | * <code>7</code> for a tri-core CPU. | |
− | + | * <code>15</code> for a quad-core CPU. | |
− | + | * <code>63</code> for a hexa-core CPU. | |
− | |||
'''Notes''' | '''Notes''' | ||
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{{++}} This tweak is reported to improve performance. | {{++}} This tweak is reported to improve performance. | ||
{{--}} Removes core 0 from use and so fewer threads are available to load scenery and textures. | {{--}} Removes core 0 from use and so fewer threads are available to load scenery and textures. | ||
− | {{--}} FSX does not support | + | {{--}} FSX does not support simultaneous multithreading (e.g. Intel's Hyper-threading), so virtual cores are not to be factored in to this tweak. Simultaneous multithreading has been reported to increase stutters and decrease performance. |
}} | }} | ||
{{Fixbox|description=HighMemFix|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=HighMemFix|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | ||
{{++}} A recommended tweak from Microsoft for all FSX users. | {{++}} A recommended tweak from Microsoft for all FSX users. | ||
− | + | Go to the config (.cfg) file and add the following change: | |
[GRAPHICS] | [GRAPHICS] | ||
HIGHMEMFIX=1 | HIGHMEMFIX=1 | ||
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{{Fixbox|description=Turn Off Red Warning Messages|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=Turn Off Red Warning Messages|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | ||
− | + | Change the following lines from <code>True</code> to <code>False</code>: | |
InfoBrakesEnable=False | InfoBrakesEnable=False | ||
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{{Fixbox|description=Bufferpool|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=Bufferpool|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | ||
− | + | Add the following to your CFG file. The default value is <code>1000000</code>. | |
[BufferPools] | [BufferPools] | ||
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{{ii}} By default FSX will only display textures up to 1024x1024. Any larger textures will be downsized. | {{ii}} By default FSX will only display textures up to 1024x1024. Any larger textures will be downsized. | ||
− | + | Change the following line to <code>2048</code> or <code>4096</code> to use higher resolution textures. | |
[GRAPHICS] | [GRAPHICS] | ||
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{{ii}} Autogen is the trees and buildings automatically generated by the game engine. Autogen is resource intensive and so decreasing it will increase performance. | {{ii}} Autogen is the trees and buildings automatically generated by the game engine. Autogen is resource intensive and so decreasing it will increase performance. | ||
− | + | Add the following lines to the <code>[TERRAIN]</code> section of your CFG file. The default values are as shown. | |
TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=4500 | TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=4500 | ||
Line 515: | Line 513: | ||
{{Fixbox|description=Scenery Loading and Blurries|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=Scenery Loading and Blurries|ref={{cn|date=December 2016}}|fix= | ||
− | + | Increase CPU time dedicated to loading scenery data by adding the following value: | |
[MAIN] | [MAIN] |
Revision as of 07:33, 22 February 2019
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|
Developers | |
---|---|
ACES Studio | |
Steam Edition | Dovetail Games |
Publishers | |
Microsoft Game Studios | |
Release dates | |
Windows | October 17, 2006 |
Warnings
Key points
- Re-released as Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition on Steam. Multiplayer has been patched to work with Steam, and a few bugs have been fixed. No other major changes.
- Extensive modding community.
- Notoriously unstable, CPU and GPU-intensive.
- GameSpy online server browser for non-Steam versions is no longer working.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition requires administrator privileges to run, which requires Steam to run as an administrator.
General information
- Official website (Steam Edition)
- AVSIM - a very active fan forum.
- FlightSim.com - a very active fan forum.
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | Gold Edition is fully updated and contains all previously released expansions and enhancements. | |||
Amazon.com | Gold Edition is fully updated and contains all previously released expansions and enhancements. | |||
Steam | Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition |
DLC and expansion packs
Name | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Flight Simulator X: Acceleration | Included with the Gold Edition and Steam Edition. The expansion also comes with both Service Packs. | |
Around The World In 80 Flights Add-On | Steam Edition only. | |
Early Years of Flight Add-On | Steam Edition only. | |
Discover Arabia Add-On | Steam Edition only. |
Essential improvements
Service Packs
- After installing FSX download and install Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2. Gold Edition users do NOT need this update, as the game is fully updated.
Mods
Flight Simulator X is known for its extensive modding community. There are many freeware and payware add-ons available. Be cautious when installing and research other users experiences along with check for compatibility with other addons you may have.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Flight Simulator X\FSX.cfg %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX\FSX.cfg |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/314160/pfx/[Note 1] |
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\ |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/314160/pfx/[Note 1] |
- Screenshots are saved in
%USERPROFILE%\My Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files\
Save game cloud syncing
System | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
OneDrive | Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers. | |
Steam Cloud |
Video settings
Widescreen resolution
- Enabling wide view aspect also increases the in-flight FOV.
Set WideViewAspect in FSX.cfg[citation needed] |
---|
|
Input settings
Audio settings
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English |
Network
Multiplayer types
Type | Native | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Local play | |||
LAN play | |||
Online play | Server browser in non-Steam versions no longer works. |
Connection types
Type | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Matchmaking | ||
Peer-to-peer | ||
Dedicated | Must use Direct-IP option on non-Steam version | |
Self-hosting | ||
Direct IP |
Ports
Protocol | Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
---|---|
TCP | 3783, 6500, 6515, 6667, 13139, 27900, 28900, 29900-29901 |
UDP | 6073, 6515, 13139, 23456, 27900 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
VR support
3D modes | State | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Nvidia 3D Vision | Fix: Helix Mod by Bo3b, some lights do not render. | ||
TriDef 3D | DirectX 9 only. | ||
iZ3D |
Headsets | |||
---|---|---|---|
SteamVR | Use FlyInside. | ||
Oculus VR (LibOVR) | Use FlyInside. | ||
Windows Mixed Reality | This game might be playable with the Revive Compatibility Layer, or Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR. | ||
OSVR |
Devices | |||
---|---|---|---|
Tracked motion controllers | |||
Traditional controller | |||
Keyboard/Mouse | |||
Tobii Eye Tracking | Use Tobii Game Hub. Supports head tracking. | ||
TrackIR |
Play area | |||
---|---|---|---|
Seated | |||
Standing | |||
Room-scale |
Issues fixed
"1628: Failed to complete installation" error when installing
Force Windows Vista compatibility mode[1][2] |
---|
|
"Error Code 1-80004005" on launch
- Error message: "We're sorry, an unexpected error occurred which is preventing product activation from being completed. ERROR CODE: 1-80004005"
Change registry setting[2][3] |
---|
|
Other information
API
Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
---|---|---|
Direct3D | 9, 10 | |
Shader Model support | 1.1, 4 | [citation needed] |
Executable | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Windows |
Middleware
Middleware | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Multiplayer | GameSpy, Steamworks | GameSpy no longer available. Steam version uses Steamworks. |
Game settings tweaks
- Graphical Settings - (click "Expand" for more information)
Graphics
- Set resolution to your monitors default resolution.
- The frame rate can either be locked with the internal limiter or an external limiter. External limiters may yield higher performance but have been linked to blurries and stutters
- Anti-Aliasing is dependent on whether you are using another utility such as Nvidia Inspector to force higher anti-aliasing
- Global texture resolution should be set to Very High. This will allow FSX to load texture sheets up to 1024x1024
- Preview DX10 enables DirectX 10. Many addons and even default objects will not display properly and anti-aliasing does not work. Advantages are increased performance, enhanced lighting, and cockpit shadows
- Lens flare enables a camera-like flare when looking at the sun
- Light bloom adds a subtle bloom but decreases performance. A better option is the ENB Series mod
- Advanced animations allows many object animations to display, leave this checked
Aircraft
- High resolution 3-D virtual cockpit should be left enabled for best detail
- Aircraft shadows add depth to the sim but are somewhat bugged and decrease performance
- Aircraft self-shadowing is also bugged and decreases performance but adds depth and shading to aircraft
Scenery
- Level of detail radius impacts the sharpness of terrain around the user. The higher this is set the less blurry distant terrain will be at the expense of increased memory usage and decreased performance
- Mesh complexity impacts how far away mesh will retain a high resolution. A lower number will load lower resolution mesh at a distance
- Mesh resolution is the resolution of the terrain mesh itself. Many addons require a certain resolution but there is no default FSX mesh of a higher resolution than 10m
- Texture resolution determines the maximum resolution that terrain textures will be loaded. Set to 7 cm so that all terrain textures and photoreal overlays will display at their highest potential resolution. Default FSX terrain textures are 1m
- Water effects controls the wave action and reflection in water. Higher settings impact performance but look better. Low 2.X or higher is advised for best graphics. Max 2.X is known to be bugged
- Land detail textures, leave this checked
- Scenery complexity determines how many non-autogen objects are loaded. Extremely dense can be used on most systems
- Autogen density determines how much autogen is loaded by FSX. This setting will have the most impact on performance. Adjust accordingly to your system
- Ground scenery shadows allows objects to cast shadows. This setting takes a heavy toll on performance and is very buggy
- Special effects include moving waves, fireworks and other effects.
Weather
- Cloud draw distance determines how far away clouds are displayed. The highest setting is often beyond what a human eye can see in real life. Between 60 and 90 mi is a realistic setting for most conditions
- Thermal visualization will show markers for thermals. If enabled either natural or artificial markers are used. Natural markers are birds flying in the thermal while artificial markers show a coil following the thermal upwards
- Simple or detailed clouds affects the quality of clouds. Detailed clouds appear much better but take a harder hit on performance
- Cloud coverage density will set the number of clouds to be displayed. A higher setting will decrease performance
- The simulations settings box adjusts the affect of weather on the users aircraft and how often real world weather is downloaded
Traffic
- Adjust traffic settings according to your system. All AI traffic requires CPU power and will decrease performance.
- Road traffic should be kept at a low number or disabled as it is a heavy performance hit.
CFG tweaks
- The user may want to reset FSX's settings, deleting FSX.cfg and launching FSX will generate a new config file.
Multi-core Fix[citation needed] |
---|
Go to the config (.cfg) file and add the following change: [JOBSCHEDULER]
AffinityMask=
Notes
|
HighMemFix[citation needed] |
---|
Go to the config (.cfg) file and add the following change: [GRAPHICS] HIGHMEMFIX=1 |
Turn Off Red Warning Messages[citation needed] |
---|
Change the following lines from InfoBrakesEnable=False InfoParkingBrakesEnable=False InfoPauseEnable=False InfoSlewEnable=False InfoStallEnable=False InfoOverspeedEnable=False |
Bufferpool[citation needed] |
---|
Add the following to your CFG file. The default value is [BufferPools] PoolSize=0 Notes
|
Texture Bandwidth[citation needed] |
---|
[DISPLAY] TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=40 |
Increase Maximum Texture Size[citation needed] |
---|
Change the following line to [GRAPHICS] TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=4096 Notes
|
Sharper Distant Textures[citation needed] |
---|
[TERRAIN] LOD_RADIUS=4.500000 Notes
|
Autogen Density[citation needed] |
---|
Add the following lines to the TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=4500 TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_BUILDINGS_PER_CELL=3000 Notes
|
Scenery Loading and Blurries[citation needed] |
---|
Increase CPU time dedicated to loading scenery data by adding the following value: [MAIN] FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.33 Notes
|
System requirements
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | ||
Operating system (OS) | XP SP2, Vista | |
Processor (CPU) | 2.0 GHz dual-core | |
System memory (RAM) | 256 MB for XP SP2, 512 MB for Vista | |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 14 GB (Acceleration expansion [Included in Gold Edition] requires an additional 4 GB) | |
Video card (GPU) | 32 MB of VRAM DirectX 9 compatible Shader model 1.1 support |
Steam version
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | ||
Operating system (OS) | XP SP2 | |
Processor (CPU) | 2.0 GHz Single Core | |
System memory (RAM) | 2 GB | |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 30 GB | |
Video card (GPU) | 256 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible Shader model 1.1 support |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (314160) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.
References
- ↑ 1628: Failed to complete installation - Microsoft Flight Simulator X - Win 7 64
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Verified by User:Garrett on December 9, 2016
- ↑ Error Code 1-80004005 - Microsoft Community