Talk:X-Plane Flight Simulator

Not much going on here, might need to buy XP9 and get back into it Man-hi (talk) 20:54, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Why have a Wikibook on X-Plane
X-Plane is an incredible flight simulator. Without a doubt it takes a lot of effort to maintain it and add new features. Now consider that it is the work of one person. Given the state of the manual, clearly the focus is on the code. We can't help with the code. What we can do is create a good reference for both new and experienced users. In a perfect world X-Plane would come with a really nice manual. Well the world ain't perfect. We can continue to gripe about how hard it is to find detailed information on X-Plane or we can do something about it. This is something.

Rules of the Road

 * 1) Note the license information on any edit page. Do not add copyrighted material without the original author's express permission. Get permission to add someone else's work even if you think it is in the public domain.
 * 2) If you find material that you authored and didn't give permission to add it here, please remove it. Also, please let us know via the 'talk' page what you did and why.
 * 3) Consider opening a discussion on the 'talk' page before undertaking radical and major changes.
 * 4) Use the subpage structure. The Parts are arbitrary and are on the same level as Chapters. Sections should be subpages of Chapters and Sub-sections should be sub-pages of Sections.
 * 5) Consider adding a link to both the previous and next page for logical book order reading.
 * 6) Please sign and date stamp your entries in the discussions by adding ~ at the end.

Discussion
I'm guessing you have a watch on. The only way this project has value for me is for it to become the "book." The basic verses advanced nature of topics is why there is two parts. Anyway, the intent of Part One is to cover the basic user manual stuff though maybe in a slightly different order than the manual and certainly in more detail where it's called for. I was going for an analog of real world flight training. The 'Part One' page kinda introduces those chapters. I'm open to more chapters or adding in sections if that makes sense. WE (emphasis intended) certainly should flesh out the structure as you say. I look forward to working with you on this project. Mawilson 21:35, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

Agreed. But if this is to be the "book of X-Plane Flight Simulator" we should flesh out the organization early on. Your Part Two is very advanced stuff for a majority of the audience. The PD manual's organization from Austin is worth expanding upon and adjusting as needed.Man-hi 19:33, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

The manual needs work in the organization area and this book should go beyond the basic user manual to address all aspects of operation and customization. To that end I've put in a structure and will start fleshing it out. According to the web page Austin has released the manual to Public Domain ("You may copy, modify, quote, use, distribute (or anything else you can imagine) the X-Plane instruction manual freely." http://www.x-plane.com/policies.html ) so we can use manual content here. I just think there is a better way to present it. Mawilson 19:17, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

Why was the content here deleted? We had some basic framework going. Man-hi 00:48, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Here is the X-Plane Operation Manual TOC. I suggest we add this verbatim and let end-users mash it up to make sense and tune out Austin's style. 1: About X-Plane About X-Plane What X-Plane Includes History

2: Installing X-Plane System Requirements Flight Control Requirements Joystick Configuration and Calibration Display Requirements and System Architecture Installing X-Plane Windows PC	Macintosh Linux Installing X-Plane - Considerations for Windows Users Uninstalling X-Plane Launching X-Plane Upgrading to a later version of X-Plane Structure and descriptions of X-Plane folders Getting help

3: Initial Flight Setup General Access Joystick Setup Axis Assignment Calibrating Joystick Hardware Button Assignment Setting Null Zones Controlling Joystick Sensitivity and Aircraft Stability Rendering Options Window Setup Setting up Your Monitor Setting up the X-Plane World Setting up Clouds Special Viewing Controls - i.e.: multiple monitors installations Setting Up X-Plane to Achieve the Best Results

4: First-Flight Opening Aircraft Position Aircraft Airport IDs explained Set Weather/Real Time Weather Using the Keyboard / Keyboard Shortcuts Using the Mouse instead of a Joystick Controlling Instruments and Avionics with the mouse Artificial Intelligence (AI) Demo Flight Flying Yourself, with the mouse or a Joystick / Yoke

5: X-Plane Menus About File Location Settings Output View Special

6: Navigation and Autopilots Navigation Autopilots

7: Expanding X-Plane Adding Third-Party Airplanes Adding Third-Party Scenery Installing Plug-Ins

8: Expert Essays Tuning the Handling in X-Plane Tuning the Frame-Rate in X-Plane How to Tune the Autopilot How to Design an Artificial Stability System How to Set Up Advanced Displays (Multi-Monitor, Projectors, etc) Flying Helicopters Flying the Space Shuttle Flying on Mars

Supplements Airfoil-Maker Plane-Maker World-Editor

Appendices A: How X-Plane Works B: Terminology C: Trouble shooting D: Making Objects For X-Plane E: Custom Aircraft for Hire F: Log File Explained Man-hi 20:07, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

Help for Editors of this Book
This is a worthy but very complex project. X-Plane is a fast moving development, many people are involved and not all are fully acquainted with the various sources of information about it. As a first step, and to help editors (who need not be X-Plane addicts), there should be a list of links to sources already extant and an indication of their copyright status. Some of these have been updated regularly, others not. If every editor has to ask every publisher of all the material on X-Plane, everyone is going to be very busy but there will be very little written in the book. Editors should have blanket clearance to lift chunks of stuff and post it here; so the enthusiasts for this book would be wise to obtain permission for all future editors from the owners of relevant copyrights and post this info here in the Talk page. FFR (talk) 11:53, 1 January 2008 (UTC)