OS X: X-Plane 10 Updates

[Macman45]

Just a heads up for all those who are running X-Plane under OSX. I large update was released today which addresses a number of bugs / non-functioing controls.

I can't confirm that the update applies to those running the simulation under Windows as well, but I would assume that is does.

[MacsRgr8]

I'm not sure if you've been following this X-Plane 10 thread, but it's gr8 to see X-Plane 10 maturing.

BUT.... only once it is 64 bits (will be when 10.20 gets public) this sim can be used to its full potential.
Most "very capable" Macs with lots of scenery, aircraft and plugins installed hit the 32 bits RAM limit too easily.
Once the app gets close to 3 GB RAM consumed, it will crash, annoyingly informing you of "getting out of memory".

This is the first game (sim...) I have encountered that actually NEEDS 64 bits!

I have spent a fortune on the game itself, huge amount of payware scenery, payware aircraft, plugins and iOS apps which complement X-Plane.

Most "high detailed" scenery (payware KLGA, payware EHAM payware KLAX, etc.) are a no-go area if you set the grfx pretty high. Not even "highest", but simply "pretty high".

I use a Mac Pro '08, 8 x 2.8 GHz, 8 GB RAM with Radeon 5870 for flying X-Plane, and even this relative old beast gets the app crying for its mother when it's going to load the above mentioned scenery. The settings are no way maxxed out (VRAM about 650 MB out of the 1 GB available), and the computer can handle the FPS easily.

It really is so annoying when your hardware is easily capable of handling higher and more detailed settings, but that the app itself cannnot handle the RAM needed.

In short:
X-Plane 10 is gr8... just keep the settings low enough....once it's 64 bits, it will be superb. Then get hold of the best hardware you can afford, then it will be perfect.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

I'm not sure if you've been following this X-Plane 10 thread, but it's gr8 to see X-Plane 10 maturing.

BUT.... only once it is 64 bits (will be when 10.20 gets public) this sim can be used to its full potential.
Most "very capable" Macs with lots of scenery, aircraft and plugins installed hit the 32 bits RAM limit too easily.
Once the app gets close to 3 GB RAM consumed, it will crash, annoyingly informing you of "getting out of memory".

This is the first game (sim...) I have encountered that actually NEEDS 64 bits!

I have spent a fortune on the game itself, huge amount of payware scenery, payware aircraft, plugins and iOS apps which complement X-Plane.

Most "high detailed" scenery (payware KLGA, payware EHAM payware KLAX, etc.) are a no-go area if you set the grfx pretty high. Not even "highest", but simply "pretty high".

I use a Mac Pro '08, 8 x 2.8 GHz, 8 GB RAM with Radeon 5870 for flying X-Plane, and even this relative old beast gets the app crying for its mother when it's going to load the above mentioned scenery. The settings are no way maxxed out (VRAM about 650 MB out of the 1 GB available), and the computer can handle the FPS easily.

It really is so annoying when your hardware is easily capable of handling higher and more detailed settings, but that the app itself cannnot handle the RAM needed.

In short:
X-Plane 10 is gr8... just keep the settings low enough....once it's 64 bits, it will be superb. Then get hold of the best hardware you can afford, then it will be perfect.

Your experience is strange...I'm running it on a 2011 iMac, with 16GB RAM, 2GB VRAm (which X-Plane screams out for) an I7 3.4GHZ. Detail is maxed out, AA is set to "Hardcore" and I have never once had it crash on me. It generates a lot of heat on the machine though. Your issue may well be related to the VRAM available I think...The help files over on X-Plane.org all point out that the sim really does benefit from lots of it. Strange that a machine which in theory at least should out-perform mine is having these issues.

[MacsRgr8]

Trust me, I am not the only one.

I have started a thread about it over at the .org forum, and many have replied either stating they also have this "known" issue or that it has been discussed "to death".

You must have lots of extra (custom) scenery installed and use a few plugins too. Payware planes like the 777 helps it run into the 32 bits barrier.

Once you have installed many extras, open up X-Plane, load a highly detailed airport, fly with a very detailed plane and open up the Activity Monitor.app

See X-Plane 10 rush towards 3 GB of RAM used. Once it gets there, the app will crash.
If X-Plane 10 stays below 2.6 GB you will never have this issue.

If you find the time, please try it out.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

Trust me, I am not the only one.

I have started a thread about it over at the .org forum, and many have replied either stating they also have this "known" issue or that it has been discussed "to death".

You must have lots of extra (custom) scenery installed and use a few plugins too. Payware planes like the 777 helps it run into the 32 bits barrier.

Once you have installed many extras, open up X-Plane, load a highly detailed airport, fly with a very detailed plane and open up the Activity Monitor.app

See X-Plane 10 rush towards 3 GB of RAM used. Once it gets there, the app will crash.
If X-Plane 10 stays below 2.6 GB you will never have this issue.

If you find the time, please try it out.

I will...I think one of the main reasons I'm not getting crashes is that although I fly with very high scenery detail, I use mainly 2D cockpits. Not because I don't like them, but more due to the fact that I'm still finding my way around, and the 3D versions are more complex. I do change views to 3D (usually to ensure I have 3 greens on the LG at landing time) but 2D is the norm. I will try flying a complex aircraft with the 3D cockpit and see what happens!

[MacsRgr8]

Might be a good point about the 3D cockpit.

My favourite plane, and thus the one I fly about 75% of the time, is the default 747-400 (using either BA or KLM livery).
I also like the retail 787.

Other planes I fly are the x737 project (can't wait for the 3D cockpit) and the payware Concorde.

BTW, I also have about 8 AI aircaft flying around... using the specialised AI aircraft by Morten (Check this out)

EDIT: Attached screenshot of the memory problems.

[Macman45]

I prefer low level stuff...Currently flying the Baron Twin Turbo...Enough power to get me out of trouble if I look at the scenery too much!

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

Might be a good point about the 3D cockpit.

My favourite plane, and thus the one I fly about 75% of the time, is the default 747-400 (using either BA or KLM livery).
I also like the retail 787.

Other planes I fly are the x737 project (can't wait for the 3D cockpit) and the payware Concorde.

BTW, I also have about 8 AI aircaft flying around... using the specialised AI aircraft by Morten (Check this out)

EDIT: Attached screenshot of the memory problems.

I'm a little lost on the plugin side of things...I don't have any at present..I wanted Goodway, but the boards say wait until verion 5 is released, What are the must haves for X-Plane under ML?

[MacsRgr8]

My favourite plugins:

Ground Services.
Let's be honest, you need to be pushed back... it's just not done to put the engines in reverse...

xGPS.
This plugin enables your iPhone to act as a "virtual GPS", i.e. show your plane's position on Google Maps on your iPhone. Nice!

Airport Navigator.
Very handy plugin to help you navigate around airports.

Next to those I use iPad apps too, like:

iGMaps

AirTrack

X-Plane EFIS EDIT: seems to have been removed from the App Store..??

X-Mapper Pro

It's all great fun.

But I understand that with each plugin and remote-app more and more RAM is being used by the "host"-app...

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

My favourite plugins:

Ground Services.
Let's be honest, you need to be pushed back... it's just not done to put the engines in reverse...

xGPS.
This plugin enables your iPhone to act as a "virtual GPS", i.e. show your plane's position on Google Maps on your iPhone. Nice!

Airport Navigator.
Very handy plugin to help you navigate around airports.

Next to those I use iPad apps too, like:

iGMaps

AirTrack

X-Plane EFIS EDIT: seems to have been removed from the App Store..??

X-Mapper Pro

It's all great fun.

But I understand that with each plugin and remote-app more and more RAM is being used by the "host"-app...

Thanks for the links...It does get pretty confusing! I will download the ones you recommend here.

----------

Originally Posted by Macman45

Thanks for the links...It does get pretty confusing! I will download the ones you recommend here.

The Ground Services is a dead link, but will try and find it on the site.. May have been pulled?

[MacsRgr8]

Originally Posted by Macman45

Thanks for the links...It does get pretty confusing! I will download the ones you recommend here.

----------



The Ground Services is a dead link, but will try and find it on the site.. May have been pulled?

Oops my bad!
Link is fixed.

Have fun! Browsing around x-plane.org finding which extra's will make flying X-Plane more fun and more realistic is part of the fun.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

Oops my bad!
Link is fixed.

Have fun! Browsing around x-plane.org finding which extra's will make flying X-Plane more fun and more realistic is part of the fun.

Thanks....It really is one hell of piece of software...I could spend a whole day flying....it's terribly addictive

[MacsRgr8]

X-Plane 10.20 a.k.a. the 64-bits release is here!!

Take a look here and here

Be trying it out this weekend!

EDIT: had a first try-out:

- JOY!! Yep, (of course) it exceeds the 3.5 GB memory limit (that is the app + VRAM used), see screenshots!!
App: 3.73 GB
VRAM: 877.86 MB

TOTAL: 4.6 GB

- Drawbacks: As expected, some (most) plugins don't work:
Airtrack
IGMaps
Funny enough, X-Plane EFIS.app (the one that has been pulled from the iTunes Store) does work...

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

X-Plane 10.20 a.k.a. the 64-bits release is here!!

Take a look here and here

Be trying it out this weekend!

EDIT: had a first try-out:

- JOY!! Yep, (of course) it exceeds the 3.5 GB memory limit (that is the app + VRAM used), see screenshots!!
App: 3.73 GB
VRAM: 877.86 MB

TOTAL: 4.6 GB

- Drawbacks: As expected, some (most) plugins don't work:
Airtrack
IGMaps
Funny enough, X-Plane EFIS.app (the one that has been pulled from the iTunes Store) does work...

Is that a BETA release? If it's mainstream I assume I'm going to have to buy another copy? Plugins are not that much of an issue as I don't have that many installed. Looks good.

[Macman45]

I tried running the updater without the BETA option ticked and there were no available updates. I guess that means its either a BETA release or a purchase again? That's a little lame since I just bought the whole thing a month ago.

If its BETA and ultimately will be released as a free upgrade then I'm happy to wait.

[in2tech]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

My favourite plugins:


Airport Navigator.
Very handy plugin to help you navigate around airports.


It's all great fun.

But I understand that with each plugin and remote-app more and more RAM is being used by the "host"-app...

I am on a MBA and can't get the map to zoom in or out! When I hit Command-Shift-Up Arrow or Down Arrow key it just shrinks X-Plane 10 to the desktop! Running the demo right now! I can see the small map in the center of the screen with Control-Shift-M! What am I doing wrong?

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by in2tech

I am on a MBA and can't get the map to zoom in or out! When I hit Command-Shift-Up Arrow or Down Arrow key it just shrinks X-Plane 10 to the desktop! Running the demo right now! I can see the small map in the center of the screen with Control-Shift-M! What am I doing wrong?

I think it's a demo issue...many features are either absent or time out. But to be honest I wouldn't buy it for the Air. It really needs a bigger better GPU. I ran it as a test on my MBP ( see post above) and even with the discrete 1GB GPU, it wasn't great. My iMac runs it well, but I'd think long and hard before buying it if the MBA is your only Mac.

[in2tech]

Originally Posted by Macman45

I think it's a demo issue...many features are either absent or time out. But to be honest I wouldn't buy it for the Air. It really needs a bigger better GPU. I ran it as a test on my MBP ( see post above) and even with the discrete 1GB GPU, it wasn't great. My iMac runs it well, but I'd think long and hard before buying it if the MBA is your only Mac.

It's actually runs fantastic on my MBA! I can't get the highest settings but very close to it. I am actually very surprised it runs this well on a MBA. Not sure if it is the SSD or the Ivy Bridge that makes it run so well, or maybe all of the above and then some...might be optimized for the Mac platform. X-Plane is developed on a Mac and then compiled to work on Windows and Linux as well as OSX!

Whatever it is it runs so much better than Microsoft Flight Simulator ever did and I love that sim also! Been flying with FSX for about 3 years! Didn't really care for X-Plane until I got a MBA and version 10! Way better than X Plane 9 in my opinion!

BTW, thanks for the cool X-Plane add on utility links! Does anyone here fly on Vatsim?

[MacsRgr8]

Originally Posted by Macman45

Is that a BETA release? If it's mainstream I assume I'm going to have to buy another copy? Plugins are not that much of an issue as I don't have that many installed. Looks good.

Yes, 10.20 is in beta. Beta 2 is just available.

You won't have to buy another copy of X-Plane as long as it is version 10.X.X (similar to OS X version history)
EDIT: sorry, not similar to OS X....
OS X 10.7.0 to 10.8.0 is a paid upgrade.
X-Plane 10.11 to 10.20 is a free update.

Eh... hope I made it a bit clearer... X-Plane 11 will be a paid upgrade. Will take a few years yet!!

So, 10.20 will become final (few weeks to few months) and it will be a free upgrade to all X-Plane 10 owners, along with all the 64 bits goodies!!

BTW, AirTrack is already done with their 64 bits compatible plugin!

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

Yes, 10.20 is in beta. Beta 2 is just available.

You won't have to buy another copy of X-Plane as long as it is version 10.X.X (similar to OS X version history)
EDIT: sorry, not similar to OS X....
OS X 10.7.0 to 10.8.0 is a paid upgrade.
X-Plane 10.11 to 10.20 is a free update.

Eh... hope I made it a bit clearer... X-Plane 11 will be a paid upgrade. Will take a few years yet!!

So, 10.20 will become final (few weeks to few months) and it will be a free upgrade to all X-Plane 10 owners, along with all the 64 bits goodies!!

BTW, AirTrack is already done with their 64 bits compatible plugin!

All good news, that means if I tick the "BETA" box from the update screen it will come down, but I think I'll wait until it's GM....A quick question: Do you know which Garmin GPS units will work with X-Plane? Amazon have a Black friday deal on this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...rd_p=344320267

I'm thinking not, but it would be a nice add on if it was compatible.

[in2tech]

I ordered an Apple Super Drive and X-Plane Regional from eBay and they should be here early next week. Been playing the demo non stop and really like X-Plane 10 but the time out is driving me crazy

I even got the demo connected to Vatsim so I am fairly ready to fly on Vatsim again. It's a little bit different than Microsoft Flight Simulator as far as flying online so I'll have to figure it out!

Anyone want to fly online together when I get everything set up on Vatsim? We can do a late night flight when not many people are online. As a matter of fact if you fly late enough you don't even have to worry about live ATC you just file a flight plan and when it shows up, get ready to fly to your destination!

I'll post again when I receive everything and get set up!

Loving the MBA!

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by in2tech

I ordered an Apple Super Drive and X-Plane Regional from eBay and they should be here early next week. Been playing the demo non stop and really like X-Plane 10 but the time out is driving me crazy

I even got the demo connected to Vatsim so I am fairly ready to fly on Vatsim again. It's a little bit different than Microsoft Flight Simulator as far as flying online so I'll have to figure it out!

Anyone want to fly online together when I get everything set up on Vatsim? We can do a late night flight when not many people are online. As a matter of fact if you fly late enough you don't even have to worry about live ATC you just file a flight plan and when it shows up, get ready to fly to your destination!

I'll post again when I receive everything and get set up!

Loving the MBA!

Post back when you are ready...I haven't set any live stuff up yet, but it would be good to fly with someone who is at the same level of learning curve as I am...

[in2tech]

Macman45 if you haven't already than sign up at www.vatsim.net as you have to have an account number and password to log onto Vatsim. Also download Squawkbox for the Mac OS to log onto Vatsim! If you know all this ignore this info! X-Plane and the Apple Super Drive are being delivered today! Might take me a little while to set it up! If not late tonight on Vatsim maybe tomorrow night about 10:00 p.m. CST! Is that a good time for you? I have been flying on Vatsim for several years but I am still not real comfortable when tons of people are online with ATC. I don't mind talking to ATC when it's just a few people because they will help you out most of the time! I also haven't fired up FSX in a long time on Vatsim! Looking forward to learning X-Plane I think

Looking forward to flying with people from MacRumors!

[MacsRgr8]

I'm looking into Vatsim too!
But, shouldn't the URL be http://www.vatsim.net?

BTW, X-Plane 10.20b5 is out.

Take a look here. Seems the autogen scenery is getting really impressive!

More info here.

Now... where's that Mac Pro with Radeon 7970...?

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

Trust me, I am not the only one.

I have started a thread about it over at the .org forum, and many have replied either stating they also have this "known" issue or that it has been discussed "to death".

You must have lots of extra (custom) scenery installed and use a few plugins too. Payware planes like the 777 helps it run into the 32 bits barrier.

Once you have installed many extras, open up X-Plane, load a highly detailed airport, fly with a very detailed plane and open up the Activity Monitor.app

See X-Plane 10 rush towards 3 GB of RAM used. Once it gets there, the app will crash.
If X-Plane 10 stays below 2.6 GB you will never have this issue.

If you find the time, please try it out.

I'm now starting to get the dreaded out of memory, and crashes, just as you describe. I've had to drop the resolution down a notch which seems to have cured it for now, but I am so used to running it flat out that I may be tempted to try the BETA, despite the warnings on the site about it not being finished etc. seems the more I got into it, and the more stuff I added in thus came the same problems you ate having. Weird thing is that the stupid memory in use box at the bottom of the render settings screen never comes close to 2GB....I'm hoping the final release will go GM sooner rather than later....How stable is it?