Received a number of inquiries recently from friends who asked for advises why their FIPs (Flight Instrument Panels) no longer work after upgrading to P3Dv4.
Causes are in general similar — the exe.xml and/or the DLL.XML are missing. Because these two files don’t come with the simulator nor created by the Saitek drivers by default. Moreover, the latest FSUIPC5 is also a prerequisite.
Fixes are simple: Continue reading
With the new FTXCentral 3, all Orbx Global and Continental Regions are added to P3Dv4 without any difficulty. However, since none of the airports from the company is available for the new version at the moment, I therefore installed (copied) my favorite airports — Bowerman (KHQM), Concrete Mun (3w5) and Darrington Mun (1S2) — straightly from previously ripped backups. No issues spotted so far except control panels for the airports no longer function.
In addition, since I used to set the “Detail Bump Map” as “Fine” via FTX Aero, and because the FTX Aero feature is still not compatible with P3Dv4 yet, I also manually replaced the default “detail1.bmp” in
Followings are the P3Dv4 Settings on my new computer before Orbx addition to come next, with which overall frame rate at present stays around 53 stably except in those extremely dense areas.
Continue reading
One of the most important tunings to me after upgrading to P3Dv4 (actually any update or upgrade) is to ensure the continuity of the newly reinstalled or copied aircraft to be run as they did in the previous version consistently . 
Followings are the steps:
STEP 1.)
Copy corresponding “Aircraft.cfg” files from
STEP 2.)
Copy corresponding aircraft flying records (“state.cfg“) from “SimObjects” in
Since P3Dv4 involves the using of new Windows system registries, Continue reading
This post is originally the first aritcle in the “My P3Dv4 Setting Up” series. However, since I do normally perform the configuration back up mentioned in the second article first, I therefore rename this post to #02 and the second post #1. Publishing time adjusted as well to reflect the proper order.
As stated in the About FSX Times of this blog, my goal is to achieve a stable flight 
simulation system performance with a minimum 30 fps in average. Luckily, I’ve been able to achieve that goal with some compromises. But unluckily, that 30-something fps level also acts like a barrier that stops me from passing.
I am not sure yet whether the 64-bit P3Dv4 and my new hardware would help break this spell for good. But the 120 to 210 fps initially gained from the new system without any tuning seems like a promising start.
As the hardware side of my new cockpit is still not ready, I’ll take it slowly to install addons and to finetune the system. Continue reading
Actually this is the second piece in the “My P3Dv4 Setting Up” series of articles. However, since I normally do the back up before migrating FSX aircraft described in the last story, I therefore name this post #01 and rename the last one #2. Publication time is adjusted as well for proper display order.
After every installation (whether it is P3D or FSX or other similar programs, and no matter if it is a new install or a re-installation), I’ll immediately do a back up for the key configuration files first. In P3Dv4, most of the user-configurable files are located in the following folders:
The first one is where the Prepar3D.cfg and some other key configuration files reside. The second contains the Scenery.cfg and other related configurations. Continue reading
I just ordered P3Dv4 tonight. I didn’t plan to get it now because my new rig hasn’t been set up properly. But I have no choice because more and more friends are asking the compatibility status of my gauges with the new version. Although some users reported to me that my gauges on their system function as usual, I still need to ensure that myself that they are truly in good shape.
Started up the program after installation and my first response Continue reading
Lockheed Martin has just announced that Prepar3D v4 will be public released on May 30. And finally it is 64-bit.
The company says that the new version will completely change the simulation landscape with a comprehensive baseline update to a 64-bit architecture. Higher resolution visuals, more objects, increased data precision, larger scenarios, and improved performance are now all possible at levels never seen before in the product’s history.
No information about whether we current users need to pay for the update or not. The company says more details Continue reading
FSX TIMES 