I have a bug open to make the installer re-launch the app that launched it (if there is one) or the 64-bit version only on 64-bit OSes.

agree…

I don’t agree. i feel that in order for the good stuff to come, i.e, atc, improved performance, framerate, graphics, auto gen, that a good solid, reliable base needs to be in place for the developers to do their stuff. As ben has said, hardware limitations have moved forward somewhat and you need to bring the core of your software, whatever software it is, in line with current requirements. Larger companies have different departments for such things. I believe LR to be quite a small company, I don’t know how many developers they have but they have to work within the resources they have! I believe 64 bit to be THE way to go. I have already experienced fewr crashes an the few 64 bit flights i’ve had. Whats the point of having superb atc direct you only to have a memory crash before you get to final!

I do not have any new information on the timing of any future autogen. Please do not ask again.

I think the plugin-system is a good development and I’ll look into it for sure. In the meantime, Sandy seems to have left the door a wee bit open, so my hope on his integration hasn’t completely vanished…

The path to 64-bit may be long and bumpy: let’s hope it’s worth the trouble 🙂

thanks

Well, it’s his code, so he pretty much gets to do what he wants with. 🙂

The SDK interfaces are not that complicated, however, and there are a number of example plugins, as well as a number of camera control plugins. I think you will find writing a plugin to be ‘not that bad’, really!

Re: the native TrackIR interface, I have _no_ idea why it exists, as I did not code it. X-Plane does have native hardware support for a number of random devices, some quite common and some rather obscure. But this is a bit moot – if LR hasn’t offered to do native support of your hardware, your options are, in order of good-to-bad:

EDIT: let me amend this list.

1. Write a plugin
2. Have Laminar integrate your hardware for you.
3. Try to use the existing joystick interface and the existing UDP interface.

I think it’s better to write a plugin than have LR integrate your device. The reason: when you write a plugin, you can make your device work the way YOU want – when LR does it, if you don’t like the integration, good luck…we’re very busy and don’t have a lot of time to tweak these things. It is for this reason that I always push for plugin-based integration and not ‘native’ code inside X-Plane.

GoFlight used to be supported natively inside X-Plane and the results were very limited – we only supported a few devices, in only a few ways, etc. The GoFlight plugin is way better, with complete device support and complete configuration. By having the integration done by the hardware vendor, someone who is really motivated to make the integration good can put in all of the detailed work needed. This is the whole reason to _have_ a plugin system!

Cheers
Ben

Thanks again. I understand that the joystick interface may not be meant for it.

Actually, I have contacted Sandy Barbour about extending the functionality of his PilotView plugin. Unfortunately he is rather stubborn and neither wants to change his code, nor share it. Hope he changes his mind…

BTW.: The PilotView plugin implements a TrackIR interface and if I understand correctly, it was there even before the developers made TrackIR support. If the plugin SDK is the best way to control the camera, why did you bother to make a ‘native interface’ (when a plugin already existed)?