May has been a very intense month for the X-Plane 12 flight simulator. The simulator received the biggest update so far, and many add-ons were released. Notably, the SayIntentions.ai plugin became compatible with X-Plane, and the highly anticipated E-Jets v1 was made available for free.
X-Plane 12 12.1.0 Update
The update, which was announced back in February, shipped many new functions to the simulator. New bloom lighting effects now enable bright light sources to illuminate their surroundings. The addition of Robust Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (RCAS) produces sharper and smoother ground shadows. Multi-sample anti-aliasing (MSAA) has been improved with photometrically accurate resolution.
The new particle effect system has been implemented. During the harder landings, when the engine or tail strikes the ground, the sparks will scatter and illuminate the surroundings. Additionally, new snow effects to the helicopters were added. Austin Meyer, creator of X-Plane, even went with a helicopter pilot to hover over snow just so he could see how the snow actually looked like when being fluttered around the helicopter.
The weather system initially relied on real-time data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, this proved to be unreliable. To address this issue, the weather data is now hosted by Laminar Research, ensuring greater availability and consistency. Additionally, the system has been enhanced with the use of voxel techniques, allowing for more accurate and detailed weather simulations.
SayIntentions.ai Now Available For X-Plane
Austin Meyer, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting that X-Plane’s goal is to deliver the most realistic and immersive flight experience possible. He believes that integrating SayIntentions.AI’s cutting-edge AI ATC system into X-Plane will provide pilots with unmatched realism in air traffic control simulation.
Brian Shellabarger, CEO of SayIntentions.AI, echoed this excitement, stating that their goal is to deliver the most authentic and engaging flight simulation experience. By expanding their software to include X-Plane support, they can now reach a broader audience of flight simulation enthusiasts. With the support of Austin Meyer and the entire X-Plane team, SayIntentions.AI is set to redefine realism in virtual air traffic control.
This collaboration marks a significant step forward for both companies, promising to elevate the flying experience for X-Plane users and push the boundaries of what is possible in flight simulation.
Free E-Jets Now Available For X-Plane 12
X-Crafts is one of the most popular developers for X-Plane, as they were celebrating their 10-year anniversary they decided to update the free, older, version of the famous E-Jets to X-Plane 12 Flight Simulator.
This version is significantly less advanced than its payware sibling, having a default VNAV and LNAV and have less additional functions. You can get the free version of E-Jets at X-Crafts’ official website.
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