Laminar Research has taken to the stage at FSExpo Friday to reveal what’s coming next to X-Plane 12. Details on the upcoming SDK update were revealed, including weather radar improvements, new SDK tools, a new panel graphics API, custom airport sceneries, and major improvements to X-Plane’s scenery engine.
SDK Update
X-Plane 12’s next major update will be the SDK Update. This update includes weather radar improvements, CDLC support, new SDK tools for developers, more scenery assets, and a custom scenery for Farnborough airport.
Along with the SDK update will come a new API called Panel Graphics. It’s intended to be used by developers to create their custom avionics screens. The current API uses OpenGL to render screens, which is considered outdated and doesn’t provide good performance.
The Panel Graphics API switches to Vulkan, the same renderer used for the rest of X-Plane. It is easier to use than OpenGL, has better performance, and has much more funtionality. This new API also allows access to other APIs used for graphical user interfaces, making GUI development easier.
Future Updates
The next major improvement coming after the SDK update is a revamp to the scenery mesh system in X-Plane 12. The new scenery tile engine will offer a performance improvement over the current scenery mesh system while significantly improving detail and resolution where needed.
The improved mesh detail gives scenery developers finer mesh editing control, allowing for more detailed scenery terrain. This new system remains compatible with previous sceneries, meaning developers won’t have to throw away all their previous work.
Also revealed at the presentation was the update following the SDK Update, the Flight Model Update. This update, as the name suggests, will feature many improvements to X-Plane 12’s flight model, improving helicopter rotor blad tracking, skid interactions, a new manifold pressure simulation, enhanced ground physics, and much more. Among these flight model improvements will also be a custom scenery for New York’s JFK Airport.
Closing Notes
That is all for Laminar Research’s presentation at FSExpo Friday. Stay tuned to FSNews for our ongoing coverage of FSExpo 2026.
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