Eric Olsen
New member
RealFlight FAQs
Q. HOW DO I OBTAIN TECHNICAL SUPPORT?
A. You have two options.
1) Call +1 (217) 398-8970 and select option 1. Telephone support is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Central Time.
2) E-mail rfsupport@greatplanes.com
Q. CAN I RUN REALFLIGHT ON A MAC?
A. Yes, but with some limitations. You must be using a Mac with an Intel processor, and you must use Boot Camp to boot your Mac using Windows XP or Vista.
Q. CAN I RUN REALFLIGHT USING A WINDOWS 64BIT OPERATING SYSTEM?
A. Yes
Q. CAN I SHARE RECORDINGS MADE IN REALFLIGHT WITH OTHER PEOPLE?
A. RealFlight creates recordings that can only be shared with other RealFlight users. If you want to create a video file in a format such as WMV or MPEG, your best option is to create the recording in RealFlight, then play back that recording and use a screen-capture program such as Fraps to make a video file as the recording plays back.
GRAPHICS CARDS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. WHAT IS THE MINIMUM GRAPHICS CARD REQUIREMENT TO RUN REALFLIGHT?
A. RealFlight G3.5, G4, and G4.5 all require a graphics card that has 32 MB of video RAM and supports DirectX 9.0 and Shader Model 1.4. Practically speaking, G3.5 requires an ATI Radeon 7500 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 or better; G4 & G4.5 require an ATI Radeon 9500 or NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti4200 or better.
Q. WHAT GRAPHICS CARDS DO YOU RECOMMEND?
A. Meeting the minimum requirement is not likely to result in a satisfactory experience--RealFlight will run, but at low quality and low frame rates. If your computer has an AGP slot for graphics cards, we recommend the ATI Radeon HD 3850 or NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS. If your computer has a PCI-e slot for graphics cards, we recommend the ATI Radeon HD 4850 or NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT. All of these graphics cards are available for less than $200. There are many other graphics cards available for less money than these; here at Knife Edge we use the GeForce 8800 GT, which is available for about $120.
Q. WILL A LAPTOP RUN REALFLIGHT?
A. Some laptops and desktop computers have an "integrated" graphics card. Integrated graphics cards do not meet the minimum requirement and are not supported. Some laptops come with a "discrete" graphics card; for these the usual minimum requirements apply. If you are buying a new laptop, we recommend the Radeon X1900 or GeForce 8400M GT or better. Be careful when buying--some laptops have graphics cards marketed as GeForce or Radeon but are in fact integrated graphics cards. The computer's spec sheet should tell you whether a graphics card uses "shared" memory; a graphics card must not use shared memory to meet the minimum requirement.
Q. IS THERE NO LOVE FOR THOSE OF US WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS CARDS?
A. The most recent updates of all versions of RealFlight run at low quality on an integrated graphics card. However, we cannot provide technical support for using RealFlight in this manner and we cannot promise that this functionality will continue in future updates or releases.
Q. WHY WON'T MY GEFORCE 8200 RUN REALFLIGHT?
A. The GeForce 8200 is an integrated graphics card that NVIDIA markets under the GeForce brand. It does not meet the minimum requirement to run RealFlight.
CUSTOM CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. HOW DO I OBTAIN CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. Thousands of custom aircraft, color schemes, and airports are available on our Swap Pages at https://forums.realflight.com/downloads.php . They are freely available for all users of our software.
Q. HOW DO I INSTALL CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. When you have downloaded the file you want from our swap site, load RealFlight. Select the "Simulation > Import > G3X" menu item in G3.5 or "Simulation > Import > RealFlight Archive" in G4 and G4.5. In the import dialog box that appears, locate the file you downloaded and open it. RealFlight will import the file. In G4 and G4.5 you can select more than one file to import at one time. Do not attempt to put custom content in RealFlight's data or documents folders; this will not work.
Q. HOW DO I REMOVE CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. Go to the "Simulation > Manage User Files" menu item. There you will see a directory-like structure to see all of your custom content. You must ALWAYS use the Manage User Files dialog to remove custom content; attempting to remove any files in RealFlight's data folders will cause problems.
Q. WHY DOESN'T THE AIRCRAFT I JUST DOWNLOADED LOAD?
A. You probably downloaded an Aircraft Variant for which you don't have the original model. Every Aircraft Variant description page gives the name of the Aircraft Model that it requires. Most of these are based on aircraft that are included in RealFlight or in its Add-Ons or Expansion Packs. Some Aircraft Variants are based on Aircraft Models that are available from the swap pages; if this is the case, the Aircraft Variant description page will include a link to the Aircraft Model file that it is based on.
Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AIRCRAFT MODEL AND AN AIRCRAFT VARIANT?
A. An Aircraft Model includes a 3D model that RealFlight uses to display an aircraft on the screen. Aircraft Variants only store changes to the physics properties of an aircraft such as its weight and the size of its motor. Since the Aircraft Variant file does not include a 3D model of the aircraft, RealFlight will not be able to display the aircraft on the screen unless the Aircraft Model on which the Aircraft Variant is based is also present.
Q. HOW DO I CREATE CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. If you intend to create new 3D models for using in RealFlight, you must use 3D Studio MAX and the KEMax plugin to create files in a format that RealFlight understands. Much more information is available on the Knife Edge Forums at https://forums.realflight.com/ .
DISCS AND INTERLINK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. WHAT DO I DO IF MY DISCS DON'T WORK?
A. If your discs don't work on your computer, please call RealFlight technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970. They will be able to determine whether your disc is damaged and send you a replacement.
Q. WHAT IF MY SERIAL NUMBER IS INVALID?
A. If the serial numbers included with your RealFlight discs don't work, please call RealFlight technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970. They will be happy to help you.
Q. WHAT DO I DO IF MY CONTROLLER BREAKS?
A. Call technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970 and they will be happy to assist.
Q. CAN I RUN REALFLIGHT WITHOUT THE CONTROLLER PLUGGED IN?
A. No. The InterLink is used to authenticate your copy of RealFlight. RealFlight will not start without the InterLink plugged in.
Q. CAN I INSTALL REALFLIGHT ON MULTIPLE COMPUTERS?
A. Yes, but remember that you will only be able to run RealFlight on one computer at a time because you must have the InterLink plugged in.
Q. CAN I SELL MY COPY OF REALFLIGHT?
A. Yes. If you do, please call RealFlight technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970 so that they can unregister your serial number. If you do not do this, your buyer will not be able to register to receive updates to the software.
Q. HOW DO I UPDATE TO THE LATEST VERSION OF REALFLIGHT?
A. First, you must register your copy of RealFlight. To do this, load the RealFlight Launcher, click "Additional Options", and then click on "Registration/Updates". In the window that appears, click "Online Registration..." and enter your information in the screen that appears. Once you've registered, return to the "Registration/Updates" screen and click "Update to Latest Version".
MULTIPLAYER
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. CAN I USE THE MULTIPLAYER FEATURE WITH USERS WHO HAVE AN OLDER OR NEWER VERSION OF REALFLIGHT?
A. No. Users of G4.5 can only use multiplayer with other users with G4.5. The same holds true for users of G4 and G3.5.
Q. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MULTIPLAYER IN G4.5?
A. In G4.5, we are using a new multiplayer implementation that should make connections much easier. Unfortunately, some users are currently experiencing problems. Knife Edge is aware of the problems and will fix them in future updates to G4.5.
LEARNING TO FLY USING REALFLIGHT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. HOW CAN I USE REALFLIGHT TO LEARN TO FLY R/C?
A. We think the best way to learn R/C is to have fun flying in RealFlight. At first, don't concentrate on learning. Just enjoy the simulation and fly around. It might help you to use a 3D airport, like Flight School, and fly around a bit in "chase" or "cockpit" modes (press "C" to change modes). Try out all the models and try all the airports. Begin challenging yourself. Remember that everything you do is a learning experience and all of it will pay off. It helps to mix in some disciplined practice sessions from time to time, but we've found it's easy to learn if you keep things fun. Keep playing with it until you can successfully take off, fly around, and land pretty much every single time. At that point, you are ready to fly a real R/C plane. We suggest you get some help from your local club or hobby shop when you are ready.
Q. REALFLIGHT SEEMS EASIER THAN REAL LIFE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
A. Make sure the difficulty is set to "Advanced" and turn up the wind speed a bit. The simulation is designed to be a bit easier than real life using the default settings.
Q. REALFLIGHT IS TOO HARD. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
A. Set the difficulty to "Beginner". That will make the flight model more forgiving and will also slow the simulation down substantially. Knife Edge recommends that you move up to "Intermediate" as soon as possible. Remember that flying R/C in real life is hard too!
EXPANSION PACKS AND ADD-ONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. DO EXPANSION PACKS WORK WITH G3.5?
A. Expansion Packs 1 through 4 all work in G3.5. Expansion Pack 5 requires G4 since it includes water features that are not available in G3.5.
Q. WHERE DO I OBTAIN FREE ADD-ONS?
A. If you have G4 or G4.5, you can obtain all of the Add-Ons for free.
http://realflight.com/free-g4-add-ons.html
Q. WHERE DO I DOWNLOAD THE FREE EXPANSION PACKS?
A. The Expansion Packs are not available for free. These must be purchased. Only the Add-Ons are available for free.
Q. WHERE DO I FIND THE FREE ADD-ONS FOR G3.5?
A. The Add-Ons are only available for free for users of G4 or G4.5. If you have G3.5, you must still purchase the Add-Ons.
Q. HOW DO I OBTAIN TECHNICAL SUPPORT?
A. You have two options.
1) Call +1 (217) 398-8970 and select option 1. Telephone support is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Central Time.
2) E-mail rfsupport@greatplanes.com
Q. CAN I RUN REALFLIGHT ON A MAC?
A. Yes, but with some limitations. You must be using a Mac with an Intel processor, and you must use Boot Camp to boot your Mac using Windows XP or Vista.
Q. CAN I RUN REALFLIGHT USING A WINDOWS 64BIT OPERATING SYSTEM?
A. Yes
Q. CAN I SHARE RECORDINGS MADE IN REALFLIGHT WITH OTHER PEOPLE?
A. RealFlight creates recordings that can only be shared with other RealFlight users. If you want to create a video file in a format such as WMV or MPEG, your best option is to create the recording in RealFlight, then play back that recording and use a screen-capture program such as Fraps to make a video file as the recording plays back.
GRAPHICS CARDS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. WHAT IS THE MINIMUM GRAPHICS CARD REQUIREMENT TO RUN REALFLIGHT?
A. RealFlight G3.5, G4, and G4.5 all require a graphics card that has 32 MB of video RAM and supports DirectX 9.0 and Shader Model 1.4. Practically speaking, G3.5 requires an ATI Radeon 7500 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 or better; G4 & G4.5 require an ATI Radeon 9500 or NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti4200 or better.
Q. WHAT GRAPHICS CARDS DO YOU RECOMMEND?
A. Meeting the minimum requirement is not likely to result in a satisfactory experience--RealFlight will run, but at low quality and low frame rates. If your computer has an AGP slot for graphics cards, we recommend the ATI Radeon HD 3850 or NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS. If your computer has a PCI-e slot for graphics cards, we recommend the ATI Radeon HD 4850 or NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT. All of these graphics cards are available for less than $200. There are many other graphics cards available for less money than these; here at Knife Edge we use the GeForce 8800 GT, which is available for about $120.
Q. WILL A LAPTOP RUN REALFLIGHT?
A. Some laptops and desktop computers have an "integrated" graphics card. Integrated graphics cards do not meet the minimum requirement and are not supported. Some laptops come with a "discrete" graphics card; for these the usual minimum requirements apply. If you are buying a new laptop, we recommend the Radeon X1900 or GeForce 8400M GT or better. Be careful when buying--some laptops have graphics cards marketed as GeForce or Radeon but are in fact integrated graphics cards. The computer's spec sheet should tell you whether a graphics card uses "shared" memory; a graphics card must not use shared memory to meet the minimum requirement.
Q. IS THERE NO LOVE FOR THOSE OF US WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS CARDS?
A. The most recent updates of all versions of RealFlight run at low quality on an integrated graphics card. However, we cannot provide technical support for using RealFlight in this manner and we cannot promise that this functionality will continue in future updates or releases.
Q. WHY WON'T MY GEFORCE 8200 RUN REALFLIGHT?
A. The GeForce 8200 is an integrated graphics card that NVIDIA markets under the GeForce brand. It does not meet the minimum requirement to run RealFlight.
CUSTOM CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. HOW DO I OBTAIN CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. Thousands of custom aircraft, color schemes, and airports are available on our Swap Pages at https://forums.realflight.com/downloads.php . They are freely available for all users of our software.
Q. HOW DO I INSTALL CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. When you have downloaded the file you want from our swap site, load RealFlight. Select the "Simulation > Import > G3X" menu item in G3.5 or "Simulation > Import > RealFlight Archive" in G4 and G4.5. In the import dialog box that appears, locate the file you downloaded and open it. RealFlight will import the file. In G4 and G4.5 you can select more than one file to import at one time. Do not attempt to put custom content in RealFlight's data or documents folders; this will not work.
Q. HOW DO I REMOVE CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. Go to the "Simulation > Manage User Files" menu item. There you will see a directory-like structure to see all of your custom content. You must ALWAYS use the Manage User Files dialog to remove custom content; attempting to remove any files in RealFlight's data folders will cause problems.
Q. WHY DOESN'T THE AIRCRAFT I JUST DOWNLOADED LOAD?
A. You probably downloaded an Aircraft Variant for which you don't have the original model. Every Aircraft Variant description page gives the name of the Aircraft Model that it requires. Most of these are based on aircraft that are included in RealFlight or in its Add-Ons or Expansion Packs. Some Aircraft Variants are based on Aircraft Models that are available from the swap pages; if this is the case, the Aircraft Variant description page will include a link to the Aircraft Model file that it is based on.
Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AIRCRAFT MODEL AND AN AIRCRAFT VARIANT?
A. An Aircraft Model includes a 3D model that RealFlight uses to display an aircraft on the screen. Aircraft Variants only store changes to the physics properties of an aircraft such as its weight and the size of its motor. Since the Aircraft Variant file does not include a 3D model of the aircraft, RealFlight will not be able to display the aircraft on the screen unless the Aircraft Model on which the Aircraft Variant is based is also present.
Q. HOW DO I CREATE CUSTOM CONTENT?
A. If you intend to create new 3D models for using in RealFlight, you must use 3D Studio MAX and the KEMax plugin to create files in a format that RealFlight understands. Much more information is available on the Knife Edge Forums at https://forums.realflight.com/ .
DISCS AND INTERLINK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. WHAT DO I DO IF MY DISCS DON'T WORK?
A. If your discs don't work on your computer, please call RealFlight technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970. They will be able to determine whether your disc is damaged and send you a replacement.
Q. WHAT IF MY SERIAL NUMBER IS INVALID?
A. If the serial numbers included with your RealFlight discs don't work, please call RealFlight technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970. They will be happy to help you.
Q. WHAT DO I DO IF MY CONTROLLER BREAKS?
A. Call technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970 and they will be happy to assist.
Q. CAN I RUN REALFLIGHT WITHOUT THE CONTROLLER PLUGGED IN?
A. No. The InterLink is used to authenticate your copy of RealFlight. RealFlight will not start without the InterLink plugged in.
Q. CAN I INSTALL REALFLIGHT ON MULTIPLE COMPUTERS?
A. Yes, but remember that you will only be able to run RealFlight on one computer at a time because you must have the InterLink plugged in.
Q. CAN I SELL MY COPY OF REALFLIGHT?
A. Yes. If you do, please call RealFlight technical support at +1 (217) 398-8970 so that they can unregister your serial number. If you do not do this, your buyer will not be able to register to receive updates to the software.
Q. HOW DO I UPDATE TO THE LATEST VERSION OF REALFLIGHT?
A. First, you must register your copy of RealFlight. To do this, load the RealFlight Launcher, click "Additional Options", and then click on "Registration/Updates". In the window that appears, click "Online Registration..." and enter your information in the screen that appears. Once you've registered, return to the "Registration/Updates" screen and click "Update to Latest Version".
MULTIPLAYER
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. CAN I USE THE MULTIPLAYER FEATURE WITH USERS WHO HAVE AN OLDER OR NEWER VERSION OF REALFLIGHT?
A. No. Users of G4.5 can only use multiplayer with other users with G4.5. The same holds true for users of G4 and G3.5.
Q. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MULTIPLAYER IN G4.5?
A. In G4.5, we are using a new multiplayer implementation that should make connections much easier. Unfortunately, some users are currently experiencing problems. Knife Edge is aware of the problems and will fix them in future updates to G4.5.
LEARNING TO FLY USING REALFLIGHT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. HOW CAN I USE REALFLIGHT TO LEARN TO FLY R/C?
A. We think the best way to learn R/C is to have fun flying in RealFlight. At first, don't concentrate on learning. Just enjoy the simulation and fly around. It might help you to use a 3D airport, like Flight School, and fly around a bit in "chase" or "cockpit" modes (press "C" to change modes). Try out all the models and try all the airports. Begin challenging yourself. Remember that everything you do is a learning experience and all of it will pay off. It helps to mix in some disciplined practice sessions from time to time, but we've found it's easy to learn if you keep things fun. Keep playing with it until you can successfully take off, fly around, and land pretty much every single time. At that point, you are ready to fly a real R/C plane. We suggest you get some help from your local club or hobby shop when you are ready.
Q. REALFLIGHT SEEMS EASIER THAN REAL LIFE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
A. Make sure the difficulty is set to "Advanced" and turn up the wind speed a bit. The simulation is designed to be a bit easier than real life using the default settings.
Q. REALFLIGHT IS TOO HARD. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
A. Set the difficulty to "Beginner". That will make the flight model more forgiving and will also slow the simulation down substantially. Knife Edge recommends that you move up to "Intermediate" as soon as possible. Remember that flying R/C in real life is hard too!
EXPANSION PACKS AND ADD-ONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. DO EXPANSION PACKS WORK WITH G3.5?
A. Expansion Packs 1 through 4 all work in G3.5. Expansion Pack 5 requires G4 since it includes water features that are not available in G3.5.
Q. WHERE DO I OBTAIN FREE ADD-ONS?
A. If you have G4 or G4.5, you can obtain all of the Add-Ons for free.
http://realflight.com/free-g4-add-ons.html
Q. WHERE DO I DOWNLOAD THE FREE EXPANSION PACKS?
A. The Expansion Packs are not available for free. These must be purchased. Only the Add-Ons are available for free.
Q. WHERE DO I FIND THE FREE ADD-ONS FOR G3.5?
A. The Add-Ons are only available for free for users of G4 or G4.5. If you have G3.5, you must still purchase the Add-Ons.