Worth Updating?

[JDH]

I have an old copy of RealFlight -- it's ver 4.5. I also bought a number of expansion packs. The program fell into disuse due to an old PC which just didn't have the power to run the program properly. Having just built a new PC, of course a much faster machine, I'm now interested in installing RealFlight. Since I originally spent over $200 for the basic program, plus more for the expansion packs, I have quite an investment in this old software. So what's my best course of action now? Should I consider using the old program, or will it even run under Windows 10? Even if it can, is the newest version of RealFLight so improved, would I be foolish to not upgrade? Any thoughts would be appreciated......

John

 

[TomC]

If I were you i’d Probably try just getting your RF4.5 going again, then decide. RF4.5 should work fine with your new pc and win10. Later you can decide whether or not to upgrade to RF8. I upgraded from RF5.5 and I think it’s a nice upgrade. Up to you to decide,

 

[technoid]

I have an old copy of RealFlight -- it's ver 4.5. I also bought a number of expansion packs. The program fell into disuse due to an old PC which just didn't have the power to run the program properly. Having just built a new PC, of course a much faster machine, I'm now interested in installing RealFlight. Since I originally spent over $200 for the basic program, plus more for the expansion packs, I have quite an investment in this old software. So what's my best course of action now? Should I consider using the old program, or will it even run under Windows 10? Even if it can, is the newest version of RealFLight so improved, would I be foolish to not upgrade? Any thoughts would be appreciated......

John

You should definitely upgrade to RF-8 I wouldn't even think about staying with 4.5. I'm one of the modelers here and the planes being created for RF-8 is SO much better than anything before it. For instance the maximum triangle count in RF 6.5 was 20k, in RF 7.5 27k, in RF-8 it jumped to 135k so you can create highly detailed planes in RF-8. Like my latest plane. The 9 cylinder radial you see in it is an engine I modeled not painted on detail like you've seen in the past. If you load the plane in the RF Editor and look at it close it looks great. The engine itself is over 25k triangles you simply can't do this type of detail in any of the older versions, so go with RF-8 for sure.

 

[BrokeDad]

If you had 7.5 maybe not .. but since you have 4.5 definitely worth it.

 

[Bill Stuntz]

I agree. RF8's a good upgrade. Since you already have a controller, you could go with the S/W only version. Or you could try the Steam version. I'm pretty sure you can buy the Steam version & "return" it within 14 days if you decide you don't want to keep it.

 

[JDH]

If I were you i’d Probably try just getting your RF4.5 going again, then decide. RF4.5 should work fine with your new pc and win10. Later you can decide whether or not to upgrade to RF8. I upgraded from RF5.5 and I think it’s a nice upgrade. Up to you to decide,

I believe I'd rather decide now instead of trying an evaluation first. From what others have said, I can still use my existing controller, so that will lessen the upgrade cost I had been expecting.

 

[JDH]

Those photos of that plane and engine are really beautiful. I can see the point of upgrading. And another flyer said that I can use my existing controller, so that will save money. Or am I wrong about that? Is the latest controller different or improved enough such that I should consider buying that too?

Another aspect I cam confused about are Expansion Packs. On my first go-round with all this, I recall having to buy many expansion packs which significantly increased the overall price tag. Do you happen to know whether the latest version of the program comes with more builit-in planes, fields, and/or scenery when compared to my old rev 4.5? Or will I again need (or at least want) to invest in many Expansion Packs?

 

[BrokeDad]

You can use your existing expansion packs as well as your older controller. There are also five add-ons you can download and install for free.

 

[JDH]

If you had 7.5 maybe not .. but since you have 4.5 definitely worth it.

Given the consensus here, I expect to buy the latest version very soon.

Given the size of my older one, I assume the latest version is quite large. I hope there is a convenient way to save fixed data like scenery and maybe aircraft designs on another drive other than drive C:. I always like to keep the large caches of invariant files on another drive to keep my drive C: as small as possible for backup purposes.

 

[JDH]

I agree. RF8's a good upgrade. Since you already have a controller, you could go with the S/W only version. Or you could try the Steam version. I'm pretty sure you can buy the Steam version & "return" it within 14 days if you decide you don't want to keep it.

I had no idea I might be able to use my old controller. It saw little use so it is like brand new. Still, I wonder if the latest controller would offer any benefits over my old one.....

 

[BrokeDad]

The new version (RF-8) doesn't use a proprietary dongle anymore. Anything that shows up in windows as a controller can be used. It will even use dongles from other sims.

The controller upgrade is up to you. Very few models use the sliders on the back of it as of yet but you can program them in yourself.

If you have a real radio the OrangeRX wireless dongles are cheap and you can get them for both Spektrum and Frsky radios.

 

[Kmot]

I had (have) 7.5 and upgraded to RF8 and purchased it with the controller because my old controller was well used. As it turns out, I dislike the layout of the new controller. For one, they put the flaps on a 3-position switch, and it requires removing my hand from the stick to activate it. The older controller had the flaps on a rotary knob, well within reach of a finger while my thumb was on the stick and also it was proportional.

I had to program the new controller to put the flaps on one of the slide switches. It works, but it is sort of upside down in operation. Not intuitive although I have gotten used to it.

Just my $0.02

 

[Bill Stuntz]

FYI, the Steam version isn't an evaluation version. AFAIK, it's the same as the boxed or download versions, but it's installed via Steam. I'm not a Steam gamer, so I didn't do it that way, but I'm not aware of any reason NOT to use it. But I'm pretty sure that the steam version can be returned for credit if you don't like it. AFAIK, that's not true of the boxed or d/l versions.

 

[Kmot]

I had (have) 7.5 and upgraded to RF8 and purchased it with the controller because my old controller was well used. As it turns out, I dislike the layout of the new controller. For one, they put the flaps on a 3-position switch, and it requires removing my hand from the stick to activate it. The older controller had the flaps on a rotary knob, well within reach of a finger while my thumb was on the stick and also it was proportional.

I had to program the new controller to put the flaps on one of the slide switches. It works, but it is sort of upside down in operation. Not intuitive although I have gotten used to it.

Just my $0.02

Sorry I made an error in my post. Senior moment. Got confused with another radio.

The default flaps is indeed on a rotary knob on the RF8 controller. But in my particular case, it is smaller in diameter, and very, very hard to rotate. I could not rotate it with a finger, so I made a global change to a slider switch which moved the flaps for every aircraft to the slider.

 

[Bill Stuntz]

The default flaps is indeed on a rotary knob on the RF8 controller. But in my particular case, it is smaller in diameter, and very, very hard to rotate. I could not rotate it with a finger, so I made a global change to a slider switch which moved the flaps for every aircraft to the slider.

That sounds like a great idea. I usually use my older Interlink Elite since there aren't any planes that use the sliders.

I don't like the flap knob on my Interink-X controller, either. It's too stiff, and feels like it has a built-in ratchet - it clicks when I spin it. When I converted from the ratcheted throttle to the smooth one, I looked at the the flap pot & 3-position switch. I was very tempted to swap the positions, but the pot's wires are a little too short to reach. I think I'll replace the pot with a smooth one & extend the wires to make it work if I decide to do it. But I suppose it would be best to just remap the flap knob to the right-side slider like you did.

 

[flexible2g]

this

What about this one?

 

[Bill Stuntz]

Nope. The flaps need to be on a proportional channel, not a switch.

That's different from either of my controllers. My Interlink Elite has the digital trims. I like the layout of the Elite better than the X controller. I think yours has the analog trims, and apparently has an extra switch. That should work fine.

I think I "misspoke" in my last post - the ones I'd like to swap are the 2-position switch on the corner with the flap pot on the face. But the pot wires are too short to reach up into the corner.

 

[adrenoline 60]

This was a was a post by Ryan Douglas Ryan Douglas, Administrator.
Advantages of the InterLink-X:
https://forums.realflight.com/showpost.php?p=281994&postcount=6

This was a post, Listing some of the New, RealFlight-8 Features:
https://forums.realflight.com/showthread.php?t=32708

Since RealFlight is backward compatible. (but not forward compatible)
A Serious Advantage to Upgrading, from G4.5, to RF-8, is the ability to download All the Newer content, in the swap pages, created since G4.5. Literally thousands of files.

Just for the record:
I am still using my Original Interlink Elite Controller, that came with my G4 in 2007, with my RF-8. Its still in Great Shape.
I will, eventually buy the new 10 Ch InterLink-X controller. But that's another advantage of RealFlight-8. You Can, purchase Controllers and Interfaces, Separately now.

As far as system usage, I am currently running RF-7.5 with hundreds of swap page files. I am also running RF-8 on my laptop. Gimp for creating color schemes, and everything else on my C. C has a 271 GB cap with 115 GB used, 155 GB free
I still have my D with 406 GB cap and 381 GB free.
Unless your very computer salve, I would recommend, sticking with stock file locations.
I don't know that Rf-8 is anymore system demanding, than G4, unless you go VR.
Funny note. G4 came as a 4 Disk Set, RF-8 installs with a Single Disk. (cd vs dvd)

 

[JDH]

You can use your existing expansion packs as well as your older controller. There are also five add-ons you can download and install for free.

I don't believe I ever got around to installing the expansion packs, so I never found out how much benefit they provided.

Another aspect of all this is space taken up on drive C:. I'd like to keep as much as possible on another drive -- I hope they make this convenient to do.

 

[JDH]

The new version (RF-8) doesn't use a proprietary dongle anymore. Anything that shows up in windows as a controller can be used. It will even use dongles from other sims.

The controller upgrade is up to you. Very few models use the sliders on the back of it as of yet but you can program them in yourself.

If you have a real radio the OrangeRX wireless dongles are cheap and you can get them for both Spektrum and Frsky radios.

Good to know, but all I have is the old software (rev 4 updated to rev 4.5) and the controller it came with at that time. Looks similar to a typical Futaba transmitter, etc.