Hey X-plane fans, this is a quick tutorial on how to set up multiple monitors in X-plane. It's quick, easy and will take your flight sim experience to whole new, incredibly immersive experience. Thanks so much for watching.
You’re very welcome. This is why we do these videos. I’m not a pilot. I’m a physician, but I love flight summing.. too chicken at my age to get a real pilots license 🤣. But my brother and I do this for fun. Thanks for the nice comment.
They’re mounted to a rig we bought from Micro Center. They’re mounted using plastic spacers to get them lined up perfectly. We have an earlier video titled “Really cool flight sim rig setup” on the channel that has links to all the major components, including the monitors, in the setup. Check it out. We realized also, that we have gotten so many questions about this setup, that we're going to do a follow up video answering them, including yours. 🙂
Hey Richard, greetings from Grand Rapids, Michigan. My name is Randy and I am a long time XP user as well as a Commercial Pilot and CFI-I. In short, I have been reviewing your presentation on setting up multiple monitors in XP12. I've currently been using two 31" monitors with a third smaller monitor as an instructor station. However, I'm helping another pilot friend of mine set up three 31" monitors on his new XP12 system. We followed your advice and - at no surprise - found the process to be a LOT more involved than just setting up the Lateral and Vertical Fields of View to get an accurate, coordinated three monitor depiction of a cockpit view. That said , are there any other videos or literature that you can recommend for us to appropriately tweak the multi-monitor process? Would be more than willing to share more information with you if you are able and willing to help ;) Thank you Richard and best regards, Randy.
It definitely can get more complicated depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. 😂 Other than playing with the settings, including the others that are in that settings screens, I’m not sure that I have much more advice. Sorry. If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know. Happy flying (real and sim) and stay safe up there.
@@WingITFlightSim Thanks Richard. BTW, I've created a spreadsheet to include all the parameters involving the "Graphics/Monitor" settings. Should you wish to receive a copy, simply forward me your email address. Thanks again! Randy
My flight sim uses 5 monitors. 3 are HDTVs and 2 are Realsimgear G1000s. All five are arranged correctly in Windows (5, 4. 3, 2, and 1). However, XP12 arranges them differently (5, 2, 4, 1, and 3). All was fine in XP11 but when I updated to XP12, things changed. Any recommendations?
I use Mac, so I’m not sure I can offer much advice for Windows, but as far as XP-12 goes, it should remember your setting… EXCEPT after you restart your computer, I’ve found that I have to redo the monitor arrangement. A little annoying, but only takes a couple of minutes. But as long as you don’t restart your computer, you shouldn’t have to do that. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi I have a question I have 3 PCs main running front screen right pc running 2 screens and left 2 screens but the issue I'm having is the left pc won't align with main screen.does xplanes support 5 screens.
Hey man! I have a question! How do I save different monitor configurations for different aircraft. When I switch to my other one, I have to change all of the settings back.
I have tried to figure that one out myself. Every time I restart my computer, I have to go back in redo my monitor settings. I think it’s just a bug in the software.
I have 3 monitors conected to an Nvidia 4090 card, but the monitor configuration box in setup has nothing in it. How do you get your monitors to show up in the configuration screen. All three are active in Windows 11.
Hey can you help me. Many years ago I was a real CPL/IR trained at Kidlington. For various reasons I wasn't able to take it up as a career. Now in my mid 60s i would really like to set up a flight sim that comes as close as poss to the real thing. I am currently a macbook pro laptop user but I believe it would probably be best if I got a new system (Probably Windows?) using a largish laptop and several extra monitors plus real controls, rudder, throttle, trim etc. I would set this up for the sole purpose of flight simulation. Is this possible, feasable?
Further to above, I am in no way committed to Windows, especially as I am nowadays fully Mac experienced. But I still think that realistically I should have a system solely used for X-Plane?
I use an M1 Mac Studio (upgraded) and X-plane works great on my Mac even with the 4 monitors. I don’t know anything about X-plane on Windows, but I’m sure with the right graphics card and CPU, it would work great. Not sure that I would use X-plane on a MacBook unless you’re, in fact, using external monitors. If that’s the case, then an M2 or M3 MacBook Pro would probably work great! Anyway, the short answer is, YES, this is entirely feasible with the right graphics, RAM, and CPU. Thanks for watching. Sorry about the late response!
@@WingITFlightSim I’ve been building PCs for years so I wondered what graphics card you used. The options are AMD or NVIDA and the tradeoffs between performance and cost. Nice monitor choices.
Thanks. I'm on Apple Silicon, so I don't have a separate graphics card or GPU. It's integrated. But my channel partner/director is a PC guy, so I checked with him on which one he prefers. He generally likes Nvidia.
Sure. You would just have to set it to “full screen simulator”, set the view to the overhead panel and leave it on the over head view. Great question. Great idea!
@@WingITFlightSim - Can you do a video showing how you can get a Mac Mini M2 Pro to connect to multiple displays? Or do you know of one? It says it should work, but one won't come on. I'll continue to scour the web, LOL.
@@WingITFlightSim Thanks Richard! Did you configure your monitors in the Apple Mac settings as 2K monitors or only in XP12, or both? Would it be possible to provide a screenshot of your graphic settings? Thanks for your help!
@@WingITFlightSim One final question please. Did you connect all three monitors to individual ports, or one port? Thank you, I really appreciate tour help.
@@johnfralc9551 individual. We will have a video soon when I get back from NYC that answers all the questions on this video. 🙂 Thanks so much for all the questions/comments. We really appreciate it. Keep ‘em coming!
Yeah, it’s the 3rd party aircraft that struggle if they don’t run natively on Apple Silicon. I have emailed Flight Factor multiple times and have been told there will be an upgrade to allow their aircraft to run natively on Apple Silicon. Not sure how that helps you since you’re using PC, but I’m on upgraded Mac Studio.
@WingITFlightSim Virtual Machines is the way I have decided to tackle the problem. One virtual PC with one GPU for each screen. All because X-Plane 12 is still mostly single-threaded.
You can set the field of to anything you want. Problem is, if you set the field of view too wide, the size of the sim gets smaller on the single screen. So while it’s POSSIBLE, I would not recommend. Hop that helps.
i have run 3 screens for at least 6 years now sadly XP12 even with top end hardware is useless, with xp11 i get around 55-65fps per screen (ie 180fps on a single screen) but in xp12 i only get 20 fps (60fps) so not really of any use , also sadly most of the xp 11 airports dont work in xp12 , so I now use mostly MSFS
Couple of things: 1. Are you using an aircraft that requires Rosetta? If so, that's part of the issue; 2. Frame rate is not the most important thing- the big thing is, does it look smooth at 20 fps? I'm running Apple Silicon on fully spec'd M1 Ultra and getting about 20 fps (with Rosetta, double+ without Rosetta) and at 20 fps, X-plane 12 runs perfectly smooth...at least on my computer. Hope that answers your question.
Now that I have my 3 monitors setup perfectly how do I save this setup? It is so aggregating when I close out of X-Plane 11 only to find that my custom multi-screen setup has defaulted back to one monitor.
Interesting. It shouldn’t do that. Or at least it doesn’t do that on mine. I’m running XP-12, but that probably shouldn’t make a difference. It should save automatically. Do you shut your computer down. Because I have noticed that if I shut down my computer (Mac Studio), I will have to go back in and change my lateral offsets back, but it still has 3 monitors showing. Other than that, not sure why yours is doing that, but yeah, I’m sure it’s super aggravating. Wish I could help.
@@WingITFlightSim Thanks for weighing in. I'm on a Mac pro with three 30 inch older Apple Cinema monitors and I finally got my screens setup just the way I like them. Wouldn't you think there would be a SAVE button to lock it in? At least I have my numbers saved in a doc so I can redo but... :)
@@PJ-ee5mc I’m running Apple Silicon (not that that probably matters), but once I set mine, there is no need for a “save” button, because XP just opens with the last settings I put in. Sounds kinda bizarro. I really have no idea why XP isn’t remembering your settings. You might want to email/message Austin Meyer (XP creator). Or go to the XP forum. I don’t think it’s a MacOS issue, but I really wish I had a better answer for you because knowing me, I’d be pulling my hair out (well, not really, already bald as you can see in the video🤣). Incredibly irritating, I’m sure.
@@WingITFlightSim This is all good info. Thank you. I have been considering a Silicon Mac, like the 'Mac Studio' perhaps. Do you know if their display ports (actually, I guess they are multi purpose these days) but will they work with HDMI so that if you wanted to setup three 50 in. flat-screen TVs for a flight Sim it would work?
Thanks for video. I agree, 3 mons with Air Manager touchscreen is much better for Vatsim and IFR. Apparently you are not using Air Manager. If you use it you will never go back to mouse and keyboard. Guaranteed. You must be using RTX 4090 class to get smooth experience in xp12. I use 3x 32" LG Nano IPS 1ms g-sync mons. Highly recommend IPS and 32" I have used TV's before. They are just too soft in focus. 32" mons is the sweet spot. Looks like you are using 32".
Actually, Mac Studio with spec’d out M1. I’ll have to try Air Manager. Does it work with Mac? Yes, 3 32” inch monitors with a 24” for the instructor operator station. Agreed. Don’t like tv’s for this stuff. Monitors are definitely better.
@@WingITFlightSim Hello Richard. Great to see Mac back with Mac Studio. It's about time. lol The iMac was just not suitable for multi-mon. Too much heat. Anyways. 3 x 32" in QHD res is a sweet spot for simming IMO. . I have 3 x 27" and a bunch of 40" TV's in my hanger. Took me a lot of trial and error. I started with XP in 2000 when it was just Mac based. I am grounded RW pilot and IGI. To me, this is not a game it is a training tool. I don't know your experience but you seem to be on the right "training" track. Sadly, I had to depart from XP12 due to multi-mon poor perf. I know people that are getting poor perf even with RTX3090. I am using MFS currently, but hope to come back when XP12 matures a bit so far as scenery (the puddles) and perf. Yes, Air Manager works on all platforms. It is the only way to fly IFR on Vatsim or Pilotedge. Recommend using it with knobster and 22-24" touchscreen. No mice in my cockpit lol Once you use it to familiarity, you will never go back to mouse etc. There are complete instrument panels for XP. Some of the best is DA62 and Phenom 300. Garmin products are compact and everything needed fit on one touchscreen as apposed to airliners with proline which take up so much space. Air Manager touchscreen cockpits are flexible, whereas hardware cockpits are not. Once you pay 3k for a realsimgear g1000 hardware panel or analog pit, you are stuck with it. You probably know this already, but these recommendations are for newbies, and perhaps some of your followers. Use free services and training for ATC comms on VATSIM. Don't use AI ATC. They aren't close to reality. Start from beginning and take online ground school. Learn to fly properly following a learning syllabus and FAA training objectives, just like the real world RW. Start with 172sp G1000, then DA62 G1000 multi, then corporate twin (I fly Longitude C700 with G5000/advanced couple VNAV), then airliners, just like RW. Avoid VR. This hobby is isolated enough without sitting with a sweatbox on your head for hours. Also, VR is very awkward for IFR training due to controllers. Probably worse than a mouse/keyboard.. OK for VFR Helos tho. Get your family involved with a multi-mon system. so they can fly along and manipulate IOS. Instructor Op Station weather etc. Please do a 3 mon/Air Manager Mac perf rundown video. Bet you will get lots of hits. I would use a external cam and not a screen recorder like screenflow etc. The external cam will not give a perf hit. Taxi in circles at a heavy airport like LAX, monitoring FPS and mainly smoothness. FPS is a relative thing. Smoothness is key. Mac Studio multi-mon/AM could literally save LR/XP 12 bacon, so I think people will be interested. Hope LR survives. Maybe they can merge with (almost dead)P3D and deepockets Lockheed to institute a photogrammetry sattelite system. Wishfull thinking perhaps. Good Luck. I wrote a book lol
I'm using Honeycomb Bravo with Thrustmaster Airbus Edition Flight stick and Thrustmaster Pendular Rudder system. A couple of the aircraft I have (Flight Factor and Delta Wing aircraft) require Rosetta, which take a significant bite out of frame rate, but believe it or not, at about 15 fps and higher, runs very smoothly. On XP-12 included aircraft (don't need to run with Rosetta), getting double the frame rate. Are you a pilot? Me? Nope, just an aviation/flight sim buff. Physician by trade. Thanks for the tips/advice. I will definitely have to look into it. And I absolutely agree about the VR sweat box! 🤣
Check out our latest video…it talks about SimBrief, flight planning software (It’s not a tutorial, but just a quick intro- tutorial to follow). You can enter your flight plan in a couple of minutes.
We actually just checked and it’s about 50% fps loss going from 1-3 monitors. AND….. we just did a video on it and will edit and post soon. THANKS so much for the question.
@@davidshahin9753 Yes, but XP runs pretty nicely at 15 fps and higher, believe it or not…at least on my Mac Studio. It’s not a fast moving game like Fortnite or some of the others.
I run 3 mons and AM touchscreen for years. XP 12 is a perf dog with 3 mons. Anything less than 30 fps is jerky. Maybe a RTX 4090 would be OK. My i9/rtx2080ti doesn't cut it. getting 20-25 fps. Unusable.
Less than 30fps is jerky? Odd. Films are filmed at 24 fps. When fly aircraft that require Rosetta, I can get down to about 14 fps and barely visible jerkiness.
Not so good when the Graphics screen does NOT show anything more than a single monitor. Does No Good. This part is self-explanatory --- does NOT tell how to get the GRAPHICS page to recognize multiple monitors. FAIL
That’s not a GRAPHICS page issue within x-plane. That’s a computer issue not recognizing all of your monitors. We can’t show everyone how to connect monitors to the myriad computers that are out there. Good luck.
@@WingITFlightSim Computer thinks it recognizes all monitors and does display data on the different monitors --- but X-Plane only displays on the primary monitor (whichever one is chosen to be that one) { the other monitors just display the "home" screen}
I’ll never understand why people play xplane over msfs it’s such a worse game graphics are awful and to make it look half as good as msfs you have to pay a arm and leg for addons
X-plane is meant for real pilots in training as X-plane can be used for qualifying hours toward a license. It’s twice as realistic as MSFS from the standpoint of simulated flying. X-plane 12 graphics are MUCH improved over XP-11 and are much more comparable to MSFS. Not quite there yet, but getting there. PLUS, for Mac users, MSFS is no longer supported. X-plane is less of a game, and more of a training tool. But thanks for coming on just to TRY to insult those of us who use X-plane. “Any copy of X-Plane purchased from X-Plane.com can have the features required for FAA certification unlocked using a special USB key or digital download product key.” Have a great day.
