Laptop usage

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bob@bobleonard.com
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat May 27, 2023 3:35 pm

Laptop usage

#1 Post by bob@bobleonard.com »

I am waiting to build a good desktop flight simulation system until after I get back from the Flight Sim Expo next month (and, of course, after I convince my wife that it's a good "investment.") For now, I want to run a simple setup using my laptop.

Neither MSFS nor X-Plane 12 will run on my laptop, but I was able to get X-Plane 11 to do so. I have looked at countless videos (thank you, Russ) and have not seen my particular situation addressed.

I want to have X-Plane 11 running on my laptop, but have it displayed on a much larger monitor positioned above it. I then want to use Air Manager (with a Knobster), putting my aircraft's panel on both the laptop below and on an adjacent smaller monitor or iPad. Ideally, I could eliminate the panel on the upper screen or simply move it out of the picture.

For now, I am only using a Thrustmaster joystick as a control, but it has many buttons, so I might be able to eliminate the instruments and controls from the upper screen entirely.

Has anyone tried this configuration? Is it feasible? Are there any problems that I need to look out for? Mainly, how well would it work?

Thanks, Bob

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WillemijnL
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:14 pm

Re: Laptop usage

#2 Post by WillemijnL »

I'm running a comparable setup and don't use the laptop keyboard and my mouse when flying, only when starting a new flight. I have a laptop with X-Plane on an external 24 inch monitor and Air Manager panels on two external 15.6 inch touchscreen monitors. The laptop screen is used for displaying charts etc. I'm also using Knobster connected to my laptop. I'm using the buttons of my joystick (switched from Thrustmaster to Velocity One three weeks ago) and throttle quadrant for controls and also the controls in the Air Manager instruments on my touchscreens. This works very well.

The only limitation could be the number of external monitors that can be connected to your laptop. My laptop can handle three external monitors (1xHDMI, 1xDisplayport and 1xUSB-C with DP-Alt). Check the specifications of your laptop. If you can only connect one monitor than you can use a tablet with Air Manager or a Raspberry Pi with Air Player to have a second external screen with an Air Manager panel if you already own a tablet or Raspberry Pi. But you have to pay extra for Air Manager/Air Player on a tablet of Raspberry Pi.

My advice is just start trying and see if it works for you with the hardware you already have. You can change hardware or add extra hardware later if needed. That's the way my flight simulator setup has evolved. For me the best investment was the touchscreen monitors. Together with Air Manager I can control a lot.

Don't forget to visit the Sim Innovations booth at the Flight Sim Expo. Ralph and Corjan can tell you a lot about computer setups with Air Manager.

bob@bobleonard.com
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat May 27, 2023 3:35 pm

Re: Laptop usage

#3 Post by bob@bobleonard.com »

WillemijnL wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 12:42 pm I'm running a comparable setup and don't use the laptop keyboard and my mouse when flying, only when starting a new flight. I have a laptop with X-Plane on an external 24 inch monitor and Air Manager panels on two external 15.6 inch touchscreen monitors. The laptop screen is used for displaying charts etc. I'm also using Knobster connected to my laptop. I'm using the buttons of my joystick (switched from Thrustmaster to Velocity One three weeks ago) and throttle quadrant for controls and also the controls in the Air Manager instruments on my touchscreens. This works very well.

The only limitation could be the number of external monitors that can be connected to your laptop. My laptop can handle three external monitors (1xHDMI, 1xDisplayport and 1xUSB-C with DP-Alt). Check the specifications of your laptop. If you can only connect one monitor than you can use a tablet with Air Manager or a Raspberry Pi with Air Player to have a second external screen with an Air Manager panel if you already own a tablet or Raspberry Pi. But you have to pay extra for Air Manager/Air Player on a tablet of Raspberry Pi.

My advice is just start trying and see if it works for you with the hardware you already have. You can change hardware or add extra hardware later if needed. That's the way my flight simulator setup has evolved. For me the best investment was the touchscreen monitors. Together with Air Manager I can control a lot.

Don't forget to visit the Sim Innovations booth at the Flight Sim Expo. Ralph and Corjan can tell you a lot about computer setups with Air Manager.
First, you didn't have to mention going by the Sim Innovations booth at the Expo. It was already near the top of my list.

Thanks for the good advice. For now, I will probably just put a monitor that I already have beside my laptop. I already easily run two monitors plus the laptop screen for work and I have a few leftover monitors at the office. I'll probably hold off on buying any more equipment until after my plans jell better at the Expo.

With your two external monitors, do you completely eliminate the X-Plane panel on your 24 inch? just curious.

I have a Kensington docking tower (almost identical to the Pluggable that Russ talks about), so I hope to be able to run the smaller monitor(s) with that and thus maybe add an extra one. Does that sound reasonable?

Finally, since you mentioned that you used to use a Thrustmaster throttle, could you answer another question for me? All of the buttons don't seem to work as they are shown on the Thrustmaster website. The three axes work, as do the trim wheel and brakes, but the flap buttons don't seem to do anything. I looked in the joystick settings in X-Plane and it says that it was programmed for the 9 and 10 buttons, but they don't move the flaps. Did you experience that? It's only a temporary inconvenience because in a couple of months, I expect to have a yoke, throttle, pedals, and other equipment.

Thanks for your information and patience.

Bob

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WillemijnL
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:14 pm

Re: Laptop usage

#4 Post by WillemijnL »

First, you didn't have to mention going by the Sim Innovations booth at the Expo. It was already near the top of my list.
Great :)
With your two external monitors, do you completely eliminate the X-Plane panel on your 24 inch? just curious.
No, I keep the cockpit in the display, although the instruments are too small to read. But I can read them in Air Manager. A picture of my setup how I'm using it, taken at the FSWeekend 2017 (I don't have a recent one at the moment) with the Challenger 300 aircraft, now replaced by CRJ-900/1000. My new cockpit will also look like this one, so no big changes. The old 4:3 monitor at the right top (and the desktop under the table) is replaced by my laptop and the lower monitors by touchscreens. At the picture also some (experimental) DIY hardware I'm not using anymore, but will add new DIY hardware. And as you can see: only a mouse, no keyboard.

Flightsim setup Willemijn FSWeekend 2017.JPG
I have a Kensington docking tower (almost identical to the Pluggable that Russ talks about), so I hope to be able to run the smaller monitor(s) with that and thus maybe add an extra one. Does that sound reasonable?
I have started now using a USB-C docking with two HDMI-connectors, so I can use the same standard HDMI cables for the external touchscreen monitors, which also have HDMI-connectors. I think your Kensington docking will work.

I have a Thrustmaster T.16000M and had no problems with the buttons. I'm controlling the flaps with my throttle quadrant (the red lever at the picture).

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