Prepar3D v5.1 Features and Enhancements
Release Notes
The first update to Prepar3D v5 is now available!
Prepar3D v5.1 brings a slew of new features and improvements across the entire platform. Enhanced Atmospherics is now default with improvements made to the entire system including better performance, lighting, reflections, and fidelity. The DX12 rendering engine has been further optimized offering additional performance and stability enhancements. Developers now have the ability to create panel and UI content using HTML5 and JavaScript opening up new possibilities for content creation and improving workflow. Multiplayer updates including vastly improved wingman and AI performance and the capability for headless mode hosting make multiplayer training scenarios even more immersive and scalable.
The following list of updates has been categorized based on the installer required. The Client installer is required for
Prepar3D v5.1, however the Content, Scenery, and SDK installers are optional. You must first have Prepar3D v5 installed to utilize the Client only installer.
To install the Prepar3D v5.1 Client, you must first uninstall the previous Prepar3D v5.0 Client through Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel. Do not deactivate your license when prompted. If you selected to deactivate your license during uninstallation of your current Client, your will be prompted to reactivate Prepar3D. Please view the Prepar3D v5 Download and Installation Instructions for more information.
Prepar3D Client
General Platform Updates
New Features
- Enhanced Atmospherics is now enabled by default and no longer in beta.
- Gauges and panels as well as scenario object content can be built using HTML5 and JavaScript.
- Multiplayer host can now run in headless mode disabling any rendering on the host machine.
- Added auto exposure to HDR and the ability to disable if desired.
Fixes and Improvements
- Sky and cloud PBR reflections now supported in Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Improved Enhanced Atmospherics performance, rendering smoothness, and interpolation.
- Improved Enhanced Atmospherics lighting and shadows.
- Enhanced Atmospherics now supports sensor views.
- Enhanced Atmospherics now supports precipitation in multiple views.
- Added VolumetricClouds.cfg to control various Enhanced Atmospherics cloud parameters.
- Fixed issue preventing cloud heights from matching UI settings with Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Fixed issue causing rain to appear inside the cockpit when using Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Fixed issues with transparent object and effect blending with Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Top down views now support Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Fixed crashes found when removing .AIR file as well as aero and engine related entries from helicopter CFG file.
- Multiplayer observer role can now be selected through command line.
- Resolution of Varjo headsets can now be changed in settings.
- Fixed issue preventing waypoint complete actions from firing.
- SimDirector property descriptions no longer cause UI content to resize when selecting different items.
- View groups now support singlepass rendering mode to increase performance.
- Improved VR performance with Varjo headsets.
- Failures can now be triggered on player and entity objects.
- Fixed several issues that could potentially lead to Kernelbase.dll exceptions.
- Fixed shutdown crash issue leading to a program freeze in some cases.
- Fixed issue where shared cockpit clients would not receive updates from multiplayer server in some cases.
- Monitoring properties now shows list of current vehicle failures.
- Added portal visualization mode, emulated pass-through camera, and support for tracking-only mode in OpenVR.
- Added ability to load in custom models to be used as portals.
- Various improvements to mixed reality portal usability including creation at tracked controller location and cycling origin modes via tracked controller.
- Fixed OpenVR issues with pass through cameras causing jitter and VRAM usage spikes in some cases.
- Waypoint lists can now be assigned to the ownship updating the GPS system and not controlling the vehicle.
- Various improvements to SimDirector UI improving usability on small screens and touch-enabled devices including button to collapse all property windows and icon size options.
- Fixed visual artifacts seen in taxiway sign geometry.
- Fixed issue preventing GroundVehicleAI from serializing correctly.
- Multiplayer scenarios can now start paused if specified in scenario fxml and host pausing is enabled.
- Fixed issue causing striped patterns in autogen in some cases.
- SetGaugeVariableActions can now be set on player objects.
- Map can now be viewed while simulation is running in multiplayer and when in the ATC tower.
- Radio system now simulates at a higher rate.
- Fixed bug where freezing vehicle position during recording would cause positional issues during playback.
- Improved road traffic performance.
- Fixed issue where bad altitude values would be calculated when launching from a carrier.
- Fixed issue where slewing on a carrier deck would sometimes result in a crash.
- Replaced Scaleform ATC window, SimConnect window, and menu prompt window with HTML5.
- Custom instance-based properties are now supported by the recording system.
- Improved HDR appearance.
- Fixed issue that would cause DialogActions to incorrectly fire more than once in some cases.
- Improved smoothness for player objects in multiplayer.
- Fixed issue causing jitter on player objects and AI when flying close formation.
- Added additional control over distant object appearance through advanced configuration settings.
- HDR is now always active when using Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Fixed issue causing AI states to change incorrectly when flying over platforms.
- Fixed issue causing user object textures to reload when not needed in some cases.
- Added option for human-readable recording file format.
Fixes and Improvements (Professional Plus Only)
- Multiple SimOperators can now join and control the same multiplayer session.
- Fixed issue where SimOperator would spawn an ownship vehicle for the host in unstructured scenarios.
- Fixed issue where aircraft title could be overwritten in SimOperator unstructured scenarios.
- Monitoring properties on player objects is now available in SimOperator.
- Fixed issue where gun system trigger would not disengage when attacker behavior was deactivated.
- Fixed issue where SimOperator would overwrite multiplayer host settings with options that were currently disabled.
- Fixed issue where AI behaviors would incorrectly reactivate in some cases.
- Fixed issue preventing DIS packets from being received in some cases.
- Added unicast support to DIS.
- Fixed crash that could occur on shutdown when running SimOperator through command line.
- Fixed DIS issue where articulated part value would be placed into the wrong PDU field.
- Fixed issue where DIS aircraft would not process canopy state.
- Fixed issue preventing mouse rect clicks from working on AI objects.
- Fixed issue preventing view changes from occurring properly in VR single pass in some cases.
- Fixed issue where PlayFlightRecordingAction would interfere with the user's FlightSegment playback.
Prepar3D Content
New Content
- Added F-35A and F-16C mixed reality variants.
Fixes and Improvements
- Various fixes to F-35C improving carrier launch/landing including fixed launch assist and tailhook attachpoints and improvements to wheel contact points.
- Improved crash detection on aircraft carriers.
- Fixed issue preventing F-16 panels from syncing in Multichannel in some cases.
Prepar3D Scenery
Fixes and Improvements
- Updates to various city areas including Shanghai, Beijing, Detroit, and San Diego with improved bridge/building placements and custom model fixes.
- Updated various airport parking and building data at several locations including LFPO, LEMD, EKCH, FAOR, LPPT, KATL, KSNA, KPSP, KTUL, KLHQ, KLCK, KCMH, 7TS3, KSUS, CYDL, LOWW, KBDL, KSWF, KBAF, KPOU, ZSSS, PATK, KOSH, and HAAB.
- Fixed minor positional issues with aircraft carrier routes.
Prepar3D SDK
New Features
- Panels can now be created using HTML5.
- The ATC, Menu System, and InfoGen support third-party skinning through the HTML5 SDK.
- Added PDK RecordingService and RecordAndPlaybackPlugin sample.
- Added human readable recording format.
- Added PDK functions to control object draw distance and pixel size overrides.
Fixes and Improvements
- Shared cockpit can now be requested during session.
- An active single player session can now be triggered to host a multiplayer session.
- Updates to PDK model placement including flags to let models render in the VC, to disable collision, and to disable object movement.
- Traffic toolbox now shows ETA and ETD for ships and ferries.
- Updated several rendering samples in the SDK.
Prepar3D v5.1 Hotfix 1
Client Fixes and Improvements
- Multiple rendering system stability improvements.
- Reduced cases of cloud aliasing with Enhanced Atmospherics.
- Fixed issue that caused legacy clouds to flash in some cases.
- Fixed issue that could cause shadow flashing at higher framerates.
- Improved transparent object sorting.
- Fixed issue causing particles to flash in some cases.
- Fixed issue causing ambient lighting to appear too dark at high altitudes.
- Fixed issue causing HTML5 windows including the ATC and SimConnect menu to be placed offscreen in VR.
- Added CIGI option to hide the user aircraft model.
- Removed content error report when accessing invalid index in GetPayloadStationName.
- Fixed issue preventing parts of vegetation from drawing in some cases.
- Added additional configuration options to the VolumetricClouds.cfg and updated several default cloud values.
- Fixed crash that could occur when SimObjects were removed if AdaptiveSimGroupEnable was enabled.
- Updated HTML5 ATC to hide message log if setting is checked.
- Fixed issue where the Weather screen would ignore the first change made to weather settings if a theme was selected.
- Added aux camera to HMD emulator allowing XYZ and PBH control on the emulated headset.
- Fixed invalid fog/haze values from being applied to objects in singlepass view mode.
- Fixed issue preventing auto exposure from functioning correctly in VR.
- Fixed issue where time would not progress when checking UTC time in UI.
- Showing time as UTC in the UI is now saved between sessions.
- Fixed cases where search bar would be cut off in Controls UI screens.
- Fixed issue causing single pass to be disabled when switching views in some cases.
- Fixed issue preventing StoppingDistanceFeet from converting units correctly in SimDirector.
- Fixed issue that could cause legacy cloud colors to invert if HDR was active in some cases.
- Fixed issue preventing dialog popups from showing when display driver crashes in some cases.
- Fixed issue preventing the title in the SimConnect HTML5 window from updating when changed.
- Fixed crash when deserializing DIS Transimitter PDUs.
- Added SimDirector VirtualRealityTrigger that can be set to fire when VR is enabled or disabled.
- Added SimDirector ActionExecutionFilter that can be set to only allow actions to fire if VR is active or not active.
Scenery Fixes and Improvements
- Fixed various building, vegetation, and vehicle models that would blend incorrectly with clouds.
- Fixed invalid materials in several vegetation models.
- Fixed issue that could cause vehicles to crash with jetways.
- Updated various airports including W24, KRCW, OMAW, CYUL, and WAVG.