The Display Settings dialog box includes five tabs: Graphics, Aircraft, Scenery, Weather, and Traffic. The Aircraft tab contains settings that affect the look, inside and outside, of aircraft that you fly in Flight Simulator.

Contents Overall Aircraft Display Settings Cockpit Display Settings Exterior Aircraft Display Settings Resetting Default Values Related Links Optimizing Visuals and Performance Changing Weather Settings The Scenery Library Expanding Your Hobby Troubleshooting Basics

When you installed Flight Simulator, the setup program automatically chose the best overall display settings for your computer's hardware. The Aircraft tab lets you customize Flight Simulator aircraft to look the way you want them to.

Depending on your computer, display settings may affect the performance of Flight Simulator. Experiment with the settings to find the combination of performance and appearance that you like best.

To open the Aircraft tab on the Display settings dialog box On the main screen, click Settings, and then click Customize . Click the Aircraft tab. -or- On the Options menu, point to Settings, and then click Display. Click the Aircraft tab.

Overall Aircraft Display Settings

Use the Global settings list to control the overall level of realism you'll experience with aircraft graphics. The choice you make in this list box affects the settings in the rest of this dialog box. Selecting aircraft settings individually sets the Global settings to Custom.

Cockpit Display Settings

Default Cockpit View

Flight Simulator aircraft have both 2-D and 3-D cockpit views. The 2-D view displays a flat aircraft panel in high-detail. The 3-D cockpit displays a cockpit that the pilot can look around in. Using the keyboard or a controller, you can pan around in all directions inside the 3-D cockpit.

There is also a high-resolution 3-D cockpit view. Using the high-resolution option may decrease performance on some computers.

To select a default cockpit view On the Display Settings Aircraft tab, select the 3-D virtual cockpit or the 2-D instrument panel option. Click OK.

Cockpit ToolTips

ToolTips provide useful cockpit information. When you select this setting, anytime you point to an aircraft panel feature, you'll see a ToolTip with information about that feature. The ToolTip provides the name of the feature and, for some panels, the current readout for that instrument, switch, or gauge. For example, if you point to the altimeter on a panel that has dynamic ToolTips when the aircraft is flying at 2,000 feet, the ToolTip text will read "Altimeter 2,000 ft."

ToolTips display in metric units if you select metric International settings. (For more information, see Changing International Settings.) If you do not select Show cockpit ToolTips, ToolTips will not appear. Note that you must be in cockpit view or virtual cockpit view to see ToolTips.

To display panel ToolTips On the Display Settings Aircraft tab, select the Show cockpit ToolTips check box. Click OK.

To use the high-resolution 3-D cockpit On the Display Settings Aircraft tab, select the High-resolution 3-D virtual cockpit check box. Click OK.

2-D Panel Transparency

You can adjust the transparency of the 2-D panel so that you can see through it while still seeing the cockpit instruments.

To adjust the 2-D panel transparency On the Display Settings Aircraft tab, drag the 2-D panel transparency slider to the right for more transparency. Click OK.

Exterior Aircraft Display Settings

Reflections

When you select this setting, sunlight and ground features reflect on the skin of the aircraft.

To see reflections on aircraft Select the Aircraft skin is reflective check box. Click OK.

Aircraft Casts Ground Shadows

When you select this setting, the aircraft cast shadows onto ground objects and terrain.

To see aircraft shadows Select the Aircraft casts shadows on the ground check box. Click OK.

Aircraft Shadowing

When you select this setting, parts of the aircraft cast shadows onto the aircraft itself. For example, the tail casts a shadow on the fuselage.

To see aircraft shadowing Select the Aircraft casts shadows on itself check box. Click OK.

Landing Lights

When you select this setting, aircraft landing lights illuminates ground objects.

To see landing lights illuminate ground objects Select the Landing lights check box. Click OK.

Resetting Default Values

You can easily return to the default display settings at any time.

To reset the display settings on any tab Click Reset Defaults.