X-Plane SDK & Development Questions & Answers

X-Plane development often starts with understanding how datarefs expose simulator state and how commands trigger actions. This hub explains how to inspect them with DataRefTool, choose writable or read-only values, and use X-Plane 12 datarefs safely in plugin code. It also covers common causes of missing, renamed or unresponsive references, command handling, and practical debugging.

Beyond the SDK, the collection deals with aircraft and scenery workflows: exporting Blender models in the correct X-Plane format, preparing geometry and materials, and using Plane Maker to define or adjust an aircraft. Answers are written and tested by the Fly Away team, with attention to version differences, file placement and the distinction between visual modelling, flight-model configuration and runtime plugin behaviour.