01 Install & upgrade
- Exit X-Plane and the old controller; never overwrite the plugin while the simulator is running.
- Keep the installer EXE beside the payload folder, then run it.
- Select the X-Plane root containing Resources. The installer detects XP11/XP12 and copies the matching XPPython3.
- Wait for determinate progress to reach 100%. Old binaries are replaced while AppData licensing and profiles are preserved.
- Enter a cockpit before launching the desktop controller.
Uninstall removes this plugin and desktop shortcut but does not remove a shared XPPython3 installation.
02 Connection & updates
| Stage | Meaning | If it fails |
|---|
| 0–25% | Waiting for the executor on 127.0.0.1:49091 | XPPython3Log.txt |
| 25–55% | Reading the basic catalog | Match internal and external versions |
| 55–90% | Reading advanced DataRefs in pages | Allow paging to finish; do not spam Reconnect |
| 90–100% | Synchronizing plans and shortcut slots | Check the local profile file |
Check Updates reads the website stable version and shows both values. Failure affects only update lookup, never the simulator connection.
03 Failures & repairs
Simple mode selects by symptom, while Advanced mode selects exact systems or DataRefs. Double-click triggers immediately; for instruction, select once and use Trigger now to avoid mistakes.
- Repair selected writes only the selected target back to its working value.
- Repair all resets discoverable standard failures; private aircraft systems may still require their own panel reset.
- Validate with a default aircraft before testing third-party compatibility.
04 Random failures
| Mode / field | Unit and meaning | Example |
|---|
| Min / max interval | Seconds; a new wait is drawn after each trigger. Minimum must not exceed maximum. | 300 / 900 = 5–15 min |
| Fixed interval | Seconds; repeatedly selects at the same interval. | 600 = 10 min |
| Flight time | Seconds from the current schedule start. | 1200 = 20 min |
| Reach altitude / airspeed | Altitude uses ft and airspeed uses kt; fires on the transition into the threshold. | 10000 ft / 180 kt |
Applying a random schedule switches automation to Random. Condition and plan configurations remain saved but paused.
05 Conditions
| Variable | Unit / range | Typical use |
|---|
| Barometric / radio altitude | ft | Climb threshold / near-ground approach gate |
| IAS / groundspeed | kt | High-speed reject / ground roll |
| Vertical speed | ft/min | Rapid descent or climb |
| Mach | 0–1+ | High-speed cruise scenario |
| Heading, pitch, bank | deg | Turn or attitude gate |
| Normal load | G | After turbulence or aggressive maneuver |
| Flap ratio | 0–1 | 0=UP, 1=FULL |
| Total fuel | kg | Low-fuel cascade |
| Gear / on ground | 0 or 1 | Approach configuration / ground gate |
between uses Value as the lower bound and Upper as the upper bound, inclusive. 700 and 1600 means 700≤value≤1600. == is best for 0/1 states, not continuously changing values.
06 Plan steps
In 1.0.0, selecting a step fills the editor with its name, trigger, conditions, probability, action, targets, note and environment snapshot. Use Update selected step to replace it; Add step always creates a new one.
| Trigger | How Time is interpreted | Condition behavior |
|---|
| At plan elapsed time | Absolute seconds from plan start | — |
| Delay after previous | Seconds after the previous step completes | — |
| Wait for condition | Time does not cause firing | Continuously checks until true |
| Evaluate at time | Evaluates once at the absolute second | Skips if false; does not wait |
With a second condition, AND requires both and OR requires either. Probability 100 always executes; 65 leaves a 35% skip chance after conditions pass; 0 keeps a disabled step in place.
Actions can trigger, repair selected, repair all or show a note. The Environment edition adds Apply environment and Restore pre-plan environment. Environment steps store a snapshot of selected fields.
07 Full scenario example
Example: low-visibility approach, wind shear and instrument anomaly
- Step 1: establish weather — Wait for radio altitude between 2200–2800 ft AND IAS ≥130 kt; apply 2 km visibility, 80% rain, 700 ft cloud base, 25 kt shear and turbulence 5.
- Step 2: instructor note — 3 seconds later show “Monitor wind and energy trend.”
- Step 3: probabilistic failure — 12 seconds later, apply a pitot anomaly at 60% probability.
- Step 4: timed decision — At 180 seconds evaluate radio altitude <800 ft AND vertical speed <-900 ft/min; show a go-around training note if true, otherwise skip.
- Step 5: restore — 45 seconds later repair selected failures, then restore pre-plan weather after another 5 seconds.
Accident-inspired scenarios are training designs, not second-by-second reconstructions and never replace QRH/SOP.
08 Profiles
| Format | Contents | When to use |
|---|
| .xpfault | Random pool, conditions, plans, slots, environment editor, overlay, language and notes | Move or back up a complete course |
| .xpplan | One or more action groups and steps | Share scenario scripts |
| .xpenv | Values, enabled fields, wind/cloud layer and commit option | Reuse fog, crosswind or wet-runway weather |
Inspect is read-only; Load replaces current configuration; Merge retains it and adds new rules. After merging, check for duplicate triggers.
09 Environment reference
Only checked fields are written. Wind layer 1 is the lowest; XP12 supports up to 13 and XP11 compatibility up to 3. Cloud layers are 1–3.
| Field | Unit / valid values | Effect and guidance |
|---|
| Visibility | 0.05–160 km | Horizon/object visibility. 0.3=dense fog, 2=low-vis approach, 10=haze, 40+=good. |
| Sea-level pressure | 870–1085 hPa | Affects altimeter reference and performance. Standard is 1013.25; do not enter airport elevation. |
| Sea-level temperature | -80–60 °C | Affects density altitude and icing context. -8 for winter icing, 42 for hot-weather performance. |
| Rain intensity | 0–100% | 0 none, 30 light, 70 heavy, 100 extreme training rain; pair with cloud and visibility. |
| Wind speed / direction | 0–250 kt / 0–360°T | Direction is true direction from which wind blows. 270 means from west; applies to the selected layer. |
| Shear gain / direction | 0–120 kt / 0–360° | Layer speed/direction change, not steady wind. 10–20 moderate, 30–45 severe; combine with turbulence and validate aloft. |
| Turbulence | 0–10 | 0 calm, 2–3 light, 4–6 moderate, 7–8 severe, 9–10 extreme simulation values. |
| Cloud type | 0/1/2/3 | 0 cirrus, 1 stratus, 2 cumulus, 3 cumulonimbus; coverage controls extent. |
| Cloud coverage | 0–100% | 0 clear, 25 few, 50 scattered, 75 broken, 100 overcast; fog/low cloud usually uses 100. |
| Cloud base / top MSL | 0–60000 ft | Both are MSL, not AGL. Top must exceed base. At a 500 ft airport with 700 ft AGL ceiling, enter about 1200 ft MSL. |
| Thermal climb | 0–3000 ft/min | Mainly affects light aircraft/gliders. 0 off, 300–800 gentle, 1200+ strong convection. |
| Wave height / direction | 0–15 m / 0–360° | Affects water operations and seaplanes; leave unchecked for ordinary land operations. |
| Runway condition | 0–15 | 0 dry; 1–6 damp to standing water; 7–15 snow to severe ice. Used for braking/directional-control training. |
| Variability, XP12 | 0–100% | 0 static, 10 slight, 50 obvious, 90 highly variable; higher values reduce repeatability. |
| Weather trend, XP12 | 0–7 | 0–2 improving, 3 static, 4–6 worsening, 7 real weather. Training presets force 3 to prevent overwrite. |
10 Weather troubleshooting
- Fog/heavy-rain presets automatically select trend=3 and enter static regional weather first.
- Values are committed together and recommitted about 0.8 seconds later so XP12 can rebuild clouds, fog and rain.
- A third-party weather engine can still overwrite values. Pause it or disable real weather before testing.
- Cloud base/top use MSL. Entering AGL can place clouds unexpectedly and appear ineffective.
11 Overlay
| Setting | Range and purpose |
|---|
| Opacity | 30–100%; 75% balances readability and obstruction. |
| Width / height | 330–1200 px / 240–1000 px, or drag the lower-right grip. |
| Font size | 8–18; use 11–13 on high-resolution displays. |
| Theme and colors | Deep Navy, High Contrast, Warm Instructor and Soft Light; or enter #RRGGBB for background, panel, text, accent and warning. |
Right-click anywhere for settings or close; drag the custom header. Each field can be hidden independently, including random, conditions, plans, active failures, telemetry and events.
12 Licensing
Free includes simple failures, random mode, shortcuts and four condition variables, but not profile files. Advanced adds the full catalog, conditions, plans and archives. Advanced + Environment adds all weather features. Licenses are device-bound and survive upgrades; cancel online before changing an active code.
13 New-flight reset
When the aircraft reloads or flight time rolls back, discoverable failures, active state and recent events are cleared, plans return to step 1 and the saved automation is re-armed. Pause and view changes do not trigger a reset.
14 Troubleshooting
Controller cannot connect
Enter a cockpit; verify PI_AdvancedFailures.py loaded in Resources/plugins/XPPython3/XPPython3Log.txt; allow local port 49091; reinstall to replace mismatched versions.
Plan step does not fire
Confirm the group is enabled, Save and sync was clicked, and automation is Failure plan. Check between bounds, both AND conditions and whether probability is 0.
Connection appears slow after weather
Weather rebuild can delay one or two polls; the app does not disconnect immediately. Wait about 2 seconds, then reconnect and inspect failed DataRefs in the log.
15 Author & feedback
Creator: Fly飞飞; collaborative production: Fly飞飞 With Chat GPT; QQ: 2168688790. Visit Bilibili profile.
When reporting a problem, include app version, XP11/XP12, aircraft, reproduction steps, recent controller log and relevant XPPython3Log.txt lines. Never post a full license code.
