Terrible first screenshots-flying too

[SomeGuy]

Hi there!
You don't need to worry about anything. There are plenty of people here who can help you with any of your aviation related problems--real or simulated. You're no worse of a pilot than most of us when we first started out in Flight Simulator (for example, I used to think that the only way I could fly was with full throttle at all times and landing simply involed shutting the engine off and gliding into the nearest field). As someone has already mentioned, you should try the flying lessons--they'll help out a lot. However, if you're having trouble passing the checkrides, do what I did and just skip them. As for your scenery problem, under settings, click display, move some of the sliders forward, and see what happens. It won't quite look exaclty like it does in real world because, if Microsoft were able to do that, Flight Simulator would probably cost a whole lot more and not even be able run on any existing computer.

Also, if your dad's interested, there are many Aircraft Carrier packages and a several excelent F/A-18 Hornets for Flight Simulator available for free on the web . . . a few are even on this site. Or he could try his hand at another fighter . . . or any other type of airplane for that matter. That's the beauty of Flight Simulator, there are all sorts of things to add to it. (If you do download a hornet for flying from carriers, be sure it either comes with, or you can download a panel for it that has, gauges to control the catapult and arrestor cables)

[Fli-girl]

Thank you all so much for your kind encouragement and friendly replys.  I can't believe how many people looked at my crummy pictures, over 100!  :) And everyone was so nice to me in the replys.  Very nice people here!  About those sliders some of you called them, you mean on my joystick?  There's only one that is the throtle.  When the game starts up, oops I guess you guys don't consider it a game, it comes on and says fly now.  I know where to change the airport or the airplane and click fly now.  But there's no place to make the picture any better.  My dad knows his business and office stuff like word and photo shop and that kind of thing but he doesn't play any video games.  Speaking of dad, no he doesn't own a plane, he rents when we go places.  And yes he has let me hold the controls and steer a little but he works the peddles.  It's so much different though.  It's a lot easier in the real plane than looking at this screen.  That's why he encouraged me at first because he said I did good keeping it level and straight and even turning ok and keeping the nose up slightly when doing the turn.  But this joystick just makes it go crazy.  He even got me these peddles like the real plane that make it go every which way!  Thanks again everybody for your help.  I'll keep trying to figure it out and maybe get some better pictures up.  I love looking at all yours, they're so pretty.  Bye for now!

[xtremdav45]

Fli-girl, first, I would like to welcome you to SimV.

I know how hard it is at first to learn how to fly, but as they say, Practice makes perfect.

About the sliders everybody is talking about, those are in the settings of Flight Simulator, and have nothing to do with your joystick.

If you need any help, the guys here at SimV are always willing to help.

[Scorpiоn]

In all truthful reality, I'm of no real help at the moment, as my gaming computer is down. :P Things tend to go bad when you manage to get things smoking. ::)

But, alas, I shall try anyhoot!  Press ALT (I think) and mess around with the menus.  I think it's Setting>Display Options.  From there on out it's self explanatory.  If your joystick is really messed up, there are plenty of hardware gurus here who can help you with that, although you might need to bring a bag of sweets and some of that moonshine to extract any help out of those shady individuals...

[xFLAMESx]

Hi Linda and welcome to The 'V'

As mentioned a squillion times before, any probs just give us a shout and we'll do our best to help

As for your pics, great first shots (i'm not even gonna post a link to mine )

As for flying, I can't even do that trick in a stunt plane !! Just kiddin'.
At least you got it off the floor - the first time I flew in FS I didn't even move (instructor [flight manual] just told me to "pull back on the stick and you'll take-off" so I did) NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THE THROTTLE Grrrrrrrr...

Anyways, good luck with FS and I hope you enjoy flying as much as we do

Carl out.....

[Politically Incorrect]

"Sliders" ?

On the page that has the "fly now" over on the left hand side you'll see a menu, at the bottom "Settings", click it and there you'll find the "sliders".
Note the tabs at the top, "General", "Display" , "Weather" etc. Under each of those tabs you'll find settings that you can adjust, if you hold your mouse pointer over each one a tip will pop up below telling you what it does.

The "Display" tab is the section you'll spend most of your time, it is there you can set your screen resolution, frame rates , and other settings to make your sim look better, remember most of these can't be set to the highest possible mark without affecting your frame rates (you'll know when you have it set too high, you'll be flying and it will look like you are watching a slide show," stutters") This is the hardest thing too do you must adjust each one a little at a time, the higher you can set them without major stutters the better your overall sim will appear.
This is also the most asked question about how to set your settings, and it is almost impossible for anyone to answer because no two computers are a like, all we can do is give tips to help you out but there is no one specific setting arrangement. You'll need to play around with each  one a little at a time, fly around and see how it looks. All trial and error.
Your main goal is too make your flight simulator appealing to you! Have your setting set the way it looks and works best for you. And after a while you'll be into the hardware up grades and etc. and answers to those questions can be found here too! But "baby steps" LOL!!

[coolamon]

This might help you just go to setting then display
where u can see the circles then u will c scenry,aircraft,weather n hardware then change the scenry Sliders things mine is set to medium high just set yours to whatever  ;)

[coolamon]

oh and not to high ur computer might be abit slow  >:(

[Fli-girl]

Thank you very much Coolamon.  Everybody helped me learn something I didn't know before.  But your actual pictures of those settings locations really made it clear for me on how to do this adjusting!  I'm going to try to make it look better now.    :-*

[coolamon]

ok

[coolamon]

Dose it look better  ???

[Fli-girl]

Yes I think I got it where now it looks like our airport.  Maybe too good because dad took the joystick and seat from me and just HAD to fly.  Will post some of his flight piictures in a new thread I'll call Better Screenshots in just a little bit.  Thanks so much Coolamon!  I knew our city had buildings and trees just didn't know where they went.  

[SaVas]

Welcome to SIMviation Fli-girl. You will definitely find a wealth of information and helpful people here that can help make your virtual flying very enjoyable.

---Stephen

[Fli-girl]

Thank you Stephen.  Everyone here is so nice.  

[coolamon]

Hehe im off to bed  :)