Skip to main content

X-Plane Bridge Installation

dotACARS Free connects to X-Plane through the included dotACARS Bridge plugin.

Where the bridge is located​

After installing dotACARS Free, the bridge is available inside the installed app folder:

C:\Program Files\dotACARS Free\Bridge\xplane\dotACARSBridge\64\win.xpl

The important folder is:

dotACARSBridge

Do not copy only win.xpl by itself. Copy the full dotACARSBridge folder so the plugin structure stays intact.

Install the bridge in X-Plane​

  1. Close X-Plane.
  2. Open the dotACARS Free installation folder.
  3. Open:
Bridge\xplane
  1. Copy the folder:
dotACARSBridge
  1. Paste it into your X-Plane plugins folder:
<X-Plane folder>\Resources\plugins\

The final path should look like this:

<X-Plane folder>\Resources\plugins\dotACARSBridge\64\win.xpl
  1. Start X-Plane.
  2. Start dotACARS Free.
  3. Login to your VA.
  4. Click Source.
  5. Select X-Plane or leave Auto selected.

Confirm the bridge is working​

In dotACARS Free, the simulator source should eventually show an active X-Plane connection. If it does not connect:

  • confirm X-Plane was restarted after installing the bridge;
  • confirm the folder path is exactly Resources\plugins\dotACARSBridge\64\win.xpl;
  • confirm you copied the full dotACARSBridge folder;
  • try selecting X-Plane directly instead of Auto;
  • restart dotACARS Free after changing the bridge installation.

Updating the bridge​

When dotACARS Free is updated, check whether the installed app folder contains a newer bridge file. If the bridge was updated, repeat the copy process and replace the old dotACARSBridge folder inside X-Plane.