# Installation

This summarizes installation quickly.

If you are relatively new to X-Plane plugin installation and/or especially to CSL model installation you definitely want to **follow detailed step-by-step instructions** instead:

{% content-ref url="installation/step-by-step" %}
[step-by-step](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/setup/installation/step-by-step)
{% endcontent-ref %}

There's also a quick [video tutorial](https://youtu.be/IcHZWYeXorU) available (by BlueDuck, a LiveTraffic user), which introduces most basic steps of setup and operations. For more details I'd refer you back to the [Step-by-Step instructions](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/setup/installation/step-by-step).

## Limitations and Requirements

First of all make sure to understand inherent [limitations](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/introduction/limitations) of the approach LiveTraffic takes and if it fits your purpose under these conditions.

**Verify** [**requirements**](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/introduction/requirements), it just won't work without.

* For **Windows**, this includes making sure latest Visual C++ redistributables are installed. Download and install [vc\_redist.x64.exe](https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe).
* For **Linux** users, who installed X-Plane from **Steam**, there are regularly trouble with different versions of the CURL library.

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Windows only: Do update the Visual C++ Redistributable!**

**Download and install** [**https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc\_redist.x64.exe**](https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe)**!**

Yes, it's a hassle...but it saves significantly on LiveTraffic download size.

If LiveTraffic doesn't start and the only thing about LiveTraffic that `Log.txt` contains looks like\
`.../win_x64/LiveTraffic.xpl : Error Code = ### ...`\
then most likely you're missing this redistributable or it is not up-to-date.
{% endhint %}

## LiveTraffic plugin

[Download the plugin](https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/49749-livetraffic/) from X-Plane.org.

The LiveTraffic plugin ships as a ZIP archive. Unzip it. The `LiveTraffic` folder is then to be moved into `<X-Plane>/Resources/plugins`, the same as with other plugins.

## CSL Packages

You must install **CSL packages** with aircraft models, otherwise LiveTraffic has no models it could put into your sky and will fail.

To start with, the [Bluebell packages](https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/37041-bluebell-obj8-csl-packages/) are recommended. They are known to work and since v1.3 installation became quite a bit simpler: Download all archives, unzip them into `.../LiveTraffic/Resources/CSL`, then add the content of the `Airbus 2` folder into the `Airbus` folder, and the content of `Boeing 2+3` into `Boeing` and you're done.

[X-CSL](https://csl.x-air.ru/?lang_id=43) models also work out of the box. The X-CSL Update (take any version with the highest version number) is a comfortable tool. LiveTraffic is not automatically recognized, instead use the menu command "Set Custom Path" to directly select the path where to put the models into, e.g. create `.../LiveTraffic/Resources/X-CSL` for this purpose.

Users experienced with CSLs might venture father and install other packages, for example [from X-Plane.org](https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/category/12-xsb-csl-kits/).

It is strongly recommended to check the `Log.txt` file after installing new packages. LiveTraffic tries hard to provide you with meaningful warnings and errors, definitely after you [switch logging level](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/configuration/settings-advanced#logging) to "Debug". Often times they simply indicate wrong modelling, which ultimately the model developer would need to fix (missing or mistyped texture files, conflicting ICAO aricraft types...), but in most cases an experienced user can fix it himself. The [Support Forum](https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/forum/457-livetraffic-support/) could also provide help. Name the package you added and upload a full `Log.txt` file with Debug-level logging.

### Additional CSL package paths

LiveTraffic is able to read CSL packages also from other locations. If you have CSL packages somewhere else you can point LiveTraffic to them. This certainly also goes for the above recommendations: If they are on your disk already somewhere then just let LiveTraffic know.

See [Settings / CSL](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/setup/configuration/settings-csl) for the configuration options.

## X-Plane Settings

None of the following settings hinder LiveTraffic to display traffic. But they may affect the user experience:

#### Texture Quality

X-Plane's [Texture Quality setting](https://x-plane.com/manuals/desktop/#settingtherenderingoptions) affects also the quality of the display of the planes' outside livery. The higher, the better the CSL planes look like.

<figure><img src="https://content.gitbook.com/content/t5MNX3JyNcFmOnewUy9b/blobs/TzvIBX4BEeDfDEG5GDCt/XPSettingsGraphicsTextureQuality.png" alt=""><figcaption><p>X-Plane's Settings > Graphics > Texture Quality affects rendering of CSL planes, too</p></figcaption></figure>

See here example screenshots for 3 of the 5 possible settings:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Low" %}

<figure><img src="https://content.gitbook.com/content/t5MNX3JyNcFmOnewUy9b/blobs/ewx5qa7Z87QQsPdG6qf4/CSLTextureLow.png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Medium" %}

<figure><img src="https://content.gitbook.com/content/t5MNX3JyNcFmOnewUy9b/blobs/VzRNLOAV87SGkU3yBjfu/CSLTextureMedium.png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Max" %}

<figure><img src="https://content.gitbook.com/content/t5MNX3JyNcFmOnewUy9b/blobs/DpkqdawmnU6G4TdYzgiG/CSLTextureMax.png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

#### Draw parked aircraft

...should probably be off. LiveTraffic won't display parked aircraft per se, but sometimes aircraft can be followed up to their parking positions. And it simply looks better if there is no other aircraft then.

#### AI / Multiplayer Aircraft (for TCAS)

...are **no longer needed** for LiveTraffic's purposes as of LiveTraffic v2.03 together with X-Plane 11.50. If you had configured them only to see TCAS you may remove all of them now.

If you are running X-Plane before 11.50, then you will still need to configure AI Aircraft in X-Plane's aircraft settings to see TCAS blibs and for providing data to some 3rd party plugins.

## Removing LiveTraffic

...is as simple as deleting the entire folder `<X-Plane>/Resources/plugins/LiveTraffic` including all its files and subfolders. If you want to remove any trace you can also remove the two preferences files that are written by LiveTraffic: `<X-Plane>/Output/preferences/LiveTraffic.prf` and `.../LiveTraffic_imgui.prf`.

BUT in case you are just fed up by problems installing LiveTraffic...consider going to the [support forum](https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/forum/457-livetraffic-support/) so we can try helping you to get LiveTraffic up and running. You might be asked to set the *Log.txt logging level* to "Debug": Do that in [Settings > Advanced > Logging](https://twinfan.gitbook.io/livetraffic/configuration/settings-advanced#logging), start up X-Plane once more, shut it down, and now take the resulting `Log.txt` file from your X-Plane main folder to the Support forum!
