XPGuard Launcher

The XPGuard Launcher is a small app that runs before X-Plane 12. It:

• installs and updates the XPGuard plugin,
• suppresses the scenery’s own lights under XPGuard’s lights, so you do not see two sets of lights (recommended),
• installs the xPilot bridge,
• starts X-Plane,
• updates itself.

The launcher window

The launcher: keeps the plugin current, suppresses the scenery's lights, starts the sim

The top of the window has one row per item. A green dot means ready. Amber means an action is waiting. Red means something is missing or blocks the launcher.

Row	What it shows	What to do
X-Plane	The X-Plane 12 folder the launcher found.	If it says not found, click Browse… and pick your X-Plane 12 folder.
Plugin	XPGuard <version>, or XPGuard is not installed. An amber -> <version> available means an update is out.	Click Install or Update. X-Plane must be closed.
Server	connected when the launcher can reach xpguard.net.	The launcher needs it to install the plugin and to suppress lights.
Scenery	Original - lights not suppressed, or XPGuard modified - lights suppressed (N airports in M file(s)).	See Suppress scenery lights.
Sim	Whether X-Plane is running. While it runs, the scenery is locked and most buttons are disabled.	Close X-Plane to change anything.
Bridge	The xPilot bridge. xPilot: not detected is normal if you do not use xPilot.	With xPilot, click Install bridge (or Update bridge), then restart xPilot.

Suppress scenery lights

The launcher suppresses the scenery’s own lights under XPGuard’s lights, so you see only one set.

• Suppress scenery lights - on by default (recommended). With it on, Launch X-Plane suppresses first, then starts the sim. With it off, Launch X-Plane puts the original lights back first.
• Restore original scenery lights on X-Plane quit - on by default. When you quit X-Plane, the scenery gets its original lights back.
• The launcher keeps a copy of every file it changes (apt.dat.xpguard-orig, next to the original). Restore originals puts the originals back.

Start X-Plane from the launcher

Suppression runs before the sim starts. X-Plane started any other way loads the scenery’s own lights, and they show beside XPGuard’s until the next launcher start.

If a scenery pack was updated after the launcher copied it, the launcher says N scenery file(s) were updated while XPGuard still held a copy of the older version. Nothing is suppressed there until you click Delete the old copies. Your current scenery is not touched; only XPGuard’s copy is removed.

Custom Sceneries

If you have add-on scenery packs, the Custom Sceneries panel lists them. For each pack, the launcher picks the matching XPGuard map (the publisher).

• A pack the launcher cannot match shows Pick the map. Choose the pack’s publisher, or Base map, then click Update & Suppress.
• Do not suppress leaves that pack’s own lights untouched.
• Show all also lists the packs that are already matched, so you can change a choice.

Buttons

• Launch X-Plane - suppresses the lights (or restores them, if suppression is off), then starts X-Plane. The launcher closes itself once X-Plane is running.
• Update & Suppress - updates the maps and suppresses the lights without starting the sim.
• Restore originals - puts the scenery’s original lights back. It works only while lights are suppressed and X-Plane is closed.

Updates

• The launcher checks for a new plugin every time it starts. When the Plugin row shows an update, click Update.
• The launcher also updates itself when it starts. The top line then says updated. Click Restart now to use the new version.

Next: Check your X-Plane settings.