Step 1: Downloading & installing Swift

• To decide which version(s) of Swift you need, which sim(s) are you wanting to use Swift with?
  • FSX and/or FS9(FS2004) Only?
    • Swift v0.14
    • v0.15+ branch is NOT compatible with FSX/FS9 any longer.
  • MSFS 2020/2024, P3D, X-Plane Only?
    • Swift v0.15.46+
    • X-Plane Users:
      • You will also require the xswiftbus file. Make sure the xswiftbus version matches the swift version exactly! This will need to be updated whenever you update Swift.
  • All of the above?
    • Download both v0.14, and v0.15.46+, then install them into 2 separate folders.
    • You'll be using v0.14 for FSX/FS9, and v0.15+ for the other sims.

Installing Swift Client

• Follow the prompts, and when you come to the prompt to ask for installation location, I strongly recommend to remove the version numbers from the install path, (C:\Applications\Swift instead of C:\Applications\Swift0-15-46.)
  • If you are updating Swift, make sure you change the default suggested installation location to the already existing location, otherwise you will be installing multiple copies of Swift as it will NOT detect the previous installation!

Initial Swift Configuration Wizard

• Page 1: Legal Agreements
  • Check the agree to terms button
  • Check the agree to send crash reports if you wish for the application to do so.
• Page 2: Dataset downlaods
  • Let this page sit for a few seconds until the yellow lights at the top ((DB | mod. | liv. | dist. | ac. | al. | ctry.) go gray, this indicates the data has populated. Once this is done, click 'Next.'
• Page 3 & 4: Migration information
  • These 2 pages will allow you to copy from existing installations. Click next on these 2 pages.
• Page 5: Simulator Setup
  • Here we will setup our model matching; However, if you wish to complete this step later, click skip or next, and then follow the 'Setting Up Model Matching' tutorial.
  • Starting from top to bottom:
    • Select your simulator(s):
      • Check each sim you have installed and wish to use with Swift.
    • Setup of each individual simulator:
      • Do the following checklist in order for each simulator you use:
        • Check simulator 1 (example: MSFS 2020)
        • Simulator Directory: click the '...' button and point it to your simulator directory
          • Examples:
            • MSFS 2020: C:\users/{name}\AppData/Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator
            • X-Plane: Root X-Plane folder where your .exe resides
        • Model Directories: click the '...' button and point to where your AI models are located.
          • Examples:
            • MSFS 2020/2024: {Community Folder}\fsltl-traffic-base
            • X-Plane: {X-Plane root directory}\CSL\
        • Repeat the above for each simulator
      • Once done, click 'Next'
• Page 6: Model Matching Setup
  • This page you will setup your model matching; However, if you wish to complete this step later, click skip or next, and then follow the 'Setting Up Model Matching' tutorial.
  • Do the following checklist in order for each simulator you use:
    • Simulator: Check a simulator, example: MSFS 2020
    • Selection box: Check 'with DB data only'
    • Distributions box:
      • Ensure that only the selected simulator is checked.
      • Scroll through and select all the AI model distributors you have, example: if you have FSLTL only, just select 'FSLTL', if you also have AIG, then using your keyboard and mouse, click 'AIG', then ctrl and click 'FSLTL' to select multiple.
    • Models box:
      • Model Dir: Ensure this points to your MSFS 2020 model directory, {Community Folder}\fsltl-traffic-base that we setup previously. If not, click the 'Change' button and point it to your AI model directory for the selected simulator.
        • Multiple Model Directory Instructions:
          • Warning: Hitting 'Clear' will erase your model directories for the selected sim.
          • If you have 2 folders containing AI Models, such as Bluebell and XCSL for xplane, each time you click 'Change', you can select a different folder, and it will add it onto the model directory. (Example: 'C:\Applications\X-Plane\CSL\xCSL; C:\Applications\X-Plane\CSL\BlueBell')
      • Click 'Reload'
      • Click 'Create'
    • You'll get a dialogue pop up with a list of models. DO NOT CLICK CLOSE! These boxes may be shrunk, you can expand the size of the window by clicking and dragging from a corner, and then click on 'Save {SIM}.'
    • Now you can close this box.
    • Repeat the above for each simulator.
  • Once done, click 'Next'
• Page 7: Install xSwiftBus (X-Plane Users Only)
  • Download and install xswiftbus box:
    • Install Directory: Point this to your X-Plane plugins directory (example: {X-Plane Root}\Resources\Plugins}
    • Download Directory: Point this to a temporary folder, such as your Downloads directory.
    • Version: Make sure the model here matches your current Swift installation version, example: If you have Swift-0.15.46, you should have xswiftbus-fat-allos-0.15.46.7z. If this matches, click 'Download'.
  • Click 'Next'
• Page 8: Hotkey Setup
  • Click on the 'add' button on the bottom right to initiate the add hotkey dialogue.
  • Under 'Combination', select 'Press' and then click 'Select', and then using your joystick, or keyboard, select whichever key you wish to use as your Push To Talk.
  • Under 'Action', select 'Voice', then select 'Activate psuh-to-talk'.
  • Repeat the above for any other controllers, such as if you have a joystick and a yoke, or 2 joysticks etc...
  • Once done, click 'Finish'

You're all complete with the initial Swift installation & configuration wizard. By all means, your swift will now work and show models. Check out the other tutorials to properly setup your Swift settings along with some model matching tips.

Once you have Swift installed, we need to update some settings within Swift itself.

• Open SwiftGUI
  • Go to 'Settings'
    • From this point, all the settings menu locations will be on the top while we go through this.
  • Go to 'Hotkeys' if you need to make any adjustments to your push to talk keybinds, otherwise skip this step.
  • go to 'Audio', and check any boxes to your needs. if you want to hear a sound when you receive text messages, check the text message on ATC frequency/unicom boxes.
  • Go to 'Simulator' and make sure the simulators you use are checked.
  • Go to 'Simulator (basics)' and just make sure that your settings are vaid in there, if not, skip this step and refer to the 'Updating Model Matching & Setting Up Simulator' tutorial.
  • Go to 'Simulator (messages)' and check any box that you prefer. I recommend showing just for errors under 'technical messages'. Example, If you wish to receive a notification sound when you receive a message on com1 or com2, check those boxes.
    • Click 'Save'
  • Go to 'Matching', this is where you will adjust how Swift prioritizes which models to display.
    • Leave everything as is, except for under 'Reduction' box
    • If you wish to prioritize liveries over aircraft type when a model is missing, switch from 'by ICAO: aircraft first' to 'by ICAO: airline first'.
      • by ICAO: Airline First Example: a user is flying an AAL b747, but you have no model for an AAL b747, Swift will substitute with something like an AAL b77W.
      • by ICAO: Aircraft First Example: a user is flying an AAL b747, but you have no mdel for an AAL b747, Swift will substitute with something like a KAL b747.
    • Click 'Save'
  • Go to 'Advanced', and if you wish to upload crash dumps if Swift crashes, check this box.

Setting Up Simulator Settings

Any time that your models get updated, such as FSLTL or FSTraffic updating with new models and/or liveries, you'll need to update your model set within Swift. But first, Swift needs to know about which simulators you use and the folders for the sim and models.

Start by opening 'SwiftData.'

On the top of this window, you'll see 5 tabs: 'Active model set {Sim} (#)', 'Stored own models {SIM} (#)', 'Workbench', 'Stashed models (#)', 'Model matcher'. We'll only be focusing on the first two. While on the bottom of the window, you'll see 4 tabs: 'Mapping editor', 'Database data', 'Settings and login', 'Logging'. We'll only focus on 'Mapping Editor' and 'Settings and login'.

First, if this is a fresh installation, and you did not set your simulator settings up during the initial Swift installation, you can do so using the following steps:

• Step 1: Setting up your simulator settings:
  • Go to 'Settings and Login' tab on the bottom.
    • On the top right corner is a 'Simulators' box. Firt we're going to setup our simulators in this area.
    • Do the following checklist in order for each simulator you use:
      • Next to 'Simulator', tick an option for a simulator you wish will be using with this Swift installation.
      • Next to 'Simulator Directory', click on the '...' button and navigate to your main simulator folder, usually where the .exe file is located. Examples:
        • {Drive}:\{X-Plane Directory}
        • {Drive}:\Users\{Name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator
      • Next to 'Model Directories', click on the '...' button and navigate to your model directories. You can point to multiple directories, by selecting the '...' button again and pointing to a different folder. Example:
        • {Drive}:\X-Plane\CSL\xCSL; {Drive}:\X-Plane\CSL\BlueBell
        • {Drive}:\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Community\fsltl-traffic-base
• Step 2: Clearing the Model Cache
  • Anytime we have an update to our models, we're going to want to clear all the old data out, and regenerate it. To do so, follow the following list. We'll be using X-Plane and MSFS as examples.
  • Go to the 'Stored own models' tab.
  • Towards the bottom, you'll see a row with a list of simulators with checkboxes to their left. Check the simulator you are wishing to update the model matching for.
  • Right click in the empty area under the column headers, and navigate to Simulator -> Clear Model Caches -> Clear {SIM} cache.
• Step 3: Updating the Active Model Set
  • Now, we'll want to make sure we start fresh with our 'Active Model Set' as well, so once the cache has been cleared using the steps above, complete the following:
  • Go to the 'Active model set' tab.
  • On the bottom, and to the right of the simulator lists, you'll see 7 buttons: statistics, clear set, new set, first set, copy, load, save '{SIM}'.
  • Click on 'Clear'.
  • Then click 'First Set' - This will create your cache.
    • Under 'Simulator', make sure that only the designated simulator is checked.
    • Selection box: Check 'with DB data only'
    • Distributions box:
      • Ensure that only the selected simulator is checked.
      • Scroll through and select all the AI model distributors you have, example: if you have FSLTL only, just select 'FSLTL', if you also have AIG, then using your keyboard and mouse, click 'AIG', then ctrl and click 'FSLTL' to select multiple.
    • Models box:
      • Model Dir: Ensure this points to your MSFS 2020 model directory, {Community Folder}\fsltl-traffic-base that we setup previously. If not, click the 'Change' button and point it to your AI model directory for the selected simulator.
        • Multiple Model Directory Instructions:
          • Warning: Hitting 'Clear' will erase your model directories for the selected sim.
          • If you have 2 folders containing AI Models, such as Bluebell and XCSL for xplane, each time you click 'Change', you can select a different folder, and it will add it onto the model directory. (Example: 'C:\Applications\X-Plane\CSL\xCSL; C:\Applications\X-Plane\CSL\BlueBell')
      • Click 'Reload'
      • Click 'Create'
    • You'll get a dialogue pop up with a list of models. DO NOT CLICK CLOSE! These boxes may be shrunk, you can expand the size of the window by clicking and dragging from a corner, and then click on 'Save {SIM}.'
    • Now you can close this box.
  • Click on 'New Set' - This will create the active model set.
    • On the top is a list of simulators again, as before, make sure that only the simulator you're updating is checked.
    • Leave all other checkboxes as is.
    • Under 'Distributer selection', select the model distributers you use, such as FSLTL, FStraffic, BlueBell, xCSL, etc by ctrl + left clicks to select multiple.
    • Click 'OK'.
• Step 4: Removing any unwanted models
  • We don't want models such as default planes such as Asobo a320s and stuff in the sim, as they will affect the FPS. This should be a step you can avoid if you did the above steps correctly.
  • First, let's sort the models by the 'Dist.' column.
    • If you find anything by 'Asobo' for instance, select all those fields by clicking the first occurrence then using CTRL + left click the last occurrence. Then you can right click and select 'Remove Selected Rows', or just use the 'Delete' key on your keboard.
  • Now let's sort by 'mode'. And do the same as the step above with anything with a red X.
• Step 5: Repeat Steps 2-4 for each simulator you need to update model matching for.