How are you fellow Rcindians , have seen many beginners wanting to try a free simulator with their  transmitter but not knowing how to. So posting this short how to guide. Now this setup should run with any transmitter with a 3.5mm trainer port or with its respective trainer port connector with a 3.5mm adapter(such as a  4 pin DIN connector to 3.5mm male plug adapter)

So what do we need?
1)   Transmitter
2)   3.5mm male to male cable or respective trainer port plug with 3.5mm male adapter
3)   A suitable computer or laptop
4)   Virtual joystick program
5)   Free simulators

Lets get started-

Step 1 – Download SmartPropoPlus
SmartPropoPlus is a software plug-in that will let us use our transmitter by directly plugging it into the Line-In or Microphone socket using a 3.5mm connector.
Here is the download link(Wait a few minutes on this page for download to automatically start): https://sourceforge.net/projects/smartpropoplus/files/latest/download?_test=goal

Step 2- Setting up SmartPropoPlus
Please go through each part on this page(Set up): http://www.smartpropoplus.com/site/index.php/setup02
Caution: if you are using an old FM transmitter then  please remove the crystal. If using withTH9X or turnigy 9X or 9XR remove the RF module before connecting.
First we need to connect the transmitter to either the Microphone(more common) jack which is pink or red in colour or Line-In jack which will usually be blue(you can only use a 3.5mm male connector with these)
Refer to this page: http://www.smartpropoplus.com/site/index.php/setup02/connecting
Once your transmitter is connected to your PC it will automatically start which is normal. Now start up SmartPropoPlus and configure it.

Step 3- Check everything is configured
Check smatpropoplus input bars to see if your transmitter is running correctly, the input on the transmitter stick should change the levels of the green bars.

Step 4- Installing Simulators
The free simulators i like to use are PicaSim,ClearViewSE and RCDeskPilot there are many more please refer to this page(reply #137): http://www.rcindia.org/beginners-zone/what-is-the-best-way-to-get-into-rc-in-india-on-a-budget/125/

1)   PicaSim( Download link for Windows):  http://www.rowlhouse.co.uk/PicaSim/PicaSim-Installer-1656.exe
Please follow the setup guide for PicaSim to get it to work correctly with your transmitter
Here is the link for set up page(Refer to last video on this page):  
http://www.rowlhouse.co.uk/PicaSim/information.html

*Setting up with windows or android is the same when using external  controller with PicaSim.

2)   ClearView SE(Download link): https://s3.amazonaws.com/clearview1/ClearViewSetupSE.exe
Setting up(will work with the 3.5mm setup too): http://bestflightsim.com/controllers.php

3)   RCDeskPilot(Download link): http://rcdeskpilot.com/system/files/rcdeskpilot_013.exe
You can download the BMI flight sim too which has a different set of planes its just RCDeskPilot with different planes.

BMI Flight sim(Download link): https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/722381/BMIflightsimulator_021.exe

Here is a link to 36 add-on planes for RCDeskPilot just click on the download button on top of page( If it doesn't get added to the RCDesktop Aircraft section automatically unzip the files then move it to the aircraft library of RCDeskpilot) :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2NsP42I67QEdzJjQXF1dFRFbjQ/view?pli=1

Check the response to stick input in the sim, reverse channels where required in the controls section of the menu.

Notes:
-In every simulator the joystick input should be vJoy device.
-Some transmitters  may have a small dead band and wont centre properly so in simulators like PicaSim please set a dead band value after checking stick input.
-Reverse  channels where required on every simulator  and check to see if everything works correctly. (Channel reversing will be different for mode 1 and mode 2 so keep that in mind)
-Free simulators will let you understand the basics of RC flying before you invest in a much better simulator,like practicing orientation.

Short  video of simulators working will be uploaded soon if required.

Excellent 

Neil
Good job !
Very informative.

Thanks a lot Mani sir and Iyer sir. Do you think i should upload a video with this for better understanding?

 :hatsoff:Yes sir you should upload a video .

Good, let me pitch in by posting some diy sim cables

Sahil

Thats A Really Nice Informative Topic.Nice of you to Post This Information Neil Sir.
Regards,
Aman.

Quote from: sahilkit on May 06, 2015, 09:18:48 PM
Good, let me pitch in by posting some diy sim cables

Sahil

Sahil sir that would be great to have in this thread.

Super kool....

Update: This method wont work with Windows 10 as the vjoy build hasnt been configured for win10. Works upto win8.1 

Does any one know of any Window 10 compatible Virtual Joystick Program?

would picasi or ClearView SE or rc desk pilot work on windows 8

I have a Flysky FS-i4x tx and it has s video type port in the back.
can it be used on computer for simulation?
What kind of cable i need to buy?