Settings in the GNS.INI
Except for a few of the options below, most settings in the GNS.INI
file are yes/no settings, or a numeric value. This is
different for a few items, as described below in the detail for the
various sections.
For yes/no settings, you can use the words
YES, or NO, or the words TRUE
or FALSE, or the numbers 1 or 0.
The effect is the same no matter which method you use to answer in the
affirmative or negative.
You should never put anything on the
line other than the keyword, and the value. Do not put the
double-slash comment marker on any data line unless you are trying to
comment out the entire line. If you want to put comments in
the file, put them on their own line, with the line starting with the
double-slash. For example:
// This is a comment line on a line by itself, and this is ok.
You can also comment out settings altogether with this double-slash,
to make that line have no effect on the GNS software.:
// YOUR_SETTING=TRUE
But you cannot put comments after the value, like this:
YOUR_SETTING=TRUE // you cannot put
comments here
Default Values
Some values of settings in the GNS.INI will be set to a default
value if the item is not specified. The charts below will show
the default value in bold in the column for "Possible Values"
GNS.INI Sections - Detailed
List
|
[GNS] Section - List Of Settings |
| Setting |
Possible Values |
Description |
| iSimConnect |
AUTO
P3DV3x
P3DV3
P3DV22
P3DV21
P3DV2
P3DV14
P3DV13
SP2
RTM
|
For certain functions like
traffic population and other built in functions that rely on the
presence of SimConnect, this value defines which version of
SimConnect to expect on the computer. If no match is found, the
highest available version of iSimConnct is used.
It is strongly
recommended that you use AUTO unless you have a specific
reason to change it.
Leaving the setting out of the INI file altogether
results in AUTO being automatically selected for you. |
| CheckForUpdates |
YES
NO |
This setting is for future
use. There is a facility inside the GNS that can check
whether a new version of the software is available. But
this facility is temporarily out of service used until it can be further
enhanced. At this time, this option should be set to NO. |
| GpsRedrawRate |
1 - 10
Default is 4 |
The real GNS does not
update the moving GPS map as quickly as flight simulator does.
This setting defines the number of seconds in between moving map
updates. For performance reasons, this setting should
not be changed unless a problem is occurring. |
| NrstRange |
100 |
Specifies the number of
nautical miles to be used as a radius when create a list of items
in the GNS "nearest" pages, such as nearest airports, nearest
VOR's, nearest NDB's, etc. |
| MAP_ORIENTATION |
NORTH_UP
TRACK_UP
DTK_UP
HDG_UP |
Specifies the orientation of
the various GPS maps in the various G1000 screens. |
| AUTO_ZOOM |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether the moving
map automatically zooms closer into a waypoint as the aircraft is
about to pass the waypoint. |
| SHOW_TRACK_VECTOR |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether a cyan
arrow emits from the small airplane on the moving map, indicating
where the aircraft will be in 10 seconds based on current ground
speed. |
| SHOW_WIND_VECTOR |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether the MFD
should display a small box in the upper right corner indicating
the direction and strength (ini knots) of the wind. The
heading and direction are computed from GPS information. |
| SHOW_TOPO_DATA |
YES
NO |
For future use. |
|
SHOW_TOPO_SCALE |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether a small
color legend is displayed on the MFD moving map showing the colors
of various elevations of terrain. |
|
SHOW_TOPO_MAP |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether colored
topography is displayed on the moving map. The colors are
standard, and are based on the ground elevation of the area being
depicted. |
|
SHOW_TERRAIN_DATA |
YES
NO |
For Future Use. |
|
SHOW_OBSTACLE_DATA |
YES
NO |
For Future Use. |
|
SHOW_FUEL_RANGE_RING |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether two
concentric green circles are drawn on the MFD moving map to denote
the range of the aircraft when the fuel level reaches the
authorized reserve quantity, and when it runs completely out of
fuel. The calculation is based on current fuel consuption levels. |
|
SHOW_DCSFRA |
YES
NO |
After the 9/11 attacks, a
number of special airspaces were defined around the Washington DC
area. At the present time, this special airspace is designated a
"Special Flight Rules Area" or SFRA, with an additional special operations
area called the Leesburg Maneuvering Area (LMA)
positioned inside the SFRA. This setting specifies
whether the Washington DC SFRA and LMA are depicted on the GPS moving
map with yellow lines and arcs. |
|
SHOW_ALL_INSTANCES |
YES
NO |
If the GNS 430 or
530
appears in the panel.cfg in a popup window as well as in the 2D
cockpit and/or the 3D Cockpit, the softwarewill stop displaying
anything on the panel mounted instances of the GNS unit(s) when the
popup version (zoomed version) is visible. This is done to
preserve frame rates, otherwise many computers would struggle with
sluggish performance during the time that both the panel mounted
unit and the one and the popup are both visible simultaneously.
To inihbit this performance-saving feature, you can set this
option to YES, but it is strongly discouraged due to the potential
adverse impact on simulator performance. (This feature was
introduced in the Spring of 2017). |
|
NAVDATA |
MICROSOFT
REALNAV |
This setting controls which
navigation database is used by the avionics. If you
are using Prepar3D, the MICROSOFT setting will still use the data
internal to the sim. |
| POWER |
AVIONICS
MASTER
CUSTOM |
(Optional) This
optional parameter tells the GNS units which electrical bus
powers them. Typically, in a fixed wing aircraft, the
GNS is powered by the avionics bus, which means that both the
master switch and avionics switch must be switched on for the GNS
to get power (thus AVIONICS is the default setting).
However in some aircraft, the GNS is powered by the main bus, either
by the battery or the alternator. In this case, use MASTER to
make the GNS power up with only the master switch.
Use of the CUSTOM
option is only useful for customers who have purchased a custom
electrical system simulation from Mindstar. |
|
Options For AIRCRAFT.DEFAULT Sections
in GNS.INI |
| Setting |
Possible Values |
Description |
| AnimateStartup |
YES
NO |
Specifies whether
the G1000 should display the power-up sequence when the master
switch is turned. The power-up sequence includes AHRS
alignments and other tests that appear on the PFD in the first
seconds after the master switch is turened on.
|
[KEYBOARD] Section Overview
The [KEYBOARD] section is a
list of GNS 430 & 530 functions that can be controlled by hardware events
generated by knobs and buttons, or keyboards. Three control
methods are supported - 1) keyboard shortcuts, 2) SimConnect events, and
3) FSUIPC offsets. Each of the control methods are described in more
detail below.
The section name
[KEYBOARD] is a throwback to many years ago, prior to FSX,
when the only control method available in our software was keyboard
shortcuts. Over time, we added support for SimConnect and FSUIPC,
but the section name remains the same. Don't let the name fool you!
The syntax used on each of the event lines is how the GNS detects
which control method is used. Multiple control methods
can be mixed within the file, but only one control method can be
coded on any particular function.
You may use Windows Notepad or
any other text editor to make changes to this file.
| |
Method 1: Triggering GNS Events using Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts to
control the GNS is the most simplistic
of the control methods, and it should not be used unless both of the other
options below are not practical for you.
When defining keystrokes into the INI
file, use only the lower-case version of a key, with modifier keywords.
Valid modifiers for keyboard shortcuts are the words SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT.
The modifier must be separated from the key definition by a "+" sign.
To further understand modifiers, consider this - you must not use the "@"
as a keyboard shortcut, but instead, you must type SHIFT+2 on the INI file
line. Letters can be coded as upper or lower case, but there is no
distinction. for example, between an upper-case G and a lower-case g.
They are both recgonized as the same key. If you want to code
a G and a SHIFT+G, then those two are distinguished as separate
keys.
Any keyboard shortcuts assigned to GNS functions will not
be acted upon by flight simulator, even if you code a function that flight
simulator would otherwise recognize. For example, if you assing the
letter "G" to a GNS function, the simulator will no operate the aircraft
landing gear as it usually would with the "G" key because the
GNS
retains the keystroke and does not forward it to flight simulator.
One drawback of using keyboard shortcuts for GNS functions is that the
main simualtor window (the one with the menubar) must be the window "in
focus" in order for keys to reach the simulator. If you have a
popup window open, GNS shortcut keys will not reach the software, even
if the popup window is a GNS element.
Formatting Example for Keyboard Shortcuts:
GPS1_COM_FREQ_TOGGLE=CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+G
Method 2: Triggering GNS Events with SimConnect
SimConnect was introduced by Microsoft in FSX, and
continues to be in use by Lockheed-Martin in Prepar3D. It is the
preferred method of controlling the GNS from hardware. SimConnect
events are generated by your hardware driver software that is programmed
to connect to Flight Sim using the SimConnect interface.
This means either you, or your hardware vendor, must have written a
program that interfaces your hardware to flight simulator.
SimConnect events for the GNS use any hex number between and inclusive
of 0x11000 to 0x11FFF. The number must be coded in the INI file
with the 0x prefix in order to be recognized as a SimConnect event.
The GNS will monitor the SimConnect event stream for the specified
event, and if that event appears, the GNS will execute the action to
which the event number was assigned.
Formatting Example for SimConnect Events:
GPS1_COM_FREQ_TOGGLE=0x11000
Example C++ Code for
Sending Events via SimConnect
Method 3: Triggering GNS Events with FSUIPC
Offsets
FSUIPC must be installed and operating on
your computer in order to use this control method. The GNS
installer does not install FSUIPC because no internal functions of
Mindstar Aviation software rely on FSUIPC. If you want to use the FSUIPC
control method, then it is your responsibility to install the latest
version of FSUIPC.
To use this method, Enter values on the event
lines in the format FSUIPC:0x1234567 where 1234567 is any avaialble FSUIPC
offset based on the FSUIPC documentation. The GNS expects the
offset to be an integer in the range of 0 to 255. Each time the
value at the specified FSUIPC offset increments, the GNS will execute
the specified function. If the value at the offset increments
more than once, then the GNS will interpret that as a request to repeat
the specified function for the number of times the value changed.
Once the value reaches 255, your hardware driver software should return
the value to 0 and start incrementing again from there.
Formatting Example for FSUIPC:
NAV_ID_TOGGLE=FSUIPC:0x123456 |
|
[KEYBOARD] Section - List Of Events |
| Function |
Description |
| GPS #1 Controls |
| GPS1_COM_VOL_PRESS |
Presses the COM VOL knob |
| GPS1_NAV_VOL_PRESS |
Presses the NAV VOL knob. |
| GPS1_COM_FREQ_TOGGLE |
Toggles the active and standby
COM frequencies in GPS #1 |
| GPS1_NAV_FREQ_TOGGLE |
Toggles the active and standby
NAV frequencies in GPS #1 |
| GPS1_LARGE_CV_INCR |
CW turn of the large COM/NAV knob that
increases megahertz in the selected COM or NAV radio in GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_LARGE_CV_DECR |
CCW turn of the large COM/NAV knob that
decreases megahertz in the selected COM or NAV radio in GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_SMALL_CV_INCR |
CW turn of the small COM/NAV knob that
increases kilohertz in the selected COM or NAV radio in GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_SMALL_CV_DECR |
CCW turn of the small COM/NAV knob that
decreases kilohertz in the selected COM or NAV radio in GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_SMALL_CV_PRESS |
Press the small COM/NAV knob on GPS #1 |
| GPS1_CDI |
Toggles the CDI selection on GPS #11
between GPS and VLOC |
| GPS1_OBS |
Activates OBS mode. When activated,
the OBS knob on the VOR 1 gauge controls the selected course to
the current GPS waypoint. |
| GPS1_MSG |
Press the MSG button on GPS #1 to view
any pending messages. |
| GPS1_FPL |
Displays the flight plan screen on GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_VNAV |
For 530 only. Activates the VNAV
functions. |
| GPS1_PROC |
Presses the PROC button that displays a
selection list of procedures for Departures, Arrivals, and
Approaches.. |
| GPS1_RANGE_INCR |
Increase the range on the GPS map on GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_RANGE_DECR |
Decrease the range on the GPS map on GPS
#1 |
| GPS1_DIRECT_TO |
Press the Direct-To button on GPS #1 |
| GPS1_MENU |
Press the MENU button on GPS #1 |
| GPS1_CLR |
Press the CLR button on GPS # |
| GPS1_CLR_HOLD |
Simulates the holding down of the CLR
button (usually after 3 seconds) which causes the display to
return to the default view on GPS #1 |
| GPS1_ENT |
Press the ENT button on GPS #1 |
| GPS1_LARGE_GPS_INCR |
CW turn of the large GPS (FMS) knob on
GPS #1 |
| GPS1_LARGE_GPS_DECR |
CCW turn of the large GPS (FMS) knob on
GPS #1 |
| GPS1_SMALL_GPS_INCR |
CW turn of the small GPS (FMS) knob on
GPS #1 |
| GPS1_SMALL_GPS_DECR |
CCW turn of the small GPS (FMS) knob on
GPS #1 |
| GPS1_SMALL_GPS_PRESS |
Press the small GPS (FMS) knob on GPS #1 |
| GPS #1 Failures |
|
GPS1_RAIM_PREDICTION_FAILURE_TOGGLE |
Toggles raim PREDICTION failure on and
off. When toggled on, and the RAIM prediction
functions of the AUX pages are used to determine if RAIM will be
available at the destination airport at the time of arrival, the
prediction will report that RAIM will *NOT* be available. |
| GPS1_RAIM_ACTUAL_FAILURE_TOGGLE |
Toggles ACTUAL raim failure on and off.
When failed, the GPS is not reliable for navigation because of
insufficient sattellite coverage. |
| GPS1_FAIL_GS_TOGGLE |
Toggles the failure of the glideslope
display. |
| GPS1_FAIL_GS_SET |
Sets the failure state of the glideslope
display. |
| GPS #2 Failures |
GPS2_*
Same names as the GPS1 counterparts, but prefixed with GPS2 |
Same as the GPS #1 counterparts |
|
[USER_WAYPOINTS] Section
The USER_WAYPOINTS section is
where the GNS software stores user-defined waypoints entered from either
of the units. The format consists of a waypoint name, followed by a series of
parameters.
You typically do not need to edit this section
manually. Incorrect values in this section could cause flight
simulator to crash, so if you do decide to edit this section manually, use
caution, and make backup copies of the GNS.INI file.
To
understand the layout of each line, here's an example. If we wanted
a user defined waypoint named ABCDEF, it might appear like this:
[USER_WAYPOINTS]
MINDST=N39* 3.44',
W77* 32.672', FDK211 / 23, FDK, 211.4, 22.7, N39* 24.73', W77* 22.508', ,
0.0, 0.0, N0* 0.00', E0* 0.000'
ABCDEF=N39* 1.26', W77* 33.270', AML333
/ 7, AML, 332.8, 6.6, N38* 56.07', W77* 28.001', , 0.0, 0.0, N0* 0.00',
E0* 0.000'
Tip:
Do not change the last six paramters and use these lines as an example of
how to create users waypoint in the GNS system. |
