Understanding the configuration file for the Mindstar Aviation G1000 software
The G1000.INI file is a repository of various aircraft configurations, keyboard and event controls, and options for the Mindstar Aviation G1000 software. Understanding this file is important if you intend to put the G1000 into aircraft other than the default Cessna 172.
The G1000.INI is a plain text file that can be edited with Notepad. It can be found in the folder you selected during the installation of the software. Typically this would be:
The G1000.INI is broken down into sections for:
The G1000.INI is broken down into several sections. Each section is enclosed in square brackets.
| [G1000] | This section contains settings and options that affect all variations of the G1000, regardless of which aircraft model being used. |
| [KEYBOARD] | This section is where you can define keyboard shortcuts, SimConnect events, or FSUIPC offsets that the G1000 should pay attention to for hardware knobs and buttons. The name is KEYBOARD because in our earliest versions of the software, only keyboard shortcuts were supported. But over the years, we have incorporated SimConnect and FSUIPC support into the software, but the section name has remained KEYBOARD. |
| [OUTPUT] | This section is where you can define SimConnect events or FSUIPC offsets that the G1000 should write to or generate for notifying hardware to turn on and off. This is currently used for telling hardware lights that they should turn on or off. |
| [USER_WAYPOINTS] | This section is where the G1000 saves any user waypoints that the pilot has entered using the user waypoint screens in the G1000. |
| [Cessna.172] | Aircraft-specific settings for the Cessna 172. This section contains parameters consistent with an S-model 172 with the KAP-140 autopilot. |
| [Cessna.172.AFCS] | Aircraft-specific settings for the Cessna 172 with the GFC-700 Autopilot. This section contains parameters consistent with an S-model 172. |
| [Cessna.182] | Aircraft-specific settings for the Cessna 182. This section contains parameters consistent with an S-model 182. |
| [Cessna.182.AFCS] | Aircraft-specific settings for the Cessna 182 with the GFC-700 Autopilot. This section contains parameters consistent with a Cessna model T182T. |
We have created a small utility program called SetupG1K.exe. This program resides in the same folder as the G1000.INI file, and gives you a slightly nicer user interface to editing the INI file than Notepad. There is nothing special about how this program edits the INI file, other than organizing things on the screen with a guided user interface.
You can use this program, or you can simply use Notepad to edit the G1000.INI file. The options in the SetupG1K program are fairly self explanatory if you understand the various options described below.
Except for a few of the options below, most settings in the G1000.INI file are yes/no settings, or a numeric value. 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.
You should never put anything on the line other than the keyword, and the value. Do not put the value in quotes. 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:
You can also comment out settings altogether with this double-slash:
But you cannot put comments after the value, like this:
Note that for some of these settings, the G1000 itself updates the INI file based on selections the pilot makes during a flight using the avionics.
Some values of settings in the G1000.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".
| 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 iSimConnect is used. It is strongly recommended that you use AUTO unless you have a specific reason to change it. |
| CheckForUpdates | YES NO | This setting is for future use. There is a facility inside the G1000 that can check whether a new version of the software is available. But this facility is temporarily out of service. At this time, this option should be set to NO. |
| GpsRedrawRate | 1-10 Default: 4 | The real G1000 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 | 10-100 | Specifies the number of nautical miles to be used as a radius when creating a list of items in the G1000 "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 (in knots) of the wind. The heading and direction are computed from GPS information. |
| SHOW_NAV_RANGE_RING | YES NO | Specifies whether a compass-rose type circle is drawn around the aircraft on the moving map, showing tickmarks for various headings around the aircraft. |
| 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 consumption levels. |
| KNOB_ACCEL_THRESHOLD | 0-1000 Default: 220 | Defines how many milliseconds in between HDG or CRS knob events constitutes a "rapid twist". If the HDG or CRS knob events arrive faster (lower number of milliseconds than specified here), then they are acted upon in "rapid" mode, causing the HDG or CRS value to change in 10-degree increments instead of 1-degree increments. A value of 0 means no knob acceleration will be used. |
| 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 a "Special Flight Rules Area" or SFRA. This setting specifies whether the Washington DC SFRA is to be depicted on the GPS moving map with yellow lines and arcs. |
| SHOW_INTERCEPTOR | YES NO | When used in combination with the SHOW_EASTER_EGGS option, and if the easter egg option in the G1000 for "AI Traffic" is turned on, this setting specifies that a Civil Air Patrol aircraft should intercept your aircraft if you enter the Washington DC SFRA while squawking a transponder code of 1200. |
| SHOW_EASTER_EGGS | YES NO | Specifies whether a set of secret options called "easter eggs" become available when pressing the blank softkey between ENGINE and MAP on the MFD. For more information on the easter egg functions, refer to the G1000 Extras guide. |
| SHOW_METRIC | YES NO | Specifies whether the altimeter displays metric values for altitude and the altimeter setting. An additional box showing meters appears next to the altimeter in addition to feet, and the Kohlsman window on the altimeter switches to hPa (millibars / hectopascals) |
| SHOW_HPA | YES NO | Specifies whether the Kohlsman window showing the altimeter setting should display hPa instead of inHG (hectopascals/millibars instead of inches of Mercury). This setting overrides the SHOW_METRIC setting. |
| SHOW_METERS | YES NO | Specifies whether the altimeter should display an additional box showing meters next to the center of the altimeter tape, in addition to the tape showing feet. This setting overrides the SHOW_METRIC setting. |
| SHOW_ALL_INSTANCES | YES NO | If the G1000 appears in the panel.cfg in a popup window as well as in the 2D cockpit and/or the 3D Cockpit, the G1000 will stop displaying anything on the panel mounted instances when the popup version is visible. This is done to preserve frame rates. To inhibit 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. |
| ITUNES_AS_XM | YES NO | For future use. This is a facility inside the G1000 that will utilize any installed copy of iTunes on the computer to play music controlled by the G1000 XM Radio screens. This option is not fully tested at this time, and may cause flight simulator to crash. |
| MFD_DATABAR_FIELDS | Comma Delimited List of 4 values: GS, DIS, ETE, ESA BRG, DTK, END, ETA, FOB, FOD, MSA, TAS, TKE, TRK, VSR, XTK | The G1000 has the option to change what values are displayed at the top of MFD in the magenta GPS section. This section is called the MFD Databar. Four items are always saved, separated by commas, with no spaces. |
| 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. |
| LOCCOURSE | Blank by Default or DB | Some international certification authorities require that the final approach course be displayed exactly as specified by the navigation database. The LOCCOURSE=DB option ensures the localizer course on the HSI is set to the value published in the database. This option should NOT be used unless you are trying to use our professional edition in a real world simulator. |
| DISABLE_AUTOPILOT | YES NO | Some international certification authorities require that if the autopilot does not operate EXACTLY like the one in real aircraft, that the autopilot must be disabled. This option should NOT be used unless you are trying to use our professional edition in a real world simulator. |
| TRANSPONDER_VFR_CODE | Blank by Default or any valid 4-digit 4096 transponder code | In the United States, "squawk VFR" usually means set your transponder code to 1200. But in some other countries, the VFR code is not 1200 (for example, 7000 is used as the VFR code in some locations). If you are in a country that uses something other than 1200, enter that code on this line. |
| PFD_WIND_OPTION | 0, 1, 2, 3 | Specifies the default mode of the wind vector box on the PFD. Option 0 = no wind vector. 1 = two fixed arrows for head/tail and crosswind. 2 = single arrow showing direction and speed. 3 = single arrow with two numbers for components. |
| BLOCK_REPEAT_EVENTS | YES NO | In some hardware, there can be a problem if the hardware fires more than one event of the same type in the same flight simulator tick cycle. If this option is turned on, the G1000 will ignore all identical events except the first one within the same tick cycle. |
| IgnoreFontScaling | YES NO | Starting in mid-2016, our gauges were modified to automatically compensate for users who adjusted their Windows settings to use font-sizes greater than 100%. Set this to YES to bypass the automatic font size adjustment if you experience excessively small fonts. |
| FSUIPC | YES NO | Can optionally tell the G1000 software to bypass any initialization and/or interaction with FSUIPC. The G1000 software does not require FSUIPC except for cases where a customer wants to trigger G1000 events using FSUIPC offsets. |
| GPS_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS | Default: 5 | Defines how long the G1000 will wait for a response from the internal Flight Sim database when querying for waypoints. |
| FAST_BOOT | YES NO | Adjusts the G1000 bootup simulation to be faster than real-world. This controls the rate at which the initial message "INITIALIZING SYSTEM" appears and lingers. |
| TIME_FORMAT | UTC LOCAL12 LOCAL24 | Tells the G1000 what format to use for displaying local time at the bottom of the PFD. UTC = GMT Universal Time in 24-hour format. LOCAL12 = local time in 12-hour format. LOCAL24 = local time in 24-hour format. |
| COM_SPACING_833 | YES NO | When set to YES, this option tells the G1000 to use 8.33 kHz spacing between COM frequencies. Note: FSX and Prepar3D do not fully support 8.33 kHz COM channel spacing. |
The aircraft-specific sections delivered with the software include:
You can add additional sections for new aircraft types by either manually editing the G1000.INI, or by using the SetupG1K utility program. The section name must not contain any spaces, and is the name you must use in your panel.cfg as part of the 5th parameter on the gauge lines.
| Setting | Possible Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Style | 0-999 Default: 3 | Specifies the style of G1000 that should be displayed: 1 = Beechcraft (Generic), 2 = Cessna 172S, 3 = Cessna 182T, 4 = Cessna Turbo 182T, 5 = Columbia, 6 = Diamond DA-40, 7 = Diamond DA-42, 8 = Mooney, 9 = Cirrus SR-22 Turbo, 10 = Cessna Citation Mustang, 11 = Generic Twin Turbine, 12 = Beechcraft Baron, 13 = Piper Meridian, 14 = Beechcraft Bonanza, 15 = Tecnam P2006T Twin, 16 = Piper Mirage, 17 = Piper Matrix, 18 = Cessna Caravan, 19 = Cirrus SR-22, 20 = Cirrus SR-20, 21 = Generic Twin Turbine B, 22 = Piper Archer, 23 = Piper Seminole, 24 = Generic Twin Turboprop, 25 = Piper Seneca, 26 = Cessna 206, 27 = Cessna T206, 28 = DA42 with Lycoming L360, 29 = Tecnam P2010, 30 = Turbo Commander TC690 |
| NXI | YES NO | Setting this value to YES causes the G1000 interface to display as the newer G1000 NXI layout. |
| Accusim | YES NO | This settings tells the G1000 to obtain certain engine values from the A2A Accusim system instead of obtaining information directly from Flight Sim. |
| EnableRFD | YES NO | If you plan to use an RFD in a configuration that does not normally use one, you must set this value to YES to force the existence of an RFD. |
| Checklist File | Filename | Filename of a pseudo-XML style text file that defines the aircraft checklist items to be displayed in the G1000 screens. |
| ShowBezel | YES NO | Specifies whether the bezel and associated knobs and buttons are displayed. Set to NO when a hardware enclosure is used around a monitor. |
| GradientHorizon | YES NO | Specifies whether the blue sky and brown ground colors become darker near the edges and lighter near the horizon line. Can impact frame rates. |
| AirspeedRangeLowCaution | 0-999 Default: 45 | The location on the airspeed tape where the yellow colorbar begins. Airspeeds below this value will have a red colorbar. |
| AirspeedRangeFlaps | 0-999 Default: 55 | The location on the airspeed tape where the white colorbar begins. |
| AirspeedRangeNormal | 0-999 Default: 90 | The location on the airspeed tape where the green colorbar begins. |
| AirspeedRangeHighCaution | 0-999 Default: 140 | The location on the airspeed tape where the yellow high-speed colorbar begins. |
| AirspeedRangeOverspeed | 0-999 Default: 210 | The location on the airspeed tape where the red & white barberpole colorbar begins. |
| AirspeedBugVr | 0-999 Default: 55 | The location on the airspeed tape where the airspeed bug labeled "R" points (rotation speed). |
| AirspeedBugVx | 0-999 Default: 64 | The location where the "X" bug points (Vx best angle of climb). |
| AirspeedBugVy | 0-999 Default: 84 | The location where the "Y" bug points (Vy best rate of climb). |
| AirspeedBugVg | 0-999 Default: 75 | The location where the "G" bug points (Vg best glide speed). |
| AnimateStartup | YES NO | Specifies whether the G1000 should display the power-up sequence when the master switch is turned on. |
| AFCS | YES NO | Specifies whether the G1000 should display the GFC-700 Automatic Flight Control System items on the PFD. Setting AFCS to YES also enables LPV (WAAS) approach capability. When using AFCS, you must ensure no other autopilots are loaded in the cockpit. |
| WAASENABLED | YES NO | Tells the G1000 that it has SBAS capability (can fly LPV approaches). This setting is ignored if AFCS is set to YES because AFCS=YES automatically implies LPV capability. |
The [KEYBOARD] section of the G1000.ini is a list of G1000 functions that can be controlled by hardware events generated by knobs and buttons, or avionics keypads. Three control methods are supported:
The section name [KEYBOARD] is a throwback to many years ago, prior to FSX, when the only control method available was keyboard shortcuts.
Pilot / Instructor input events are grouped into the following categories:
A basic-edition user may use a subset of these events without needing to purchase an elevated edition like Advanced or Professional. But when using a basic-edition license, you cannot create events for every knob and button of a particular unit (like the PFD or MFD) without triggering the elevated license requirement. This is particularly important if you are purchasing hardware units from companies such as RealSim Gear, Ruscool, Brunner, SimKits, Emuteq, and others.
Using keyboard shortcuts to control the G1000 is the most simplistic of the control methods, and it should not be used unless both of the other options are not practical for you.
When defining keystrokes, use only the lower-case version of a key, with modifier keywords. Valid modifiers are SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT, separated by a "+" sign.
SimConnect was introduced by Microsoft in FSX and is the preferred method of controlling the G1000 from hardware. SimConnect events for the G1000 use any hex number between 0x11000 to 0x11FFF.
FSUIPC must be installed and operating on your computer to use this control method. Enter values in the format FSUIPC:0x1234567 where 1234567 is any available FSUIPC offset.
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| NAV_ID_TOGGLE | Presses the NAV VOL knob, which turns on the audible morse code identifier for the selected NAV radio on the PFD. |
| NAV_FREQ_TOGGLE | Toggles the active and standby frequencies in the selected NAV radio on the PFD. |
| LARGE_NAV_INCR | CW turn of the large NAV knob that increases megahertz in the selected NAV radio on the PFD. |
| LARGE_NAV_DECR | CCW turn of the large NAV knob that decreases megahertz in the selected NAV radio on the PFD. |
| SMALL_NAV_INCR | CW turn of the small NAV knob that increases kilohertz in the selected NAV radio on the PFD. |
| SMALL_NAV_DECR | CCW turn of the small NAV knob that decreases kilohertz in the selected NAV radio on the PFD. |
| SMALL_NAV_PRESS | Press the NAV knob which changes the selected NAV radio on the PFD, and moves the tuning cursor between NAV1 and NAV2. |
| HDG_INCR | CW turn of the heading knob on the PFD. |
| HDG_DECR | CCW turn of the heading knob on the PFD. |
| HDG_PRESS | Presses the heading knob on the PFD. |
| COM_FREQ_TOGGLE | Toggles the active and standby frequencies in the selected COM radio on the PFD. |
| CRS_INCR | CW turn of the course knob on the PFD which changes the green course pointer on the HSI. |
| CRS_DECR | CCW turn of the course knob on the PFD. |
| CRS_PRESS | Press the course knob to auto-slew the course pointer TO the station that is the active NAV source. |
| BARO_INCR | CW turn of the "baro" knob that increases the value in the Kohlsman window. |
| BARO_DECR | CCW turn of the "baro" knob that decreases the value in the Kohlsman window. |
| PFD_DIRECT_TO | Press the Direct-To button on the PFD. |
| PFD_MENU | Press the MENU button on the PFD. |
| PFD_FPL | Press the FPL button to view the flight plan window on the PFD. |
| PFD_PROC | Press the PROC button on the PFD to select procedures like approaches, SIDs and STARs. |
| PFD_CLR | Press the CLR button on the PFD to clear screens, erase inputs, etc. |
| PFD_ENT | Press the ENT button on the PFD to accept the active field's input. |
| PFD_SOFTKEY_1 through PFD_SOFTKEY_12 | Press the associated softkey across the bottom of the PFD. |
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| MFD_NAV_FREQ_TOGGLE | Toggles the active and standby frequencies in the selected NAV radio on the MFD. |
| MFD_COM_FREQ_TOGGLE | Toggles the active and standby frequencies in the selected COM radio on the MFD. |
| MFD_RANGE_INCR | Zoom out on the MFD map. |
| MFD_RANGE_DECR | Zoom in on the MFD map. |
| MFD_RANGE_PRESS | Activate the pan pointer cursor on the MFD map. |
| MFD_DIRECT_TO | Press the Direct-To button on the MFD. |
| MFD_MENU | Press the MENU button on the MFD. |
| MFD_FPL | Press the FPL button to view the flight plan window on the MFD. |
| MFD_PROC | Press the PROC button on the MFD to select procedures. |
| MFD_CLR | Press the CLR button on the MFD to clear screens, erase inputs, etc. |
| MFD_CLR_HOLD | Simulate the CLR knob having been held for 3 seconds, which forces the MFD to return to the NAV page group, page #1. |
| MFD_ENT | Press the ENT button on the MFD to accept the active field's input. |
| MFD_SOFTKEY_1 through MFD_SOFTKEY_12 | Press the associated softkey across the bottom of the MFD. |
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| AUDIO_TRANSMIT_COM1 | Transmit and Receive on COM1. |
| AUDIO_MONITOR_COM1 | Listen to COM1 even if COM2 is selected for transmit. |
| AUDIO_TRANSMIT_COM2 | Transmit and Receive on COM2. |
| AUDIO_MONITOR_NAV1 | Listen to NAV1 audio. |
| AUDIO_MONITOR_NAV2 | Listen to NAV2 audio. |
| AUDIO_MARKER_MUTE | Silence the outer/middle/inner marker during an approach. |
| AUDIO_ACTIVATE_REVERSIONARY | Activates reversionary mode so the PFD and MFD show a consolidated flight instrument and engine instrument display. |
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| AFCS_AP | Toggles autopilot control of the aircraft on and off. |
| AFCS_FD | Toggles the flight director on/off. |
| AFCS_HDG | Toggles HDG mode on and off in the GFC-700 autopilot. |
| AFCS_ALT | Toggles ALT (altitude hold) mode on and off. |
| AFCS_NAV | Toggles NAV mode on and off. |
| AFCS_VNV | Toggles VNAV mode on and off. |
| AFCS_APR | Toggles Approach Mode on and off. |
| AFCS_BC | Toggles Backcourse mode on and off. |
| AFCS_VS | Toggles Vertical Speed mode on and off. |
| AFCS_FLC | Toggles Flight Level Change mode on and off. |
| AFCS_UP / AFCS_DN | Pitch up/down, or adjust selected FLC airspeed. |
| AFCS_YD | Toggles Yaw Damper on and off. Only available in certain aircraft. |
For certain hardware implementations, it is necessary for the G1000 to send feedback to the hardware (or other software) about whether a particular LED light should be illuminated or not. Two feedback methods are supported:
When SimConnect events are specified, the G1000 software sends the specified event number to the simulator event stream, along with event data of 0 or 1, to denote whether the LED (or failure) is active or inactive.
The USER_WAYPOINTS section is where the G1000 software stores user-defined waypoints entered from the MFD. 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 G1000.INI file.
Tip: Do not change the last six parameters and use the other as an example of creating a user waypoint in the system.