The Cirrus Perspective package consists of the RealSimGear G1000 (both PFD and MFD) as well as the newly introduced Cirrus Perspective style GCU, GFC700, and GMA350 as shown below.
RealSimGear also has a full Cirrus Perspective Console solution that adds a few enhancements to the above Cirrus Perspective package:
Adds a Cirrus switch panel
Adds a mini control panel that contains Starter, Fuel Pump, Fuel Selector, and Flap handle and LED's
Includes an integrated 10 port USB hub
Includes an integrated USB3 > HDMI adapter
The Cirrus Perspective package is one of the most technically advanced avionics systems available in general aviation. As a result, finding an aircraft in the various simulators that fully support all the features necessary to work with the RealSimGear Cirrus Perspective package, has been challenging. The two biggest issues RealSimGear has encountered are finding a Cirrus aircraft model that both supports POP-OUT windows for the PFD/MFD AND supports mapping the buttons and encoders to the custom avionics functions.
To address this issue, RealSimGear partnered with TorqueSim to develop the TorqueSim SR22 Series aircraft which is 100% compatible with our Cirrus hardware packages. This is the recommended configuration for any Cirrus simulation.
For more information on the TorqueSim Cirrus, click HERE.
X-Plane 11 (These options are no longer actively supported)
Option 1 – vFlyteAir SR20, Version 2.6
One of the major issues with both aircraft available for X-Plane is the lack of POP-OUT support for the PFD/MFD screens within the aircraft. To address this issue, RealSimGear has identified an open source plugin, XTextureExtractor, https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/42612-xtextureextractor/ that provides a means to capture specific texture renderings and display them on an external screen (namely the RealSimGear G1000 screens). This plugin is not supported by RealSimGear, and it should be pointed out that it only has been tested on Nvidia 1080 hardware; it is not guaranteed to work on all systems. This plugin can be used on the vFlyteAir SR20 and will capture the PFD and MFD G1000 images in the aircraft, allowing for POP-OUT, and therefore drag down to the RealSimGear G1000 screens.
This method, combined with utilizing a custom CommandMapping.ini developed to interface with the custom vFlyteAir SR20 G1000 avionics suite, provides a highly realistic package for use with the RealSimGear Cirrus Perspective package …. With one caveat:
When using the XTextureExtractor, the map is not correctly displayed on the MFD when in NAVIGATION MAP mode (it does display when in FPL mode). This has been identified as an issue with the way vFlyteAir chose to display the map in relation to the rest of MFD (different regions in the texture and XTextureExtrator can only render a single region for MFD).
To utilize this option, simply follow these steps (assuming you have already purchased, downloaded, and installed the vFlyteAir SR20)
Download and install the RealSimGear plugin
Download and copy the specific vFlyteAir Cirrus SR20 CommandMapping.ini file and copy it to the root of the vFlyteAir Cirrus SR20 aircraft folder
Extract this plugin in to the plugin of the vFlyteAir Cirrus SR20 (X-Plane\Aircraft\vFlyteAir....\plugins) unless you plan to use it for other aircraft, then you would extract it to the main X-Plane\Resources\plugin folder
Download and copy the CirrusSR20.acf.tex config file into the root of the XTextureExtractor folder installed in step 4
6. Start X-Plane and load the vFlyteAir Cirrus SR20
7. You will notice that there are now two windows loaded in the sim, likely both showing green.
8. You will have to select the correct windows by clicking on the <<-1 button until you see the PFD and MFD show up on the screens
9. Once displayed, simply click on the upper right-hand side of each of the inset screens to create the POP-OUT windows
10. Once displayed, simply click on the upper right-hand side of each of the inset screens to create the POP-OUT windows
11. Drag those windows down to the appropriate RealSimGear G1000 screen
Option 2 – Modify the vFlyteAir SR20, Version 1.6, to include a Laminar G1000
There may be some instances where the XTextureExtractor may not work and/or users may not be satisfied with the missing map screen; another option exists that trades off fixing those issues, but introduces another. That option is to place the Laminar G1000 PFD and MFD into the vFlyteAir SR20 model. What this option provides, is a G1000 avionics suite that supports POP-OUT windows without the need for and limitation of Option 1 … with two caveats:
Because the Laminar G1000 does NOT support the keypad and number pad found on the RealSimGear GCU unit, those buttons on the RealSimGear Cirrus GCU will not work (everything else still will)
The Laminar G1000 is a generic version of the G1000 avionics suite, therefore none of the Cirrus Perspective-specific features are available such as:
No Engine page in the MFD
Engine parameters look different (including Manifold Pressure instead of % Power)
The steps to perform the Laminar G1000 insertion are as follows and require basic knowledge of using Plane Maker within X-Plane (assuming you have already purchased, downloaded, and installed the vFlyteAir SR20):
First make a copy of the “vFlyteAir_CirrusSR20_v2.6” folder and rename it to reflect the changes (such as “vFlyteAir_CirrusSR20_RSGv3”)
2. Open Plane Maker and select this new copy of the vFlyteAir Cirrus and click “Open Aircraft”
3. Once open, navigate to the Standard menu and choose 2D panel
You will notice there are no 2D instruments shown, which is why there is no pop-out available
4. Within the 2D panel window, expand the Instrument List > EFIS > G1000
5. Select the PFD.png and drag it over to the middle window, it will place a black box in the 2D window
6. Select that box (which will highlight it) and then in the properties box (bottom left), select both Bus 1 and Bus 2 options
7. From the selection list, choose MFD.png and drag it over to the center window, again it will drop a black box
8. Select that box (which will highlight it) and then in the properties box (bottom left), select only the Bus 1 option
9. Arrange the PFD and MFD boxes in any manner in in the center screen, just make sure they do not overlap.
10. Choose the back button in upper left which will take you back to the main screen
11. Choose File > Save to save this aircraft
12. Download and install the RealSimGear plugin.
13. Start X-Plane and find/load your copy of the vFlyteAir Cirrus SR20
15. Once the plane loads, map two keyboard buttons from the settings keyboard section as follows:
Search for pop and look for “Pop-up PFD”, map a key command to that
Search for pop and look for “Pop-up MFD”, map a key command to that
3. Once the keys are mapped, press them which should pop out the PFD and MFD respectively
4. Drag each of those windows to the RealSimGear G1000 screens as appropriate